Getting Ready to Fly

I am getting ready to head out on my flight to South Africa. The week here in Akron, PA feels like it has gone by so fast but I also feel like I have know my friends here for such a long time. I guess that is what happens when you spend all of your waking hours with the same people.  Here in Akron there are not only young Adults being trained to go overseas there are also young adults coming from around the world to come and serve in North America.

I realize for many of the people who will be reading my blog MCC is a confusing organization.  So here is some basic information background information for you.  If you would like to find more information about these programs click on the names which are links. 
MCC - Mennonite Central Committee -  Is an international organization works for relief, development and peace in the name of Christ.  The focus on relationships between people and partner organizations.
SALT is a program that brings North American's to volunteer through MCC through out the world.  SALT stands for Serving and Learning Together, participants do not go over to a different country with all of the answers but go to learn as well.
YAMEN (Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network) is a program where MCC gets young adult volunteers from the global south and places them in volunteer positions through out the Global South. 
IVEP (International Volunteer Exchange Program) is a program where MCC find young adult volunteers from around the world to serve in North America.

While I have been in Akron I had a wonderful roommate, Rorisang, from Lesotho who will be doing his IVEP time in Abbotsford BC.  His home community is Qacha's Nek, which is located around 4 hour drive from Maphuts'eng Valley (were I will be living this next year).  He has been a great roommate and we have learned a lot from each other.  I have been giving pointers about Canadian Culture and language differences.  While he is trying to teach me his language, which has some sweet sounds to learn. In words with a 'q' those are clicks in which you pronounce the vowel after the q when you make the click. I am having problems with 'qa' sound,  I am making more a 'qna' sound instead.

I have met the person who will be serving in the Maphuts'eng valley with me next year.  Her name is Abby and she is going to be working at Growing Nations in the field of conservation farming.  We have the same type of humor and I think we are going to get a long.  Rori has been teaching both of us to do some of the traditional Basotho dances. I must have to admit I was one of the first people that Rori tried to teach and I was one of the last people to catch on.  The type of dancing is mostly about making beats by hitting your legs or stomping.  When you hit our legs in different places they make different sounds, this is accented by wear a certain type of paints and Gumboot.

Here is a video of us dancing out side after quite a bit of practice:

Video of Sesotho Dancing

I am currently in the Harrisburg airport waiting for my flight to Washington on my 30 hour journey.  There are 5 of us heading down to Durban, there we will have around a week of orientation specific to the countries that we are going to.  All of the other SALTers will be staying in South Africa, while one of the YAMENers is staying in South Africa while the other is going to Swaziland.

My Fellow SALTers on the way to South Africa (in front of an A380)

I did not get a great night sleep because I was getting up at all a hours to say good bye to my friends that I made during our short week together.  Here at the Harrisburg Airport we had the chance to see many other SALTers and IVEPers go on their way.  The plane to Toronto is one of the smallest commercial planes I have ever seen.  Only 18 seats and each time there are SALTers we seem to make up a large part of the plane.

 SALTers and IVEPers on the way to their placements in Harrisburg Airport