Saturday In South Africa

Its Saturday night here in Capetown and NO IM NOT OUT PARTYING. Im actually home early tonite about 10:30. We had a lonnng day today. We did the workshops and ran the city again. We are all real tired I think and will sleep good.


I dont know the last place I left off last night and today

Last night we went to a youth conference at this big church. It was my first time in an African worship service. It's pretty cool cause everyones jammin out. Not like typical "africans" but like just people at a concert or a big event. Like every song has dance moves to it or hand motions or something. Im not use to it and even like at church im pretty mellow back home. Its almost like you have to dance to not stick out though... lol. It was a neat message and just good to be focused on Christ... every bit helps.

After that we went to do a radio show. It was a christian hip hop radio show that played really good music. Ive never even heard an american station play good christian rap music. I liked their format alot. We did the interview on the radio which was mostly a Verbs interview. I got on the mic once but didnt say much. I lost my train of thought for a minute so that sucked... all like.. uh uh... lol. Sorry Verbs! I think that was his third time at that station. It was late at night and a long drive. I know alot of Capetonians were glad to hear him on the radio though. They called in and it was just a real good interview.

We got home and wound down then crashed. A cat and dog fight went on and Verbs almost pulled his gun out on all of us, j/p, it was a tazer. I slept through most his abrupt awakenings last night which was good cause I needed the sleep for today.

When we woke up "uncle" Jonathan our host home owner was making us breakfast. I had some red bush tea that they only make in Capetown. It was real good. People hear drink tea and coffee like its water. All the kids too. Breakfast was good and we had a great talk with Jonathan this morning. He's very wise and it was good to have a "mini church" over breakfast. Especially since we were running late getting ready and Verbs didnt come pick us up till 10:00 which was when the workshops started. We got all our stuff and the bboys and a dj showed up then we left to Langa to do the workshops.

I think i said this before but Langa and all the other blacktownships are veryy similar to the areas of Mexico where people live in the dumps. They call their houses shacks and its DIRT POOR out there. The place smells and most dont have electricity or running water. I wanted to get more pictures but its not a place you just go kick it at. I think the violence is much worse than Mexico. They say that here when the pull out knives they aim for your eyes and kneck... not like in the states where they try to shred you or poke you. They fight to kill around those areas. Very viloent they say...

We drove in to the Langa High School and kids were ready and waiting. We thought 140 or more would be there which was too much. They announced the workshops to the whole school (1000+ kids) but to make it something they would not just show up and cause trouble at we charged 5 rand (less than a dollar). We had less than 80 kids show up, most that were there to do the rap class. The "rap" lifestyle is big everywhere nowdays so kids want to be the next 50 Cent or 2 Pac usually. Verbs teaches that class and he had 26 in it. The bboys had about 3-4, I had around 12 and basketball I guess the same. I dont know if that adds up but you can see them in the pictures at
http://www.refugecrew.com/refugeflix/capetown06 when I upload them.

For basket ball they had no real goals. Just these poles in the ground with a thin hoop... real hard to teach on. I think the rap class went real well cause I heard them all practicing and going over their songs they created in the class. The bboys were sweaty as usual and mine are always real low-key. Most the kids are really focused when drawing and I try to keep it that way so they will stay into it and learn something. I like my kids alot. They were really good artists and I wish I could go back every week like House of Faith cause they are hungry for people that will guide them and give them direction.

Its amazing how you think about Africa and what its like... then you get here and its "America" in Africa. They all listen to rap and think about cars and cell phones and even act the same. Its no different except their background culture. Its so similar to being Mexican as far as the "blacks" are concerned. (Here youre either black, white or colored. I would be considered a colored cause im not black or white.) The kids talked trash about how their culture is and all the crazy "african" things people do like Rastafarians, and people being ghetto and doing ghetto stuff like fishing for goldfish in the local pond with a rock and a orange crate.lol. They just want so much more than someone telling them about God. They say alot of people come to Africa and do "mission" work but then they get to leave... and they people have to live here... real life. Apartide has not been over that long and it still has a big affect on the people. Its almost like why should I give you the time of day when your just gotta tell me about "God" then I'll never see you again.. basically I dont even know you anyways so what's the point. The kids didnt really treat us in this manner but I've been talking to people about things and after hearing their side of the story its easier to see it in the attitudes of the kids when we would talk about stuff. One person said its like nobody asked them if they wanted "this" they just gave it to them and they've been put in this box for so long they dont want to feel pressured to be put in that position again. Like their is housing available to "blacks" that they will never move into cause nobody asked them if they wanted it. So their mentality is "why should we move there?"... "who says its better... you?"

Alot of people have come to God in Africa but now alot have gone back to their own lifestyles and ways of life. Similar to America its like now to reach kids you gotta give them something more. Something more than hey... if you dont accept Christ you're gonna die go to hell. They know that part and its not enough anymore. Thats new news to me also cause I always hear about African people being hungry for God in such a way that they will run to it like its life or death. The city is a city where ever you go. Ive been to a couple and its like the urban culture is universal these days. Youth are youth everywhere. They all like cars and graffiti and rap music. They are all searching for life and the adults are all screwed up so the kids end hurting for it in the end. All I can do is spread seeds and I thank everyone who made it possible for me to come to Capetown. It's truly an experience and I'm glad im here on this kind of trip. I feel called to this type of thing. Im just me... the person God created me to be and that feels good...

I need to let someone use the internet but I will finish up the blog in a minute. Be back in a jiffy pop. (dork)