Update from South Africa + Mozambique!
July 3, 2024
Hello from South Africa!!!! 🇿🇦
Since we last talked, we’ve had an amazing time! To celebrate our last day in Mozambique and Hannah’s sweet 16, we woke up at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise over the Indian Ocean. Ben, Gemma, Foster, and Kate even took a morning swim and watched the sunrise while floating under the beautiful sky! Afterward, we had our final breakfast at Tilak Lodge, enjoying an incredible array of fruits and different types of crepes. We fueled up, got into our swimsuits, and headed to The Surf Shack for our last day of surfing. Lila, Foster, and Brett caught some great waves right off the bat. Though it started raining during our surf session, it created an incredible vibe that some of the girls compared to being in a movie. The waves grew bigger, and the water turned electric blue. Hannah and Lily had the time of their lives trying to catch the biggest waves! After surfing, we headed back to Tilak for an exciting activity. We met Tony, a Tofo Beach local, who welcomed us into his home for a cultural immersion experience. His brother climbed a coconut tree and chopped down coconuts for all of us to enjoy. Hannah, Ben, and Julianna even tried climbing the tree. The fresh coconut water was a hit, especially with Mae Mae and Electra. Tony and his mother showed us how to make a coconut sauce to pair with our lunch, and we also made homemade coconut bread. Katherine, Katharine, Claudia, and Kate made all sorts of fun shapes with the dough. Tony and his family cooked a beautiful meal of fresh fish, pineapple, coconut rice, and bread, along with the homemade sauces. It was delicious, and many of the girls got to try new foods. After lunch, we returned to the lodge for a short rest before our next adventure. Tony met us again at the lodge, and we all hopped into his van for a traditional Dhow boat ride in the bay. Along the way, we picked up coconut bread, sodas, and other snacks. We arrived at the bay, met our Dhow boat captain, and waded through the water to board the boat. As we cruised around the bay, our captain pointed out wild flamingoes lounging on the sand. We watched them fly into the distance-a beautiful sight. Next, we played in the sand and took group photos with the Dhow boat in the background. We then headed to Starfish Island, where hundreds of starfish scattered the bay floor. Our captain dove in and brought some up for us to see. Brett and McKay were fascinated by them, and Lily, Hannah, Ben, and Gemma joined in the fun, diving for their own starfish. Everyone laughed as they tried to catch the starfish. On our way back, we chatted, drank our sodas, ate coconut bread, and watched a stunning sunset. It was a beautiful way to end our time in Mozambique. We returned to Tilak Lodge for our final dinner, where we enjoyed pasta bolognese. Then, we celebrated Hannah’s birthday with a cake that said “Sweet 16,” singing her happy birthday. Hannah had a blast celebrating in such a unique place! We went to bed early as we had to wake up very early the next day to head back to South Africa. We said our goodbyes to Brodie and the staff at Tilak and left our little paradise in Mozambique. Our six-hour journey brought us to the City Lodge Hotel, our home away from home. After a long travel day, the girls were hungry and tired. We had dinner at the hotel and ended the day with a nice Moonup. Today, we head to our third and final location: Kwafubesi Camp at Mabula Game Reserve. This amazing Big 5 reserve will give the girls incredible opportunities to see many animals. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip brings and can’t believe our time together is almost over. We’ve all had an amazing time, and the girls have made some pretty incredible memories! Stay tuned for the rest of the trip! – Ben and Julianna
Adventures Across South Africa and Mozambique!
July 1, 2024
Hi South African friends and family! We have had the most incredible trip so far, and the girls have been amazing! The last few days have been nothing short of exciting, and we can’t wait to share everything we’ve done with you. Sadly, we had our last day of community service, which really touched Julianna and me. We arrived at the daycare one final time and had to say goodbye to all the kids we had grown so close to over the past two days. The girls were so sweet and made bracelets as goodbye presents. Lily, Foster, and Lila went above and beyond, even giving away some of their personal bracelets to make sure every single kid felt special. It was really hard to say goodbye after having such touching moments with them. As we drove away, we watched the kids run after us, holding up hearts and waving goodbye.
Our work wasn’t finished, though. We headed to a different block where our incredible community service organizer, Anna, had a new project for us. We were tasked with painting the inside of a house for two brothers who were disabled and had been sadly abandoned by their parents. The girls took their job very seriously to ensure we were creating a comfortable living space for these two men. They did a great job painting and kept spirits high the entire time. Katherine H, Gemma, and McKay didn’t put their brushes down for a second. Some of the girls met a sweet local boy named Brandon during our break, and he even joined us to paint. Lily, Hannah, Brett, Electra, and Katherine M became instant friends with him, and he went around giving us all funny nicknames. Brandon also showed us his talented dance moves, and we ended our painting job with a dance circle led by him. Anna and little Una joined in too, creating a great memory for all of us.
Sadly, we had to wrap up our community service work, which was so special for this group. We said our goodbyes to Anna, who had touching words for the girls, reminding them to continue spreading the love we shared in our everyday lives in America. We drove back to Little Mongena with our hearts full from the impact we had made. The girls had some relaxation time before our next safari drive, journaling, making bracelets, listening to music, and eating chicken tenders.
We embarked on our final safari at Little Mongena, and it started with a bang. Little Mongena introduced a new male lion two weeks ago, and they’re keeping it in quarantine until they can release it. The male lion who owns the territory, Marakela, is very upset about this and has been guarding the outside of the enclosure. We got to see him in action as he defended his territory, although he was asleep initially. We went out on our drive in hopes of seeing him later. After not seeing anything for an hour, we had front-row seats to an entire herd of elephants stampeding in front of us! There were 27 elephants, including babies, putting on a show right before our eyes. We watched them cross four times, which was a pretty special sighting. After that, we went to the water dam and had snacks and sodas as we watched the sun go down over the safari. It was a beautiful sunset.
Next, we headed back to see if the male lion was there. Sure enough, he was awake and put on a massive show for us, letting out massive growls in response to the other new male lion. It was an amazing sight, and we were all pumped up! We returned to camp where the staff had a surprise for us—a cooking competition where we would make Poike stew, a traditional African stew made with chicken, veggies, potatoes, and butternut squash. We split into two teams: Team 2 with Lily, Claudia, Hannah, Ben, Electra, Kate, and MaeMae, and Team 1 with Julianna, Lila, Gemma, Brett, Katherine, Katharine, Foster, and McKay. Team 2 made up an entire song and dance to sway the judges, but their stew had too much seasoning. Team 1 took the prize with just one more vote from the staff. We had a beautiful dinner afterwards, where both teams tried each other’s stews. We ended the night with a Moonup and laughs before going to bed, knowing we had a big travel day ahead.
We woke up early the next day, said goodbye to the amazing staff at Little Mongena, and headed out for our adventures in Mozambique! We set out for the Johannesburg airport, got checked in, and made it to our gate. After a safe flight to Mozambique, we were greeted with warm weather and a nice breeze. We set out for our six-hour car drive, which the girls were very excited about. This drive is one of our favorite parts of the trip, as it allows the girls to see a large part of Mozambique and its unique, culture-rich life. We had a great drive full of tunes, with Foster always contributing from the back. We cruised down to the coast and stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn to take a photo. The drive ended with a beautiful sunset as we drove through the forest of palm trees, all the girls singing to the music.
Finally, we arrived at the beautiful Tilak Lodge in Mozambique, owned by the wonderful Brodie. Brodie and her family moved from the UK to Mozambique ten years ago for diving and built this stunning lodge for the incredible diving here. We met Brodie and had our first dinner with the sounds of waves crashing in the background.
The next morning, we woke up for our first ocean safari. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t what we envisioned, but we still tried to have an amazing day. We went out for our ocean safari, which was a little cold and wet, but the girls remained high-spirited, singing songs the entire time. We headed back and had time to chill at Tofo Scuba. We had lunch, the girls ordered milkshakes, and we played some beach volleyball. Some girls spent the day making bracelets, reading, and playing card games. As the sun started to set, half the girls headed back to the lodge to swim in the pool, where Gemma was entertained by Brodie’s dogs, Ranger and Fenton. Ben, Hannah, and Lily swam in the waves during an incredible sunset and journaled on the beach until there was no sunlight left. After an incredible first day in Mozambique, we ended with an amazing dinner back at the lodge.
The next morning, we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. We ate breakfast with an ocean view and set out for another day of ocean safari. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any whale sharks, but we swam above a reef and saw many pretty fish. We headed back to Tofo Scuba, where Brodie was waiting to take us to the Mozambique market. We hopped in her truck and headed down the road to the beautiful beach market. Although a little chaotic, this market offers beautiful homemade jewelry, art, wood pieces, and delicious fresh fruit. The girls had a field day roaming the market and bargaining for prices. They all left with many bracelets, fruit, and unique pieces. We headed back to Tofo Scuba for lunch and got ready for surfing.
The first group headed out, and the girls looked like naturals. Brett got up three times and was super excited. Hannah, Lily, and Katherine played beach volleyball, while Lila, Gemma, McKay, and Kate took a nap on the beach. The second group went surfing, and Kate was crushing it on the waves. Lila and Katherine did great too, and you would never guess they had never surfed. McKay was catching wave after wave. We headed back, and the entire group rejoined for a beautiful sunset swim in the crystal-clear waters of Mozambique. We played in the waves until there was no light left. It was an incredible experience.
Our trip has been nothing short of amazing, and the girls have been incredible. We have one day left in Mozambique, where we will be celebrating Hannah’s 16th birthday, and then we head back to South Africa to hop back into safari life. We can’t wait to see what the next few days bring! Here are some shoutouts from the girls!
-Ben and Julianna
Lily: No stress at all, happiness 👍🏻
Hannah: literally don’t pick me up at the airport I don’t wanna leave. I made some of my best friends here and do notttt wanna go home. Miss u guys and see u soon. Can’t wait for lisense!!!❤️❤️
Electra: Hi I am having the best time with the most amazing people!!! Miss and love you guys!!!!
Kate: hey mom and dad!!! Hope yall are having so much fun in charlevoix! I have had the time of my life and everyone in my group is amazing. Tell baker and Andrew I said hi!! I can’t wait to see yall!! YTBDAMITWEUTIL❤️
Mae Mae: Hiii!!! I’m having the most fun and I think this is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!!! I love and miss yall very much. Love you most ❤️❤️❤️
McKay: hey mom and dad!! Hope y’all are having fun without your favorite child. Anyways I’m having so much fun. Love yaaa!!
Claudia: Heyyyyyy mom and dad!!! I’m having the absolute best time here it’s amazing! I can’t wait to tell yall all about it!! Miss yall! I love yall mean it! ❤️
Lila: heyyy I’m having so so much fun. I love everyone I am so close with foster and Ben and Julianna r awesome. Im not coming home but I do miss Ellie.
Foster: HELLOOO!! Hi from Mozambique!! Miss yall so so much❤️ I am having the BEST time ever. I cannot wait to see you and tell you all about it. We were just in South Africa, and now we are in Mozambique.. we flew in a few days ago. We are going back to SA in a few days. I have seen so many amazing animals and made so many friends. They are all coming to WB🤘🏻🤘🏻Lila is the coolest ever, and everyone on my trip is insanely amazing. The leaders and everything. Can’t wait to see yall and Tipsy🐶 also hi Weezie miss you so much see you soon❤️❤️ Lots of love – foss
Gemma: HEY! We’re in Mozambique right now and we just finished surfing! I’ve been having so so much fun at all the safaris. I can’t wait to tell you about all the crazy animals we’ve seen!! I have so many good stories! This has been an amazing experience and I’ve loved every minute of it! Tell Suli and Lulu I say hi! Love you all so much!!💗💗 -Gemma
Brett: Hey Mom and Dad we are in Mozambique and just finished surfing. I got up three times. We went on two safaris in South Africa. I saw a lion and its two cubs. Love you all so much 💗💗💗💗 -Brett Procter
Hey mom dad and Charlie. Moondance is so fun!! Miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you at home. Went to the market and bought some gifts today. See you in a little over a week! -Katherine harlander
Katharine H- Hey Mom and Dad I’m having the best time ever! I love and miss you guys and can’t wait to see you!!! 💗💗
Having a BLAST on our African Safari!
June 29, 2024
Greetings South African Friends and Family! While our adventure in South Africa has just begun, it already feels like we’ve shared a lifetime of memories! From the moment we arrived in Johannesburg, the energy and enthusiasm of this group of girls have been absolutely infectious. The bonds have been forming quickly, and it’s amazing to see such connections so early on.
Upon gathering at the airport, we set off for Little Mongena Safari Lodge, where the real adventure began. The girls settled into their beautifully situated tents by the water, offering stunning views of the African bush. We all gathered to play games and listen to music on the dock. Ben, Lila, Katherine H., Foster, Mae Mae, and Claudia jumped right into the fun, playing Skip-Bo, an awesome card game. Hannah and Lily had the brilliant idea to take a dip in the lodge’s pool, and all the girls bravely jumped into the freezing water.
Next, we embarked on a sunset boat drive. We spotted a crocodile lounging by the water’s edge, and the girls played games and laughed as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was an amazing start to our trip. Our first leaders of the day, Lily and Gemma, set the tone beautifully with great first Moonup questions, establishing an environment perfect for positive and deep conversations.
Our first day of community service was a true highlight. We painted a local daycare, and all the girls worked tirelessly. Katharine M., Kate, Gemma, and Electra stood out with their unwavering dedication, never putting down their brushes. The girls also had the chance to play with local children, engaging in a huge game of Duck Duck Goose, or as the kids called it, Duck Duck Moosh. Hannah had everyone laughing with her falls during the game. Foster formed a special bond with a little girl named Una, and McKay impressed everyone with her soccer skills, entertaining the locals for hours.
A bush walk with the rangers led to a surprise night out in the wild. We had a buffet dinner under the stars, shared long chats around the fire, and fell asleep to the sounds of lions roaring in the distance, with our amazing rangers keeping watch to ensure our safety. It was an unforgettable experience, with the night sky providing a stunning backdrop to our adventure.
The next morning brought an incredible lion sighting as we headed back to camp for breakfast. We were thrilled to see a mother lion and her two one-year-old cubs, with the male even scratching his back up against the safari car! Lila captured the moment on her GoPro, while Claudia and Kate snapped fantastic photos. It was quite an amazing way to start the day.
After breakfast, we continued with more community service, and it was heartwarming to see the girls forming deeper connections with the kids in the community. All the girls were excited to play with the kids, but Brett and Foster were especially so. They continued to play with the girls, sharing laughs and playing Duck Duck Moosh. The afternoon safari drive was spectacular, with our guides Rebecca and Declan leading us to an entire herd of 24 elephants. Shortly after, we encountered a herd of buffalo, making it three out of the Big Five in just one day! We ended the day with a beautiful sunset over the bush, enjoying snacks and sodas, and capturing memories with countless photos.
We returned to camp for a delightful dinner around the fire and another heartfelt Moonup. This trip has already been filled with extraordinary moments, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of our journey holds.
Stay tuned for more updates from our South African adventure!
With love,
Ben and Julianna
Safe Arrival in Johannesburg!
June 22, 2024
Hello South Africa 2C Families!
We have heard from our leaders that the group is all safely in Johannesburg, and the trip is off to a great start. We can’t wait to hear more about their adventures!
Moondance HQ
