May 2024 - South Africa Part III

 Photos and reflections from the second half of our trip:

Day 6

Saturday, day 6, was mostly a day of rest and class preparation. I enjoyed a homemade chai latte at a cafe while I read for class. A group of us ate Indian food on Saturday night with our classmate, Deepthi, as our guide. There are many Indian folks in South Africa so there's a prevalence of Indian food.

Day 7

The "welcome" sign at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town.

On day 7, we worshipped at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town, which is an Anglican church. St. George's is the church where Archbishop Desmond Tutu presided. Tutu was elected the first Black archbishop of Cape Town in 1986. The worship service was beautiful and I loved observing the various liturgical elements that are different from the PCUSA. The worship was extra special because the guest preacher was Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac who is a Palestinian Christian theologian and pastor.

St. George's Cathedral's labyrinth serves as a reminder of the many pilgrimages of which we are a part.

After church, we traveled back to Stellenbosch where we enjoyed "Sunday Stellenbosch," which is a market of local vendors along one of the town's main streets.

After the market, my classmate and I went for a run along the Stellenbosch "bike path" and around a neighborhood in the mountains.

Day 8

Day 8 began our 4-day class, Contemporary Confessions, at the Stellenbosch University’s School of Theology, which is one of the top 100 theology schools in the world. Our professor, Dr. Rachel Baard, co-taught the class with Dr. Sipho Mahokoto. We studied The Barmen Declaration, the Confession of Belhar, The Accra Confession, and The Kairos Document.

This lunch was one of our best. We had the privilege of dining with Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak who co-authored The Belhar Confession and who is a well-known prophetic, anti-apartheid, pro-justice, public theology voice in South Africa and across the globe.

After lunch, we attended a panel discussion at the School of Theology. The panelists were Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak, and Rev. Rene August. The panel was titled "South African Faith Communities and Justice in the Context of Zionism Today."

Day 9

On day 9, we had class again and it was such a joy and a privilege to be in class with South African Master of Divinity students. Not only did we learn about each other's church contexts but we had tons of fun comparing and contrasting our seminary experiences and lives. We also engaged in powerful conversations about race and class and the impact of inequitable social structures on our societies.

After class, we had lunch with Rev. Laurie Gaum, LGBTQ activist, and Dr. Lisel Joubert, Church History professor, both of whom were classmates of our professor. Afterwards we met with Dr. Julie Claassens, Professor of Old Testament, for a film screening on housing and land ownership in South Africa. 

Most of our group enjoyed dinner at a Lebanese restaurant and then some of us went to karaoke with one of our professors and a couple of the South African students. We were surprised that we knew every song that was sung and that they were all American.

Day 10

After another great class, we had lunch with two professors from the School of Theology. We enjoyed hearing their perspectives as women of color and learning from their wisdom. How lucky are we to be surrounded by strong, intelligent, passionate women theologians?!

This is the stained-glass window outside of the School of Theology's chapel. "Ubuntu" is at the top and means “A person is person through other persons." Ubuntu is a traditional African concept that emphasizes belonging to a community of people, and the corresponding idea that the path to authentic humanness lies in one’s relationship with others. Desmond Tutu said the way to exhibit Ubuntu is: “I participate, I share.” Tutu used Ubuntu in his anti-apartheid theology. Through Tutu’s Ubuntu theology, we see an authentic African Christian theology.

In the afternoon, my classmate and I ran 4 miles around the Stellenbosch University track. Check out that view!

Day 11

Stellenbosch United Church, which is the town's Presbyterian church

Part of the University of Stellenbosch campus

Visiting the Beyers Naude Centre for Public Theology at the School of Theology

Our classmate cooked on the braai while we socialized. The sausage, known as Boerewors, was my favorite!

On day 11, we had our last day of class, which we began by singing two worship songs. The unity of our voices is something I'll never forget. After class, we walked to our classmates' apartment where the South African students hosted a braai for us. A braai is a South African barbecue and includes a bunch of different meats + a cheese, tomato, onion sandwich also made on the braai.

After a wonderful time of fellowship, we all took off in separate directions. I enjoyed walking through town, picking up last-minute souvenirs, and eating dessert for dinner on the hotel's patio. After dinner, a few of us went to Stellenbosch United Church, which is the Presbyterian church in town. We attended the Ascension Day service with my new friend, Panda, from Angola. Panda is a Presbyterian minister, is married to a PhD student, and is getting his Masters in Theology currently. I'm always amazed how Presbyterian churches immediately feel like home.

As I reflect on the last 11 days, I am tired, humbled, full of new information, still processing all of the connections, and I feel incredibly grateful.

On Day 12, we'll spend time in Stellenbosch before heading to the airport in the afternoon. We'll fly overnight and arrive in the USA midday on Day 13 (technically day 14 but day 13 in terms of full days!) of our trip. Thank you all for the prayers, love, and support from a distance!

Much Love,

Caitlin