Happy Friday!

You know what I didn't bring? Mittens/gloves. My hands are so cold-- but this is just the transition from winter into spring over here, so it should be warming up again soon. This morning I greeted many of the women that I work with with a hug-- I thought it would make a Friday morning better and selfishly, I wanted a hug myself.

It is weird that I have been in South Africa, yet I seem to be learning about Indian culture more than anything else from hanging out with Therusha. When we get into small arguments such as what is considered a "truck" and what is considered a "van," she always says "By the time you go home we'll have you talking like an Indian!" Last night she invited me to her church service-- and I will admit it was like nothing I have ever seen before. I have been to many, many church services, but they are always Christian services so there is always some sort of familiarity. She worships the Sai Baba, which is so interesting a concept that I thought I would share it with you all. It is kind of a Hindu/Islamic/Christian religion, and I am going to explain it to you the way that I understand it, so there may be some errors.

Therusha told me that this man is a living god, and they knew he was the Sai Baba [there was one before him] because he was born with amazing powers. His followers report many miracles that they attribute to him-- Therusha became a follower when she was healed after being blind for 6months last year. As we sat at the service,

she would point: "That woman had her cancer healed." "She couldn't walk, but now she can." The most interesting thing about all of this: when he dies, everyone is to worship Jesus. After this man passes away, it seems as if people are supposed to then

become Christian? In the service all the women sit on one side in white punjabis, all the men on the other side. In the front there are many photos of the Sai Baba and candles all around his image and some images of Hindu gods. There was a woman dressed in an orange robe that transformed into the Sai Baba [she started walking, talking, everything like an old man] and gave his teaching on loving one another [from what I could understand in the thick Indian accent]. She [/He] then kept putting large flames of fire in her mouth... but I am not sure what the purpose was. Then at the end everyone went up, knelt at her[/his] feet, got a dot on their forehead with white powder, and then picked up some sweets... I didn't feel comfortable going to touch the feet because it kind of felt like idol worship to me, but I was happy to watch and try to understand everything that was going on. So when I say this is the most different religious

service I have ever been to, I really mean it. It was just so odd to me that after he dies-- everyone worships Jesus.

Other than that-- it is the weekend! Yay. On Saturday I plan on going to the Natal Children's Home and helping out with the kids, hopefully going to the library earlier in the morning to see if they

have internet, and then church on Sunday. I also need to finish the work I am doing in photoshop to make these huge posters for Thandanani for a celebration that is coming up, despite the fact that my computer keeps telling me that I am pretty much out of disk space. During some of this time I am going to try to find this volunteer hostel that apparently has a few international volunteers living there that are around my age... I keep being told that they are "just around the corner" but I have been walking around these corners and I don't know what people are talking about. So I am going to call and investigate... and that's my weekend!