Today started with Wendy taking me to meet a missionary couple working in the townships north of Johannesburg. It was great to see and learn about their work, progress, and vision in a place with innumerable challenges. They have started a preschool that they hope can be a model as they look to establish similar facilities. All the teachers in the preschool are southern Africans (some are from Zimbabwe). They also support area churches, with an emphasis on strengthening leadership. I appreciate that they are looking to provide resources for South Africans to make their communities better.

Wendy then dropped off at a local stadium to watch a warm-up match between Portugal and Mozambique. It was sold out, so I walked around the stadium for a bit, then went on a mission to find free wireless. This was very difficult. The majority of coffee shops and other “hot spots” are through a nationwide server that requires a subscription. After about an hour of opening my computer in different places, I was finally able to connect. I bought my first vuvuzela while I was at the stadium, and quickly learned that it takes a bit of skill to blow. I am pretty bad at it. When you walk around with it, everyone wants you to blow it, this has been a serious embarrassment for me. Everyone here knows how, so they are shocked to hear such a pathetic vuvuzela sound. Some people cringe then smile and try to encourage me, others just laugh at me and walk away.

Before I came home I stopped at a flower stand. They had flowers there that I didn’t existed. I was quite excited, I eventually admitted that I was from the US after many circles around the shop.

We had dinner with Wendy’s brother Andrew, and two of his kids Matthew and Kellen. They are lots of fun. This may come as a bit of a surprise, but we talked lots about football. I hope to bump into them again before I head out.