{"id":30152,"date":"2016-02-14T19:01:24","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T00:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=30152"},"modified":"2016-02-14T16:04:42","modified_gmt":"2016-02-14T21:04:42","slug":"out-of-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=30152","title":{"rendered":"Out of Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Happy Monday, friends.\u00a0 Mom and I have been in Africa for the past few weeks, and it is so nice to be back here on the blog with you.\u00a0 I was there for two weeks, and Mom was there for three.\u00a0 We wrote and scheduled a bunch of blog posts before we left, but we haven&#8217;t been around to respond to your comments and do the little tweaks that are needed on a daily basis.<\/h3>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30157\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3474-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3474-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3474-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3474-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Although this post is not a trip recap, we want to let you know what we were up to over there.\u00a0 If you have been reading our blog for a while, then you know that each year our family picks a third world country and finds a needy organization in that country that needs some help.\u00a0 (My parents have been doing these trips for 16 years, and this was my sixth one.) Then we organize a working vacation for about 15 friends.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30156\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3414-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3414-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3414-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3414-300x400.jpg 300w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3414.jpg 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>This year our project was in Lusaka, Zambia.\u00a0 We were put in contact with a Baptist church there that is building a school.\u00a0 They were in desperate need of money and man power, and our group was able to help with both.\u00a0 If everything goes well, the school will open next January.\u00a0 (If any of you are Baptists and have a church that would like to partner with a church in Zambia, let us know.\u00a0 They are in need of a sponsor\/partner.)<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30155\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3400-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3400-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3400-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3400-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h3>\n<h3>We spent one week in Lusaka.\u00a0 One evening the former first lady of Zambia hosted our group in her home for dinner.\u00a0 She wanted to thank us for our service.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30160\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3675-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3675-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3675-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3675-300x400.jpg 300w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3675.jpg 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>When we were finished volunteering, we headed to Livingston, Zambia and spent a week there.\u00a0 One day we took a side trip to Botswana for a fantastic safari.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30165\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-323x323.jpg 323w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-75x75.jpg 75w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-110x110.jpg 110w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-275x275.jpg 275w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3822-144x144.jpg 144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0During that week, we also went to Zimbabwe to check in on Victoria Falls.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30161\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3910-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3910-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3910-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3910-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>Then I cam home, and my parents and two of their friends flew to Namibia where they stayed for a week.\u00a0 My parents went quad-biking on some sand dunes one day.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30162\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3976-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3976-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3976-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3976-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>And a few days later, they were hiking among the tallest sand dunes in the world.<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30159\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3626-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3626-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3626-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3626-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>All in all, it was an amazing trip.\u00a0 Each time we do one of these working vacations, we say that will be a tough one to top, and this trip was truly a tough one to top.\u00a0 My parents have picked Bali for next year&#8217;s project, in case you are wondering.\u00a0 We plan to do three more posts about our trip.\u00a0 We want to break it down into the countries we visited and give you some more information about the volunteering we did while there.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30163\" src=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3314-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Africa - The 2 Seasons\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3314-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3314-242x323.jpg 242w, http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_3314-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>We are ready to get back to work on our blog, and we have decided it&#8217;s time for a design update.\u00a0 We will keep you posted on that.\u00a0 Also, things are happening in our adoption process, and I will have an update on that tomorrow.\u00a0 As usual, we have a list of house projects to do and share and lots of other info to pass on to you.\u00a0 We love writing this blog together, and it is only possible because of our readers.\u00a0 Thank you all so much for being part of our lives.<\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Cheers!<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Monday, friends.\u00a0 Mom and I have been in Africa for the past few weeks, and it is so nice to be back here on the blog with you.\u00a0 I was there for two weeks, and Mom was there for three.\u00a0 We wrote and scheduled a bunch of blog posts before we left, but we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30152"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30152"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30168,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30152\/revisions\/30168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}