Thursday, August 22, 2013

Another Amazing Month!

We are SO grateful to be here in Africa!!!

This month, we had a great time with the Holmes family and Jeff's brother Rob...

We all went to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe


(and yes, we walked over the bridge to Zambia!)



The trip included a helicopter ride over the falls

A sunset cruise on the Zambezi River


And drumming and dinner at the boma

where Kate and Caryn downed mopani worms.

It was quite surreal to be riding a bus in Zim as the election results were read over the radio.  What lovely people live there and what difficult lives they have.

After Zim, Jeff, the Holmeses and Rob headed to Chobe National Park in Botswana.


In addition to lots of bush game, they viewed crocs, hippos, monitor lizards, and lots of birds on the Chobe River.
 
And they had an exciting dinner in the bush with a lion roaring less than 50 meters away.
 

It was fun for Michele to reunite with David Hatch when he performed at the Linder Auditorium in Joburg a couple of weeks ago.  He was her Sunday School teacher 30 year ago in Kansas City!

Speaking of music, John did a great job performing at his high school's soiree.

Our girl turned 9 on August 9th!

Here she is at our favorite family place, Carmella's, with her friend Talia and their new Build-A-Bears.

John and Kate are now on a 3-week break from school and the family has been enjoying time AT HOME.  Kate did have a blast at Pony Camp last week.

John has been tutoring Maths to our friend Emmah who has been visiting from Zimbabwe for the past 2 weeks.  She should be ready now to pass her high school equivalency Maths exams when she returns to Zim next week.  Yeah!

Michele is still volunteering every other Thursday at the Johannesburg Missionary Training Center.  She helps the newly arriving missionaries complete paperwork and get immunizations.  Emmah (who entered this MTC as a missionary headed to Zambia in June 2011) joined her this week.





Thursday, July 25, 2013

July 2013

We have been so blessed to have dear friends visit us this month!

In Kruger Park with the Judsons, we saw big animals
 And small animals

 Did 8 ziplines down a mountain near Hazyview




Saw for ourselves the "hazy" and the "view" at Blyde River Canyon 



Chowed on pancakes at Harrie's in Graskop

Hiked around Bourke's Luck Potholes

Toured a cultural village (alas, no footage of Michele Swazi-dancing)

Interacted with elephants


And had a fun dinner at Moyo after a long drive back to Johannesburg!

Then Jessica arrived and we went to the temple

Helped Kate's class learn how to make balloon dogs
 
 Enjoyed boerevors prepared especially by Kate and Jeff
 
 Toured John's school

Visited Bryanston Market

 Toured Soweto, Nelson Mandela's Home, and Apartheid Museum

And had the time of our lives at Notten's Bush Camp in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve






Another highlight was Jessica sharing her balloon magic with about 100 third graders at Diepsloot Combined School where I help teach English.  Check out the link below under the two entries titled "Balloon Fun!" ...It was SO FUN!




Sunday, June 23, 2013

Durban, South Africa!

So for the Father's Day long weekend, Jeff wanted to go to Durban where it's WARM!



"Durbs" is on the Indian Ocean and wow, is it beautiful!!







Jeff and the kids even saw dolphins playing!  We stayed at a fun B&B called The Boathouse which was right on the beach.




Michele and Kate were treated to a pedicure!


We had dinner on a retired ship that used to deliver mosquito netting along the Mozambiquan Coast.  Jeff  had traditional Mozambiquan beef prepared with a friend egg on top.


And Jeff and John were both able to handle the HOT peri peri sauce.

Sunday, we went to church in the uMlazi Township W Ward (http://www.umlazi.co.za)
with our friends Nomthi and Ephraim (neighbors in Fourways Gardens, Joburg).


We visited the home where Ephraim grew up (4 rooms/20 people)



Then we had dinner with them at their apartment overlooking the Durban Harbor.


Monday, we went to Ushaka Marine World and enjoyed a day at the aquarium.  That evening, we hurried to King Shaka Airport just to find out our flight was delayed about 1.5 hours back to Joburg.  


So the kids were tired the next day at school, but we all agreed it was totally worth it!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO JEFF!  WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!