Tammy and me posing with the "Botswana Society" sign

One of the best parts about living and working in South Africa is having the opportunity to visit other southern African nations. I absolutely LOVE to travel and experience new cultures, so it has been such a blessing to be able to spend time exploring this new and different continent : )

This past weekend my roommate and I, along with our friends Dave and Greg, made the 5 hour trek to the capital of Botswana, Gaborone (pronounced Haa-Bore-Own-Eh by the locals). Botswana is an interesting study of a post-colonial sub-Saharan African country. Earning its independence from the British in 1966, Botswana has been one of the most stable (and least corrupt) countries in all of Africa. According to the U.S. State Department, since gaining its independence, Botswana has had one of the fastest growth rates in per capita income in the world. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression…Gaborone is a fairly small town, and there were probably only half a dozen buildings with more than four floors… However, there did seem to be an encouraging level of equality amongst the residents of Botswana–as opposed to the vast disparities we experience here in South Africa.

Overall, we found the people to be WONDERFULLY hospitable and we thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely weekend in Gaborone! …now I just can’t wait for my next adventure!!

Greg and me preparing to eat a southern African delicacy...mopani worms!

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

This brief passage was recently discussed at the cell group I attend. The part of the verse that struck me the most was where we’re commanded to act justly. Naturally, this begs the question, “What does it mean to act justly?”

My understanding of justice is rather simple. But in order to fully comprehend…we have to go back to the beginning. Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and earth; He spoke light into existence; He produced living creatures; He created man. Verse 31 tells us, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t stay the way God created them. Genesis 3 tells us about the fall of man and the curses brought upon humankind as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. Those of us who are alive today don’t know the world as God intended it to be; we only know a world that has been corrupted by sin.

So there’s a way that things were supposed to be. And then there’s the way that things actually are. Justice, then, is restoring things that have been twisted and defiled by sin back to their original, God-intended state.

God did not intend the world to include poverty, hunger, suffering, inequality, abuse, pollution, or people taking advantage of one another…all of those are a result of sin. Therefore, erradicating poverty, feeding the hungry, banishing inequality, preventing abuses, stewarding our environment, and loving one another are all forms of justice. They are all actions that bring us closer to the way things were meant to be. Closer to bringing heaven to earth.

When I was little I had a pink Precious Moments Bible. I loved this Bible dearly and considered it a prized possession–not so much because I liked to read it…but more because of the pictures! On Sundays (generally during the pastor’s sermon) I would flip through my little pink Bible and find my favorite pictures.

Naturally, these pictures corresponded to verses (brilliant work, Precious Moments), so I decided my favorite verse was 2 Corinthians 9:7, which reads:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I’m not gonna lie…I think it was my favorite simply because the picture had puppies (see above), but nonetheless this verse has really stuck with me throughout the years.

The other night I was thinking of this verse and had a slight epiphany. If I may be so bold, I would like to assert that the verse should continue to read, “God also loves a cheerful receiver.”

This may seem a little counter-intuitive, or perhaps a little like, “Why would God need to love a cheerful receiver? Doesn’t everyone like to receive?” But to that I would answer that there can be a real sense of humility when you’re on the receiving end of a blessing. Giving feels good. Giving helps you feel like you’re part of the solution. And don’t we always maintain that “it’s better to give than to receive?”

Receiving can be a whole different beast. Receiving can take the humility to say, “God I need you. I can’t do this without you. Please help me and provide for me.” Personally, I think it can be hard to receive with a joyful heart–to receive and not feel in some way inadequate. With that being said, if we become “cheerful receivers” I think God will delight in our humble hearts and relish our faithfulness.

Check out this 3 minute slideshow to get a glimpse of my life (and work) in South Africa!

The funniest thing about accents is that it’s nearly impossible to hear your own…

After spending several weeks back in the U.S., I arrived safely in South Africa last Saturday. This past week has consisted mostly of settling back in to things, catching up on work, and touching base with a few friends.

Upon having coffee with a South African friend of mine, she turned to me and said, “Oh my hat! How did your accent get so strong?” Apparently all of the South African inflections and vernacular I worked so hard to acquire over the past few months have (not so subtly) left me. I guess I’ll be spending the next month or so trying to change my phraseology and intonation to once again suit a South African audience. No big deal I suppose, just one of the dangers of straddling two continents…

Oh, there’s no place like
home for the holidays
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine
Of a friendly face
For the holidays, you can’t beat
Home, sweet home

Spending Christmas with my family was simply divine. After living in South Africa for nine months, it has been such a blessing to spend the holidays relaxing with those dearest to me! After such a wonderful past few weeks, I feel very refreshed and excited to see what the year ahead holds.

Tomorrow morning I head to the airport to catch a flight back to South Africa! In the meantime, Happy New Year to all!!

Bennett Family Photo 2009

The Historic Chicago Theatre

The next stop of my “nation-wide excursion” was to visit with friends and family in Chicago. Chicago is home to my oldest brother (Mike), so my sister (Katy) and I had an opportunity to spend a little bit of time with him and to stay at his place in Lincoln Park. Chicago is an enchanting city, so it was fun to walk up and down Michigan Avenue looking at all of the festive window displays, decorated with Christmas cheer. Plus, it’s been snowing like crazy, which only adds to the idyllic ambiance!

Katy and me getting on the "L"

Sunset in DC

Washington, D.C. rivals Nashville as my favorite city in America. I love them both, but in completely different ways.

D.C. makes me want to be a better person. It fills me with inspiration and patriotism. And more than anything, the air is laded with possibility. It has been such a blessing to spend the last week here visiting friends.

In the midst of a long day meeting with supporters, my sister and I snuck out to visit the National Museum of American History. Upon leaving the exhibit, I saw the loveliest sunset I’ve ever seen in my life. Luckily, I had my camera : )

Plus, we had one day of intense snow, which left the ground covered in a soft white blanket. Nothing says “Christmas” like cold weather and snow storms. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Winter Wonderland

Food, family, food, giving thanks, food, football…and did I mention food? Of course that reference can only mean one thing: American Thanksgiving.

After my week-long visit to Nashville, my next stop was Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I’ve spent the last week and a half catching up with my sister (Katy) and celebrating Thanksgiving with some close family friends. It’s absolutely beautiful here, and the weather has been very pleasant. Additionally, Katy and I went see UNC women’s soccer team play in the Elite Eight (they went on to win the National Championship!) and we also went to see UNC men’s basketball team face off against our Michigan State Spartans.

UNC Soccer Game

Last Saturday I left South Africa, bound for the U.S. for the next six weeks.

My first destination was Nashville. I spent this past week at my beloved alma mater, Vanderbilt University. Stepping onto campus is like a breath of fresh air. No matter what’s going on in my life, or how crazy things may seem, or how jet-lagged I feel… all is well in the world when I’m at Vanderbilt : ) There’s something magical about those 300 plus acres tucked between West End and 21st Avenue. No matter how much the university changes and evolves, I always hope it feels like this, like home.

While spring was blossoming into summer in South Africa, it was still fall in the States. Autumn is by far my favorite season, and autumn in Nashville is simply breath-taking. The weather is gorgeous, a pleasant 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit most days, and the trees are the most brilliant shades of amber, vermilion, pumpkin and rust. Heaven on earth!

I had a productive week filled with meetings at the school, coffee dates with friends, and free Wi-Fi at Panera. What more can a girl ask for? I’m already looking forward to coming back in February! 

Note: After more than seven months of Starbucks withdrawals, I probably had nearly 30 cups of coffee this week. For future reference, not a great idea…

Kirkland Hall