My Parents' Visit

Today is August 25. My (M) parents were here in Stellenbosch for a visit from August 9-19 and we really had a fantastic time with them. We were able to get our flat together enough for them to actually stay with us! (Yes, after years of wishing we had bought a place here, we finally bit the bullet.)

To give a recap of their visit, we were able to show them most of our favorite things and introduce them to most of our favorite people here in the Western Cape. Their visit fortunately or unfortunately coincided with the one week in our five months here where K & I had to be teaching at the two schools here (the sports school and the community transformation school). So they were able to see us in action. My dad was also able to spend some time teaching, which was great to see. And they both were able to spend some time getting to know the student leaders.

Our friend J is involved with some amazing projects here in South Africa as well as the continent as a whole. We were able to arrange for her to meet us and show my folks some of the work she is doing in the settlement of Kayamundi. Some of you might remember us giving you CDs of a group of AIDS orphans, the Kuyasa Kids, who were touring the States this summer from South Africa. This is part of what J is doing. It was a great opportunity to be able to share part of her vision with my parents.

On the more touristy side of things, we took the cable car up to Table Mountain, where we saw some fantastic views. We went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is this great…well…waterfront & working harbor, with restaurants and shops galore. We drove through the winelands, ate at wonderful restaurants, saw cheetahs that are part of the Cheetah Rescue, and visited Cape Point. And of course we stopped for a visit with the Jackass Penguins at the aptly named Boulders Beach.

Overall, it was a tremendous visit with them. They even celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with us on August 17! We are eternally grateful that they made the trip in the midst of their own busyness (new job, new grandbaby, brother getting married at their house in four weeks). To be able to share this place with them, and anyone who visits, is to share a big piece of who we are.

Pictures should be directly above this entry...