To go on safari is a dream that many people have and I have been blessed to have been on three! Each time is different and more amazing than the last. To see God' amazing love and creativity as he designed our world is an incredible experience and one that can never be forgotten.
  You can imagine our excitement each time we headed to the safari vehicle to witness in person wonders we had only seen before in pictures. When we saw our first giraffe or impala, we were awed by the beauty of each animal. We studied the way each animal moved; the way he grazed, the lovely colors; the reactions to humans; and the sounds they made as we tried to take in every detail and imprint the images on our brains. We were constantly reminded of God's wonderful plan. No detail left undone, no animal left without a plan.
  Some of the incredible sights we saw were an entire herd of elephants, complete with babies, teenagers, adults, and some aging grandparents! We were close enough to hear them crunching their food as they worked to consume hundreds of pounds of leaves daily! And just as you've heard, when we approached, they were very careful to place the babies inside their circle in order to protect them. Just a reminder, you can distinguish African elephants from others because their ears are in the shape of the African continent.
  Our excitement heightened when we saw our first lions! We were so blessed to see beautiful male lions with full manes, lionesses, and cubs in their natural habitat, unencumbered by fences. To me, the lions were they most beautiful-their lovely shades of tans, tawneys, and golden browns are indescribable. We became acquainted with a male and female during the mating process which was quite amazing to see. And we learned that male lions will often kill the cubs of the lioness to whom he wants to mate so that only HIS cubs will survive. As beautiful as nature is, it is sometimes hard to see it in action.

   One thing I had never seen before on previous trips was a snake! As we were out on safari one day, our driver Daniel got a call from another guide telling him of a six foot long python that had been spotted and was lying in wait. We rushed to the place where the python had been spotted and there he was, with his head down a hole! He was so well camoflauged that had we not had an experienced guide, we would have missed him! Daniel said he was probably waitng to kill one of the baboons that was close by!

  The birds were another beautiful part of our safari and I kept a detailed record of all those we spotted. The Lilac Breasted Roller is the national bird of Kenya and he is a sight to behold! Please google him to get a good idea of how amazing he really is. We spotted, just to name a very few: the Pied Crow, the Secretary bird, the Yellow Billed Oxpecker, the Crowned Hornbill, the Little Bee-eater, the Malachite Kingfisher, and so many more! It was an incredible sight each and every day.
  Zebras, gazelles, wildebeasts, wart hogs, jackals, hippoptami, cheetahs, cape buffalo, and many more. Each more interesting than the last. We will carry these images in our heads long past our visit to Kenya and each time will marvel at God's amazing plan. God is good and all the time & all the time God is good!!
  Blessings to you all and please know we are all looking forward to sharing our experiences with you-just ask!
In His service, Julie