March, 6, 2007: 11:59 p.m.

Meeting in the Road House Lodge

Here we are in Johannesburg, SA, after a long journey. We come from Alabama, California, Washington, Tennessee and Rhode Island; different places, but we come with a single purpose and common mind.  The flight in gave us a view of Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone—ocean, ocean, ocean—and Namibia, Botswana, and finally arriving in Jo’Burg.

We first landed in Dakar, Senegal, at 5am local time.  After undergoing “tarmac procedures,” we embarked for South Africa.  We arrived in late afternoon.

At the airport we were met by representatives of the TEAM conference. Ringo and Thembi greeted us warmly and transported our group in fours to the hotel.  As we waited there, we began to get to know each other.

After settling down at the Road House Lodge we had dinner at a steak house across the way. Following dinner we gathered for a meeting in the lobby of the hotel where we shared our hopes, expectations, and understandings about our purpose here in South Africa.  We see our mission as learning about the impact of apartheid and AIDS, and learning from those who struggle against them here.  And also as seeing ourselves in communion with those who struggle.

Photos available at: www.flickr.com/photos/bishopmarc