July 13, 2008
On Friday, I spent my last day on the Maintenance group, doing typical things. We cleaned out gardens, mowed, raked, and weeded. I know that I chose this group first, but I had second thoughts when I figured out what the group does. Since I am only able to be on two of the four groups (maintenance, orphans, St. Joseph's, and disabled children), maintenance would be the weakest one for impacting me. I had hoped to have a large impact on this group by fixing things (which I have a lot of experience in), but this is simply manual labor. It is disappointing to me, especially given how much work and money it took to get to Africa.
P.S. We never did the control burn - if it happens, another group will get to do it.
On Saturday, we went on an excursion to the apartheid (uh-par-tide) museum in Johannesburg; and visited a flea market. The apartheid era in South Africa was a time in the 20th century when the white population oppressed the blacks. It is very similar to the Jim Crow laws of the American South - segregation in schools, toilets, and living areas. The 20% white population owned 80% of the land (even though 80% of the population was black), and forced the blacks to live in separate areas, which are still present today in slums called "townships." The squatter camp I saw this week was the Mamelodi (Mother of Melodies) township. The museum was interesting and shocking; not on par with the Holocaust museum, but similar. There were many unjustified arrests, unfair trials, tortures, and concentration camps in South Africa.
The craft fair was cool; I bought gifts for my family and a couple things for me. Everything was extremely cheap. This may have been a curse; the belt I bought to replace my old broken one is already going the way of its predecessor. Oh well, it didn't cost much anyways.
On another note, here is a good quote I heard: "Coincidences are instances in which God chooses to remain anonymous."
Later today, and in another post, was Dana's talk to the Maintenance group (and everybody really) about the unfulfillment we felt in our work. His words helped me substantially.
The epiphanies, rants, wonderings, and events in the life of a former student of Petra Academy, now at Caltech.
About Me
- Richard Gianforte
- Bozeman, Montana, United States
- I am currently attending Caltech in Pasadena, though I will always be an alum of Petra Academy.
Friends' Blogs
Number of Site Views:
If you would like to receive email updates whenever I post, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to rssfwd.com
2. Put "http://musingsofthepetrafiedone. blogspot.com/" in the input box, and click "Submit"
3. Enter your email, and click the verification link when it arrives in your inbox. You're all set!
NB: This works for any blog you wish to keep track of.
1. Go to rssfwd.com
2. Put "http://musingsofthepetrafiedone. blogspot.com/" in the input box, and click "Submit"
3. Enter your email, and click the verification link when it arrives in your inbox. You're all set!
NB: This works for any blog you wish to keep track of.
Quote
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win" - JFK
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
-John Donne "Meditation XVII" in Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
-John Donne "Meditation XVII" in Devotions upon Emergent Occasions