For your consideration...

.... Hello All, apologies are in order for a lack of correspondence. This internet thing is much more of an obstacle than I had previously considered. Things are good. Most days have been dominated by finishing requirements for completion of our project since the last entry. We have finished the majority of our work, and have only a days worth of translating left to do before we can move on to the next phase, coding and coming up with the themes that community members have been discussing throughout.

We have also been making time for some recreation with our new friends here. A recent presentation of all of the various projects being conducted in this community was a significant source of stress for us all during the last week. We invited the community to attend and had a great turnout considering the difficulty with transportation and other logistical obstacles that needed to be overcome. The presentation we gave was condensed to half its original length so that we didn’t have to keep them more than a few hours extra because of the extra time it takes to translate everything. Regardless, everyone was very happy about getting recognized for the work we have all done. Maybe the best part for me was when all of the UVa students were given sweet tracksuits as a token of thanks. Of course, it resulted in a theme party hosted by Ashleigh and I complete with an impromptu indoor soccer tournament and a mock racial flare up. Then we sat and had some beer way before Obama ever thought of it.

Today we are making arrangements for our visit to Kruger National park, home of the big five (Big Game Hunters coined this term meaning Elephants, Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, and Hippos). Some of our friends have already visited and seen some spectacular things. I should be able to tell you more about what we might see but I fell asleep on the field guide I found in the library. The park is also near the third largest canyon in the world, which we hope to visit as well. We will be arriving back in Johannesburg by the weekend in order to fly out Monday.
After looking at a calendar, it seems we have eclipsed the half way point and are already nearing the end of this adventure. It passed in the blink of an eye. Being busy and tired most of my time here has resulted in a personal feeling of confusion as to what exactly happened. Still, it is at least a daily experience that I am confronted with a scene or an exchange of such beauty that I must take a step back from whatever I am doing to think, “awesome”, for a moment. We have met adversity and have had our share of frustrations but it will likely be the first thing we forget about and the last thing we remember. Also, we appreciate the support we have received from family members. It definitely does not go unnoticed and we thank you. We are (were) looking forward to our arrival back home (even if it already happened)....