Safari Encounters: Lions

Large, powerful, daunting.  The strongest cats out there (except for possibly tigers).  Roars that can be heard 5 miles away.  Speeds of up to 50mph.  They possess sleek fur and voluminous manes.  With 1 1/2 in. (or more) retractable claws and about 3 in. canine teeth, these animals are deadly.  They are the leaders and defenders of 15 member groups commonly known as prides.  They are the first ones to devour freshly caught prey.  They are the ones who have no humility.  They are the ones to make wildebeests, impalas, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, wild… Read More

Day 349: Victoria Falls, Zambia – a Photoblog

Years ago, while I was in high school, I met a missionary named Mark in Pearl River, New York.  He was at the African Inland Missions summer training, preparing to fly to Kenya to begin his service.  I volunteered for this 3 week training every summer, helping the missionaries’ kids in the nursery and cooking meals in the kitchen.  It was always a highlight of my summers. Mark and I became instant friends, and began to correspond via airmail letters.  (Do you remember those neat, foldable blue envelopes?  Do they even exist today?)… Read More

Safari Highlights: The Zebras

I think I took Zebras for granted the first time I went on safari.  There were so many of them, I didn’t notice how unique and beautiful each one was.  I was more excited about spotting, you guessed it…the Big Cats. This time around, I took the time to study and appreciate them, and learned a few fun facts.  I’ve shared a few of my favorite zebra shots and facts below.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. First off, Zebras are part of the horse family.  Maybe you… Read More

Safari Highlights: Leopards and Cheetahs

Ok, now on to the gorgeous Leopards!  Below, we are doing a night safari.  It was our very first one at Kapama and I didn’t have high hopes that we would spot any Big Cats.  It’s especially difficult to spot a leopard hiding in a tree in the middle of the day, as they blend in so well.  Try spotting one at night!  But it happened and we felt incredibly fortunate that this one was spotted.  We were awed by its beauty and sleekness. The photos below were taken within an hour of… Read More

Safari Highlights: Lions, Cubs, and Sunglasses

Photographing the Big Cats is one of the top reasons many people journey half way across the world.  Spotting one in the wild can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life.  It was for me, that is.  I am drawn to the Big Cats and find myself wanting to get as close to them as is humanly possible.  But there is also a sane part of my brain that recognizes their strength as well as the danger and foolishness of not respecting that these are wild animals.  Just look at this guy! We have spoken… Read More

Our help at the School

Lorna and Marty volunteer to teach English at a school a few days every week.  They have a large group of different kids each day.  One of the ways my family and I helped Lorna and Marty while we were in Capetown was by giving these kids a little lesson of our own. For the three mornings that we did it, my dad was the main speaker.  My mom had previously created a slideshow using some of the photos she’d taken so far of our trip.  This was to help give the… Read More

Our Help with the Storage Room

Lorna, Marty, and Steve own a storage room.  In it, there are many things that they use for helping others.  In fact, the only reason they have this storage room is because they need it to keep the supplies they give to people.  Without this space, it would be very hard for them to do a lot of the work they do. Steve undertakes different tasks than Lorna and Marty, so his section of the storage room is used for something different.  His job is teaching people how to share the gospel… Read More

Some of the Ways Lorna and Marty Help

Lorna and Marty are two wonderful, selfless, sweet people with very big hearts.  They, and Lorna’s husband Reinaldo, have been very good friends for quite some time.  They all live in South Africa and  Lorna and Marty do the same work together.  There are several things that they do each day, and through what they do, they touch the lives of many, many people.  Here is a general idea of the work they accomplish. First of all, Lorna and Marty volunteer to teach English at a school in Capetown.  Every morning, at about… Read More

Danny in Cape Town

In Cape town, we met Lorna and Marty.  They help kids who often live in difficult conditions, and sometimes provide food and toys for them.  After we met them, we had breakfast with them, and then went to their storage room where all of the products that they give the kids are kept.  We helped organize a lot of their toys, cardboard, and recycling. During the week, we went to several homes with the kids they were helping. These homes are called Educares.  We enjoyed meeting and spending time with all of the kids. Each… Read More

The Daycare Women

There are several groups of women (about thirty groups in all) who have dedicated their homes and their hearts to providing a daycare for very young children who have no one else to take care of them during the day.  These women are hard-working, kind, strong, and dedicated to their job. Their jobs are not easy.  Every day, except for maybe one to two days a week, kids are dropped off at their home (sometimes very early in the morning; it depends on when their parents go to work) until sometime in… Read More