Hamba nathi mkhululi wethu...

...that Zulu sentence directly translates to something like, Join us on our deliverance. If you've ever been exposed to a Mennonite Church worship service, you possibly know the tune as Come, walk with us, the journey is long. Close enough in translation, eh?

Close enough, at least, that's the sort of grace I'm hoping for as I muddle through a two-week-intensive Zulu language course before I'm placed in my volunteer setting for 11 months. An urban setting where the taxi horns are loud, the giant birds are loud, the upbeat music is loud, but the people are even louder. Everyone I encounter knows that I was not gifted with a loud voice... My strained vocal cords are hoping for grace here, as well.

Meanwhile Allison, Dominik, and I (see "Other SALTers Blogs") are living with the MCC South Africa representatives here in Pietermaritzburg, who happen to share the grounds with my volunteer location, Project Gateway. The entire complex is full of history, both the good and bad, and I can't wait to explore over the next year (see blogpost "Reduce and Reuse me").

This building within the prison was used to hold political prisoners (which was nearly every prisoner) including Mandela. Now its renovated jail cells are used for guest accomodations at Project Gateway.

 

This is MCC's beautiful backyard within the prison walls (notice the watch tower). Our current lodgings are inside to the left where our MCC representatives live.  

Team ADAM (Allison, Dominik, And Melinda) at Project Gateway

This past Sunday we had a full day with a range of worship styles not entirely unfamiliar to me. In between attending church services, we hiked down the scenic Howick Falls (yes, in our Sunday dress). It was a great opportunity to escape from the city for a few quiet moments. We also ventured to the "Capture Site" which is the geographic location where Nelson Mandela was arrested for treason and then imprisoned for 27 years. There was a huge marathon just ending on the grounds (see the finish line behind us?), so we collected this poster for our MCC office. You can also see black posts forming a portrait of Mandela when standing at a specific location. "Do not judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."

Come walk with us, the journey is long.