Community and national pride

9-25-11

Hello EMU! I am in AFRICA!

There are so many experiences I have each day, from teaching 1st graders to chatting with my neighbors on the streets of Soweto. I really enjoy the pickup games of soccer we have with the locals here. Sometimes they are organized on a field just a block from my house but I can always count on kids playing on my street after they get out of school. It brings such a sense of community to this neighborhood.

An activity that I really enjoy with my family is watching sporting events. We watch the rugby world cup and other local soccer games on T.V. One thing that amazed me as we watched the rugby game was that my host family didn’t even know the rules to explain them to me but they loved the game all the same. There is a sense of national pride that goes beyond my understanding.

As I live with these people, I can observe these values of community and national pride. Each and every day there is something to learn from these people and I have grown to love them.

Sala Hantle & Khotso (Stay Well & Peace)

– Todd Hooley