Hello! Sammy here, checkin in on you. I hear you guys in KC have lovely hot weather with indexes over 100 degrees! Welllll at least its not 20 below anymore. I on the other hand have had a strenuous couple weeks in Cape Town, South Africa.... I went down to see if I could get tickets to the World Cup, see some college friends and visit family that I havn't seen in over five years. What a good time! Cape Town is a beautiful city with mountains, the beach aaaand World Cup action. I accomplished just about everything on my list of things I wanted to do and people to see.
I emailed my cousin a few months prior to my arrival and asked if I could shack-up while I was in Cape Town. They are near my age and I kinda expected to be sleeping on the couch. We pulled up to their massive beach front house and I suddenly felt like I didn't want to go back to Kenya. It was very special to be able to spend time getting to know my family. Very incredible and gracious people and they spoiled me, to say the least. I also got to meet with some of my college soccer friends who are now living in Cape Town. I had another great friend who was studying abroad there at the same time that I was able to meet with. Nice to see a friendly face from home.
Tried to surf in a place they said had "small" waves with my cousin... Yea, they weren't small waves and the water was freezing even with a wet-suit on. My hands and feet froze instantly and then I had to go under these monster waves to get out to where the great white sharks hang out. I was tired and beat up in like thirty minutes but it was a cool experience.
I went riding dirt bikes in the mountains of Paarl which is amazing wine country with my uncle and it was quite the adventure. Maybe my uncle thought I was an experienced rider... Maybe he was upset at me for changing the day on him at the last minute... Pretty sure I was doing level 15 riding when I should have been on level 2. Some of the paths were a few feet wide with loose rocks everywhere and if any mistake was made then it was over the edge to certain death. I prayed very sincere prayers to the almighty on several occasions. It was a great day I will not forget. I was sore for three days!
The day after I arrived in Cape Town I went to the Stadium where the World Cup was being held and scalped a ticket to the game... It was Spain vs Portugal and I was 5 rows back. I was happy : ) Later in the tournament my cousin bought me a ticket to Germany and Argentina. What an experience to see Lionel Messi from Argentina (best player in the world) play live. I was in heaven watching soccer with a bunch of crazy fans from all over the world.
My cousin Keilah started a Care Center in Cape Town that I went and visited. The Care Center helps under-privileged children in the Melk Boss Strand area. They transport the kids to school, feed them, help them with homework and much more. I went to the center to check it out and ended up playing a few hours of soccer on the beach with the kids. It was fun but they had energy for days and never wanted to stop playing... Wore me out.
My trip to South Africa was outstanding and I had a hard time the thought of going back to the 3rd world conditions here in Kitale. Surprisingly when I arrived back in Kitale it felt like home. Spending time with my family was priceless and having fast-food available was an incredible luxury. The food in South Africa was soo good. I feel very blessed to have been able to make this trip see the World Cup, friends and family.
My Love Mercy boys are doing very well, still driving me out of my mind. They suddenly don't understand any english when I ask them why they are late. After the interrogation is over they suddenly remember how to speak and understand it again, its amazing. I was very encouraged that our uniforms and soccer balls were still in our teams possession when I came home... They are working hard everyday rain or shine. I see the favor of God on this team which is very encouraging. God is opening doors for us. One request I have is for soccer cleats for the boys. If you have some you would like to donate then give them to my mom (Mieke Alexander). She is coming over with my dad in September and her cell number is: 913.375.0583 Give her a hug from me when you see her.
All the best!
Sammy
Friday, July 23, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
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