Well, I'm back in the United States of America, and after a hectic week of trying to juggle moving in to my dorm room at Oral Roberts University (for my senior year), attending staff trainings for the ORU Mission and Outreach Department, and working for the ORU Men's Soccer team as their manager, I FINALLY finished writing up this blog post ...so thank you for being patient with me!


 This summer has been an incredible time of growth for me, and I believe it has helped define me into more of the man that God wants me to be. I never became stagnant, but instead, I grew. I learned a myriad of things about not just the Western Cape and all of it's treasures, but also about who I am. I am so thankful to EVERYONE who helped contribute to my time in South Africa, whether financially or prayerfully (or both). 


As I flew back, I had quite some time (~35hrs) to reflect on these past few months. I jotted down a list of some of the many highlights of my time in the Western Cape, so here they are:

• Building relationships with the Academy boys and getting to be a part of their lives
• Being able to refresh the long-term missionaries  there, and not being a burden to them
• Meeting Ryan Serfontein, my Ubuntu Teammate. I'd been supporting him since early this year, and I carry his player card in my wallet...so when I arrived and met him in person at Ubuntu Football Academy, it was awesome. I took him and several of the other guys out to grab some dinner and he was looking through my different IDs (student ID, driver's license, etc) in my wallet when he came across my player card for him. He vaguely knew what Ubuntu Teammates was, and so I explained to him how I help pay for his school fees. It was amazing getting to sow into someone's life financially and then meeting them face-to-face and seeing their talent and attending their school (Silvermine Academy) and seeing how that money is being put to good use! If you are interested in becoming an Ubuntu Teammate, check out www.ubuntuteammates.com.
• Learning to put all my trust in God, whether it's for finances, protection, or more, I definitely learned to trust Him more during this summer.  I always felt his peace around me when drive-by shootings and gangsterism were terrorizing the streets of Ocean View during my time there. The safest place is in the will of God :)
• Meeting and making new friends from other NGOs around the world
• Growth in everything (my walk with Christ, in confidence, maturity, and more)
• Going to the Jewish Museum in Cape Town with Casey for our rainy day activity. It was definitely worth it!
• Going shark diving with the two Americans I supervised for 3 weeks, and having our bus driver get pulled over by a traffic cop...which create quite a bit of confusion among the passengers (he was released after about 20 minutes and we carried on to Gaansbai).
• Enjoying God's awesome creation all around the Western Cape by going on various hikes (Table Mountain, Devils Peak, Chapman's Peak, Lion's Head, Signal Hill, and Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope) and jogging down to the beach to workout. 
• Playing as a defender  (Right Back) for Fish Hoek AFC  in their games against Vasco Da Gama (2-4 loss) and a week later against Bothasig (2-2 draw). It was definitely a new experience playing soccer (officially) in a different country, but I had a blast and felt like I held my own. 
• Being welcomed into the Fish Hoek team and coaching staff. Not once did I feel like an outsider...I felt like family pretty much wherever I went! 
• Going to Hillsong Cape Town for church on Sundays and attending the Hillsong ENCOUNTER conference where Robert Madu spoke
• Watching the UCT vs NMMU soccer game to scout a player...the vibe and atmosphere for a college soccer game was phenomenally loud and jubilant, althought the quality of college soccer was horrendous (which is so weird because the amount of talent in South Africa is astounding...but I think it's just because the university sports there are, in a sense, on the same level as university intramurals or university club sports in the USA)
• Learning to drive stick on the other side of the road was a definite growing experience. Now I just need to get used to driving on the right side of the road here in the US!
• Being welcomed by the Ocean View community and getting to know several of the residents there (especially the Muslims who owned the store where I bought my lunch from every day, and the Rastafarians who I bought apples and naartjies from)
• Going to the Muizenberg market and Haut Bay market with Casey and Sarah
• Teaching English at Kleinberg Primary and building relationships with several of the students there (Neo, Craig, and Jared who I had write stories about various topics to help improve both their English)
• Coaching with the U13A, U15B, and U15A teams at Fish Hoek who are affiliated with the Ubuntu Academy.
• Coaching the U13 and U15 goalkeepers. Thank God for Youtube and all of the various goalkeeper coaching resources available online!
• Praying for the boys (Chadley Philander, Wade Coetzee, Jade Wanga, and Nazario Talmakkies) on my last drive from Steenberg as I took them to school that morning
• Hanging out with Treswill and Cindy and talking with Treswill about various things pertaining to life and God...gonna miss those talks!
• Hanging out at the Green Room in Kommetjie and getting to know Brandon and Wes, two of the cool guys working there.
• Getting lunch with Cedric Present and getting to hear his heart about wanting to disciple and raise up youth 
• Putting on a soccer camp for the younger Football Forward boys, and running several of the Football Forward sessions
• Going to a Bible study at ASD Cape Town, another soccer academy in Cape Town that I had connected with last summer on the trip with ORU and talking with Bruce Nadin, their team's pastor. 
• Going to the Masi Spur with the boys from Masiphumelele, or going to the Blue Route Mall in Tokai with the Ocean View and Steenberg boys
• Coaching Cindy's netball team and being incredibly surprised by the braai that they put on for me when I was leaving

These are just some of the highlights I had during this summer...if I were to write them all, I'd have to write a book! Let me know if you want to hear more about my time in Cape Town! It was an incredible time there, and I hope to go back as soon as I can. Please be praying for me while I continue to do my best to follow the path God has for me!

Thanks again to everyone who helped be a part of this trip! To see all of the photos that I took in South Africa, they are available at this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152923148305634.1073741830.794105633&type=1&l=4216016857

Thanks and God bless,
John Chau


Below are a couple photos, but to see  the rest, click HERE!

Update on life in Ocean View:

Life is back onto the normal daily routine of life here in South Africa. With the holidays over and the Academy boys getting the rust out of their systems by beginning to train again, I am fully embracing these next few weeks that I have in South Africa. I took the two American kids along with 5 of the Academy boys from Masi to the "Masi Spur" (the Spur is a chain of restaurants here similar to a Red Robin, but not quite as nice, and the Masi Spur is Masi slang for the nicest dining place in Masi - a place where you order a ton of meat like beef, pork, chicken, and boerwors and they cook it all up for you). All the boys loved it, and it was awesome getting to hear the dreams that each of them had. Then on Saturday, I took the Americans kids and several of the Ocean View Academy boys to the Blue Route Mall and we hung out. It was fun hanging out with them and also getting to hear their dreams and desires of where they wanted to be 10 years from now. On Sunday I went to Treswill's church, then the Muizenberg market with the Americans, and Hillsong for their evening service. On Monday night, I drove the two American boys to the airport for their flight back to the States.  It was fun being a host for the Americans, and I hope an everlasting seed was planted in their hearts! Keep them both, Nate and Chase, in your prayers...God has a plan for them and I hope they were able to see that when they were here with us.

Besides getting the Academy boys who live in Steenberg in the mornings (I alternate with Treswill and Sean as drivers) for school, I've seized onto a fantastic opportunity to teach English to several grade 6 students at Kleinberg Primary (where my host's wife works as a teacher). While helping tutor certain students (to help them be able to pass their exam to go on to grade 7), I met two Americans who, along with two British girls, are working as World Teach teachers and are teaching students at Kleinberg as well. It seems like Americans always show up once one NGO leaves (the World Racers left on Monday)!

I just got my SAFA player card finalized, so now I can start playing in matches with the Fish Hoek Football Club's adult teams. My first match will be this Saturday, so that'll be fun! Our U13A team is playing the Ajax U13 team on Saturday as well, so pray that we do great! They were recently in the local newspaper (photo above) too for winning the Rygersdal Tournament, so that was cool to see and be a part of.

 I've gotten to be a daily customer at the local food shop by the school where I get my usual Steak, Egg, and Chips Sandwich. It's a wonderful collision of flavours, and I highly recommend it next time you swing by Ocean View. Many of the citizens in the township seems to know who I am now, whether it's shouts of "Coach John," "Coach Chau (pronounced Tzhow by the kids - which is definitely not something you should say in China!)," or "Chinaman" (by many people I have never, ever met). Am I really THAT Chinese looking? I have certainly become a familiar sight for them as I walk, run, or drive around town on various errands. The moon has been extraordinarily full and bright these past couple nights, which has something to do with Ramadan. The local Muslims have been flocking to the nearby mosque recently, mainly because their fasting has begun for Ramadan. Besides the Muslim calls to prayer several times a day, and the gangster music being blasted from the neighbours' house, life here in the hood has been an auditory adventure every night. Please keep Ocean View in your prayers! Pray for peace here! Also, pray that I make the most of every opportunity that God gives me, and that I remain intentional in everything I do!

Thanks and God bless,

John Chau

This last week was the mid-way point of my time here in South Africa, a time that I have to constantly remind myself to stay focused on why I am here. There are so many things that, if we are not aware, will cause us to become sidetracked and begin angling away from our goal. Small steps away from your dream for one year might not cause much of a degree shift in your path, but if one continues to do so for twenty years, he or she will be so far off course that it's exponentially harder to get back on the right track.

The first several weeks I was here, I was especially able to see the little things in life that the devil uses to cause us to become sidetracked. Things such as our storage shed being broken into, gear stolen, cars broken (and broken into), sicknesses, people arguing over seemingly small issues, shootings, and more, definitely provided a distraction. Yet, when faced with the unforeseen circumstances of life, we are given two options in how we respond. We can choose to either respond negatively (and be all sad, discouraged, and frustrated) or positively, and realize that the battle has already been won and God is ultimately in control of everything. So please be praying that I stay focused these next few weeks, and that I don't check out!

Week in Review:

This last week was packed full of adventures. Our U15s played the Ajax academy team, which was good for them to get out and play some good competition. Ajax has a pretty nice training facility, and I was in charge of warming the team up on the nice turf field that Ajax has.  The next day, I went shark cage diving with the two American boys that I'm supervising till next week (when they go back to Nebraska). Shark cage diving was a phenomenal experience, and I went in as many times as I could. The water was about 60 degrees F, and yet even with a full wetsuit on, it was frigid. On one of my dives, a massive great white shark smashed into my cage with his tail... it was so awesome! That evening, I took the boys to Hillsong Church for the Encounter youth conference that was happening there. Encounter was even more exciting than shark diving, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pastor Robert Madu from Trinity Church in Dallas, Texas was one of the main speakers and the word he gave was awesome (you can't receive unless you can perceive). 
The next day, after scouting for new Academy players at some of the league games in Wynberg, I took the boys to a rugby match, and met up with Jason (one of the tennis players at ORU who's from South Africa and who's brother is representing South Africa in the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel) and his friend Marco (who wants to play soccer for ORU...which means I get to scout him sometime during these next couple weeks). Rugby is a pretty intense sport...two 40 minute halves, no stoppages (unlike American football), and the players are all massively built. It was definitely fun to watch! On Sunday, I went back to Hillsong for church, and then in the evening I took the American kids to Noordhoek beach where we watched the sunset (see the photo on the left) and then ate dinner at the Toad with Casey.

School started up again this week, so once again life is starting to become slightly more hectic with Football Forward and practices now going back to the usual schedule (four days a week plus matches). Yesterday (Monday), I conducted the training sessions for both the U8s and U12s at Football Forward, and taught them a life skill from Ecclesiastes 4:9 (about how two are better than one). It was great to get back into the swing of things!

Please keep Ocean View in your prayers too! I feel super safe here (after all, the safest place is in the will of God, right?), but various drug-related activity has caused the township to see an increase in crime lately. Be praying for continued protection for all of the missionaries working here, and that we all continue to remain focused on what God wants us to be doing here! 

Thanks and God bless!
John Chau

Wow,  last week was great! We picked up the two American boys, Nate and Chase, last Monday.

On Tuesday, we had our soccer clinic in which we taught the approximately 44 boys who showed up, 4 turns and 2 moves. Plus, we taught them a life lesson about choosing the right friends, and how your friends can affect your future. One of their parents actually emailed us later saying how that was the first time his son had ever heard anyone talk about God during a soccer camp, and how glad he was for his son to attend our clinic.

On Wednesday, I took Nate and Chase to Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope and on the way we passed a small troop of baboons (Nate and Chase were pretty excited to finally see a baboon). We climbed up to the lighthouse and several of the lookouts up there. Then we trekked down to one of the coolest spots I've ever been to on earth (see the picture on left) and chilled for a little there. After climbing around, I drove them to Simon's Town, where we had fish (hake) and chips at the Salty Sea Dog (which is apparently one of the best fish and chips places in the area).

On Thursday, we had the closing session of the soccer clinic and taught the kids 4 more new turns and 2 more moves, as well as another life lesson. Later that day, since it was the 4th of July, I took both Nate and Chase, as well as a girl named Carley who's working with us till December, to The Toad to get dinner. After a fantastic dinner, we brought an offering of ice cream to a house in Ocean View where rumor had it that a bunch of Americans were celebrating the 4th there. We pulled up, were led into the garage, and met like 20 Americans who were working in Ocean View. Most of them were World Racers (www.theworldrace.org - a mission trip with 11 countries in 11 months), and I'm working on helping get them plugged into helping with sports ministry while they're here. We also met several girls working with Mzansi and another NGO. They were really nice and it was awesome getting to hang out with fellow young Americans for a bit. The World Racers had some crazy stories about robberies, healings, and deliverances and how through everything, God always prevailed! It was great listening to them talk about their adventures. Afterwards, I dropped Carley off at her host home, and Nate, Chase, and I went down to the beach to try to make a little fire and roast marshmallows in celebration of our nation's independence. Sadly, the celebratory fire didn't last too long, thanks to a strong wind front and several guard dogs. So we instead roasted marshmallows at their host's home over the stove. Great fun!

On Friday, I took Nate and Chase up both Chapman's Peak and Table Mountain which resulted in some spectacular views from Chapman's summit, and a extraordinary time hiking through/in a cloud on Table Mountain. Afterwards, we drove to the Royale Eatery and had some delicious burgers. On the way back from Cape Town, we swung by Rhondebosch and picked up another volunteer, Sasha from UNC who's working with an NGO medical organization that helps teach doctors about a cheaper method to fixing club foot that is similar to braces for the teeth (only for the foot). Then we relaxed in Kommetjie where Nate and Chase are staying.

On Saturday, we woke up early and headed out to Wynberg to scout some U11 and U13 soccer games (in the hopes of finding the new Messi), and after braving the cold and biting wind for as long as we could, we headed back to Ocean View and planned our next scouting session (Sunday after church). In the evening, I fixed Casey's car's immobiliser and attempted to fix a broken toilet in Treswill's house, but failed at that. Haha, every day I keep learning new things and I'm loving it. 

Sorry that this blog post is about a week late. I've been kept pretty busy with showing Nate and Chase around the Cape. I'll put up a new post soon about the happenings of this week! Please keep us all in your prayers!

Thanks and God bless,
John Chau

            Last Wednesday, after the last leg of our Football Forward tournament, I took a nice drive over to the township of Mitchell's Plain to pick up several of the Academy boys for practice in Fish Hoek. It gave me a chance to drive along the coast,  and get used to driving on the more busier roads here. An awesome rainbow (double rainbow actually) formed over the Fish Hoek fields as we started practicing, so check out the picture on the left! Earlier that day, when Treswill was having a private coaching session over at the Fish Hoek fields, a "normal-looking" man approached him while he was on the field, and asked him if the fields were going to be used the next day for games, and who to contact about using the field. So Treswill gave him the Chairman's number, and thought nothing of it. It turns out, on Thursday, several US military helicopters landed on the field in preparation for President Obama's visit on Sunday to the nearby black township of Masiphumelele (to visit the Desmond Tutu HIV/AIDS clinic there). While those helicopters were busy landing on our soccer field, I was busy driving to Somerset West to pick up the U13A team's new kit, which they used in a tournament that evening in Rygersdal. They won both games they played that night, as well as their game on Saturday, and advanced to the quarterfinal on Sunday.

On Sunday, we went back to Rygersdal to play the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. As we pulled in to the Fish Hoek Football Club to carpool to Rygersdal, we noticed three traffic cops standing by the roadway. Shortly after we had pulled into the parking lot, a police car pulled up with lights flashing. Moments later, an Incident Command Center bus pulled in, with another emergency vehicle. The police officer in the car told us that we needed to leave soon (which was fine with us because we were leaving soon anyways), because Obama was going to be coming in later. He also said that no one who lived near there would be allowed to leave their homes while Obama was in the area. In fact, a police officer would be stationed outside every single house in the neighborhood to prevent anyone from leaving their houses. Talk about a major disruption into the lives of the residents here!

            Anyways, we headed off to Rygersdal to play the quarterfinal against Vasco B. We won the  quarterfinal with a score of 4-0.  We advanced to the semifinals and won that with a score of 1-0.  Between the semifinal and final, President Barack Obama flew over in Marine One (or Marine Two), along with four other helicopters on their way to Fish Hoek (and later on their way back). Excited with the dream of winning the Rygersdal Football Tournament Final now coming to fruition, the boys seized the chance to win the tournament final against Strandfontein. Two brilliant goals resulted in a 2-0 victory over Strandfontein. Ecstatically, the boys danced around and collected their trophies with joyful smiles.  Taariq, our goalkeeper, won the U13 Goalkeeper of the 2013 Rygersdal Tournament (and was presented a free pair of new Umbro goalkeeper gloves). Jade, our captain, won the U13 Player Tournament award (and was presented R300). Overall, the boys had quite a blast and definitely enjoyed winning this tournament!

This week, two American boys who played for Karl Ostrand, one of the coaches with Ubuntu, are flying in on Monday to spend three weeks working with us. On the 4th of July, we're hoping to get together with some more Americans, and have a nice little Independence Day party here in Ocean View. On Tuesday and Thursday, we're having a soccer skills camp to get an early eye on the young talent here in the Western Cape, before trials in August, so pray that it goes smoothly! While you're praying, please also pray for continued protection, and that I continue to stay focused on why I'm here. Also, there are soo many messed up things going on in this area, so just be praying in general for Ocean View, Masiphumelele, and the entire Western Cape! 


God bless,
John Chau

Life in the township of Ocean View is going great, and I'm apparently beginning to blend in. On my way home from the office, I was walking up the street to Treswill's house when I heard several voices shouting, "Coach John! Hey! Hey Coach John!" So I glance over my right shoulder, and see Zimo and several other Academy boys running up to me. After a quick exchange of greetings, they expressed how surprised they were to see me casually walking around. Worried, I asked them if I stood out too much like a tourist. They quickly said no, that I looked like a coloured person...then they added that I look like a cat. Apparently, a cat is someone like... a cool cat, who no one ever dares mess with. So that's kind of neat, I suppose.  

Yesterday, after I went to Hillsong Church with Casey, Kieren (his 4 year old daughter), and Jamie (one of their friends), and later to the market in Muizenberg, I headed over to Fish Hoek to use an internet cafe there. As I pulled over into the nearest parking space, a jeep full of Zimbabweans pulled up behind me and started honking. Mildly confused, I put the car back into gear and went forward into the next open space. Their honking subsided and became a mix of bright smiles and thumbs up. Thinking nothing of it,  I got out of my car, glanced both ways and crossed the street, and approached the cafe's entry. As I neared it, a grizzled, middle-aged man sitting on a stool smoking a cigarette said, "... 'ip my 'at to 'oo fo' dat." 
Intrigued, I asked him to repeat himself and he said in his thick white South African accent, "I'd tip my hat to you for that."
By"that" he apparently meant my pulling forward for the Zimbabweans. He proceeded to tell me how they didn't deserve anything and how, in fact, they (Zimbabweans in general apparently), had driven a taxi that he was in and dropped him off in the middle of nowhere and blah blah. He then summed it all up by saying that he'd tip his hat to me for doing such a nice thing for them. It never ceases to amaze me just how our little unintentional actions almost always seem to get noticed. Which definitely serves as a fantastic reminder to me that as a coach here with Ubuntu Football Academy, the boys look up to me. Just as I looked up  to my coaches, I'm now a role model for these guys! There's a poem I read a while back that reminds me of how we are all role models to someone, and even when we think no one's watching, Someone always is. 

A careful man I want to be –
a little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray,
for fear he’ll go the self-same way.
I cannot once escape his eyes.
Whatever he sees me do he tries.
Like me he says he’s going to be –
that little chap who follows me…
He knows that I am big and fine –
And believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see –
that little chap who follows me…
But after all it’s easier,
that brighter road to climb,
With little hands behind me –
to push me all the time.
And I reckon I’m a better man
than what I used to be…
Because I have this lad at home
who thinks the world of me.
-Anonymous

So please be praying for me and the other Ubuntu Football Academy staff (Casey, Mike, Sean, and Treswill), that we'll continue to invest in and mentor to these youth here. Pray for continuous good health for all of us, as well as the Academy boys. And be praying that the weather warms up! I'm currently writing this in a little surf cafe in Kommetjie while outside, 30mph wind gusts, rain, and cold temperatures blow in from the Atlantic. Also, be praying for protection for me and staff as well, and for favor from everyone we encounter!

Thanks and God bless!
John Chau

The last week has been pretty busy (which is why I haven't posted another blog post this week), and I've continued to grow/learn something new every day! I've managed to  now drive without stalling, plus the U13As (who I've been coaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays) have finally gotten used to me being around and no longer goof around during practice. They are currently leading the Super League, (the highest division) with a 9-1-0 (Win-Loss-Tie) record, and when (hopefully) they win the league, they'll be the first team from Fish Hoek AFC to do so. Ubuntu Football Academy has partnered with the Fish Hoek Association Football Club (a club founded in 1930) so the Academy boys play on the Fish Hoek teams but are still attached to the Academy. The Fish Hoek teams train on Tuesday and Thursday, but our boys also train on Monday and Wednesday too, with games on Saturday. Hopefully that makes sense. On Saturdays, I help Coach Albert coach the Fish Hoek U15B team (and they've won both their games so far!).  

The Week in Review:
Anyways, last Sunday I went to Treswill's church, then I went and scouted the Cape District LFA game against South Peninsula and saw a few outstanding players...but their birth years weren't quite what we were looking for. It was a great experience meeting the coaches and explaining what Ubuntu was all about, and we still will probably invite the ones I picked for a trial next month. Then I went hiking, and went down to the VA Waterfront in Cape Town for a bit with two ORU students who live here. It's always cool to meet up with classmates again on the other side of the world! On Monday, we had a holiday here (Youth Day - in remembrance of youth who were killed in the 1976 Soweto Riots) so the boys didn't go to school nor did we have practice. On Tuesday, we coached at Fish Hoek AFC. On Wednesday, Casey's car's window got smashed so I went down to Fish Hoek to get it fixed and then helped him out with his practice. There's been a break-in nearly every night last week into the little shed where we store our gear, so we finally got a big gate to go on it, and whoever had been breaking in probably wasn't too pleased with that...so they broke into the car instead. So please keep praying for continued protection and safety for me and the long-term missionaries here! That evening, I cooked up a nice dinner of soy-lemon chicken with rice and broccoli for Treswill and Cindy. Yesterday, I coached the practice in Fish Hoek and, afterwards, I trained with the Fish Hoek third team.

Update on Life in a Township:
Ocean View is such an interesting township in Cape Town. It's got about 20,000-30,000+ residents in an area smaller than Oral Roberts University's campus, and yet, every night, there are literally hundreds and hundreds on children ranging from only a few years old to in their early teens just walking around in the streets. Cindy said that it's due to the lack of having parents that are around...most of them aren't home, or they aren't doing the right thing when they are at home. So please be praying for this community! However, it's awesome to see the change in the lives of the kids here that Ubuntu has had on them! And with the Academy helping develop them mentally (providing their education with Silvermine Academy), physically (through soccer), and spiritually (by  being Godly role models and showing them Christ's love), the boys, just like me, keep growing every day and I'm so glad I can help be a part of this work here.

Day One:

I arrived nice and early after a long flight from London, and was picked up by my awesome host, Treswill. We then drove to Ocean View and stopped on the way to greet the ORU team at the All Nations house in Sun Valley. Then we met with the Ubuntu staff briefly, and I settled in at Treswill's house. Later that afternoon, we headed over to the Ubuntu Football Forward program, a program Ubuntu started in the community to not only work as a feeder program into their Academy, but also to mentor and help the U8s and U12s by being good role models for them to follow and teaching them about Christ. After Football Forward, the Academy boys arrived and we put them through their session. It was nice to see that some of the Football Forward boys remembered me from last year! In the evening, after a wonderful meal cooked by Cindy (Treswill's wife) and their friend Shavon (sp?), we went and watched Cindy's netball game (think basketball and ultimate frisbee combined). Then we went to sleep, and I slept like a log.


Day Two:

After a great night's rest and only minimal traces of jetlag still remaining, I attended my first (of many) Ubuntu staff meetings and learned of my roles and responsibilities. Then after a solid nap to purge all remaining minions of jetlag, I went with Treswill to the U15's practice and helped out there.Afterward, Treswill, Cindy, Shavon, Stacey (Cindy's younger sister), and I went to The Toad, a nice restaurant in Noordhoek, to have dinner with the ORU team. Overall, my first week will consist of getting used to life here and understanding how the academy works. Please continue to pray for health, safety, and opportunities for me to share God's love with people. Also, keep the nearby township of Masiphumelele in your prayers as their taxi drivers are having a  "strike" on Friday. [Edit 6/10/13, the strike was very peaceful, so thank you for praying!]


May God bless you all!
-John Chau