That's how I know that God is REAL

Somewhere between the lush green plains of the netherlands and the opening my airplane window to see the sunset on the African desert, I had physical evidence that God is Real. Previously, time square at 4 am and the Great Wall of China had a tie for the most beautiful sites I had seen. However, floating above the landscape of Mount Kilimanjaro brought a tear to my eye. I have never been able to see a skyline as clear as this one. The best way to describe it was like a scene from the Lion King. No buildings, No traffic, Just God and I.

I feel as though this is the perfect time to explain the title of my blog. Dolce far Niente is Italian like my middle name. It means… “the sweetness of nothing”. I was reminded of the phrase from the movie Eat Pray Love the day before I left for Amsterdam. Luckily, after 22 hours of plane rides I have grasped my own visual image for “dolce far neinte” Time to enjoy my last dutch meal and land in Cape Town!

Mikmil

The Journey Begins

And let Global LEAD Cape Town 2011 BEGIN!  My name is Dustin Harris; I’m currently the Adventure Director for the Cape Town program this summer.  Last year I went on LEAD Greece and had such an amazing summer that I HAD to come back for another one.  This being my first time in Cape Town I have been in a state of constant amazement at how incredibly beautiful this town is. 

            It’s always great coming to a new place because you have these preconceived notions about what you will see, smell, and taste, though none of them usually end in an accurate description of what you really sense, and I can happily say that I’ve been surprised at every turn.  The first few days of being on the ground in Cape Town have been action packed.  We’ve traveled to the wine country, where the clouds seep over the mountains like waterfalls, to do a tasting of some native South African wine.  We also went and visited the families we work with in the slums, opening our eyes to the bigger problems in the world. 

            

            Whether the majestic sunsets, radiating beaches, or skyscraping mountains, Cape Town has something for everyone and we can’t wait for all the students to arrive and begin the best summers of their lives.  Only 5 more days till the first group arrives.  Let the countdown begin!