SON OF A PREACHER MAN

Tonight we are staying in Oceanview, a township near Fish Hoek and we’re each paired up with a home stay family here. We went to the local high school where they had set up a huge dinner for us to meet our families for the weekend. I was kind of nervous to meet my host family, but the second I saw Moira and Dan I knew it was going to be a great weekend. The moment they saw my nametag, Moira grabbed my hand and gave me a huge hug. Another girl in our program, Dominique is paired up with their family too. Throughout dinner we talked and I learned more and more about them and their family. I talked to Dan and started to hear some of his story—he was in the South African Navy until one day when he said he felt the call of God and felt that he was meant to do something else. He told me about how gave up his steady job with benefits to become a pastor (insert me asking if his offspring were named Billy Ray and the material for “Son of a Preacher Man”—judging from his blank stare, I don’t think the song quite made it to South Africa). After dinner and a couple of awesome performances from people in the Oceanview community, we headed back home to meet the rest of the family and settle in.

The kids were falling asleep by the time we got home, but Moira, Dan and I had a long talk at the kitchen table and I got to know them even better. Fell asleep in the bottom bunk, while all three of their little boys—Dan, Luke, and John—huddled on the top, and Sarah-Claire (their youngest little girl) slept with Mom and Dad downstairs. All the kids are adorable, really well-mannered and very loved by their parents. Excited to spend more time with them tomorrow!