Elephants For The First Time

It feels like I have been here for longer than just under two weeks. I have been enjoying every moment. This past weekend I went to Addo Elephant Park with some friends. The friends were going because they had been sponsored to take some underprivileged kids there for the first time. I was able to see my first wild African Elephant but these kids had not even seen an elephant in a zoo before. What a privilege to share with them that experience! We were certainly worn out at the end of the day, but we were able to see a jackal, some warthogs, kudu and the elephants. Was beautiful in many ways.

This week came with uncertainty about my voluntary work and what I would be doing for my time here. A two week vacation has been really great and I have been learning a lot about this country in the meantime. Very interesting stuff. So, Monday morning the call came that I was to be ready in half an hour to start some volunteering. I got a quick intro into giving vitamin drops to kids and helping with giving measles vaccines and then away we went. There are a few of us volunteering with Laura and the Healthy Mom & Baby Clinic ladies. The Healthy Mom & Baby Clinic is affiliated with Victory Church and they do so much for the community here and especially for women who have no other options for a healthy pregnancy. The whole of South Africa is being immunized right now and so we have been driving around to all the schools and pre-schools here in J-Bay to administer vaccines and vitamins and such that the government has provided. I am helping with this until early next week and then there will probably be some other work at the clinic I can help with. Looking forward to it.

Van of kids in Addo








These beettles are only found in this part of South Africa


Madri and I

Madri's place and her beautiful view (she let me stay with her for a few days!)


Where I call home