Safari Time...

The main attraction for Africa is, without a doubt, the animal life.  There is hardly anything more exciting than to be riding through the Maasai Mara, with camera posed for the next fantastic shot.  The chance to scan the horizon and be the first one to spot a lion in the distance is exhilarating.  One day we saw 17 lions from 3 different prides; there were many cubs; they were so adorable!  Another time we came across an elephant with a baby born just a few hours before; we got close enough to get some pictures.   But she thought we were too close, so she CHARGED!  We were definitely more careful after that!  There is just something amazing about seeing God’s magnificent creatures in their own natural environment—where He put them.  With the beauty, the awesomeness, and the purity of the savanna, how can anyone believe that there isn’t a God?

Written by: Breanne S.

Off to Market...

It is easy to get cheated in the local, open market especially when considered as the outsider.  The price of a mango or handful of herbs or bucket of potatoes soars high whenever we near the tender’s booth.  Bartering is something I have learned to do over the years.  It is easier is some places than others, but the system still stands as the way to buy and sell.  The price is always begun much higher than the item is worth.  My bartering price would start out with being lower than I would expect to pay.  Thus the prices ping pong back and forth until the price is agreed upon somewhere between the two prices.  The market is usually noisy, with tenders shouting out their prices, with crowds of customers swarming around from stall to stall and row to row, and with the blaring advertising on loud speakers.  When walking through the market, it is just a loud roar with all of the sounds blending into one.  As the sun beats down on the open market, their aroma fills the air with the sweetness of the pineapples and the bitterness of the onions, as well as the stench of garbage and animal refuse from the day before.  Shopping in the market here is quite an experience!

Written by: Abigail S.  

Lizards...

It is amazing the many different kinds of lizards I have seen around and in the places where we have lived.  I have seen so many different lizards that I cannot count them.  The one that I know lives inside the houses I have lived in is called the Gecko. The Gecko can sometimes be frightening if it falls onto you when you open the curtains, and it can sometimes be funny as it darts out from behind a picture, runs across the wall, and behind another picture.  What allows the Gecko to do this is the tiny suction cups on the bottom of its feet.  Some Geckos are almost black, but others are almost a whitish-tan color although the majority of them are in the middle with a certain pattern.

Another lizard that I love to play with is the Chameleon. The Chameleon is a fascinating reptile when it changes its color to camouflage itself and blend into its surroundings.  Some Chameleons can be mean if you anger them, but most of them only hiss or puff out the little flap of skin that is under their head.  I have seen only two different kinds of Chameleons, the Side-striped Chameleon and the Montane Side-striped Chameleon.  The Side-striped Chameleon color is of a light brown to a dark brown almost black.  It also has the ability of changing its color to where it has a diamond pattern on its back and sides.  The other Chameleon the Montane Side-striped Chameleon has a totally different coloration.  It has instead green, light blue, white, orange spots, and black spots.  If you were painting this kind Chameleon the green would be the background on the Chameleon; then you would paint the white as a stripe right below the ridge of the Chameleon’s back.  The light blue you would paint very lightly as a stripe under the white stripe, and finally the orange and black you would paint in very small spots here and there.  As you can probably tell I really like lizards!

Written by: Caleb S.                    

Going to a Village...

One of the most exciting places to go is to a village “in the middle of nowhere.”  There are so many things to do.  Usually we use the winding paths through the fields; sometimes there are steep hills, and streams to cross.  When we get to our destination, the adults go inside to fellowship, but we get to wonder around their homestead.  We love watching tiny chicks that are kept under a basket for protection from hawks and cats, and petting baby animals.  We have fun playing games with the kids, climbing trees after avocadoes or mangoes, and exploring everything.  Sometimes we go on walks with some of the other children; they take us through back ways, show us the river they fetch water from, and show us their work on the farm.  One time, we helped shuck maize.  Villages are away from the hustle-bustle of city life.

Written by: Breanne S.