A Funny thing happened on the way to Victoria Falls....

Are you sick of us telling you what a great time we are having here in Africa while you are stuck at home?  Would you prefer to hear about heat stroke, diarrhea and malaria biting mosquito bites? For those who can appreciate the darker side of life, you will enjoy this post.

We left Johannesburg last Monday for a long awaited and much needed "vacation." I know some of you think that is all we have been doing - or as Summer refers to us:on a mission/vacation, but trust me missionary work is just that--hard work.  We traveled with 3 other senior missionary couples to see one of the 7 wonders of the world - Victoria Falls - a water fall 1 mile across!!  We arrived at the hotel, unpacked and headed for the brief 5 minute walk from our hotel to the falls.  It was extremely HOT (105 degrees) - even a 5 minute walk nearly gave me heat stroke, but we were headed for one of those life changing experiences!  We excitedly walked down the path - passing zebras and giraffe's wandering in the wild!

We rounded the corner - cameras ready.......there was no "water" falling - a steep gorge of rocks was all that was there!  Someone had forgotten to tell us that 2 days prior to our arrival they had "turned off the  water!"  I felt like I was experiencing life in the children's book "The terrible, horrible no good day!" As you can see below what the falls were "before" and "after" our arrival.

After our arrival:

You can imagine our disappointment...but as many comedies actually start out quite sad the next few days did in fact have a wonderfully positive ending. Traveling in Africa and being on a mission has created a different type of human being in us.  Some stories have come to haunt me as we have had the opportunity to glimpse into other peoples lives and experiences.


You can see here the sun slowly sinking over the  Zambezi River we began to have many pictures to add to our "memory palace."  

We had the rare opportunity of seeing a crocodile eat 

a dead elephant in the water!

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas....NOT!!

When we crossed the border from Zambia into Botswana we had to be "disinfected" for foot and mouth disease by stepping on a muddy little matt.  

Do they really think this works?!

We jumped at the chance to visit a 700 year old village.  There were about 7,000 people living there - not much has changed in 700 years.  They still have a chief, live in grass huts, and have absolutely nothing in their huts. A grass hut acts as a shower and a bathroom.  They eat "pap" for every meal.  The children take turns going to school for a couple hours a day - if their families can afford it.  Their schools have no desks, chalk boards, books, paper or pencils!  The images of this village still haunt me as do the wide bewildered eyes of the children as we gave them pens, pencils, small balls and flashlights (torches) that they can use at night to check for cobras in the corners of their houses.  I continue to wonder why we have been so blessed! 

 Taylor passing out "goodies" to the children - 

you can imagine the mob every time he opened his bag!

The family "kitchen" consisted of 3 rocks and 2 pots - 
and a carved wooden spoon

Notice his "toy" - this was the only one we saw except for a soccer ball made of plastic bags tied together with string.

Glimpsing into other peoples lives and experiences - seemingly going back hundreds of years, yet remaining the same today, makes us appreciate their ability to find happiness in the smallest and most simple pleasures in their lives.