Dad and I touched down in Medford at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, after 34 hours of travel, and were greeted by Mom, Margaux, Moses, George, Lazarus, Papa Rick, G-ma, Uncle Trav, Auntie Brooke, Brody, Roxy, and Gage. They made us a welcome-home sign with candy bars taped to it. We had an amazing trip, spanning more than 30,000 miles. We flew east from Medford when we began the trip, and flew east again on our return trip, circumnavigating the globe. Along the way I read 5 books, watched countless movies, and played several games. I met incredible people who love Jesus.

I learned a lot of interesting things. For example, hippos don’t really swim, but bounce along the bottom of lakes and river bottoms. They move very quickly on both land and in water. If the water is too deep, they drown. Hippos also kill each other. Rhinos are kind of lazy. Elephants can easily flip a car.

Party ponchos can be worn to any event. 

There are a lot of poor people in Africa that only make a couple of dollars a day. The lack of opportunity inspires resourcefulness. People make and sell things in the street and from storage containers along the road. There are also big cities with grocery stores, malls, and fancy restaurants. Lots of people get around by walking. To go further, most people ride the bus. A lot of the buses have religious slogans written on them, like God’s Plan the Peoples Way.

People speak many different languages. I met one gentleman who speaks 12 languages. With so many different languages, there are many different ways to communicate with others, frame ideas, and describe experiences. There is a variety of food throughout southern Africa. Some food is traditional to local areas, but they also have hamburgers, pizza, and grilled cheese sandwiches for people less adventurous.

Southern Africa has a diverse landscape with massive waterfalls, lush rain forests and arid deserts. The people are friendly and funny.

Thanks for following us on this journey and praying for our health and safety. Special thanks to our African hosts for being so generous and hospitable, going to great expense to welcome us into their countries, churches, and homes. I will never forget the places I’ve been and the smiles I’ve seen.

Thank you.