Home at Last

So...because I was unable to post the last few days we were in Africa, this post will be long.  Hope you enjoy!

 Thursday: This was our last day in Qwa Qwa, an area just outside of the town Harrismith. Just to give you a little bit of information, Qwa Qwa is home to approximately 1.8 million people and has been declared as the poorest region in the country. 88% are unemployed and 75% experience chronic hunger.

Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye to all the families we previously meet. Some of the families gave us gifts, which was unexpected. The gifts were one large jar of canned peaches and the other, was boiled chicken feet and heads. Yummy, or at least for the guys they were. 

It was difficult saying goodbye to all the kids, they were so good and fun to hang out with.

Friday: We left early Friday morning and headed toward Bella Bella, where we would take part in a safari.

Goodbye Thrive Africa!

The trailer hauling all of our luggage however had many problems. First the lights weren't working, then the bearings of the axle broke. We were forced to drop the trailer and pile in with our luggage. Looks uncomfortable, yes, but it made our adventure even better.

We stayed at an amazing reserve called Mabalingwe, where we saw lots of animals.

Saturday and Sunday totalled about 28 hours of travel time between flights and layovers. Besides some turbulence, nasty plane food and swollen ankles, I mean thankles, the trip home went well.

So, there you have it in a condensed form.  Had an amazing time and one day would love to go back. 

Bye for Now

Friday and Saturday we will be on a safari and then off to our flight.  Next time I talk to all of you, I will be back at home, where I promise to post lots of pictures. 

Home sweet home! 

I am so looking forward to eating popcorn and sleeping in my own bed....oh and seeing my family and our pooch, Axle.

Internet connection is super slow because of the clouds, so I can't upload pictures of our last ministry day.  Sorry!

Children's Ministry

Today was the first day our group did children's ministry.  We were super excited and blown away when we ended up counting around 107 children. 

Their favorite thing was the parachute!

We were also able to plant a garden this morning for a family we met yesterday.  The Husband, wife, their baby, and the husbands sister (Did you follow all that?) are deaf. Please pray for them, as there are limited services for the deaf in the Qwa Qwa area.

Mt. Everest

Today we climbed Mt. Everest, a mountain behind our cabins.  No... not the Mt. Everest in Nepal, but in South Africa.

Although the altitude killed me, (the mountain is just under 7000 feet) it was well worth it.  This called for a celebration! Totally look like a dork, but I think the picture is really neat and it was fun.

Our time was unfortunately, cut short because of a farm fire on the other side of the mountain. You can see the smoke to the right of the picture.  Amazing views though!  

Lion Park

Had an amazing time at a lion park! Not only did we play, pet and pick-up baby lions, but. . . 

This little Tiger was pretty darn feisty, biting, clawing and growling.  Therefore, I was quite fearful. (Just Joking)

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we saw the big boys and girls (adult lions) eat cow legs.

We also went on an adventurous ride around the park where we spotted some Ostrich, Spring Bok (Antelope of some kind), White Lions, Tigers, and Wild Dogs.

Our First Few Days in Africa

I could get use to waking up to the amazing sunrise visible from our rustic little cabin. Aren't they cute?

This week we have and will be ministering to the Besotho people. The past couple days we spent with a lady named Annah and her young granddaughter, Happiness. Annah is an amazing woman who was so caring and loving, as is all the people here. She was however, surprised that I didn't know how to cook, (shame on me) so decided to teach me a few tricks in the kitchen.

Annah wanted me to pose in this picture, my pose is an obvious sign of  "I don't know what I am doing, but I will pretend for the picture".

While I slaved in the kitchen the men were hard at work in the garden.

Zzzzz..

I am sooo tired. We traveled a total of 35 hours from the time we left Washington untill we arrived at Thrive's facility. Wow that's long! We woke up this morning to the sound of noisy birds, herds of antelope and an amazing sunrise. Internet access isn't the greatest, so I am having difficult time uploading pictures. I will try to post pictures tomorrow.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So excited to begin our adventure tomorrow, but I will say that I love my sleep and I'm not so sure how my body will handle getting up at 3:30AM.  Yes, you read right, 3:30AM! Our flight leaves at 7:00AM, so before I board I will be sure to order a

Tall half-skinny half 1 percent extra hot split quad shot (2 shots decaf, 2 shots regular) latte with whip. Only kidding! I'm not that complicated when it comes to coffee, but according to the Seattle pi this is the most complicated Starbucks order. 

Wish us luck, and pray for safe travel! 

Camera.....Check Laundry.......Check

Frank has spent almost 4 months researching a camera and finally it paid off.  Here it is the Olympus EP1.  With all its amazing features we can't wait to test it out on our trip. Stay tuned to see some of our pictures.

Our laundry baskets are beyond overflowing! Some reason I always feel like laundry is never ending, I have had a break however, as we have been waiting as long as possible before running all the loads.  I don't mind throwing clothes in the washer or dryer, but hanging up and folding clothes I HATE.  Thank goodness most of what we are washing will go straight into our bags.

Busy Weekend

Where do I begin?  We were on the go all weekend, I guess not so uncommon for those that know us. :) 

My new kick lately has been finding fabulous treasures at garage sales, and I will say this weekend I found a few I love.

Look at all this stuff! Handmade fabric, chalkboard, trunks, patio chairs, an old book, cute tote, window pane, and fly fishing poles (which are not in the picture- sorry Frank). All for under $25.00, what a BARGAIN.

That same day we attended a beautiful wedding at the Landmark Event Center in DesMoines. Despite the weather the bride and groom not only looked amazing, but ran everything flawlessly.

Unfortunately, we have a terrible camera so were unable to take pictures during the wedding.

The following evening we had a BBQ for Vintage (a service at our church). Outcome was great, even with the unpredictable weather. This was also where I was given some helpful packing hints for Africa.  Not sure I can pack all my stuff for 2 weeks in a carry on, but I do think I can narrow my packing to just 1 bag.  Thanks Anndria for the advice! Oh, and there are now 5 days until we take off!

11 Days and counting.....

I hate packing! Africa is only 11 days away and I feel like I should start now. It is currently Winter in Africa, which means my bags will be much thicker with all my warm apparel: sweaters, scarves, snuggy, you know...... the usual.

Okay, perhaps this is a little too early to start packing but, I am determined to keep both of my bags under 50lbs. For those of you that know me I over pack every trip, therefore, this might be a challenge.