First full day in the Free State!

Today I got to sleep in for as long as I wanted to, because Kate was going to pick up the rest of our crew at the airport. I walked around the town, went to the only store open on a Sunday, which was some old fashioned book store and talked to the owner for some time. Then I walked to the area where Kate and her volunteers have been building an elementary school for the children who are living in poor conditions. As I was walking into this area, where there are hundreds of shacks, people were staring at me, but always with a smile. After I checked out the school grounds, I walked over to an area where I saw a large gathering of people. I looked over the fence, and saw a soccer match about to take place. One of the young men asked me if I’d like to come in, but I noticed there was an entrance fee to come in, and unfortunately I didn’t have any money on me, so I told him I would love to, but I have money on me. He shrugged, and said that’s ok, just come in. I watched for about an hour, and everyone was really getting into the game. All of the older men were drinking 40 ounce beers, which they call rhino horns, and it was only about noon. I left, and went Kate’s house to wait for her and the rest of the group to arrive. They got here around 2 pm and we had some lunch. There are 3 teachers from England, and about 14 students that go to English schools. The kids are from ages 14-16 I believe, which wasn’t what I expected at all, but I’ll make the most out of the situation. After lunch, we headed to an area where the kids always play rugby and soccer. We played with them for a good two hours, and all the kids were so excited we were there. Tomorrow we will continue to build the elementary building, by moving bricks to the location, and then beginning to stack them. I will also be asked to coach on the soccer teams that will be started tomorrow. Should be a fun day!