Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Getaway in Botswana-chapter 4













If you think these animals are amazing, we would LOVE for you to come meet some of the amazing people that live here in Botswana.  Consider partnering alongside of us next year! We are currently working on putting a trip together in late May where you can experience a week of ministry and a week exploring Botswana. If you individually are interested or your church would be interested please send us a message. 

*these pics are from our latest trip the Khwai and Moremi. 


Crocodile Camp in Maun (2 hours from Gweta) Many lodges in Maun are still closed so a friend recommended Crocodile Camp. We had a lovely time and enjoyed the river view. 


Machaba Lodge in Khwai (3 1/2 hours from Maun). This was our splurge and would totally recommend it. It’s a luxury safari tent that includes all food and activities. This place is AMAZING!! 


Third Bridge Camping in Moremi (3 1/2 hours from Machaba Lodge-enter north gate of moremi). You book through Xomae adventures online. The trip from Third Bridge back to Maun is a hard 4 1/2 hour trip on super bad roads until you hit the tar road around Shorobe village. 


Maun to Gaborone is another 10 hour trip so an overnight in Maun is needed. 


#localtourism #botswana #crocodilecampmaun #machabalodge #thirdbrdge #moremi

 

Getaway in Botswana-Chapter 3

MEERKATS-this was such a fun day!! We visited a family of meerkats that have been acclimated to humans but still wild. If you’re lucky, they will use you as a vantage point to look for birds of prey. Apparently Brent was the ‘meerkat whisperer’. 







Planet Baobab near Gweta (2 hours from Nata)-we just stopped and did this on our drive from Nata to Maun

•Book your meerkat outing(Caution:this trip does take about 1 1/2 hrs to get to each way in the back of a safari vehicle and then you get to spend about an hour with the meerkats...so worth it!!) 

•you can also book a sleep out under the stars on the Makgadikgadi pans through planet baobab 

#localtourism #Botswana #meerkats 


Getaway in Botswana-chapter 2

 Out of all of the amazing animals I have experienced, Elephants by far are my favorite (hence us naming our youngest ‘Ellie’). I love watching them move as a family unit, protecting their young, and communicating in those low rumbles or in some cases trumpeting. 

Check out the pics for some elephant poo bowling 🙈






Ellie poo 😂






Getaway in Botswana-chapter 1

 Like most of you, Covid19 has turned our lives upside down. Seeing the hurt in our world and even just outside our doorsteps can be so overwhelming. After our 3rd lockdown, we decided for our sanity to do a little getaway as a family. Since our borders are still closed, we have had to just look within Botswana on places to visit. Tourism is one of Botswana’s biggest industries that provides jobs and with the borders closed and international tourists not allowed to enter the country, they have been doing citizen and resident rates at some amazing lodges that otherwise we could never afford to visit and our tourism industry needs us! So here is our trip in a bit by bit-unforgettable memories as a family and we feel refreshed to go back to work. 


Nata lodge-7 hours from Gaborone

•Nata bird sanctuary with the Makgadikgadi pans at sunset is unbelievable. Tours offered through Nata Lodge.

•Riding quad bikes along the river in Nata and through the beautiful village of Nata. Use ‘ATV Adventurer-quad bike safari tours’ contact at info@atvadventurer.co.bw or Kabelo at (+267)72 886 403


#localtourism #botswana #natalodge #makgadikgadi










Brent preaching

Brent was able to preach recently at Crosspoint Family Church for his pastor friend Dayne Smith who just welcomed his first child, a baby girl. He spoke about ‘choices’. So thankful for a husband who proclaims the gospel in everything he does. 



Visiting the kids

We continue to do 1:1 home visits to the children from church as we still are not able to meet in large groups here in Botswana. We normally share a bible story, assess any needs, and pray for the children and their families. 

We recently challenged the kids to learn a series of bible verses and they could earn a bible or a children’s devotional. One little girl Palesa learned all of her verses and picked out a much awaited bible.


Here’s the Bible verses she committed to memory, the top six we learned at Friday children’s ministry in 2019  

John 14:6-“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Johane 14:6-“Ke nna tsela, le boammaaruri, le bothshelo; ga go tle ope Mo go Rara fa e se ka nna.”

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Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

​Bafilipi 4:13 “Nka dira dilo tsotlhe ka ene yo o nnonotshang.”

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Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

​Baefeso 4:32 “Lo nne pelonomi mongwe mo go yo mongwe le pelonamagadi, lo itshwarelane fela jaaka Modimo le one

​​​​o itshwaretse lona mo go Keresete.”

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Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

​​Josua 1:9 “A ga ke a go laola? Nna thata le pelokgale; o se boifisiwe, le gone o se ka wa raraana, gonne Jehofa Modimo wa gago o na nao kwa le kwa o yang gone.”

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I Corinthians 16:13-14 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”

1 Bakorinthe 16:13-14 “Disang, lo eme ka tlhomamo mo tumelong, lo dire jaaka banna, lo nne thata. Gotlhe mo lo go dirang, a go dirwe ka lorato.”

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Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremia 29:11 “Gonne ke a e itse megopolo e ke e gopolang ka ga lona,” go bua Jehofa, “megopelo ya kagiso, e seng ya bosula, go lo naya tsholofelo mo motlheng wa lona wa bofelo.”

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Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

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James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”




Bone (bow-knee) Is one of our toughest cases at church. He has always been a trouble maker. The first time we walked him home, we saw why he was acting out. This was a little boy who wasn’t wanted and his grandmother had taken him in to live where she ran a bar out of her home.... We have been several times to check him and take him clothes and food and today when we went by his grandmother seemed more open to the gospel... She asked us ‘why do you care for Bone so much?’ And our response was God loves him and so do we. She repeatedly called him a dirty ‘thing’ and didn’t know why anyone would care for him. Heartbreaking but we will continue to love him and share the love of Christ with him.



Ellies’s 3rd birthday

 Our sweet Ellie turned 3 on September 7 and decided that she wanted a Minnie Mouse party. We had such a fun day playing games and eating ‘hot diggity dogs’.