Taxi and Take Off

As we sit on the airplane and the stewardess is talking about safety regulations my mind begins to drift.  I think about how hard the last couple of months have been as we have had to say “bye” to so many of our friends and to a place we have called home for the last 19 years.  We begin to taxi out to the runway and my mind is flooded with so many memories.  How can we leave a place we love so very much?  The tears come as we take off and I watch Zambia disappear below the clouds.   God has us on a new adventure in East Africa that we will begin today. As we go, we take with us a full heart and a lifetime of memories. We are who we are today because of the impact these people and this place has had on our lives. We raised our children in Zambia and it is where they call “home.”  We had many years of ministry in Zambia serving alongside of other missionaries and national believers and friends.  It’s not easy to leave a place you love so very much. But I know that we go in obedience to our Lord whom we love so very much.  He has used our time in Zambia to prepare us for this next step.  We just need to continue to walk by faith day by day and trust God in all of this.   As I took pictures over the last couple of months of some of our good-byes with friends I thought I would put them together here for you to see.  Of course, to you these are just pictures but to us they represent friendships and lots of memories.  I wish I had pics of everyone but unfortunately I don’t so I'll share the ones I have.  

28 Years Together

 28 years ago today Kevin and I were married!  When I see the picture below it makes me smile.  We were so young with our whole future ahead of us.  We had big dreams....but God had even bigger ones.  More than we could have even imagined back then.  God is so good!  We have lived life together for the last 28 years.  We have traveled many places, raised our family, and had a great ministry.  God has truly blessed us! I'm looking forward to the years ahead!  

Evening of Day 2 in Mfuwe

 While we were waiting to go on our night safari I sat out under our porch area and watched 17 giraffe out in front of where we were staying.  I love Giraffe so this was so exciting to me!

 They are so graceful! 

 They are beautiful to watch!

 

 There were a lot of mongoose where we stayed.  The woman who owned the place fed them.  They were amazing to watch!

 

 They all came running and then the owner threw out some food for them.

 I loved watching the giraffe!  I could sit there all day!

 

 

 That evening we went on night safari.  We did not see a whole lot but it was still fun.

The end of another good day!

Mfuwe Day 2

On the second day of our trip we drove through the park ourselves.  Then that evening we went on a game drive in a safari truck.  My next post will be on that evening. 

 

 We saw lots of crocodiles.

 warthogs

 and hippos

 We were so excited to see a male and female lion sitting under the bushes.  We didn't get a good picture of the female because of where she was sitting.

 

 We brought our own lunch.  So we just picked a spot by the river and ate.

 We loved seeing the elephants especially the baby one.

 We don't often see the giraffe sitting down.

 I guess this one had an itch...

baby elephant eating

 

 

 This baobab tree is huge!

It's one of my favorite trees in Africa.

 Can you see me and Hannah?

 A close up of Kevin and Hannah

Isn't that sweet?

Giraffe are my favorite animal!

 

It was a great day!