Antelop Park n' Zimbabwe!

So to take a break from all the heat, grim, dust, and just the general stress of it all we crossed the border and went to Antelop Park in Zimbabwe. Although the park is named Antelop Park we did not see any antelops. What we did see and do was way cooler though! We where able to walk with lions, ride elephants, and the next day we went swimming with the elephants!!! We had a blast, and below are the pictures to prove it. We where also able to see some other workers in Zim and have a bari (cookout) so all in all it was a great two nights away!

Sometimes the lions would like to go off without us and just have some lion talk time together.

What do you think of my new name "Carmel the lion tamer," i think it fits don't you?

He's just cool to look at. Even at 15 months old his paws are huge!

Elephant ride!

OK, so this was my favorite thing we did while in Zimbabwe. Ride on elephants. Yeah, yeah, i know we've all pretty much rode on elephants at the circus when we where like 6 or something but this was different- it was great! I had a blast, if i say so myself. Of course i couldn't go without having a story, so here it is. I've been accused of screaming a lot durning my 25 years on this planet, but i have never really thought so. Although i think you would let out a loud shrill too, if you where coming upon a steep rocky hill and your elephant starts to charge down it! Plus you have the added fact of your guide is telling you "Ah, yes you hold on tight here. If you fall off, i lose my job - you, you lose your life!" I mean hello, i think anyone in their right mind would scream or yell also when faced with the same situation ;) I rest my case, but like i said it was awesome and i totally loved it!

Here we go on our elephant ride!

Reema stops to make a new friend....

While i'm happy just not to go down any more steep hills!

Swimming with the elephants!

So what else would you do on a Sunday afternoon, but go for a nice little swim......WITH ELEPHANTS!!!! Yes, after church we went back to the park and took a quick little dunk with the elephants. It's kind of like rafting - always underwater and can never chatch your breath. Although Stacie and i had the nice elephant that just went up and down kind of like a roller coaster - still not my favorite thing. Although it was a lot nicer then the elephant Brandy and Reema had to ride on, their's wanted to play like it was a merry-go-round and stay underwater twisting and flopping them around!!! It was totally worth it just to say that i've been swimming with elephants!

It's to late to turn back now.

Down we go!

It's the 3 of us and our 2 guides, so that makes for 5 tiny people and 2 huge elephants in one little lake! What more could you ask for?

Believe it or not but i did not fall off!!!!

Reema giving her cheer of rejoicing to see another day after wild and crazy swim with her naughty elephant.

School!

Here is the school that i'm teaching out this year. It is about 20-30 mintues away from my house. All of the teachers there have been so nice to me and helpful, both of which i'm very grateful for. Since i no longer have a national teaching partner, it has been more difficult to teach, for both me and the kids! We are all trying to work together to understand each other - sometimes it can be almost funny trying to get our points across. Just remember us as we all try to work together to undertand each other, in your prayers.

Zwenshambe Jr. School.

This is my friend the gate guard. I promise he was smiling before i took the picture.

Classrooms!

Because of the size of Zwemshambe they've had to add extra room to the campus with the use of trailers and homemade rooms made out of wood. Last year at my other school i thought it was bad that i had to teach in the dinning hall for most of my classes or that the few rooms i used the windows where broken out. I've come to realize that i had it good when it came to teaching. This year, i have to be careful when i step into the doorway of the trailers, or i may fall through large holes in the doorway or the lose floor boards in the room. Then what really breaks my heart is the wood shack class, as i call it. I know it sounds funny, but it really is like a wood shack. When i was first escorted out there i really thought they where taking me to the wood shade, but it turned out to be a room full of children! I don't know why i'm saying all of this, because i don't want to make it sound so bad, it's just that it's different for me and a little sad. Even with all of this the students at the school seem happy and have big wonderful smiles on their faces. Please pray that the students will be able to learn in these conditions.

Here is a view of two of my classrooms. The trailer (left) and the what appears to be a wood shade (right).

Inside you'll find the smiling faces of my students!

Here is a closer look at the outside of my second classroom.

This is the doorway to the class. I just find it amazing everytime i come here that students actually go to school in this place.