Our first trip to Nkandla in July, 2005 almost didn't happen. In fact, half of our team never got there.
It all started after we arrived in Washington, DC early Saturday morning, only to learn that our flight to South Africa had been canceled due to the South African Airline (SAA) strike. The next several days were spent trying to get a flight out. Finally, we were told to be at the airport Monday at 4:00 am for the one flight that SAA would be sending back home. At about 1:00 or 1:30 pm, we finally boarded the airplane. We were all so excited.
However, our hopes of getting there were soon dashed. After taxiing to the runway, and while waiting for final clearance to take off, a passenger noticed jet fuel pouring out of the plane. Soon, the aircraft was surrounded by emergency vehicles and we were told to gather our belongings and exit the aircraft "immediately."
At that point, half of our team said enough. The other half, still determined to get there, boarded the same airplane the next day. At last, we were on our way! And yes, we were all pretty nervous.
We arrived in Richard's Bay (not part of the original plan) in the early evening on Tuesday. Thankfully, we managed to find a bed and breakfast that could take all of us. All the struggles of the past few days vanished. We were in South Africa and the next day, we would be in Nkandla.
On Wednesday, Sister Hedwig drove to Richard's Bay to meet us. We arranged for our rental car and began the 2 hour drive with Sister Hedwig leading the way. This street sign marks the final turn to Nkandla. It was a sight to behold and we were so happy to arrive, safe and sound.
