I would like to write a post about my home here in South Africa, the other volunteers I am living with, and the family that is hosting all of us. I can still remember when I first arrived at the house, quite tired after nearly a full 24 hours of flights. As I walked in to the warmly lit house, I was greeted by Lecia and Leslie Bagley. Leslie grabbed one of my bags, only to exclaim that instead he would take the lighter one! Little did he know, they weighed just about the same. :p
It has been wonderful living under the Bagley roof. The couple love to joke around and laugh. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but they seem to have a certain energy about them. They have also been incredibly welcoming and have provided us volunteers with ample resources to live well. We have ready access to the kitchen and I've enjoyed many warm cups of tea during the colder days here. We also have a common area on the second floor with couches, a television, DVD player and pool table.
The common room leads out to a balcony area, with a gorgeous view of the mountains around Cape Town.
It has also been great to hear a bit about Leslie's life. He actually grew up on the very same land his home now stands on and worked to support his family. It sounds like he's had quite a life. Maybe I'll get to learn a bit more in the coming weeks.
Their children are all grown up and have nearly all moved out, except for their son Lester who lives downstairs. We haven't really chatted much yet, but I must say that I have rarely ever seen him without a smile on his face. It sure is pleasant to run into Lester.
Many other people also come to the house throughout the day. Leslie tells us that before they hosted Projects Abroad volunteers the two always had their friends over - apparently cooking big meals is nothing new for them!
For the first three weeks, I shared the second floor with five other volunteers from places like the United States, England, Ireland, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. There were actually six of us for the first two weeks. Robert, who is from The Netherlands, finished his time with Projects Abroad and headed home during my second week here. We all went out for a dinner before he left.
From left to right: Lecia, Robert (The Netherlands), Liam (England), Maja (Denmark), Leslie, Onno (The Netherlands), Me (United States), Bilal (United States), Karl (Ireland), and Yves (Luxembourg).
Since that photo, we have received two new additions to our home!
From left to right: Emily (United States) and Frankie (England).
Liam, Karl, and Yves have actually finished their time in Cape Town and left just last night. We all went out for a dinner before their departure, but unfortunately the group photos did not come out very well. :(
During their time here, Liam and Karl taught a Physical Training (PT) class at Hyde Park Primary School. This class is only taught by volunteers and provides students with the opportunity to learn important life skills through sports. During his time here, Yves also taught the PT class for quite a while before working on a township building project for his last few weeks here. Robert also taught the PT class for some time before working on a surfing project, where they hoped to keep youth off the streets by having them learn to surf instead.
Onno and Emily have been teaching the PT class and will continue to teach it once school is back in session. We are currently in the middle of a school vacation, during which time I think they are working on a new childcare project and possibly the building project. Bilal and Frankie work at the Projects Abroad Human Right's Office, where they provide free access to legal services and work on a variety of social justice projects.
I am quite thankful for these housemates who have made this not just a house, but also a home. Whether through a game of pool or the question "How's your day been?" their seemingly small acts have truly made me feel welcome here. Surprisingly, several of us have also bonded over watching way too much of the United States TV show 24. I think it would be fair to say we are quite hooked! :p
I have also gotten to see how much they care for the community. They are truly here to serve. Indeed we all have our differences, but I believe we find ourselves unified in that purpose. Unified, I believe we can find encouragement and support in each other as we all work to serve this area well. Needless to say, I have enjoyed living with them and look forward to living with them in the weeks to come.
I imagine it will take me some time to really see the impact of this home on my life. Perhaps this blog post can be a start to that. Looking back, I can remember how we lived and served together here in South Africa.
It has been wonderful living under the Bagley roof. The couple love to joke around and laugh. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but they seem to have a certain energy about them. They have also been incredibly welcoming and have provided us volunteers with ample resources to live well. We have ready access to the kitchen and I've enjoyed many warm cups of tea during the colder days here. We also have a common area on the second floor with couches, a television, DVD player and pool table.
The common room leads out to a balcony area, with a gorgeous view of the mountains around Cape Town.
It has also been great to hear a bit about Leslie's life. He actually grew up on the very same land his home now stands on and worked to support his family. It sounds like he's had quite a life. Maybe I'll get to learn a bit more in the coming weeks.
Their children are all grown up and have nearly all moved out, except for their son Lester who lives downstairs. We haven't really chatted much yet, but I must say that I have rarely ever seen him without a smile on his face. It sure is pleasant to run into Lester.
Many other people also come to the house throughout the day. Leslie tells us that before they hosted Projects Abroad volunteers the two always had their friends over - apparently cooking big meals is nothing new for them!
For the first three weeks, I shared the second floor with five other volunteers from places like the United States, England, Ireland, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. There were actually six of us for the first two weeks. Robert, who is from The Netherlands, finished his time with Projects Abroad and headed home during my second week here. We all went out for a dinner before he left.
From left to right: Lecia, Robert (The Netherlands), Liam (England), Maja (Denmark), Leslie, Onno (The Netherlands), Me (United States), Bilal (United States), Karl (Ireland), and Yves (Luxembourg).
Since that photo, we have received two new additions to our home!
From left to right: Emily (United States) and Frankie (England).
Liam, Karl, and Yves have actually finished their time in Cape Town and left just last night. We all went out for a dinner before their departure, but unfortunately the group photos did not come out very well. :(
During their time here, Liam and Karl taught a Physical Training (PT) class at Hyde Park Primary School. This class is only taught by volunteers and provides students with the opportunity to learn important life skills through sports. During his time here, Yves also taught the PT class for quite a while before working on a township building project for his last few weeks here. Robert also taught the PT class for some time before working on a surfing project, where they hoped to keep youth off the streets by having them learn to surf instead.
Onno and Emily have been teaching the PT class and will continue to teach it once school is back in session. We are currently in the middle of a school vacation, during which time I think they are working on a new childcare project and possibly the building project. Bilal and Frankie work at the Projects Abroad Human Right's Office, where they provide free access to legal services and work on a variety of social justice projects.
I am quite thankful for these housemates who have made this not just a house, but also a home. Whether through a game of pool or the question "How's your day been?" their seemingly small acts have truly made me feel welcome here. Surprisingly, several of us have also bonded over watching way too much of the United States TV show 24. I think it would be fair to say we are quite hooked! :p
I have also gotten to see how much they care for the community. They are truly here to serve. Indeed we all have our differences, but I believe we find ourselves unified in that purpose. Unified, I believe we can find encouragement and support in each other as we all work to serve this area well. Needless to say, I have enjoyed living with them and look forward to living with them in the weeks to come.
I imagine it will take me some time to really see the impact of this home on my life. Perhaps this blog post can be a start to that. Looking back, I can remember how we lived and served together here in South Africa.
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