Hello Everyone! Seth and I have a few days of rest outside of Cape Town, which is stunningly beautiful. The Amahoro gathering was incredible and we will unpack it for you much more than this 8 minutes of internet I’ve found will allow. I feel so honored to have friendship with people from all over the continent though, from Seth’s Amahoro roommate Mohindu, an incredible 26 year old Congolese leader, to Nicole, a Burundian Finance officer who studied and worked in England but loves her country so much she had to go back and be present.
As the gathering ended and Africans headed home, non-Africans were invited to stay and learn more about South Africa. Our hosts even set up homestays in a township…historically the areas outside of cities where black and colored people were forced during the Apartheid. Many townships are experiencing life and growth as people are allowed to own and are investing in the neighborhoods, but many are suffering greatly as they did even during the Apartheid, plagued by poverty, violence and gangs. We visited and stayed with a young Xhosa couple in Guguletu (the township). Loretta is getting her Masters in Social Work and works as a counselor at one of the main men’s prisons in Cape Town, so she shared some incredible stories with us. They were so kind and excited to host us. We have so much to learn from people like Loretta.
A very moving time for me was worshiping in the township at a church that was historically marginalized for openly doing HIV and AIDS education from the pulpit and starting support groups. They are known as the “AIDS” church. I was amazed as almost the entire gathering was sung, prayers, words, messages, testimonies, in one of the native languages (Xhosa). It wrapped around us and was so redemptive and hopeful, even as they sang, “never give up” over and over to the woman with AIDS who was giving her testimony that morning.
OK, much, much more to come and pictures as soon as we have a faster connection! We are so excited to get to Burundi as well! Amahoro! -Tracy
