Fall Review: Double Digits at Amboseli

 Our Kai Guy is 10!

He's actually been 10 for over two months, but double digits are cause for serious celebration in our house and it's never too late to post about this major milestone!

Our family started a tradition of going someplace new whenever a kid turns 10, and for Kai's big birthday we ventured to Amboseli National Park, which had been on our bucket list ever since moving to Kenya.  It's one of the most famous parks in the country for two reasons: its prolific elephant populations, and iconic views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  It was a long drive to get there from Chogoria, but definitely worth it!

We stayed at Ol Tukai Lodge which is in the center of the park and made it easy for driving around.  Plus, Ol Tukai just felt thematically appropriate for Kai's birthday!

The landscape of Amboseli is fascinating.  There are large stretches of dry, open areas that feel like a desert directly next to wet, verdant marshes.  We learned that the only reason the marshes exist is because of underground streams fed into the park by nearby Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Without the mountain, Amboseli would be nothing but a hot and dry ecosystem where wildlife would struggle to survive.  The diminishing snows on top of the mountain are cause for concern not only for the mountain itself but for the entire Amboseli ecosystem.  Our conservation-loving family learned a lot.

For now, wildlife is plentiful.  The marshes and lakes provided plenty of water for all the animals despite a lack of rain for about six months.  (See how important that runoff from the mountain is?).

Shortly after entering the park we saw hyenas!  One was lazing about in a marsh, while another popped out from under the culvert as we drove by and stared right at us with a bloody face - clearly it had eaten recently and was subsequently resting in the shade.

The marshes were so interesting.  Animals waded through them to eat the green plants held in abundance there.  Hippos and enormous elephants could be seen waist-deep as they snacked, simultaneously staying cool in the water.

The bird life was an unexpected joy.  An incredible variety of lake birds, as well as birds of prey, delighted us.  We had no idea flamingoes live in the park, or that they are white instead of pink!  They were scattered all across the lake and we watched them for a long time, enjoying the rhythmic motion of their heads bobbing up and down as they searched for food in the water.

I couldn't possibly post all the photos of different birds we saw, so here is a small sampling of some other species: heron, crowned crane, fish eagle, and tawny eagle.

We also went to Observation Hill and saw the expanse of the park.  It really is a huge place.  Clouds covered the mountain, but the views were spectacular all the same.  Pelicans and hippos made noise in the water below while zebra and antelope grazed along the shore.  The beauty of Africa never ceases to amaze me.

Besides the wildlife, the other main attraction at Amboseli is the mountain.  Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa.  Although it's actually in Tanzania, the best views of the mountain are right here in Kenya at Amboseli National Park.  The wide open plains provide a grand view of Kili, and on a clear day you can see the snow-capped peak.  Apparently it's hard to get a clear view of the mountain because cloud-cover is common, and we barely saw Kili the whole time we were there.  But twice we were rewarded with Mt. Kilimanjaro staring back at us in all her glory.

During our first evening at the lodge, right before the sun went down, the clouds cleared and we saw the mountain clearly.  It was encased in shadows, but the shape of it was obvious.  "That's the tallest mountain in Africa!" we kept exclaiming.

We didn't see the mountain again for 36 hours or so.  Clouds consumed the sky and it even rained!  The lodge staff said it was the first rain since April and they were excited.

On the day we were leaving, we awoke to a bright and sunny morning.  I was awake earlier than usual, which turned out to be God's grace.  I jumped out of bed to see if the view was clear, and oh how it was!  The boys raced outside with me and there was Kili, as clear as could be, looking down on us as if to say "Good Morning!"

No one else was interested in joining me at that particular moment, but I raced back to the room to get dressed and grab my camera so I could drive around the park and get photos of the mountain.  I desperately wanted a chance to photograph this icon of Africa, and maybe even get some animals in the foreground.  Before ever arriving at the park, I had prayed for God's mercy to let us see a clear view of the mountain, to say that we saw it, and maybe get a photo or two.

The Lord's mercy knows no bounds.

The views I witnessed, plus the photos I captured, were nothing short of God's great, great mercy and kindness to me that day.  It was no less miraculous that I was using a camera lens with a malfunctioning auto-focus, which means I had to use the manual focus the whole time, which is a big deal for me because my keratoconus (eye condition) means I always have a measure of blurry vision even with my glasses.  I am sorely dependent on the auto focus on my camera to ensure that photos turn out well.  So it was truly God's grace that I was able to capture these photos!

As I was driving down a road with the mountain in front of me, I happened to notice a herd of elephants in the distance to my right.  I stopped and watched for a moment, then realized they were slowly moving in my direction - which would eventually lead them directly in front of the mountain and create a perfect picture.  I just had to wait until they moved into place.  So I pulled to the side of the road and just sat for about 20 minutes, watching the herd slowly cross the plain.  Elephants are incredibly majestic creatures, huge and confident, yet gentle in their own way.  Watching them is its own delight.

And then they were finally in place, right in between me and the tallest mountain in Africa.  I couldn't have framed it any better.  I started clicking the camera and didn't stop.  The Lord had heard my simple prayer and answered with a resounding "Yes!"

When the elephants neared the road, I finally stopped taking photos and admired them as they crossed in front of me (along with a handful of safari jeeps that had realized what I was seeing and also stopped to enjoy the view).

Then, when the entire herd was on the other side of the road, I literally wept with joy and gratitude.  It was a sacred moment of marveling in the glory of creation, of knowing deeply that I am not worthy to behold let alone partake in such grandeur, of praying my thanks over and over again to the Creator of all things.

The Lord blessed me to the point of tears, and then He blessed me again when I turned the car around and stumbled upon a herd of zebra who had silently appeared behind me and also stood photographically in front of the mountain.

Goodness, God's mercy knows no bounds!

By the time I got back to the lodge to join Eli and the boys for breakfast, the clouds had completely covered the mountain.  That morning with Kilimanjaro will always hold a treasured place in my heart.

We were at Amboseli because it was Kai's birthday, but the Birthday Blessings showered down upon all of us.  Everyone really enjoyed our time there.  Kai was given special attention, of course, and he basked in it.  Since we happened to be there on his actual birthday, we brought presents with us so he could open them there.  He also woke up to balloons in the room and ended the day with a birthday cake made by the kitchen staff, complete with a sparkler on top instead of candles!  The whole day was wildly successful.

The rest of the week was pretty great too.  We had the whole week off - Kai's birthday fell during the homeschool co-op's Fall Break and Eli hadn't taken time off from the hospital in months, so we were all due for a vacation.  The timing was perfect.  We spent the rest of the week in Nairobi, doing fun things we normally don't have time to do when we're quickly passing through the city.

We took the boys to a rock climbing gym, which is one of Kai's favorite activities.  He has a natural ability for climbing and zero fear of heights.  Someday, when his muscles are bigger and stronger, it could become a serious interest.  The only barrier is a lack of opportunity in our context, so this particular morning was a special treat.

We also took the boys bowling for the first time!  Trying to teach them how to bowl was fun and hilarious.  I think I took it for granted that American kids have some kind of inherent knowledge about what bowling is, but these kids are not typical American kids and they definitely have gaps in their knowledge of American culture.  In short, the Horn boys knew nothing about bowling!  But we had a great time and they came away with not only a knowledge of what on earth bowling is, but also with a love of the whole experience.

We also saw several friends in Nairobi - friends who spoiled Kai for his birthday and who went out to eat with us and who joined us for bowling.  It was such a special week!  Nairobi is as different a place from Chogoria as could be, and although I'm extremely glad we don't live in the city, it is nice to spend time there every once in a while.  The only time we'd spent in Nairobi this entire term was just to pass through or go to an appointment, so taking extra time in the city was special.

On top of all that, one of the people we got to see was our dear friend Simone!  I have known this incredible woman for over half my life because she came to live with my family as an exchange student for a year in high school.  We kept in touch after she left America and we've seen each other randomly throughout the years ever since.  I visited her home in Switzerland during my study abroad in college, she flew to America for my wedding, we saw each other one other time in America, and then years later we both ended up in Africa as missionaries!  We last saw each other 4 years ago when she passed through Kenya (she lived in a different African country for over a decade) and then earlier this year she moved to Kenya!  Simone is an amazing God-fearing woman, faithful and dedicated, pursuing Jesus with her whole heart.  I am inspired and encouraged by her, and it was a huge gift to spend time with her in Nairobi.

What a week!  Kai's 10th birthday was one for the books!  So many memories were made, and so much love and joy were shared and received.

When we were home again, I made a birthday cake he could share with his friends.  He wanted a dragon on it but gave no other specifications.  Because Kai also loves The Hobbit, I decided to design a picture of Smaug over the Lonely Mountain.  Kai was rather pleased!

Our Kai Guy is a bright light in our life.  He is passionate about reading and is often caught with his nose in a book, and he loathes turning off his reading flashlight at bedtime.  He is a lover of any and all games and has a remarkable attention span for long strategy games.  He loves dragon lore and has spent this year working through a couple chapter book series about dragons.  Kai is insanely smart for his age.  He's still two years ahead in school and flies through his work.  He's noticeably bright with math, and also has a knack for writing thoughtful poetry.  His high vocabulary lends itself well to all the big questions he asks about Life and the subsequent conversations that follow.  Kai is simply an amazing kid all around.

More than anything, this precious son loves the Lord.  Most of his big questions have to do with God and the Bible.  He wants to learn and understand more.  He wants to grow in his knowledge of the Lord, and our prayer is always that as he grows in knowledge and wisdom he will also grow in his love of the Lord.  May it be so!

Happy Birthday, Hezekiah!

A Quiet Birthday

Turning 41 means you are solidly in your fifth decade of life; there's no pretending you're not in your 40s.  At least that's what I told Eli last week when his birthday rolled around!

This year we enjoyed a quiet celebration.  Eli has never been one to appreciate attention on his birthday (says his birthday-loving wife with a sigh...).  Since I created such a fuss over his 40th last year, I acquiesced to his desire to keep his birthday on the downlow this year.  I tried my hand at making sweet and sour chicken for the first time ever (which turned out pretty good!), and we devoured scotcheroos for dessert.  And that was it.  Truly, it was a quiet birthday and Eli was very happy.

I found this amazing "Philosoraptor" shirt on Amazon and knew Eli needed it.  Eli is always in need of more T-shirts because 1) that's the only thing he wears if he's not in scrubs, and 2) he hates shopping with a zealous passion and therefore never adds to his already-sparse wardrobe, which means he also wears out the small clothing selection he has until it's in tatters and then just keeps wearing it like that, much to my chagrin.  On top of all that, finding shirts that are long enough for his tall frame is not easy.  So I am always on the lookout for fun, long T-shirts for my man.  And this shirt fit the bill perfectly!

Fun fact: Eli double-majored in Physics and Philosophy.  In fact, he actually was a triple major until his Math major was demoted to a minor because he needed to squeeze in space for pre-med requirements after he decided to pursue medicine.  Eli is as nerdy as they come!  Also, he likes Jurassic Park like every human being should, so this T-shirt is perfection.

I am incredibly thankful for my man.  Just last night we had the privilege of sharing our story again with some visitors - how we met and how we felt called to medical missions - and I was encouraged anew by God's faithfulness to us.  The Lord so clearly brought Eli into my life, and He so clearly led us down a path, one nudge at a time over the course of years, that led us to Kenya and to this ministry we're blessed to be a part of.

This story of mine wouldn't exist without Eli in it.  And it's a good story.  I am deeply thankful.

A Misty Mountain Birthday

We have three autumn birthdays, and Asa's is the first!  He turned 8 last month and we had a wonderful time celebrating this lively, energetic boy.

To kick things off, we hosted a Kid Movie Night in our community house (the 100-year old house that the original missionaries lived in when they came to Chogoria in 1922).  Asa chose Kung Fu Panda and we invited all the kids on the compound to join.  There was a lot of laughter and spilled popcorn - a successful night by far!

The next morning, on Asa's actual birthday, we began the day with a present followed by baking the cake.  I had found this T-shirt and Nessie stuffed animal in Scotland and knew Asa would love them.  All of our boys have a fascination with mythical creatures, and the Loch Ness Monster is no exception.  I had found a couple books about the creature while in Scotland and brought them back as souvenirs, which the boys have read more times than I can count.  The fascination continues!

After baking the cake, we went to Mount Kenya National Park.  It's a special place for us and, honestly, is one of the only places to go around here anyway!  We were greeted by cool and cloudy weather in the foothills.  Even though we couldn't see the peak on a day like that, it was beautiful.

It was the perfect atmosphere for this particular birthday, too, because Asa wanted a Lord of the Rings birthday.  It felt like God sent the weather on the birthday boy's behalf, a little nudge to say "I see you, and I love your love for all things Lord of the Rings, and here are some misty mountains just for you today."

Another perk: misty mountains have a marvelous tendency to soothe the soul.  We breathed deeply that day.

After our traditional picnic of PB&J, the kids wasted no time in running amok again.  (To be clear, there was a surplus of running amok happening at the same time we were breathing deeply.  The two can definitely go hand in hand, and often do.)  We had invited the other missionary families to join us because our dear friends the Webbers had been gone in the States for a while and hadn't been to the mountain in a long time, and the Loftus family is new to Chogoria and had never been.  We really wanted to show them our favorite place!

After a lovely time at the mountain, we headed back down to Chogoria so I could decorate a cake.  Asa wanted a Lord of the Rings cake and told me, "It can be anything you want, Mom.  Just Lord of the Rings somehow."  That left room for a lot of freedom and I had too many ideas.  In the end, I couldn't narrow it down, so I went with a multi-layered approach by creating a picture with a variety of scenes from Frodo's journey toward Mordor: The Shire, the Mines of Moria, Lothlórien, Fangorn Forest, and Mount Doom in Mordor.

This cake took me a while to make, but it turned out great and the birthday boy was extremely happy!

Some close-ups:

A hobbit hole in The Shire with Asa's name on the mailbox and 8 on the hobbit door.

Lego Frodo, which the boys put together using the legs of Yoda, cape of Batman, and torso and head/hair of Owen Grady from Jurassic World.  Pretty clever, right?

Treebeard, the Ent.

A happy Asa! 

We put the candles in the corner with Mount Doom (naturally), and once the fires of Mordor were snuffed out, the cake was promptly devoured.  Asa wanted the piece with Treebeard, an excellent choice!

A few days later, the final part of the birthday bash commenced: Mohawk Day!  Asa has witnessed his buddy Jack get mohawks over the years but was never quite ready to join him in the fun.  But he decided this was the year!  He grew his hair out for months and patiently waited for Jack to get back from America so they could get mohawks together.  I suggested they wait until Asa's birthday, which they were amenable to, and it became a much-anticipated event.

Here are the munchkins before...

And the haircutting session in the Webbers' backyard...

And the munchkins with mohawks!

Proud boys and dads!

It was a wonderful birthday celebration and we enjoyed lavishing our Asa Bubba with extra attention and love.

We are blessed beyond measure with this precious son.  Asa is our most energetic child, most social, most adventurous, most brave.  He's also our most expressive child, speaking in silly voices and accents just to entertain himself, and I don't think there's a facial expression in the world that he doesn't know and use.  Asa is also our most musical child.  He has learned the piano at a fast rate, and he loves to sing.  He sings to himself a lot - basically whenever he's alone so he doesn't need to sit in silence - and he has a lovely voice that's on key and which serenades us with original songs by none other than himself.  He's always asking for special treats, such as literally asking every day if he can have chocolate milk even though he knows we'll say no, because he takes such delight in the simple pleasures in life.  Asa is just a live-life-to-the-fullest kind of kid.  He's creative and talented, smart as a whip (and finally growing in self-motivation when it comes to his school work), and likes nothing better than a snuggle with his Mama or a tickle fest with his Daddy.  He loves the Lord and is growing in knowledge and wisdom as we study Scripture together and talk about Jesus.  This boy is a precious gift and we are insanely humbled and thankful to call him ours.

We love you, Asa!  Happy Birthday!

Chogoria Ladies

This is an appreciation post for our community, namely "Chogoria Ladies" which consists of all the ladies in our compound and beyond.  This is a group of women who encourage one another, look out for each other, and know how to dance and laugh until we cry!

I recently organized a Ladies Night in order to welcome a few new ladies to the community.  We played "get to know ya" games, ate marvelous food (as always), and danced.  It was such a good time that we had to force the night to end so people could go to bed because of work in the morning.

I have learned so much from living in this community - about being a good neighbor, about being present (which is still necessary even in a place like this where we live together, work together, worship together, etc), about pouring myself into other children besides my own, about rejoicing and grieving together well, and about showing grace (and hopefully receiving grace!) in measures I'd never had to exercise before because, as someone here once said rather well, "Compound living compounds living."

An important part of this community for me are these ladies.  They are life-giving, soul-encouraging, joy-building women!  I am so thankful for them.  Even though the faces have changed over the years (have I ever mentioned how many comings and goings there are in this place???), the foundation remains the same: community and connection.

This is a smattering of photos from the past 4+ years I've lived in Chogoria.  Movie nights, game nights, birthday parties, baby showers, dinner out... we never lack for ways to fellowship!

A couple ladies are particularly precious to me.  This is my dear friend, Anne, the pediatrician for the hospital and someone who has become a close confidante and fellow "momrade" as we boldly flounder our way through this season of raising young kids.  She is gloriously kind and patient, and I have benefited from her wisdom, her thoughtfulness, and her prayers.

This is Lauren.  She is my devoted friend and neighbor - the person I turn to when I need to vent or cry or laugh about something that no one else would appreciate.  She was the only other homeschooling mama here when we landed in Chogoria, and (unbeknownst to me) had been praying for over 3 years for another homeschooling family to come here.  The Lord really brought our families together.  Being a homeschooling mama in a medical community means our daily life looks very different than everyone else's, and we quickly became each other's anchor during the days while everyone else was down at the hospital.  Lauren knows and loves my kids like her own, and vice versa.  I am incredibly grateful for this woman who encourages me, challenges me, stands with me, and points me back to Jesus again and again.

I have been blessed beyond measure to live in this place and participate in this community.  My prayer is that the example set by our community will be learned and absorbed by our children so that they too can find, or perhaps create, such an intentional and loving community for themselves in the future.