We were able to rent a jumping castle. I think it was called a Gladiator Pit. It was an obstacle course of sorts. The kids LOVED it... to say the least!

Beautiful Justina... There are some days where it takes all of my energy to make her smile. It seems to me there is a deep sadness within her that breaks my heart. Her smile on Fun Day was no struggle at all! And it brought me great joy to see her so sincerely happy.

I think Kaita may have been the most determined bobber for apples we had that day! He did finally get his apple and ate it with great satisfaction. :)
Lunch time!

Yesterday I received an email from my brother that my granddaddy had had a stroke. He also had a brain hemorrhage but beyond that he didn't know much of his condition. I immediately called my mom and we had a very emotional conversation as she was driving on her way to the hospital in Jackson, TN. Granddaddy had fallen in the night, probably what caused the bleeding, and later had a stroke.

He was responsive at the hospital yesterday, recognizing everyone and managing a smile. His right side was weak but he could hold and squeeze Mom's hand. At that point, we were praying and trusting that he could recover with some rehabilitation. Later that night, however, the bleeding in his brain got worse and they had to do emergency surgery to remove a clot to stop the bleeding and relieve the pressure on his brain. Although they removed the clot and he is back to breathing on his own with improved vitals, he is pretty much non-responsive. Mom says that he seems worse neurologically. The nurses have advised everyone to let him rest. It could be days before we know whether or not he will recover. And if he does, it is uncertain in what capacity he will recover.

I am praying for a miracle that God will heal his body and mind. I am praying for my family, especially my mom, and for strength and comfort for everyone who is hurting. It is so difficult to be so far away from my family right now. I want more than anything to be there. Many of you know my granddaddy and you know how special of a man he is. Just last week he brought home a bronze medal in a Senior Olympics swimming competition! He means the world to me. We have always had a special bond. He is also my last living biological grandparent. It has always been my prayer that I would be able to see him again when I return to the states after being so far away. I am still praying for that, but it breaks my heart to consider that it may not happen. I honestly cannot imagine my world without him in it. Please join me in praying for him and my family during this difficult time.

Last Friday I left Windhoek on route to Zimbabwe. First stop: Rundu, Namibia. My friend Irene has been wanting to go to Victoria Falls for some time, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. I had told her I would be happy to accompany her if the timing worked out. I drove up to Rundu and together we boarded the Intercape bus in the middle of the night. 11 hours later, we arrived in Zambia, crossed the border and were picked up by Taurai--our fabulous host for the lodge we stayed at.

We had no itinerary, and Taurai was very flexible to help us plan our schedule once we arrived at the lodge. We ended up booking more adventures than I had originally planned, because let's face it... you realize at these moments that these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. It will mean pinching pennies for the next two months, but I dare say it was all worth it!

Day One: The Falls

Nothing can prepare you for the splendor of God's creation called Victoria Falls. People, however, could have prepared me a bit more for the proper attire! I had been warned I would get wet, but I didn't realize I would get soaked. Silly me wore thick jeans. Nice one. I was a bit miserable by the end of it... well, as miserable as you can be on one of the best days of your life! I took it all in stride despite how uncomfortable I felt, realizing that wet clothes was a small price to pay for such an incredible opportunity! Emily, who served us so splendidly throughout our time at the lodge, gratefully did some laundry when we returned. We cleaned up and headed to the market to check out the crafts of Zimbabwe. Many were very similar to Namibian crafts, though I was told that a lot of Zimbabwean craftsman send their goods to be sold in Namibia and other countries. That explains that. I did score some really cheap and beautiful baskets!

After the market we headed to The Victoria Falls Hotel for afternoon tea, something Irene was really looking forward to. We enjoyed a small feast of mini sandwiches, scones, and desserts and had a great view of the gorge below.

Day Two: Bridge Slide and a Walk on the Wild Side!

The morning began with a trip to the gorge. We signed up for the zipline--what they call the bridge slide. I am quick to admit that I don't have the guts for bungee or bridge swing. It was great fun, I only wish I could have hung up there longer to enjoy the spectacular view!

After the slide we grabbed some lunch and waited for our time to go to the game reserve. Our adventures there began with a lion walk! This was what I was looking forward to the most and indeed, this is what I enjoyed most from the entire trip. I mean, how often do you get an opportunity to leisurely hang out with some lions?! We petted them, walked with them, and took a zillion photos of them. Kayla (pictured below), one of two females, was the most active. The other two were in a typical lazy lion mood. If I had another life to live, I'm pretty sure I would have a job where I get to hang out with lions all day!

From the lions we headed to the elephant ride. The last time I rode an elephant I was around 7 and it was at the Knoxville Zoo. This was an obvious upgrade! My favorite part with the elephants was the time at the end to interact with them. We fed the one we rode on and he snotted all over my hand. Nice. I suppose another small price to pay for the experience.

Day Three: View from the Top

The last thing on our itinerary was the helicopter flight. This gave us an incredible view of the falls! It was also too short, but I took lots of photos and a bit of video. I suppose I would like to have just enjoyed the ride without bothering with cameras, but I can never seem to put my camera down for too long. :)

Victoria Falls is a very small town, and I suppose a unique feature is the abundance of wildlife. There are baboons, monkeys, and warthogs everywhere... and it is not unusual for you to bump into an elephant or two! Elephants especially have caused a bit of headache as they damage trees and even concrete walls and gates. And you have to be careful of baboons especially if you are carrying a plastic bag. They are crafty little thieves!

I thank God for such an incredible opportunity and for the time I got to spend with Irene. It was really good getting to know her better and for us to be able to encourage one another. I also thank God for the safety He provided us. Not one thing went wrong. At the bus stop (gas station) to board at 3am in Rundu, we actually had a bit of a scary time. We had been spotted by some local thieves and apparently they were on the path to rob us when a truckload of security guards showed up. I didn't believe the supervisor of these guards when he said that the youngsters were about to rob us... after all, there had been two other security guards just 15 feet away from us the entire time. The supervisor said that the boys would be off with our bags before anyone could even think of catching them. He also moved us behind some trees and we had several guards standing in front of us while the bar across the road cleared out and the drunk and rowdy bunch headed for the gas station. We even had a personal guard escort us to the bus when it arrived. We thanked God for His protection that entire night. I mention this bit of the journey not to cause worry from any of you--especially my parents!--but to give testimony to God's incredible protection and provision... at times when you realize you need it and even at times you don't.

The trip was fantastic! I would recommend Victoria Falls to anyone who ever has a chance to visit. I made a video to sum up the trip. Enjoy! And you can see more photos on Facebook or here.