This week was a little different than previous weeks. Ministry was mixed with experiencing as much of South Africa as possible, so it was busy, but we had so many great experiences!
On Sunday, we went to church as usual, then piled into a bus that would take us to a Hostel (called Backpackers’ here), where we stayed the night. We went out to dinner and got to visit the southernmost point of Africa, which is also where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic!
Monday started early, with us driving to a reserve to see African penguins! They were so cute and fun to watch! I also got ice cream at this stop, which always is fun!
After penguins, we went to K3, the location of the world’s longest zipline. It’s 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) and can reach speeds of up to 170 kilometers per hour (105 mph). It took an hour to travel up the mountain, and the ziplining down took a couple minutes! 
We came back to base and crashed, then we’re up and ready for ministry on Tuesday. After helping with the school, we drove a few minutes to Suzie’s Soup Kitchen, where we played with kids while they waited in line for soup!
We helped for the first part of the day with ministry, but after 10:00 we were in cars again, this time driving to Mossel Bay to sail on a Catamaran and see seal lions on Seal Island! We were broken into two groups for this, Steadfast and Doves, so we stopped at a coffee shop while we waited for our turn.
Sailing was so much fun, and the waves were perfect! The boat smoothly went up and down them, and I enjoyed sitting as close to the bow as I could and getting splashed by the particularly large waves! We also got to see so many jellyfish, and a hammerhead shark (which I’d been praying to see!)
The rest of the day was filled with random surprise stops that our ministry hosts wanted us to experience before leaving. These included a beautiful view and a tour of an Aloe shop!
Thursday morning I shared the morning devos with the class, and it was so cool to see God working in everyone’s hearts! Two people had tears in their eyes, and everyone (including me) got to hear some amazing ways God’s been so good to us!
We finished ministry for the day, then went to an ostrich farm, where we got to be in the pen with the ostriches and pet them! They were shy, so you had to be quiet and patient, but I got to pet three! They are so soft and funny!
Then we had a Bring and Braai (BBQ), where everyone in the community had the opportunity to say goodbye to us. It was sad to see so many people for the last time, but it was still such a sweet time!
Friday marked out last day of ministry, and we celebrated a great time in South Africa by having fun snacks and watching Pride and Prejudice!
On Saturday, we helped with the Park Run for the last time, said some more goodbyes, then spent the rest of the day in an odd mixture of rest and preparation for Eswatini. Most of my day was spent calling family, before the scarce Wifi and service in Eswatini. Which, by the way, will make posting blogs more difficult, so I’m sorry in advance😢
Today was spent packing and cleaning before we drive to Eswatini. Please be praying for safety and joy throughout the next few days of travel!
I suppose the opposite of “go West, young man!” is “go east, young woman”! Be well and safe, and know you are being prayed for.
I’m curious as to what your devotion was about. The pictures look amazing!! It sounds like an incredible last few days. I’ve never petted an Ostrich before or sailed on a Catamaran.
I’m excited for you to meet up with your group again and share stories. Praying for you, Sofia!