Here are some memories from this last weekend:
Friday we had class in the morning and then got to explore Kalk Bay a bit more. Kalk Bay is the beautiful bay our institute is located on. I have already developed an addiction to the coffee from Olympia Cafe, a wonderful coffee shop and bakery down the road that has a gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a great harbor that houses brightly colored fishing boats and their fishermen. After our afternoon of exploration we headed home to eat dinner and rush to Kim and Andre's house (Lucy's daughter and son-in-law). We wanted to play cards with their 13-year-old son, Pedro, who only has 20% vision but makes up for his vision loss with his incredible intellect and confidence. He was initially shy but you can tell he knows who he is and is proud of himself despite his disability. We had been warned that Pedro was unbeatable in Uno, so we decided to put him up to the challenge and see if we could beat him. Sure enough with my luck I won! He also taught us Rummy and we played with Lucy. It was hilarious. Rummy is the game Lucy and Clive play with all their friends everynight until midnight. I figured I wouldn't stand a chance but when I won the first game with beginner's luck she was all bent out of shape and determined to beat me! That night was a blast and wonderful to spend time with her family. It's great to be able to reference her family members in later conversation with Lucy and truly be engaged and immersed in their family-life.
Saturday was an early morning as we were headed up Table Mountain that morning. The hike is incredibly difficult (and with asthma, impossible) so some of us decided to ride the rotating cable car up the mountain and wait for the hikers as we gazed out at the gorgeous view. You could see Robben Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, just off shore from the clear blue water neighboring the white sandy beaches. I also watched some people repel down the side of the mountain, which to be honest looked scarier than bungy jumping! That afternoon I explored the Green Street Market in downtown Capetown with Carisa and Logan. We bought some souvenirs and had a wonderful dinner together. It was so fun to be out on the town by ourselves and have a chance to explore with some freedom. The Green Street Market reminded me of a flea market in Europe as did the surrounding buildings detailed with the finest architecture. It was a great night.
Sunday morning Carisa and I woke up at 6am in order to catch the train downtown to go to Hillsong. We were going to leave at 6:45 to pick up our friends who were staying on the other side of Ocean View. On our way to pick them up Lucy's car ran out of gas. Funny thing is when it happened she said, "I knew that was going to happen!" Ah, then why did you not fill it with gas? Ha, oh Lucy. So Carisa and I get out of the car, in the dark, and start pushing it in our church clothes to her sister's house so we can use her car instead. After that lovely process we were finally able to pick up our friends and head to the train station. After an hour ride to the waterfront we met up with some other APU friends and headed to church together. It was a great service, I really enjoyed some familiarity in my church experience. I've had so many diverse Sunday mornings here that ending with a similar feel to my home church was wonderful. That afternoon was our last one with our families so we shared lunch with them and were able to thank them for opening their home and hearts to us. Lucy gave us some jewelry and stationary as going-away presents. I was also able to switch some money with Clive. I gave him an American dollar in exchange for some old-fashioned Rand. He gave us some pieces that aren't made or accepted anymore, which was really neat. He and Lucy fought over the dollar bill and I told them to frame it and hang it on their wall of fame. :) We then made our way to the church for the switch and were officially entering our last full week of the semester. How strange, it doesn't even seem real.
As tiring as this last week was, I was able to learn a lot about Clive and Lucy's lives and how there are so many wonderful people here who I am so thankful for my opportunity to meet them. It has hit me recently that I will be going home to continue with my life while these people will still be here doing their daily tasks and dealing with the same personal issues they kindly invited me to witness and experience. They so vulnerably and generously opened their lives and home to me and honestly treated me like their third daughter. I don't want to forget my time with them and how we grew together in such a short period of time. It was so wonderful to eventually be able to joke with Clive and Lucy and relate on a more personal level. It's nice to know we have a place to stay next time I'm in Capetown.
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