Africaans

I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to keep up with this; I haven’t even posted anymore photos on Facebook! What a fail! My schedule is really starting to get busy. We are also getting our weekly work duties next week so free time may just be a thing of the past. But, I promise I’ll try and keep people updated and put up photos when I can. We had some visitors come in last night! Although they weren’t invited… or here during a decent time. Locals broke into our dorms last night while we were sleeping and came through our rooms. They managed to get away with a women’s bag of stuff and also had fun smashing a car window on their way out. No one happened to see them we just woke up to the aftermath. To be honest I am actually creeped out by it. Just the thought of people being around you, looking through your stuff while you’re asleep. We have everything hidden and locked away now especially the valuables. But, before that fiasco it was a goodnight, we had a group meeting in the classroom and had just an hour or so of praying for one another, our school and other things. Prayers were said in many different languages and if you have never heard a group of people pray in English, Portuguese, Africaans and Korean at the same time, well buddy you are missing out. During the quiet time that followed I started just writing down in my journal. Writing about this feeling I’ve been getting lately, the feeling I get when I go to Detroit. Many people calling it the so cleverly named… “Detroit Feeling” haha. I just decided to post it on here in case anyone wanted to read it. Love you guys, things are awesome here.

It’s what I and the privileged others would call the “Detroit Feeling”. That feeling you get; knowing you’re so close to God. A feeling that seems unreachable when you’re back in your hometown. But… I’m not in Detroit. I now find myself being flooded with the feeling of this closeness but not finding myself in Michigan. I am here sitting in a room, in Worcester South Africa. So would I continue to describe it the same way? Only calling it the “South Africa Feeling” now? Sitting in this room, each wall lined with students. The only light being that of about ten candles flickering around the room; all you hear is a faint whisper of worship music coming from the speakers in the corner. Tonight we are given the opportunity to write down our goals, and place them with others. As well as write down the abilities we believe God has given us. But, perhaps the most important of them all is the chance to write anything on a piece of paper, any worries and struggles anything; place them into this bucket of water only for them to disintegrate and wash away. It allows me to realize how easily God can handle a problem in our life, with friends, parents or us… anything. Love that never fails nor gives up. Perhaps this
“________ feeling” is us as his children realizing how much our Father loves us. Sort of like our parents. We know they love us. But it seems to be so much more apparent when we are someplace else as it seems to be magnified. This could totally just be me, as I’m sure it is but it’s my opinion. When we are home with our parents the love is obviously there, for some families; it’s just a known thing. But when your parents say… take you to Disney World. You realize it then that they do love you enough to take you someplace so awesome. Makes me think of when God allows us to take a trip to Detroit or Africa to learn about him and work with his children. I am not proud of it, but I think I am missing the love God has for me every day. He just doesn’t love me when I’m out in the mission field. He loves me always. When I’m at a show, or in line at the bank even when I’m pooping! Love far more powerful than I can imagine. A love that can bring nations together, even able to get the undivided attention of college students! That’s practically magic. One thing I have learned that I really appreciate is… “Don’t tell your God how big your problem is, tell you problem how big your God is.” The teachers here are really awesome. I just hope I one day have the ability to speak with students with such confidence and faith as these men and women do.

Africa is my home.

I woke up at 6 am here, which is 12 am in America, well Florida and 11 pm for Wade haha. So I thankfully got to take a couple minutes and write some people and return messages I had received. Skipped breakfast and headed for town; town isn’t really scary itself just many of the people seem to stare at me in not the nicest way ahah. After walking to the McDonalds I decided it was time to take a crack at my mission. I had a goal of getting to the mountains; the ones you can see in the photos I have posted on facebook. So I left home at around 9 am here once I got done walking downtown. It seemed like I was walking forever and REALLY seemed like I would be needed new shoes soon! As I was walking I took some pretty sweet photos that I will post on Facebook soon. Walking uphill for about 2 hours is not the most fun thing I have done since I got here. But, I made it. It hurt, it was not so fun but I really needed to do it. I’m practically the poster child for starting a project and giving up, or diet or sport; anything with commitment perhaps haha. But I am seeing that God really helps us, like whether it is this cool 12 km walk I went on today, or the fact that I’m in AFRICA taking the 12 km walk!
We all know there is no way that any of this could have been brought together with just me. Considering my never ceasing procrastination or my eagerness to sometimes not do my best just to finish of job, God came through even during my short comings. It’s crazy how a walk up a mountain opens so many other thoughts in your mind. I’m still bored though, it’s not fun having no one to talk to… some more class mates arrived today. No other guys yet, which worries me. I don’t want to be stuck around a bunch of ladies, don’t get me wrong, I am a sexy man of God!
(Shout out to Kev and Justin haha)But hey, I need other conversation. Anyways I do only have one more day of absolute South African freedom, but it’s hard to know what to do when in a totally new land. Considering I’ve been downtown so much I could make a diagram of it with my eyes closed.
Anyways hope all is well with everyone back in the homeland,
Love you guys.

Courtland Cory.

P.S. if you don’t listen to NEEDTOBREATHE and if you do,
take a lil listen to the song
“Let us love”

“Let us Love like we were children”
That line is so good to me right now,
I want to be able to do just that,

God seems to have me in the craziest situation. I took flight at 1:50 to the Detroit airport, which was just the beginning of my journey thus far. Once I landed in Detroit I went and grabbed myself some lunch and headed onwards jumping on my plane to Amsterdam. What a flight that was, ended up only being 7 hours… but still 7 hours. Due to mind boggeling time zones once I arrived in the Netherlands it was about 7:30 in the morning. Thankfully I was given 10 euro because I was starting to get rarther hungry. Don’t get me wrong plane food is alright, but I was still good from the McDonalds earlier once they were serving. Interaction.. that worried me. I was nervous to sound dumb ordering and not knowing what to order because the food did look good, just didn’t know what was in it! So my morning in Amsterdam consisted of a cold hotdog with ketchup and a coke. Really broadening my horizons huh? Amsterdam also brought on many emotions, excitement aswell as sadness. Realizing that my connections with people won’t be as current due to time constrictions (USA is 6 hours behind) and the very busy schedule I have ahead of myself. One more flight to finish this off; Amsterdam to Cape Town, South Africa. Most wretched of all was this flight, 12 hours. I must have listened to the oddest mix of Taylor Swift, the Chariot, NEEDTOBREATHE and Owl City about 46 times. Managed to watch 2 episodes of 30 rock, finished off with my bestfriend sleep. So here I sit, in a temporary room while they get mine done. I am still at the YWAM base but just not in my quarters yet. It is quite interesting though being in a room full of Korean people all snoring and chatting via webcam with people. I don’t stand out at all… Kinda bummed I landed at night, although a very cool couple met me at the airport to bring me here. It made the hour drive a lot funner. Even though it was quite daunting with all the new road changes and the cars and everyone seems to own a landrover. & really interesting that the police do not infact pull you over for speeding no matter how fast your going. They just use their radars and send you the bill later, also you do not get any points towards your liscence. I am surrounded by mountains and have been warned greatly about the monkeys, they just hang around here. So they notion of this being a quant pretty safe city seems to be fading. I have been told there is a very high drug and crime rate. YIPPEE. I love you guys and will miss you all but I’m starting to really believe God is going to do some wicked sweet stuff in and with me.
Greetings From South Africa.
Love Courtland.