hello hello!

hi everyone!
i have been here for a full month so far. i'm sorry that i have been out of the loop with everyone. the town in which i am staying--Bakenberg, does not even have a public telephone, let alone internet capabilities. right now i am writing to you from mokopane, a smaller town which is about 30 K away from Bakenberg. this has been my first chance since arriving to make my way here. My family here is wonderful. I am staying with the Ngobene family--an elderly mom and dad, their son Thabo who is my savior because he is 20 and speaks fluent English, and a 15 month old girl named Fina, who is really cute. It has been a bit awkward, but I finally feel somewhat at home. I will be finding out my site placement for the two years in two weeks or so, which is really exciting. I am currently learning Zulu, which means that I will probably end up in Kwa Zulu Natal somewhere, which is supposed to be the most beautiful part of South Africa, so I am extremely excited. Also, I am really enjoying learning Zulu (Ngiyathanda Zulu) and think that my knowledge will continue to grow over time, especially when I am living in a village that speaks Zulu (people in Bakenberg mainly speak Sepedi). alright, my internet time is running low. feel free to email me at ThereseClaxton@gmail.com. I will have internet access in about a month, but may be able to check my email before then? And THANK YOU to everyone who has sent me a letter. This so far has been very challenging, and it's really great to hear from you--the letters have meant so much to me.
You can send them to:

PO Box 9536
Pretoria 001
SOUTH AFRICA

This will be for another month or so and then I will get a PO box in KZN. Also, one I have real internet access these posts will be much better, I promise.

Love