Sunsets, Surf, and Spirit Animals: The Final Chapter
June 20, 2025
Final Trip Update- Home Sweet Home
After two weeks of adventures, early mornings, new friendships, and plenty of laughs, the kids are officially back home. Our final days were a perfect mix of beach time, local culture, and a few surprises that made it hard to say goodbye.
The girls kicked off one of our last mornings with a sunrise dip in the ocean. It was such a sweet morning, the water was warm, and the sky was a deep orange, it couldn’t have been a better way to wake up. The boys had their special moment spending some time under the stars sitting at the beach cracking jokes, and telling stories while watching the moon rise.
We had a blast at the Tofo village market. Lillie somehow bargained her way into walking out with almost everything she touched. Emma left with twenty bracelets stacked to her elbows, while Cully made a fast friend with a vendor named Mourice. Gabe gave the group a good laugh after pretending to haggle like a pro.
Hayden fully embraced his new look with a pair of Bob Marley pants that he basically lived in for the rest of the trip. Caroline took on the waves and absolutely crushed it surfing. Carter dominated the beach volleyball court. Holmes picked up a bold African hat later in the trip that became a fan favorite.
We also had some standout moments on the last day. Trivia got competitive, but Olivia Cate stole the show in the pop culture category . Gracie brought the energy (and the dance moves) at karaoke with a performance of Let It Go. Winnie gave us a nostalgic throwback by opening Moonup with a round of “Bubblegum,” and Katherine officially decided that her spirit animal is a raccoon. Yes, her decision.
Now the moment you all have been waiting for….. the SURVIVER CHAMPIONS!!! From a cookoff, to an intense game of baseball (used a ball of tape and a stick), game show competitions, and hotel hide n seek. Throughout this the judges discussed and decided that because Gabe never stopped talking with his hands 5,000 points were deducted from Team Mabula…. That means Team Africans are THE CHAMPS!!
It’s hard to describe just how much this group grew, connected, and leaned into every moment. We couldn’t be prouder of them. Thanks again for letting us be a part of their journey, we’ll all be talking about this one for a long time.
Stay Sticky SAF 1A-Tyler and Lizzie
Sillyness In South Africa
June 17, 2025
Hey everyone!
Last update we left off transferring to Little Mongena and as soon as we arrived we jumped in the swing of things or should we say floated…. We did a boat tour in search of hippos and crocodiles at sunset then ended off the night with steak! Lilly in particular was very excited, especially for the fatty parts. The next few days we had our community service projects, completely painting a local church and starting on the preschool next door. The group rolled up their sleeves and got after it. Cully and Carter quickly became pros with the extended rollers, reaching all the highest spots of the building.
Caroline began to make friends with Miss Anna, the village manager who was helping coordinate the project. Those two hit it off instantly. Meanwhile, Gracie became the fan favorite of the preschoolers, as they were climbing all over and made her their personal chair. It was adorable!
We also kicked off our Survivor games at camp with a sunset baseball game. Gabe took the mound and threw some solid pitches, but Winnie ended up stealing the show with a streak of unexpected strikeouts.
One of the more surreal experiences so far was the bush walk and our sleepout under the stars. It was freezing, and yes, we could hear lions and elephants nearby. At 3 a.m., Lillie, OC, and Cully were wide awake and cracking jokes with Lizzie. The Mississippi girls still did not fail to talk about Oxford even, trying to convince our safari guides to visit! By the end of that hour even Cully got a thicker southern accent! The bush sleepout was such a surprise for kids. It was the kind of night that’s slightly miserable in the moment but becomes legendary by morning.
We were supposed to fly to Mozambique yesterday, but our flight got canceled at the lastminute, so we made a pit stop in Maputo for the night. The group took it in stride and handled the change better than most adults would;) They were especially happy with the “free” hot chocolate that Katherine & Lilly made sure to pour everyone in the group.
Katherine has really been leaning into her “old soul” era. She’s been reading during our travel times and before bed. She has been keeping us entertained with her thoughts on sourdough starters and early-onset arthritis.
We made it to Mozambique and within the first 10 minutes of arriving had to follow an unwritten rule of Moondance. See body of water, jump in body of water. Spirits were high even if our travel clothes were soaked. We were all so happy to have made it to warmer weather.
Today, we hit the water for a sunset sailboat tour, Hayden looked completely in his element teaching us a thing or two about sailing. During our dock to watch the flamingos we HAD to get competitive. This resulted in a relay race, and Holmes and Caroline showed off their soccer and track roots and dominated the field.
Emma’s found her niche in our group candy stops (never misses one), and Gabe literally cannot talk without using his hands. It’s become his signature move. The group loves to imitate. The trip is coming to an end, but the moments have piled up. We will be cherishing the last few days of this special group.
More to come soon,
Lizzie and Tyler
Thank you’s:
Gracie: Thank you so much for letting me do this trip! I’m having so much fun and I’m making the best mems!!!
Cully: Thanks mom and dad for letting me go on this amazing trip. I’ve seen some cool stuff and am having so much fun, preesh.
Holmes: Thank you mom and dad for working hard for me to be able to go on this amazing trip. It’s been so fun. See y’all soon!
Carter: Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. It’s been so has been an amazing and eye opening experience for me! See y’all soon.
Hayden: Hey mom and dad were in Mozambique right now about to go surfing, thank you so much for this trip it has been so cool and so eye opening. See you soon.
Gabe: Thank you so much for sending me on this trip and everything else that you guys do for our family. Thank you so much, love you.
Emma: thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. It has been so fun and can’t wait to see all you guys. Love you!! #AFRICUH
Katherine: Thank you so so much for letting me go on this trip!!! You know how much I have wanted to go to Africa since my 1st grade Kenya project. Love you and see you soon!!!!
Winnie: Hi Mom and Dad. Thank you so much for letting me go on this amazing trip. I’ve had so much fun and I will remember it forever. I’m so sad to leave in a few days, but I have had the best memories. Love y’all and see you soon!!
Lillie: hey mom and dad. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I’ve met the best people ever and made awesome memories! See you guys soon. Love and miss you. #africa
OC: hi mom and dad. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I’ve had the best time ever and going to remember it forever. Love and miss you!
Caroline: Hey Mom and Dad!! I’m having a great time in Mozambique. Love you and miss you guys so much!!! Can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home!
Adventures in South Africa
June 11, 2025
Shout outs
Winnie: Hi Mother + Father ! I’m having so much fun in Africa! It’s freezing, but we have heated beds, so I am doing great. We just ended the first safari part, and now we are driving to the next safari/community service place. Hopefully it gets warmer, but I love it here! Love y’all. -Winnie
Emma: hey mom and dad! I’m having sooo much fun. 🤪I have a rlly awesome group and it’s extremely frigid I wish you let me bring more hoodies but it’s okay🥶. The places we are staying are so nice also. Love and miss y’all so much.
Katherine: Hey Fam😜! I’m having an amazing time!! It’s a tad colder than I thought but I’m fine . Mom can you feed the sourdough ASAP. Love ya 😘
Lillie: Hey mom and dad!! I miss y’all so much. It’s very cold it snowed! I love y’all so much and can’t wait to see y’all. We got to see wild dogs fighting with a hyena over food it was very cool.😎 miss you Rainey and V. Hope y’all are having a great time. Love y’all so much💕🐆🦓🦒hey clogs!!!
Olivia Cate: Hey mom and dad😘!! I love and miss y’all soooo much!! This trip is soooo amazing, everyone is so nice!! It is so much colder than I expected. I am having so much fun😽!!! Love y’all so much!! Hey clogs!!🩷🩷
Caroline: Hey Mom and Dad!!! I miss you guys and Rupert so much but I’m having a lot of fun here! I’ve seen so many cool animals and I can’t wait to show you guys all the pictures!!!
Gracie: Hey mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun but it’s very chilly here! Tell William I haven’t gotten bitten by a mosquito. Hii Mia!! Love everyone bye!
Hayden: hey mom and dad this trip is so cool and we are seeing lots of animals
Carter: Hey mom and dad I am having fun seeing lots of animals. We have seen cheetahs, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many others.
Holmes: Hey mom and dad! I am having a great time with my friends and seeing all the animals. I have seen lions, cheetahs, rhinos, and elephants. It’s gotten super cold but our tents had heated blankets and good food. See y’all!
Cully: Yo what’s up I saw an elephant! Its freezing, but I’m having a blast.
Gabe: Hey Mom and Dad, is sick seeing all of the different animals on the reserve. Sometimes it’s pretty cold, but the sheets were heated so I was good. We’re going to our next place today. Hope the fellas are doing good.
Trip Update:
Hello from South Africa!
We’re a few days into our adventure, and it’s safe to say this trip has already been something special. We started off at Kwafubesi Tented Camp, tucked away in the beautiful Mabula Game Reserve. From the moment we arrived, the sights, sounds, and energy of the African bush completely captivated us.
Our guides, MJ and Abby, have been phenomenal, so knowledgeable, patient, and passionate. Every game drive with them has been unforgettable. We’ve gotten to see sleeping lions at sunset, hippos and crocodiles lounging by the water, and curious giraffes and their babies wandering just feet from our vehicles. The Elephants walked right in front of the safari vans. The first hour of arrival at Mabula we got to dart and assist an injured rhino, we took blood samples, monitored anesthesia and breathing, cleaned the wound, and even rolled the rhino over. It took all of us, the staff and lots of teamwork but we got the job done! We even got a sweet picture and featured on the moondance instagram! It truly was an experience that left everyone speechless.
Between these incredible wildlife encounters, the kids have kept the energy high with games, laughter, and some very creative downtime. Family Feud competitions, hacky sack matches (called “chuck” here) and mafia games.
Holmes is well on his way to becoming a chuck legend, making it to the finals nearly every time. Gabe has become MJ’s assistant, soaking up his wisdom but being sure not to “glaze” him too much in the meantime. Winnie came out on top in the most competitive game of rocks (spoons) we’ve ever seen. Katherine keeps us laughing with her relentless energy and Janice impression (from Friends).
Caroline has become our unofficial trip photographer, capturing so many amazing moments. Gracie has used her sweet savvyness to outwit us in mafia games. Emma gave us all a good laugh with a well-played animal sound prank on Katherine. Cully has been trying to best us with his close up card tricks, though teaching Lizzie his shuffling is still a work in progress!
Carter has fully embraced the South African luxuries post safaris, specifically his beloved bath time, even if he makes a mess. He also takes the cake for best South African accent. He’s a true local! Lillie is on a mission to become the chuck champion; her competitive spirit and contagious laugh always gets the group going. Olivia Cate can keep any conversation going with her signature Mississippi southern charm, and Hayden has been dancing his heart out with the drummers at our late night drum circles with DJ.
The group has formed and is becoming closer and closer every day. They are supporting each other, staying curious, and living in the moment all day long. The memories are beginning to add up and we are all so grateful to be sharing them with such a great group of young people. From all the animal sightings, to the best glamping, incredible food such as steak and lamb chops, the lovely staff we’ve encountered and all the silly moments during our downtime we can’t believe we are only half way! Next we move to little mongena and do our service project then Mozambique! Still so much to experience we can’t wait!
WE LOVE SAF 1A
-Lizzie & Tyler
Safe Arrival!
June 5, 2025
Hello South Africa + Mozambique Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Johannesburg! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure! Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
