From Victoria Falls Town it is a short journey to reach Livingstone, Zambia. Livingstone gets its name from the great David Livingstone who was a missionary, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of commercial empire. The guy was a super star- I mean, come on, he found the source of the Nile!! Livingstone died of malaria in a Zambian village in 1873.  When Britain tried to collect his body the local tribe would not give it up.  Finally they relented, but cut his heart out and left a note on the body that said, “You can have his body, but his heart belongs in Africa!” A testament to their love for him and his impact on their lives.

While in Zambia, we stayed at the Love’s Door for All Nations missionary base.  God used the time to encourage my heart so much.  The highlight of Zambia for me, was spending time in Singanga Village, which sits right on the Zambezi river. It was great to minister to some of the kids, play some soccer, and to experience their rhythm of life.

I especially loved this little tree house that over looked the river.  The only problem was having to wade through croc infested waters because the river was so high! God is doing some awesome things in Singanga Village, what a privilege to be a small part of that!

Alaska.  Climbing Denali.  Training. Running. Focus. More Training. Indomitable Willpower. Hills With a Heavy Pack. Sore Muscles. Giving it Everything I’ve Got.

Favorite Movie Trailer :: Mansome

Favorite Video :: Symmetry

Favorite Cover on the Spoons :: Deb perry doing “Lonely Boy”- the Black Keys (yes, for real!)

Walk in the footsteps of a conservation giant

The John Muir Trail is arguably the best backpacking trail in the world. Beginning in Yosemite Valley and ending 211 miles later on the summit of 14,495-foot Mount Whitney, the footpath also traverses high alpine sections of Devil’s Postpile National Monument and King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. It skirts countless alpine lakes, naked granite domes, and thundering waterfalls. Most people tackle the trail in two weeks, which may be just enough time to knock out all 304 pages of John Muir’s 1894 classic Mountains of California, a meditation on a quarter century worth of travels in the Sierra Nevada. No detail is too small for Muir, from an examination of sequoia bark to a chapter on the water ouzel, a tiny insect-eating bird, which doesn’t sound exciting, but through the sheer force of his enthusiasm, it is. To wit, the book’s most famous passage is a rhapsody on an evening spent swaying atop a 100-foot tall tree in the middle of a December storm. He communes with the other trees in the grove, “their lithe, brushy tops were rocking and swirling in wild ecstasy.” It gets way beyond tree-hugging.

Love. Joy. Peace.

Zach

IN PICTURES AND CAPTIONS

(We took an overnight bus from Joburg, SA to Harare, Zimbabwe.  It was an experience with middle-of-the-night boarder crossings and all.  However, the saving grace of the ride was how friendly the Zimbabwean people were. Seriously friendly and helpful without being asked.  But then again we WERE the only white people. )

(Not the headline, a quote by an govn’t official, that you want to see when you’re entering a foreign country.)

(“I have taken the road less traveled and it has made all the difference.”)

(Finally arrived in Harare to be greeted by our friend and hostess, the smilie Ms. Patience Gombe.)

(Mama Gombe and all her children, including her adopted white sons. We were so warmly received and so well feed that we didn’t want to leave! The Gombe family showed us a side of Zimbabwe we would have never been afforded unless we were with locals.)

(The high density suburb that the Gombe family lives in doesn’t receive many if any white visitors.  This became very apparent when I would go for my morning runs through the neighborhood.  As I ran my first giant loop the children waiting on their school bus stepped away from the road and anxious whispers ensued.  Boys and girls sharply dressed in their school uniforms all staring at this crazy white guy running through their neighborhood.  As I made my second lap around, one of the younger boys bravely ran out to give me a high five.  If the scared look and clinched teeth, closed eyes, and hand barley above his waist were any indication, he was double-dog-dared.  After this brave soul got a high five, you can imagine what the next lap had in store.  I felt like I was at the finish line of the NY Marathon as children lined the streets cheering and giving me high fives.  I couldn’t resist playing a little prank on some of the children at the end of the line and so as I got right beside them, I sprinted at them barking in my most vicious-dog-like bark.  Trust me, it’s not that scary.  All I can say, is Zimbabwe might have some future track stars, because those kids bolted with world class speed. The adults were literally on the ground laughing as a HUGE smile spread across my face. CLASSIC!!!)

(Zim uses US $ after the collapse of their currency in the 2000′s.  One unforeseen problem is the money becoming dirty since bills aren’t pulled out of circulation.  Some bills are almost black in color.”

(While in Harare, we were able to visit Patience sisters NGO, Young Africa.  They do some amazing work with Zimbabwe’s youth, from sewing, welding and auto mechanic classes to school tutoring and preschool. Very encouraging to see home grown solutions and community development.)

(From Harare, we took a bus to Bulawayo, which was an adventure because the poor road conditions and the frequent road blocks by corrupt police. From Bulawayo, we took an overnight train to Victoria Falls Town, a 16 hour journey.  The National Railroad isn’t what she used to be, but was still very whimsical.)

(Victoria Fall Town is a tourist and adventure seekers jump off point with a frontier town feel. Oh yeah and it’s located right on the edge of the, you guessed it, Victoria Water Falls.  The town is frequented by local wildlife, such as Warthogs, Baboons, Elephants etc. Our short two day stay in Victoria falls town was a great time to buy local produce in the market, check out this GIANT Baobab tree and explore around the croc/hippo infested Zambezi river.)

(Although we have Baobab trees in South Africa, I didn’t know they bear fruit.  Here is a picture of the sweetish/sour, chalky inside of the fruit.  Yet another reason Baobab trees are magical!)

(The little backpackers we stayed in for two nights. The fro is in FULL EFFECT.)

(While we didn’t have the budget to do any of the thrill seeking activities such as bungy jumping, bridge swinging, or white water rafting, we did get to see Victoria Falls Town’s biggest attraction: Victoria Falls.  One of the severn natural wonders of the world Vic Falls, or the “Smoke the Thunders” as it’s called in the local dialect, is an awe inspiring site.  While it claims to be neither the highest nor widest falls in the world it does claim to be the largest.  This is based off it having the largest single sheet of water due to it’s tremendous width and height.  The little park surrounding the falls gives almost 2 miles of incredible views.  Some of the paths are so close to the main section of the falls it impossible to see anything. I felt like someone was pouring a bucket of water on my head, giving new meaning to raining buckets.”

Despite all the bad press Zimbabwe has recieved over the past decade, it truly is a beautiful place with lovely people.  I would not hesitate to go back!

Stay tuned for part three…

Love. Joy. Peace.

Zach

And these faces too…haha

Childhood Stress Leaves Genetic Scars

Traumatic experiences in early life can leave emotional scars. But a new study suggests that violence in childhood may leave a genetic mark as well. Researchers have found that children who are physically abused and bullied tend to have shorter telomeres—structures at the tips of chromosomes whose shrinkage has been linked to aging and disease.

“Children who experience physical violence appear to be aging at a faster rate,” says neuroscientist and co-author Avshalom Caspi. As a result, he says, they may face increased risk of disease in adulthood and possibly shortened lifespan.

The more we research and understand stress, the more we learn about its complex nature and implications on our health, both mentally and physically.

We started our long journey from Port  Elizabeth, SA where after an overnight bus to Johannesburg, we met up with Dani, who lives in Pretoria.  Dani’s family was incredibly hospitable and his mom made us some delicious food! One highlight from my weekend spent in Joburg/Pretoria, was a visit to the Apartheid Museum.  Each admission ticket has “white” or “colored” on the back, dictating the route you are to follow through the museum, and the treatment you would have received under the apartheid regime.  My ticket said, “colored,” the experience was powerful to say the least.

(If you’re in Joburg, I highly recommend going to the Apartheid Museum)

(View of Joburg from “Top of Africa,” Africans Tallest Building.  Surprised? Yes, we have cities too haha)

(Brandon and I enjoying this beautiful nature reserve.  What you don’t see are the Ostriches, Zebra and other wild animals that are roaming freely all around us.  Beautiful experience, save being chased by one CRAZY Ostrich. No really, CRAZY!)

(Dani giving me a history lesson at the Union Capital Buildings in Pretoria)

(Another view of the Union Capital Building.  You might recognize it from the Movie, “Invictus,” where Matt Damon’s character goes to meet president Nelson Mandela.)

Check back soon to hear more about the Zimbabwean and Zambian part of the Sojourn-(ey)

Love. Joy. Peace.

Zach

Over the past three months Kate Mase has been doing some incredible art with our children. Besides being, artsy, fartsy, Kate has an incredible heart that shines through everything she does. Here is a blog she posted about her last day with some of the girls.

Sad faced Kate Mase

once upon a time (over a month ago), i told my ithemba babies about my family and how i had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. i told them their names and where they live. i drew a picture of my family together. afterwards, i asked them to share their families with me….

today, as i was saying my goodbyes, mary asked me how my brother jesse was doing… i had completely forgotten that i had told her about my family. she reminded me of that one art session… then, she gave me this amazing note as she hugged me goodbye a million times and whispered apologetically in my ear if some of the words weren’t spelled right… ahhhhhhhhh she is so incredible! 9 years old and she has impacted me astoundingly. i am going to miss her HECTICLY (as a south african would say).