Wednesday July 13th, 2016

THE SIMPLE THINGS...

Today marks the third day of being back in The States, and although this may sound crazy I am feeling a strong urge to share. 

Upon waking up this morning, I noticed that the air was extremely hot and humid - two things that I am not adapted to at the moment coming from South Africa's winter season. I noticed that the air was heavy & dark clouds were forming in the sky above me. Brushing it off, I laced up my running shoes and went for a nice long run to clear my mind.

I returned from my run, showered and carried on with the morning. Today was our first day here at MCC that involved debriefing and sessions of sharing. Around 2:30 this afternoon we were sitting in a small group sharing on the topic of "time to unpack" when I noticed a sound I haven't heard in months. Something to sounded normal to everyone around me; so normal that they didn't even flinch. But to me... it sounded foreign. 

I excused myself from the small circle, stood up & exited the room. I instantly made my way to the closest window and sure enough, it was raining outside. Not just a normal rain though, it was POURING outside. Something I haven't seen or heard in months. Something that is so normal to anyone here in The States. Something that happens on a weekly basis.

South Africa is facing one of the worst droughts to hit the region in 30 years. The ground is too dry to plant anything. Tractors plough through dusty soil as cornfields are laid bare. Farmers are forced to shoot their cattle because there isn't enough water for them to drink or enough food for them to consume. 

Throughout my year in South Africa, I knew water was scarce but never did I put that much thought into it; At least not until today, that is. It wasn't until I heard it pounding on the rooftop this afternoon, that I realized how bad the water crisis is in South Africa.

As tears welled in my eyes, I thought about my students that I left behind two weeks ago and what may await them in the future if they continue to go without any rain. 

I thought about my host parents, and their endless sugarcane fields that require a certain amount of rainfall each year in order to produce a decent crop. 

And most of all, I simply realized how fortunate we are to live in a part of this big world that does receive a decent amount of rain on a normal basis. 

Although this was a first, I believe I will have many "moments" similar to this in the upcoming weeks, even months/years, that will take me back to my home in Africa ♡