Tarangire Day Safari (3)

We witnessed a family of giraffe, majestic and towering, grazing in the tops of the acacias. . .

and the abundant herds of impalas among the bushes and grass. . .

And, of course, the grumpy ones! (warthogs)

Baobabs made a beautiful silhouette as the sky gets dimmer, reminding us that we had just a few more minutes to enjoy our surroundings before the day's end.

Tarangire Day Safari (2)

We found a waterbuck eating at the river. . .

and the zebras, a bit nervous by our presence on the plains. . .

the vervet monkeys (with a baby clinging underneath) resting in the shade. . .

And, of course, we also saw the grumpy ones!

(buffalo)

Tarangire Day Safari

So, we headed to Tarangire National Park for a day safari.

The elephants are my favorites.

They are huge, strangely graceful, and can almost act. . .human. The way that they care for the younger in the herd, the way that they touch and reassure each other when one is nervous or upset.

Up close and personal at meal time!

(a little intimidating to be this close, at this angle)

And, of course, there are the grumpy ones!

Happy Birthday, Susan!

Oh, I almost forgot to share with you a wonderful event that we celebrated last month. . .

Happy Birthday, Susan!

And, of course, her big requests for her birthday were. . .

. . . a real cafe latte at a nice Arusha restaurant

. . . with her great friends, and. . .

. . .a day trip to see some African wildlife. LET'S GO!

A visit with Polycarp

Perhaps you may recall our wonderful friend Polycarp.

Last year Polycarp assisted us when Bob’s backpack, wallet, and driver’s license was stolen, by driving Bob to our conference in the bush.

However, Polycarp’s abilities as a translator and Bible School teacher made him a wonderful asset to our team for the week by assisting in translating for us, giving Bayo a respite for his overworked voice from time to time. Polycarp was very enthusiastic as he learned right alongside us while translating the principles of the Christian’scovenant with God.

One year later. . .and here we are! We visited Polycarp and his wife Ana in their home. We shared wonderful stories of life and ministry. How he has grown in the past year! He has now taken a full-time position at Agape Bible School (on the outskirts of Arusha, in Tengeru village) as both a teacher and principle. His favorite class is Basic Theology for the first-year students. . .in which he teaches our covenant materials (among other things, of course).

He was so excited to know that we are continuing our teaching conferences out in the bush. He has volunteered to join us for our conference at the end of this month. (The Bible School is on break now for the holidays.) Likewise, Bayo is also happy to have Polycarp’s assistance.

Newly-discovered love for bird watching (pt 2)

. . .spotted and streaky,

. . .even some lovebirds,And then, of course, there are the grumpy ones.

Newly-discovered love for bird watching (pt 1)

Of course, you have seen that we really love East African birds. We set up a make-shift birdbath and a bird feeder filled with breadcrumbs. And they came!

Such variety:

. . .some brilliantly bright,

. . .some melodious,

. . .some even rainbow-colored.

"Ndizi" (Swahili for "bananas")

Been watching the banana plant in the back yard. In just a matter of 3 days (pictured above), we watched the large burgundy-colored petals peel away from each layer. . .revealing yet another row of bananas!

Just a few feet away was a large stalk ready to be harvested. Our helper Jofrey used the “panga” (local machete) to cut it down, while the neighbor’s helper prepared to catch it as it fell. We then held it in our storage room for 2 weeks, and—voila!—wonderfully sweet, beautifully yellow bananas!

Heading home again.

The view of the Dareda valley from higher ground in Bashanet is absolutely beautiful--billowing clouds in the blue sky, the broad landscape in shades of browns and rusts and greens.

But at this time of year the clear, sharp picture may fool you. . .

Just drive for a few minutes on the road (especially behind another vehicle), and the air isn’t quite as crisp and clear!

These poor villagers are transporting fresh-cut sugar cane on the road, too. I feel sorry for them every time someone passes them. No dust masks out here!

Bashanet area, Manyara region

It’s intriguing to spend time here in the Bashanet region--observing the landscape, the people, and their lifestyle.