Goodbye South Africa - An Open Letter to my African family

Dear South African friends and family,

As you may have heard by now, I am leaving. This Sunday, July 23, I will be moving back to America. I recently got blessed with an opportunity and a career that goes hand in hand with my passion for videography and photography. I will be getting paid very well just to do what I love; something some people never get to experience in a lifetime.

I have been in South Africa for almost a year now. I can whole heartedly say that this rough but beautiful country has set it's place in my heart permanently. I will never forget the experiences and memories made in the foreign country. I've made friends, enemies, and family. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world, and life as I see it is viewed from a completely new perspective thanks to my time here.

One of the main things this experience has taught me this past year is to have faith through the thick and thin. From my camera being stolen when I moved here, to my family being stolen from those we once called friends. These experiences, though tragic, have strengthened my faith tenfold. I have learned to put my future and my life in God's hands. This being said, the positive moments definitely outweigh the negative ones, so let's not focus on the bad.

Leaving my family here is going to be hard, but at the same time this job opportunity is a way for me to venture into the real world as the adult that I am.

I am leaving much more than my family behind, I am leaving friends, my home, and the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with.

I want to say thank you to those who have made my South African experience so phenomenal. Thank you to those whose caring hearts have adopted my family and I into the culture of South Africa. Thank you to the children of the orphanages that have taught me to be humble and appreciative of the little things in life that most of us take for granted. Thank you to my wonderful family who have taught me the value of loyalty and what it means to be a man of God. Most of all, thank you to God for being with me in every step I take and blessing my life beyond compare.

Without being in South Africa I would not have known the beauties it has to offer. I would not have connected to many of you who I now consider family. And most of all, I would not have met my fiancée and the love of my life, Nickey Alberts (soon to be Nickey Nguyen in 6 months).

It has truly been a blessed experience to be here, and I have plans to return in the future, not just once, but multiple times. South Africa is truly my second home. So this is not really a "goodbye letter" but rather a "see you later" memo. Keep in touch!

Love you all,

Hoa (Robby) Nguyen