Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving !!

First, my apologies for the lack of updating my blog, I have been really busy with work and I just haven’t taken the time to sit down and write up what I am doing. But before I get too far into all of the work stuff I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. It is so funny how people’s perspective of Thanksgiving differ, for some, it is the turkey, pumkin pie, and American Football (which I miss dearly). However, for me, it is the opportunity to spend a day with my closest friends and family. I have been away from my family before on holidays but I was always with a group of people who have made me feel like family.

Aside from my first Christmas away from home, where I spent Christmas Eve alone, opened my presents with my parents over the phone then went to have Christmas dinner Whitney’s family, this is one of the toughest holidays for me. It makes me a little home sick but also helps me to be appreciative that I have always had somewhere to go for the holidays where I feel at home! I have truly been blessed. All of my roommates and the Americans we work with are having a Thanksgiving meal. We even have some South Africans interest, so they are coming as well. The funny thing is, if you don’t pre-order a turkey, you don’t have one. It is Wednesday night and we don’t have a turkey yet, so we shall see. Also, I tried to make my mom’s very basic (sorry mom) but delicious salad. I picked this one because I assumed that the groceries stores would carry what I need. However, there are no bags of frozen peas, green onion, or water chestnuts. So I am just making a basic salad, I bought rolls and a ham. But for me it is not really about the food that I am eating but more the people I am with.

Anyway back to the work stuff. We are really gearing up for the opening of the Football for Hope Centre over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of December. I have really been working one angle of the opening and that is with the entertainment and the trophies. But it is really fun! The guy from streetfootballworld that I am working with, use to be a huge radio DJ here, so he has quite the personality. The last two Saturdays we have had rehearsals of the groups that were selected from the auditions in October. Lets’ just say he is the “Simon” and I am the “Paula” of the group. But it has been amazing to see how these 15 acts have really transformed over the course of a couple weeks. Each group is so different and they have so much energy that spending the last 2 Saturdays at the rehearsals could hardly be called work.
I am really excited because this Saturday we are having the community opening and almost all of the groups are going to rehearse and we will get to see their polished acts in front of everyone. This will be the first time that a lot of GRS will see the effort that I have put into anyone project. Normally, I just help people out and this is something that I am really getting to do.

Another project I am working on for December 1st, 2009 is a Voluntary Testing Tournament. We are trying to spend as little money as possible, but December 1st is World Aids Day and even in the mix of everything, we wanted to celebrate the day. It is actually going to be really fun and hopefully it will entice people to get tested for HIV. I am just hoping that everything can be pulled together at the last minute. Luckily, we have an implementing partner who is providing all of the Voluntary Testing and nurses so that gets a lot of work for me out of the way.

I am still doing little side work but I don’t mind. I am getting really excited for Namibia. A guy from AED/Johnson and Johnson was here this past week and I was able to hear all about the programs that I will be helping with. It is really coming together well and I can’t wait for it. I think I will be leaving the middle of January for the trip and am pretty excited about it.

I also just got my Namibia Visa, which is huge and a really large relief. It has been that thing hanging over my head since August, and it is all taken care of. I am really getting excited about my next opportunities. I think in the end, my trip in Africa will be an amazing experience. I spent 3 months in the amazing city of Cape Town, will spend some time in rural Africa to get a well balanced experience.

I got to pick someone up from the airport tonight and it was so good for me. I forgot how much I loved the airport. It is so fun to see people so excited to see their friends and loved one. It made me so excited for when I land in Knoxville and Oregon, it is going to be a great homecoming.

This experience has helped me to realize how great my friends and family are. I love you all, couldn’t be here without any support!!

Love you and Happy Thanksgiving,
Sarah