**this is long because I haven’t written in a long time and people are wanting updates!**
April 15th … 4 days until it’s been exactly one month since I left home. THAT seems hard to believe. The time sometimes feels like it’s been slowly passing, but more often than not, I lose days in a whirlwind and think, ‘where did that week go?’
Since getting here to South Africa, I’ve traveled from the far southwest corner of the country in Cape Town to the far Northwest corner, here in Komatipoort, nKomazi. I’m learning the clicking sounds as part of the local language, Siswati. I’m pretty much a local by now! Haha …
I have said in the past that this tour is supposed to start on April 15th … well, that’s today and I’m still sitting in South Africa. Things have changed a little bit and our tour is now starting on April 27th. We’re currently in the process of getting those VISAs … in fact as I type, someone is driving into Johannesburg to apply for them. Please pray … without those VISAs, there is no tour --- or TVs on the airplane (for some reason, that seems more appealing to the kids than the fact that we’re flying to Nice, France --- they’ll change their minds soon enough, I’m sure, haha).
Details are coming in piece by piece, but it’s still looking like this tour is going to be a fly by the seat of our pants, kind of tour. Can I say that? … sure.
Starting in France, we’re moving through Monaco, Switzerland and finishing up in Germany at the end of May. Some church concerts, a couple workshops with international school students, and a few other very high profile appearances (more details to come J). Needless to say, I don’t think my clicking practice is going to get me very far in Europe. I think I should be learning something a little more local to my home … maybe now is not the time to tell the organization that French was my worst mark in all of High School … I’ll probably end up sending the kids to the local library instead of the bathroom down the hall because I asked someone for directions.
In all seriousness though (although I’m quite serious … my French includes “hello”, “goodbye”, and “I don’t understand what you’re saying” …. That should get me SOMEWHERE, right?), I’m really excited for this tour. On the 27th, we’re flying out on a flight at 8:30ish at night and fly overnight through Germany and eventually into Nice, France. Within 36 hours, we’ll be on stage at our first venue in Monaco – thankfully, this entire tour is on the same timezone that we’re in right now, so besides the lack of sleep on the plane because of the seats just being too darn comfortable, we won’t have to worry about jet leg.
Personally, this time in South Africa has been a time where God has really been gripping my heart. It has been great. It’s unfortunate that I had to fly across the world in order for me to realize how much I was keeping myself busy with, but he has pulled me away from many distractions and continues to prepare me mentally and spiritually for this tour! I’m so excited to work alongside the incredible team of chaperones that we have in place to be a spiritual encouragement to these kids! You probably got that impression from my last post here on my blog.
Well, that’s all for now!
I’ll write again when I can J TIA …
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