We are really starting to feel the effects associated with the realization that the end is near. This week was chock-full of "end time" experiences. Needless-to-say, a very, very emotional week. The process of bringing this trip to a closure has been hard on all of us, as this world has been such a major influence on our lives. Each day brings some type of closure, which juggles the emotions even more. It sort of feels like we are living the same day, every day--one filled with goodbyes--only to wake up again and do it all over. Sort of like in the movie Groundhog Day or some old episode of The Twilight Zone. "Imagine yourself in a world where you wake up each day, only to find your thoughts and emotions are a repeat of the day before. Déjà vu is unable to explain the mystery, the suspense, only found in … the Twilight Zone. Too do do do Too do do do Too do do do…

The first closure we felt this week was when Kathy and I took our last trip to Pendla Primary School. We brought with us a couple bags of books that Kathy's mom sought out and acquired as a donation from the Traverse City Public Library, back in Michigan. Ruth had brought the books with her when she and Art came to visit over a month ago. Over a month ago? Wow. It seems like they were just here. But then again, it seems like my parents were just here also, and that was over 4 months ago. We also brought to Pendla a cash donation that our friends, the Earl's, were able to transfer to us. The Pendla children are out of school now for their 3-week winter break. During this time, the government does not provide the "piece of bread with margarine and jam" school lunch; so many of the children might go for days without eating. When we shared this with the Earl's, they responded by sending what they could to help. So, we took the books and the money donations to Ms. Mfunda. Just as important, we wanted to make sure we brought closure to our time with her and the school, especially since she has had such a tremendous impact on our lives. It was a very emotional goodbye, but one filled with respect for each other and hope for the future. I will never forget Ms. Mfunda or Pendla, and how she taught me that if you dare to get involved and help others, no matter how minute the problem may seem and how distant the population is from your own world, you will learn more about yourself than you could over a 1,000 years of observing others do the same. I am a person who believes a homestead can have a soul, as I have felt that at different times in my life. I never thought that would transfer over to a building with a group of dilapidated toilets…

The major event of the week, however, was the end of school for the kids. It was a time for celebration as well as sadness, as the kids bade farewell to the teachers and schoolmates they have become close to. Kara was honored at the Pearson High School school assembly, at which she gave a formal farewell speech in front of the whole school, all of whom were dressed to kill in their sharp attire with black and green striped sport coats. She did a great job and was presented with an official Pearson High School coffee mug by the headmistress. Katilee's class gave her a surprise farewell 10-minute party. Bekah's teacher gave her a lot of hugs and, with tears in her eyes, told us Bekah, who was the youngest in the class, had found a special place in her heart this year. And Jack, who struggled all semester with the rigidity of the old world teacher and classroom approach, asked one of his friends, Devon, to come over and play after school. This was a great accomplishment as Jack told us later that he had tried hard not to make any friends at school because he thought it would be so hard to leave them when it was time for us to go home. So, it was great to see him invite a school friend over. It went so well that the friend wanted Jack to spend the night. To Jack, that was a great success. Jack also experienced closure with an activity he fell in love with here: karate. Earlier in the week, he tested for and earned his yellow belt, along with his first mark toward earning his next belt color, which I believe is orange. He has done such a great job and he felt like a million bucks after earning the yellow belt. Quite a great accomplishment and we are all very proud of him. Way to go, Jack!

This week also brought a close to my work with UPE and the Unit for Student Counselling, at least for the time being. It was hard to bring closure to the activities I have been involved with, especially since Andre and I have invested so much time and energy into building the path we have followed. We are hoping that some of the projects we have been focusing on will continue by securing external grant funding or an honorary appointment for me with the university. So much opportunity and so much potential. I just have to remember that even if I had 2 years to work here, the opportunity list would only continue to grow. One project we were able to continue working on this week was the Wellness Center idea (in the township where we attended church last week). We were able to meet as a group, which included Dr. Soga and members of his team and representatives from UPE. This initial meeting may have been the starting of what could turn out to be a strong and vibrant partnership between the new Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the black community. I will continue to work with them, albeit from afar, in crafting a proposal we hope can fund such an adventure. If funded, then we get to come back to South Africa at some point. So much potential…Equally hard was saying goodbye to the people I have worked with in the Unit for Student Counselling over the past 6 months. They have been a great inspiration and wonderful people. It felt good to be part of an empowering workplace culture. Makes one feel like what they do has merit. My goal is to try and keep some of this culture, at least in how I operate with myself, when I return back to WMU this fall.

Although the week was filled with emotional endings, it also had its moments of fun. Kara and her friends continued their teenage conquest of the town, Katilee attended a birthday party of one of her friends, Kathy and I rented The Gods Must Be Crazy II, and Jack and Bekah watched the Harry Potter movie we bought here. Number two, I believe. I even broke down and surprised the family by purchasing the new Harry Potter book. Kara gulped down the 800 or so pages in about 3-4 hours. I'll be reading it for the next 3-4 summers. Yeah, so Evelyn Woods I ain't. Andre and I (and Kara and her friends who were separate from us) went to a national rugby match held in Port Elizabeth: South Africa vs. Argentina. Quite a big deal and an exciting match. South Africa won by one point, from what we would refer to as a field goal in the U.S., as time ran out. It felt great to have seen both big time sporting events in South Africa (cricket is the other one). Andre and I even made it in the paper the next day! More media exposure…

We were scheduled to leave on our Kruger trip on Sunday, but Livingstone gave us a step backward when he decided to have a fuel pump problem. Appears it was only some bad connections that needed to be cleaned up. That set us back 2 days, but also gave us needed time to catch up with living and get ready for the trip in a more organized fashion. Felt good to have a mechanic working on Livingstone who knew exactly what he was doing. An old guy that certainly grew up stripping down the family car every weekend. Felt like I was home in Schoolcraft. As we waited for Livingstone, we decided to spend the day on the beach and an evening back out at Cape Recife, which is where we christened Livingstone so many months before. de Jager's brought their new dog, Saratjie (pronounced Sarrakey, with the "r" trilled), a black lab that reminds us of our dog soldier back home. The good news is that Livingstone is now repaired and ready to go. So, the adventure continues...