We are so blessed ... Bonus the Hippo Video

Psalm 116:5 (NLT) "How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!"

We have been so blessed this year with the gift of a very long visit from some of our family. In mid-January we found out that someone had given money to send our parents out for a visit. So we immediately started making plans. Mark's mom came 2 weeks after we were told about the gift. Then 3 weeks after she went home Alicia's parents arrived. It is hard to believe the year is almost half over and we were blessed to have family here for most of this half. Several people have said they were praying for us as they all went home. Several have asked if we are doing OK. We are thankful for the prayers and yes we are doing OK. In fact, we are doing good. It is hard to explain it other than like this ... God is so kind and He is so good and He is full of mercy and He is our God! He gave us a great gift, a very unexpected gift and one that we will treasure forever. Yes, it was sad to say good-bye and yes we did have a few tears but in the end it was a gift that blessed us more than words can really say.

When I sit and think about the memories we have with Diana, Bob and Gayle here in Africa it just brings joy to my heart. This is the place the Lord has called us to. This is the place that we fell in love with so many years ago. This is the place we now live and call home. We are so thankful that they now got to see what we have talked about for so many years and experience our life here. Again, all praise and glory to our God who is so good. We are praying they get to return soon and that more of our family will be able to come and see and experience all that God is doing in our lives here in Africa.








Bonus ...

This past week we found out that we have a new neighbor ... that's right a hippo moved into the pond (or dam as they call it here) at the end of the block. On Wednesday we were driving home and we noticed there we a lot of people at the top of the dam looking around. We didn't know what it was and decided to head on home. Then on Thursday we noticed a police helicopter circling around the area. I just assumed it must be a crime scene. Friday we took my parents to the airport in Joburg and when we got back we noticed one of our neighbor's Facebook status said something about a hippo walking down Marshall street and one of the comments said that she should have seen the tracks left in another neighbor's yard. We immediately grabbed our flashlight to check it out ourselves. We talked to our friend who put it on Facebook and she said it was true and we went to look at the tracks. They are so big that my whole hand fits in with room to spare. Sunday night another neighbor showed a video to us. Crazy ... this is one of those times we say ... You know you are in Africa when ....

Here is a picture standing in our driveway looking towards the dam. If you can see the stop sign the dam is right behind it.



Here is the article I found in the local newspaper ...

Stray Hippo in Polokwane; May 12, 2010
A stray hippopotamus has been seen in a dam near Polokwane, Limpopo on Wednesday, police said.

Environmental officers were called to capture it, Colonel Ronel Otto said.

"I was there when it emerged in a small dam next to a park."


She was not sure whether the hippo was captured.

"It is not a police matter, so I left and I am not sure what happened to the hippo."

The SABC reported that environment affairs department officials were working around the clock to capture it. Residents were warned about the animal and urged to contact authorities if they spotted it. - Sapa

Here is the video that was taken on Friday evening. It is five minutes but if you watch it all you will see the hippo moving and jumping in the water.




We did not get to see the hippo and they say that it has left the area but pictures and video are better than nothing.