So Long from Kenya
July 9, 2024
Jambo!
We successfully made it to the Maasai Mara! Our first day in the Maasai Mara was filled with an afternoon “bush walk” and a spear throwing competition! Tanner’s throw by far went the farthest! We even had the chance to shoot a bow and arrow and then the boys played a Maasai Mara version of dodgeball with our guides Jackson and Sophia! Before long, an afternoon shower hit, which out an end to our bush walk. Never the less though our group made the most out of it and even Emma, Harper, Louise, and Mills danced in the rain!
Our next day, the kids woke up and we all enjoyed our first breakfast together before heading out on a hike right behind our camp! Walter had the fun idea to play the alphabet states game, keeping the group entertained for the majority of our hike! Our guides Sopia, Baba, and Jackson even made us all hiking sticks with some of the trees on the trail! Before long, we made it to the lookout and immediately saw a group of giraffes! Of course our group continues to surprise us leaders as they were eagerly wanted to continue hiking and go all the way to the top of the mountain, rather than stay at the lookout and head back down! It was for sure worth it because we had the opportunity to be within 100 feet of 3 giraffes on foot and even Claire pointed out a group of elephants from the other side! Before long, it was time to head back down to have lunch, where John had the brilliant idea to freeze a Fanta and make a slushy! After lunch, we had a few hours to rest up and prepare for our first soccer game against the Maasai Mara! Walter started out in goal while Claire, Louise, and Mills were head of defense! Stephen, John, Emma, and Roan were our midfielders with Harper, Maxwell, Tanner, and Tyler played forward! Claire won MVP for defense as she really put up a fight against the Maasai warriors and stopped over half of the turnovers! After a tough and close game, we pulled out a win with a score of 10-9! We ended the night celebrating the Fourth of July with some cupcakes and red, white, and blue frosting, as well as some classic games to ring in the holiday! The next morning we spent on the Maasai Mara village learning all about the traditions! We even had the opportunity to make a traditional dish Ugali, and the kids favorite part, spreading “mud” on the houses! The mud was a mixture of cow’s poop and water, but each and every kid eagerly took advantage of the opportunity to learn and gave it a shot! Next, we had the opportunity to see inside a typical Maasai house. After learning all about how life in the village works, as well as how to start a fire, we then headed up to a local market where many of the kids purchased souvenirs to bring back home! We had one last stop before heading back: picking up water from a local stream and carrying it back from the village! Once we returned, it was time to head back for one last soccer game, where we sadly fell short to the Maasai warriors. None the less, the groups spirits remained high and our soccer game was filled with many laughs and jokes! We then had dinner and ended the night with a surprise celebration for Tyler’s birthday with a special cake and gift picked out by Louise and Emma! The rest of the night was spent telling our favorite stories from the trip and all of us soaking up our last night all together as group! After a good night’s rest with some hyena sounds in the distance throughout the distance, everyone woke up with all kinds of stories!
After breakfast, we packed up, and said goodbye to all of our friends we have made these last few days, Jackson, BaBa, and Sophia. We then loaded up the safari cars and headed back to Nairobi to finish our day off with a trip to a local bead store and a stop at a mall! We ended the night off with one last meal before saying our final goodbyes. Although a little hectic due to last minute flight changes, the kids did not let this phase them and we all enjoyed getting to spend a little longer time all together! All of the kids are currently headed back home! We cannot thank you all enough for allowing us to spend these last few weeks with each of your kids. Each one of them has been so special to get to know and we could not have been more lucky.
With love,
Mollie and Willy
Update from Kenya + Zanzibar!
July 4, 2024
Jambo!!! These last few days have been filled with many “once in a lifetime WOW moments” at Ol Pejeta Conservancy! We have truly enjoyed spending time with each and every one of your kids!
Our next section of the trip started with an early morning wake-up for a delicious breakfast at Wildabeast Eco Camp before splitting into two safari cars to head to Ol Pejeta. Our drive was filled with bracelet making, riddles, and even storytelling to pass the time. Before we knew it, we were at the entrance of Ol Pejeta Conservancy! This area covers over 100,000 acres, and every drive we take on the conservancy is filled with sightings of all kinds of animals, from lions to zebras, and even hippos! Within minutes of entering the gates, we immediately saw a group of 4 elephants, and Maxwell even pointed out a tortoise! Our driver was quite impressed with his ability to spot it among the bushes! Upon arrival at The Stables, our accommodation in the middle of the conservancy, we were treated to lunch before loading back into safari cars for an afternoon game drive. The safari did not disappoint, as we saw gazelles, zebras, elephants, and hippos! We also visited the chimpanzee sanctuary and saw over seven chimpanzees. John was able to get some awesome pics of them playing! Our guide told us we were super lucky to see more than three chimpanzees, given the 250+ acres of land for the enclosure.
The next morning, we visited a local community outside the perimeter of Ol Pejeta. We learned all about the different plants at a community farm and even planted some seeds for trees! We then had the opportunity to visit a man named Gilbert’s house, where he showed us the process of making clay stoves that reduce smoke pollution, and even making stoves more accessible for community members. Before starting the clay making, we had lunch and were joined by three tiny and special guests: Gilbert’s rescued puppies! Despite their size, their big personalities kept us all entertained! Once we finished lunch, we began sifting dirt to remove any large clumps. Claire was our group shoveler, while Emma and Harper showed off their impeccable sifting skills. Gilbert then demonstrated how to turn the dirt into clay by adding water and using our feet to mix it up. Maxwell, Roan, Mollie, and Willy took off their shoes and jumped right in. We even played some music to make the process more fun! Some enjoyed this experience more than others, but everyone was fascinated by the process of making clay. After mixing the mud, we stepped into Gilbert’s studio and saw how he molds the clay into stoves. Before leaving, Gilbert commended Maxwell and Roan for their effort and bravery in stepping into the mud with a small handmade gift! We then said our goodbyes and loaded back into our safari cars. While driving back, we encountered many elephants, zebras, gazelles, and more. When we arrived back at The Stables, the boys had an intense Ping-Pong tournament where Walter came out on top! We ended the night with dinner and a nighttime safari! Within minutes of leaving The Stables, we immediately encountered a family of rhinos and even got to see a baby rhino. Our night game drive did not disappoint; we even encountered multiple lions! Claire was absolutely in awe throughout the whole drive and kept reminding us how amazing this experience was! Tyler even pointed out the incredible number of stars above, leaving us all in awe of the clear sky. To end the night, we then played multiple rounds of “three men on a couch” where the kids come up with “The time I…” stories. This game kept us all laughing, while also allowing us to learn even more about each other! Mills helped Willy in being “game master” while Louise had us all fooled with her storytelling skills.
The next morning, we all woke up with a ton of excitement because we were going to see the last two Northern White Rhinos in the world!
After eating some breakfast, we all hopped in the cars and headed to the area of Ol Pejeta where the rhinos were kept. Upon arriving, we had a great talk with one of the rhinos’ keepers. He captivated the group by teaching about the history of the rhinos and how Ol Pejeta planned to save the species!
Before we could go see them, we had to help out a little first. The group was given shovels and wheelbarrows, and we began scooping both hay and cow poop. Tanner was the hard worker of the group here, never taking a break from the wheelbarrow. After we were done, we drove to see the rhinos. We got extremely close, and it was a special and unforgettable experience for all of us! We then fed the blind black rhino and all of us got pictures! The kids bought some really cool clothes and Knick knacks after at the gift shop. We headed back to the camp for lunch.
After lunch, we played a penalty kick shootout on the soccer field behind our camp! Unfortunately, we didn’t finish before heading out for our afternoon lion tracking, but needless to say, we have a competitive bunch! Despite initial hesitation to play, Mills impressed us all as all three of her kicks made it into the goal! John had the most powerful kick, with the ball passing the field and almost hitting a family of baboons! Because of the double elimination bracket, everyone made it past round one, so stay tuned to see who will come out on top, as I’m sure we’ll finish the tournament once we arrive in the Maasai Mara!
Before heading out to find some lions, we learned about how Ol Pejeta records data on lions and how to use the trackers. We drove around trying to get a signal until the guide confirmed we were headed in the right direction. Harper was the first to try the lion tracker and even heard some initial beeps indicating lions nearby. Although we were focused on lions, we encountered our first two hyenas of the trip! These lions made us work to spot them, circling around them for a while. Claire finally spotted the two females camouflaged among the bushes right in front of us! After observing them for a while, we headed back to The Stables. Little did we know, we would encounter two more lions, one being a male. Our driver David spotted them in the distance and brought us right up close. One lion came right up to a car, even locking eyes with Stephen, who wishes he had taken a selfie with it! Our last night in Ol Pejeta was spent with a Moonup by a fire and of course we had to end it with another round of “3 Men on a Couch”.
We had one final morning in Ol Pejeta and had the opportunity to learn about the role of cows in the conservatory. We even helped walk the cows over from the field! Our group initially scared the cows in the wrong direction, but Louise, John, Tanner, Stephen, Emma, Mills, and Harper redeemed our herding abilities by bringing them back and impressed our guide! This experience had us all laughing, especially in the beginning when we caused the cows to run in all directions!
We then loaded back into the safari cars and headed for Lake Naivasha, our beautiful home for the night! We stopped at a local market to break up the drive, where Stephen, Roan, and Maxwell showed off their bargaining skills for some exciting souvenirs! After an entertaining road trip, we arrived at Lake Naivasha and took a boat ride to search for hippos! On the lake, we encountered many hippos and African eagles. One boat driver even had a few fish to throw at the birds, so we could see an eagle swoop down and grab the fish! Walter got some incredible pictures of the birds, which we’re excited to see when everyone gets home! John and Emma even got to drive the boat!
We then headed to Camp Carnelly’s for a delicious dinner before showering and enjoying the rest of the night! We are now headed to our last section of the trip, the Maasai Mara! Our group has been such a joy to be around, and we truly could not ask for more from them! It is hard to believe our time is almost coming to an end.
Till next time,
Mollie and Willy
Here are some special messages from the kids!
Emma: hey fam! Thank yall so much for giving me this opportunity to come on another moondance! Love yall!!
Louise: Hi mom and dad!! Thank you both so much for giving me this opportunity to come on this amazing trip! Love y’all lots and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!
Harper: Hey mom and dad! Thank you guys so much for giving me the opportunity to come on this trip! It’s been amazing and can’t wait to tell y’all about it! Love you guys!!!
Claire: Hey Mom and Dad, thank you so much for letting me go on a Moondance Trip. I am so grateful that I’m fortunate enough to have this amazing opportunity, love you guys!
Mills: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for this opportunity to come on this trip! Im so thankful for you guys and all you do for me, love yall!!
John: Hi fam thank you for letting me go on this trip. I took a lot of cool pics of Africa. Thx Love John
Tanner: Hello family, thanks so much for sending me to Africa. I’m so thankful for y’all and can’t wait to see u guys, Love, your son.
Stephen: Waza Waza, this trip has been great so far and I am loving it here in Africa. I’ve met so many awesome locals and had so much fun hanging with our group. I’m dreading the day we have to leave but can’t wait to tell y’all about the trip.
Walter: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to hon on Moondance. I love it so much and it is one of the best parts of my year. I love you and can’t wait to see you soon. Thanks again!!
Roan: I’m super grateful to be here in Africa so thank you so much. It’s been a great experience so far and I have much to share with y’all. Thank you again. Love roan.
Tyler: Thank you mom and dad for sending me on Moondance. I am having a lot of fun in Kenya and I loved the safaris.
Maxwell: thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I’m having the best time ever, and so appreciative that I got to go on Moondance. Love y’all, maxwell
Update from Kenya +Zanzibar!
June 30, 2024
Jambo from Africa!
After a much needed nights rest, our first morning in Kenya began with a little extra time to sleep and a delicious breakfast. After we ate, we loaded up into two safari cars and began our journey to Zanzibar. Our flight was filled with Stephen and Louise leading a game of wavelength and even spotting a few animals from above! Mills pointed out our first giraffe and Emma even saw an ostrich! Upon landing in Zanzibar, we were greeted with our wonderful guide, and a crowd favorite Saif! We then loaded up all together into a bus and made our way to our new home for the next 5 days! When we arrived, we all dropped our bags off in our rooms and headed straight to the beach to get our first view of the ocean! We ended the night early with our first Moonup and an intense game of cards. Harper even made up her own card game called “Eyeballs”. Y’all will have to get them to teach you when they get home!
The next morning was our first morning of scuba diving! We split into two groups, with the open water divers in the pool and John, Willy, Tanner, Roan, Mills, and Tyler on the boat to begin the advance diving course! Luckily, we all got to meet back up for lunch and hear all about each other’s day! After lunch, we spent the afternoon hanging out on the beach in front of our hotel. Maxwell tried out his bargaining skills to get his hair braided! Mills, Claire, and Emma all got henna tattoos, while Roan, Tanner, Stephen, Mollie, and Willy played an intense game of soccer with some locals (we won by the way)! Tanner, Stephen, Harper, and John even found a piece of bamboo on the beach and played a game of baseball! Our afternoon was quite entertaining coming up with new games to play! It is so crazy how fast this group has come together! To end our afternoon, everyone came together to burry Maxwell in the sand. Needless to say, there were lots of laughs coming from the group. Even some of the locals joined in on the fun!
The next day was spent with everyone out on the ocean! Sadly, we had to split into two boats, but we were able to all come together in between dives and hear all about each other’s first dives for the day! On this afternoon, we met back up with Saif and headed into Zanzibar for a Spice Tour! Upon arrival, we were greeted with purses made out of leaves for the girls and our other guide James who showed us around! Tyler, John and Willy even tried a fresh hot pepper! Before the tour ended, we were all given crowns and joined in on some dancing before loading back up into the bus to head back for dinner! To end our night, our LOD’s (Leaders of the Day) Harper and Stephen led our group in an intentional Moonup to end the night. Everyone’s vulnerability made us as leaders proud and it really served as an example to show just how close this group is getting, only being three days in!
Scuba day three was spent with majority of the group getting scuba certified! Mills, Tanner, and John saw a blue spotted stingray! While Emma, Maxwell, Harper, and Stephen got lucky and saw a shark in a cave! After a morning of diving, Tanner, Walter, and Willy had the opportunity to follow a fisherman on his walk out through the beach during low tide where they saw tons of starfish, coral, and so much more. After lunch, we then had the opportunity to go into Stone Town. We took a tour of the East African Slave Trade Museum and got to visit where slaves were kept on the island. To end the night, we surprised the kids with a dinner at a local hotel where everyone ordered pasta, pizza, salads, and more. Stephen and Maxwell even filmed a time lapse of all the food they ordered, so that they can show everyone back at home. To end the night everyone either ordered ice cream, a “sizzling brownie”, or a creme brulee. Our bus rides have been filled with riddle games which have kept everyone quite entertained! Stephen had everyone fooled in the beginning with the “How Many Lions” game, with Emma and Walter being some of the first to solve the riddle! The “states game” has also been a group favorite to try and figure out! Mills even showed us the “hat game” that no one can seem to solve!
Our fourth and final day of scuba, we all got to be on the same boat for the first time! We are happy to report that all 12 of the kids are scuba certified and even some with their advanced certifications! To celebrate our last night in Zanzibar, we went on a sunset boat cruise where we were entertained with live drum music on the boat. Everyone jumped in the water, and we all got to swim as the sunset! It was an incredible few hours for the entire group.
Our last morning in Zanzibar was bittersweet, but everyone is excited for what is ahead! The kids got to sleep in a little bit, which was a nice surprise due to our early mornings for scuba diving! After lunch, we said goodbye to fan favorite Felix, one of the chefs, and loaded into the bus to go to the airport! Once at the airport, we gave Saif one last hug and said our final goodbyes to Zanzibar. On the plane, we all piled in the back and played banana grams to pass the time. After a long, but fun travel day, we have officially arrived back in Kenya and leave for Ol Pejeta tomorrow morning! Our LOD’s Claire and John led us in our first Moonup as a group in Kenya and the rest of the night was spent playing cards, including the new game, “Eyeballs”!
Till next time,
Mollie and Willy
Here’s some messages from the kids!
Harper: Hi mom, dad, Lucy, Jeep, and everyone! I miss you guys so much but I am having the most amazing time!! I hope Lucy is having fun on her trip and Noodle is doing well. Jeep, I hope you have an awesome birthday! See you soon, love y’all!!
Tanner: Hello family! I miss y’all and can’t wait to see you. I’m having a ton of fun here and have been staying busy scuba diving. Love y’all and see you soon!
Stephen: Still alive and having a great time. Zanzibar was amazing and the way of life here is super cool. Everyone on this trip is amazing and we’ve already started to make plans on hanging out out side of the trip. Hope all is well and pet Lulu for me. Everything is fine here no need to worry. Love you all.
Emma: Jambo!! Miss you guys but Africa has been so amazing! Thank y’all so much for allowing me to come and see this sick place! I’m really excited to see some animals this week! 🦁🦧 tell mason and the pups hi for me!!
Louise: Hi mom and dad!! I miss y’all lots and hope everything’s great at home! Tell my friends and oak I miss them too and can’t wait to tell all of y’all all about the trip. Give buck lots of belly scratches for me! Love you guys
Maxwell: Hi family! Miss y’all very much. Having an awesome trip. Made all new friends and everyone is so much fun. I think we under packed majorly. Let my friends know I said what up. Also I’ve lost a lot of stuff but don’t be too mad. Love y’all very much and can’t wait to see y’all soon.
Roan: hey y’all I hope everything is good at home. I’m having an amazing time in Africa and I’m very happy that y’all sent me here. This is definitely the trip of a lifetime. I hope poppy is doing good and feeling much better. Love y’all.
Tyler: Hey Mom, dad, Gabi, and Maddie, I am having a great time in kenya. Scuba diving in Zanzibar was really cool. We saw sharks, eels, and octopuses. Love y’all.
Claire: Jambo Lemmons fam! Shoutout to Uncle Rob, Aunt Debbie, Alec, Julia, and Kat! Love you too Grandma, Grandpa, Mimi, and Papa! I miss all of you guys so so much, and I hope you’re doing okay without me. Also, hi Margot! It is so much fun here and getting to see an entire other part of the world is absolutely amazing and such a humbling experience. Can’t wait to see you guys soon in a few weeks! Much love from Kenya!
John: Hi mom and dad. The trip has been fun thx for paying for it. Love John
Mills: Hi mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun and I’m so thankful to be on this trip. So far we’ve been scuba diving in Zanzibar and I got my advanced certification. We just arrived in Kenya yesterday and are going on safaris later. I’ve made such amazing friends and memories already and I miss y’all, Oscar, Rex, and Elle so much! I love y’all and thank you for this opportunity!❤️
Walter: Hi mom and dad. The trip has been better than I ever could have imagined so far we have scuba dived in zanzibar and it was so much fun and an incredible experience and I can’t wait to tell y’all about it. My group and my leaders are amazing and we are getting along great and might do another meet up like last year. I have been taking so many pictures and will take many more and can’t wait to show y’all. Love you see you soon!!!
Safe Arrival in Kenya!
June 24, 2024
Hello Kenya + Zanzibar Families!
All students have landed safely in Nairobi and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
