Birthday Weekend!

A dusty zebra looking for grass along the very dry sand bed which was once Lake Amboseli.

Kerry, Mel, and Erica

at the Kibo Eco Lodge, Amboseli

This past weekend, Erica joined two of our good friends for a birthday getaway to celebrate our friend Mel turning 30. They traveled three hours south of Nairobi to the Tanzanian border, where they stayed in the Amboseli National Park.

The girls enjoying some quiet time in their safari tent after a very hot and dusty drive.



Erica up early to catch a glimpse of the snow covered peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro. As the highest mountain in Africa, Kili forms a spectacular backdrop to Amboseli National Park, located on the southern border of Kenya.



The girls on their camping adventure.

While they did see some beautiful wildlife, they were struck by the terrible impact of the drought on the region. The severe lack of rain within much of Kenya has especially affected this part of the country. They saw very little water during their travels and sadly very little grazing for the animals: everywhere they went they came across herds of plains animals that seemed to have dropped dead where they had been standing. At times they saw hundreds lying on an open plain surrounded by dust and withered grass.

And yet, there remained thousands more struggling to survive. We pray for the rains to return and renew places like Amboseli.

A family of elephant crossing the plain.

A tired bull elephant cooling

himself off with a dust bath.

Amboseli is known for its large elephant herds that graze on the marsh lands below Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The lack of tree and bush cover in Amboseli makes it a prime spot to see large predators like lions.

These three lionesses were especially affectionate with one another as they lazed in the sun.

Some of Mel's friends had conspired to throw a surprise birthday party on Sunday evening at our home, after the girls returned from the camping trip. It was a great surprise!

Ava finally got to blow out those birthday candles

The conspirators!

Wendy, Mel, Kerry and Erica
-- Great Birthday Weekend!