In this issue:

Why South Africa?
By: Marcus Fowler, Program Manager, Outtatown

Nelson Mandela, world-class rugby, beautiful beaches, 2010 World Cup, Apartheid, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. These are just a few of the many well-known people, places and events that come to mind when you think of South Africa.

After establishing an Outtatown program in Guatemala, it was felt that offering a second international country option would give students greater opportunity to learn about God, themselves and the world. Guatemala provided an ideal destination for exposure to a diverse culture, language instruction, adventure, beautiful surroundings, and a stark contrast between wealth and poverty.  South Africa offered all of the above but with a historical case study on conflict transformation. Since peace keeping and non-violent conflict resolution are such important tenets of the Mennonite tradition, South Africa was an ideal fit for our second destination. So, in 2001, we began finding partners and carving out a semester that would give students the opportunity to live with and learn from the experiences of South Africa’s four main people groups: Black, White, Indian, and Coloured. The first Outtatown South Africa trip was in 2003 and we are still taking students to this amazing country.

For me, going to South Africa was a dream come true. Several years before I joined Outtatown as a Site Leader in 2004 I read a book called Kaffir Boy. I was fascinated as I read the autobiography of Mark Mathabane, a black youth growing up during Apartheid in South Africa.  The clash of cultures and the brutality that people faced daily against the backdrop of breathtaking landscape intrigued me. God was stirring something in me and I knew then that I wanted to experience this country for myself. I am blessed to not only have been able to go there, but to bring 30 students with me to continue our journey of knowing God, the world, and ourselves.

It’s hard to think of a more ideal location for accomplishing the mission of Outtatown. There are many factors that go into choosing an international destination for Outtatown, but these are, in my humble opinion, the top 7 answers to the question: Why South Africa?

1. Incredible teachers who have not only studied, but also experienced first hand God’s healing power of reconciliation in individuals and an entire nation.
   
   I have heard Piet Meiring speak to our Outtatown groups four times now, and each time I am riveted by what he has to say. Professor Meiring was Head of the Theology department at the University of Pretoria and was appointed by Bishop Desmond Tutu to sit on the panel of moderators for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As someone intricately involved with the post-Apartheid healing process, Piet shares incredible insights into the nature of guilt and reconciliation.  It is an honour that teachers, pastors and government figures continually take time to offer their experience to our students.

2. Experiences with the different cultures are absolutely fascinating.
   
   Having the opportunity to live with various races and cultures gives us as visitors the opportunity to learn about South Africa from different perspectives. In a country where race has played such a defining role, each culture has their own unique view and each person has their own story.  There are those who cannot see past the hurt of the past and there are those who are much more positive and hopeful.  Perhaps not surprisingly, it seems that those with a deep and trusting faith in the sovereignty of God tend to have the most positive outlook as they feel their fate does not rest with the fallibility of humans.
   
   
3. Experiences with the different cultures are challenging.
   
   Hearing the stories of injustice and oppression imposed upon one race by another makes us feel indignant and outraged. How could people treat another culture with such unfairness, especially when they were the original inhabitants of the land? Our South African friends are wise enough to not only share their stories, but to challenge us as well. As Pastor Mpho, a black pastor in Soweto, was sharing with us one evening, he turned the focus back to us. He asked how Canada has treated its aboriginal people historically, and what we, personally, have done to bridge the gap to reach out to other cultures. In South Africa, experiencing other cultures causes us to be introspective and helps us to see the areas that we can fight against injustice right where we live. We can’t help but open our eyes to our own prejudices and face our own struggles with racism.
   
   
4. Incredible landscape and some of the most beautiful cities in the world.
   
   As diverse as the people who make the country, the physical landscape of South Africa provides a phenomenal backdrop to our adventures.  Lonely Planet describes South Africa as having glorious beaches, enchanting vineyards, rugged landscapes, and strange and wonderful plants and animals.  The country is one of the best places to see Africa’s wildlife. Cities like Cape Town have a charming Mediterranean feel about them and the rural black homelands are beautiful also with rolling hills, roaming cattle and traditional African huts. Nature has been kind to South Africa as it has one of the most temperate climates on the entire African continent.
   
   
5. An eclectic blend of first world, third world, and everything in between.
   
   Our students are exposed to the wide range of economic diversity in South Africa.  In one day, we could have breakfast in a mall that rivals any North American shopping centre in size and grandeur, fight traffic through a metropolitan city while driving to a township, spend the afternoon surrounded by the unexpected beauty of shacks, garbage and open sewers, and then drive outside the city to a quiet, primitive village populated by thatch huts and roaming livestock.  This diversity contributes both to the richness and the challenges of this country.
   
   
6. Amazing adventure opportunities.
   
   If living with new cultures, being challenged to rethink racial and political dynamics, and travelling to new places isn’t exciting enough, South Africa is also home to incredible and unique adventure opportunities.  Students have the opportunity to test their limits with activities such as the world’s highest bungee jump, shark diving, parasailing, horseback riding on spectacular beaches, and wildlife safaris.
   
   
7. Opportunities to serve those less fortunate than we are.
   
   South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, which contributes to the already disproportionate number of abandoned or orphaned children and people living in extreme poverty. Through our many growing partnerships, Outtatown students have the opportunity to serve in schools, hospitals, children’s homes and communities. Students are often given the opportunity to use their own initiative to assess and meet needs in a community as a small group under the guidance of local partners.  It is often during these service projects that our students learn the most.  They experience the joy of coming alongside someone in need, the frustration of their own limitations, an awareness of the complexity of issues, and hopefully the perspective to search for ways to care in their daily lives.

This year will be Outtatown’s 7th year in South Africa. The program continues to gain momentum as relationships grow deeper and new opportunities present themselves. We continue to be challenged by what we see, experience and learn.

"The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes."
- W.B. Yeats

Top 5 Reasons Guys Should Go On Outtatown
By: Paul Kroeker, Director, Outtatown

There is a clear trend among young adults in North America - young women are signing up for international travel, mission/service assignments and university programs in droves, and men? - not so much.  The statistics say that many programs for high school graduates are composed of 60% - 75% female applicants.  Often these programs have additional females on a waiting list, but have unfilled spots for male applications.

On the Outtatown Discipleship School program we are seeing the same trend; as are Mennonite mission/service agencies and Christian college/university programs in general.  So, why is this happening?

First of all, I want to commend young women for their strong interest in learning, leadership and in their desire to make a difference in the world.  It is exciting to see the quality of these applicants and the passion and energy with which they are willing to engage challenging life issues.  Our programs – our world – are better because of what this group of people is doing. 

Secondly it is puzzling as to why fewer young men are as fully engaged in these same programs.  At times the reasons seem very noble and good, but some of the answers that seem to arise are not always flattering:

• concerned with getting an immediate job that allows them to buy stuff
• wanting to stay at home where everything is easy and paid for
• not sure what they want to do in life other than video games
• not wanting to invest time and energy in something until they know what they want
• not wanting to leave friendship circles they already have
• pressure to go straight to work or university and “not waste time"

So, what are the top five reasons young adult males (guys) should consider the Outtatown Discipleship School program?

1. Come for the adventure.  The Outtatown program is a year filled with adventure.  This is your chance to create an adventure that opens the doors to new opportunities that you can’t even imagine at the moment
2. Find out who you are and what you want to do.  Often we have limited understandings of who we are and what we can do.  The Outtatown program is designed for you to test your own limits, find your own passions and gifts, and to see where these may lead you in life.
3. Explore faith and your love for God.  One of the most exciting aspects of our program is the chance to explore the nature of God and the nature of faith, not in boring ways but in ways that are wild and filled with adventure.
4. See the world.  This program allows you to see the world in a way that can only be done as a young adult - living in a rain forest, climbing an active volcano or surfing on the Wild Coast of Africa, just to name a few.
5. Make new friends.  A program like ours puts you together with so many other young people from around the world (including a lot of beautiful young women) leading to friendships that last a lifetime.

Believe me – most young adults need to leave home in order to find out who they are and who they could become – and doing so would not be a waste of your time.  In fact it would be a wise investment to join us in an adventure that leads to the best, most authentic person you could become.

Risk Issues in the Outtatown Program
By: Paul Kroeker, Director, Outtatown

By its very nature, as a traveling, adventure program, participating in the Outtatown Discipleship School program involves considerable risk.  Not that risk is always bad, since staying where it is “safe” can sometimes be much more dangerous, but we do want people to know the realities of what we are doing and why we are doing them.

In an article called “Too Safe for Their Own Good”, Michael Ungar, a family therapist at Dalhousie University suggests that we need challenging, stretching experiences in order to grow.  He indicates that we tend to focus so exclusively on safety and security that we prevent growth and challenging experiences from taking place in our lives.  “By bubble-wrapping our lives we may inadvertently be taking away opportunities to experience the building blocks of psychosocial growth”, which he suggests is the greatest risk of all.

In the Outtatown program we want to create stretching growing experiences that will allow for maximized learning about God, life, the world, and even about one’s self.  However, we want to do so wisely and with good safety and security systems in place so that what we are doing will truly result in healthy growth, not simply injury or failure.

We invite you to pray for safety and God’s blessing throughout this program, but we also need to be wise.  This article explains some of the “risk” issues we face so that you as students (or your parents) will know what to expect and can prepare for the year ahead:

• General Health Issues – We encourage all students and leaders to check with a travel health professional in advance of the program to make sure that you know what preventative medications you will need in order to remain healthy during this adventure.  It is also important that you eat well, get enough rest, drink plenty of fluids and get some good physical exercise on a regular basis.  Taking care of yourself is important.  It is encouraged in the Bible as a way of being obedient to God (taking care of God’s temple, your body), and it is a gift to the group, since you will offer your best when you are taking care of yourself in this way.
  
  
• Canadian Travel – In Canada we will be covering a lot of miles on the road.  We will be using high quality 15 passenger vans that have very good suspension and braking systems.  Seat belts will be required at all times.  Our site leaders will be trained for this driving assignment, and will follow all professional codes of conduct regarding highway safety and even hours on the road.
  
  
• Canadian Outdoor Programming – There are times that students will be involved in some challenging situations during the first semester.  This may include outdoor adventures such as rock climbing or other tests of strength or endurance and can be excellent opportunities to conquer your own fears and to grow in confidence as a person.  These are done under the guidance of professionals who know what needs to be done in order to make these a great experience.  At times students may want to do additional hiking or adventure challenges, but should check with their leaders prior to any such activities.
  
  
• Canadian Urban Adventures – In Winnipeg and in Vancouver, students will be involved in “urban plunge” experiences that take us to the parts of the city that are more broken and at times more violent.  We work with Christian ministries that live and work in that environment.  Students will be informed as to what is “safe” and what is “not safe” and should follow these guidelines closely.
  
  
• Guatemala Travel – In all of our international travel, we trust our country partners who live in Guatemala to inform us about what is wise and safe in that context.  It is important to listen to our country partners so that we are sensitive to cultural issues that will matter to them, and to ensure that we are safe in a context that we do not understand.  In Guatemala, drinking water is usually not safe, so we will insist on using purified water, and will encourage all students to avoid eating at roadside stands or from street venders who will not have cleaned these food products adequately.  The families that we live with have learned to provide food and water that will be healthy and safe (in fact, the people we live with have developed a much healthier life style through this learning process).  At the beaches we will insist on a buddy system, having rescue equipment available and having a responsible person in charge.  A challenging hike up a live volcano is part of the program, but will require the presence of a professional guide.  All of our travels in Guatemala are arranged by people who know the area well and will inform students and leaders where it is safe to travel and how to get there.  Fortunately, Guatemala is an excellent place to travel and students will be given some freedom to explore parts of the country in small groups.  However, this must always be done in consultation with your leaders.
  
  
• South Africa Travel – In the past few months SA has been in the news quite often as a result of the inter-racial violence that has taken place.  This does require us to be even more careful during our travels in SA.  We do so by listening to our country partners in order to be culturally sensitive to issues we do not understand, and to know what is safe in that context.  Students and leaders will need to listen to their advice in order to know what is safe.  For example, we will be living/working in the Soweto region near Johannesburg.  During that time, we work closely with Pastor Mpho and the Soweto Vineyard Church, a respected group of Christians who are helping to make a difference in that part of the world.  As a result, we will be combining our efforts with theirs, bringing safety to our group in that situation.   Adventure activities will be done in connection with professional guides.  All beach events will be monitored for water safety, the use of a buddy system and will require that rescue equipment be readily available.  Individual travel or wandering off from the group is not recommended.
  
  
• Medical Services – There are times that we need the help of medical professionals in Canada, South Africa or in Guatemala.  With a large group of people in a traveling program it is not unlikely that some health issue or even a dental emergency will take place for at least some of the students.  In all of these locations there is excellent medical/dental care and we are able to access these as needed.
  
  
• Cross Cultural Sensitivity – In Canada, dress and culture can be quite diverse.  People can pride themselves as being unique or having a distinct style or look, without feeling that this will affect their safety or well being.  However, in other countries, the way you dress can offend people, or set you apart in ways that are not helpful.  We will spend some time in both our Guatemala and South Africa programs providing information about appropriate dress in that culture or context.  Mostly we do so for reasons of respect, but at times it also provides greater safety to you and to the group if we dress “modestly” or in ways that are appropriate to that culture.  Your group discussions in the first semester will prepare you for this.

We want each student to have an exciting year and a great deal of freedom to explore the world, engage with people and with cultures and to do so in ways that are safe, life-giving and respectful.  The guidelines we will establish in this program are designed to help make this possible, and if followed well, will lead to greater freedom and safety for all.