Saturday, August 31, 2013

let's go safari-ing

top deck
I mentioned our most recent group of visitors... who so graciously invited us to join them on their boat safari and game drive last weekend. What a treat!


i just love elephants...


the Botswana flag marking their ownership of the fertile land mass between Botswana and Namibia
(ownership of the land was disputed between the two countries until an
International Peace settlement within the past 10 years)

that's one FAT croc



look over there!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

House Update








A couple weeks ago, Heather and I took our friends to check on the progress of their new house.

Victoria Falls Zim Side

we walked from Zambia to Zimbabwe, through both immigration offices,
and on to the Falls
welcome!
prepare to wonder

three of the four couples
Last week Heather and I had the privilege of hosting a group of four couples who came to Zambia to hold a leadership training seminar for pastors and church leaders. Not only did the group spoil us with special gifts (we felt like it was Christmas!), they also invited us to join them in visiting Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side (which neither Heather or I had done previously), and welcomed us on their safari day trip!










yes. that's really the edge.
(I'm sitting behind the fellow in the plaid shirt)







back at the hostel


One of the coolest things about this group was that all four couples were able to take this trip together (for some members of the group, this was their first time on African soil). It was a blessing to witness healthy, godly marriages full of love, respect, and mutual encouragement.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

everyday



let's play ball



cuties!
Our yard is neighborhood property. Not a day passes that the swings are empty, and rarely an afternoon passes that an impromptu "football" game isn't in session at some time or another.

Monday, August 26, 2013

to Brian


Couldn't help but think of your Mercury Sable when we saw this Antelope Sable at Chobe :)

(didn't know you were going to buy a snappy 500 though!)

Sunday, August 25, 2013

movement


"So our loneliness can grow into solitude. There are days, weeks, and maybe months and years during which we are so overwhelmed by our sense of loneliness that we can hardly believe that the solitude of the heart is within our horizon. But when we have once sensed what this solitude can mean, we will never stop searching for it. Once we have tasted this solitude a new life becomes possible, in which we can become detached from false ties and attached to God and each other in a surprisingly new way...

The movement from loneliness to solitude, therefore, is not a movement of a growing withdrawal from, but rather a movement toward a deeper engagement in the burning issues of our time. The movement from loneliness to solitude is a movement that allows us to perceive interruptions as occasions for a conversion of heart, which makes our responsibilities a vocation instead of a burden, and which creates the inner space where a compassionate solidarity with our fellow human beings becomes possible." 

~Henri J.M. Nouwen, Reaching Out, the Three Movements of the Spiritual Life

(italics added for emphasis)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

One time we went out for Ethiopian



I just rediscovered some pictures from the evening Heather, Malinda and I went out for Ethiopian in Lusaka in June. One of Heather’s uni friends is from Ethiopia, so Heather’s used to the real deal when it comes to injera (the staple, flat, spongy bread) and delicious relishes. 
Our fave for the evening was the spicy split pea dish… oh so tasty!

the injera

lamb (left) and chicken (right)

the incredible split pea dish

ready. set. eat.
(fingers only, please)

we agree. looks pretty unappetizing
this is what was left when we finished eating

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Bubble Blast


On a recent Saturday, Heather introduced several of the neighbor kids to bubbles. 
They had an absolute blast!


I took a couple videos (I wanted you to be able to hear their giggles and squeals of delight),
but I still haven't  been able to post videos (my guess is that our internet is too slow).




We don't have a bubble wand, so Heather got creative and used a plastic ring from a bottle top.




ps- Happy Birthday, Mom!