So Long South Africa
July 25, 2025
Hi Family & Friends!
Last we wrote we were escaping the winter weather to the nice warm sun! Once we arrived in Mozambique we had some local barracuda caught that morning for lunch and went to our first activity, which was a sunset sail! We listened to music, had some fresh fruit, enjoyed the colors in the sky and even got to collect sand dollars. It was a great start to the trip.
The next day we were met by Tony, who took us to his family’s land. We were greeted by his family and fresh coconuts. While sipping on our coconuts we got a tour of his farm and learned how to cook a local dish called Matapa (made out of coconut milk, peanuts and the matapa leaves). The group was having so much fun running around trying to catch the ducks but it was Conor who dove and caught the biggest duck! Patrick and Evan also got a surprise from the baby ducks leaving them each with a couple of memorable stains on their t-shirts. Alice and Frances danced around with Tony’s daughter even lending them their sunglasses to take pictures in. The girls got a laugh when they tried to teach Henry how to carry Tony’s 4 month old baby. Avery was the only one who could make the climb by up a palm tree to grab some coconuts!
After lots of Matapa, fish and passion fruit our bellies were full and half the team took off down the beach for their first surfing lesson. The group was stoked to catch some waves and they truly did! Our surf instructor Clayton voted Finley as the surfer of the day! The rest of the group played in the waves, played some volleyball and drank milkshakes! We ended the day with a sunset swim in the waves! The boys had a big surprise for the group, they took off their swim trucks and showed off their matching Speedo’s! We laughed and swam until the sun went down. The next morning in Tofo was nothing short of magical. We kicked things off with a sunrise yoga session in Tilak lodge for the girls… and Tyler, who gave it his best shot. Later that day we did our first ocean safari. Searching for whale sharks, mantas, whales and dolphins. We saw plenty of whales up close and the ride never got boring with Latham on board. She managed to sing the whole ride, having everyone join in.
The next morning in Tofo, Evan, Latham, Alice, Conor, Finley, Will, and Frances went to a cute beach café and ordered the most amazing French toast, Evan dubbed it the best he had ever had. While they were at the café, Bailey and Tyler had a private surf lesson with the two local instructors, Clayton and Oswaldo. The waves were perfect, and Bailey crushed it, standing up on almost every wave. Tyler gave it his best shot and got a few solid rides too. They came back sandy and happy, ready to join the others relaxing on the beach. The beach was beautiful, surfing was so much fun, and the ocean safari was a great experience. However, what was a group hit was not the water, not the views, but the market downtown. The vendors knew it was the last Moondance group of the summer and they were ready for us. With lots of prepping and the kids ready to bargain we went into the belly of the beast to get souvenirs! Will turned into a serial bargainer working alongside Patrick to get the best deals. Bailey might have been the vendor’s favorite considering she bought about 4 purses. After everyone did a haul of their purchases and the girls showed off their matching pants. We wore our best fits to our Banquet dinner and enjoyed some pizza. For our final moonup we did it on the beach under the stars. It was a perfect end to the trip.
This trip has been nothing short of unforgettable. The group grew incredibly close, supported one another, and pushed themselves far beyond their comfort zones. Whether it was late-night laughs around the campfire, meaningful moments during community service, or soaking up the sun in Mozambique, they embraced it all with open hearts and a great sense of humor. So many memories were made, ones that will no doubt stick with this group for years to come. Now it’s time to head back to the U.S., hopefully without another surprise layover at Latham’s. What an adventure it’s been!Lots of Love
Lizzie and Tyler
Update from South Africa!
July 20, 2025
Just a few days and so much has happened!
We arrived at Little Mongetta, our tents on the water. Upon arrival we were met by our host Mahembe and one of our safari guides Luke. We had some lunch and started our time here on a safari boat cruise looking at birds, crocodiles & hippos. We could hear the hippos in the marsh so loud and so close some might say it was a speaker, Will…. The boat ride ended with the sunset reflecting off the dam showing bright orange, pink, and purple colors in the sky and in the water. We had the choice of a delicious steak or pasta and ended the night with ice cream and cupcakes singing Will Happy Birthday. The next morning we had our choice of Eggs Benedict, Avocado toast, Flapjacks and Omlettes we filled ourselves up before starting our first day of community service. Our project was painting a local primary school where the orphans of the community attend. We painted the walls of the school yellow and green. We got into a good grove and got three walls done before meeting the kids of the community. The girls were so excited greeting them with lots of love and nurture. Alice taught the kids how to play “down by the banks” sitting them in a circle and hitting hands all around until the song ends. Even through language barrier the kids understood the purpose of the game and thoroughly enjoyed. France’s taught the kids duck duck goose and they loved chasing around the girls. Latham always getting picked and never able to catch the speedy little ones. The boys played monkey in the middle and hit the hackey sack around with the kids. After a sweet morning we headed back to camp to get ready for a safari drive. The girls decided to do a polar plunge in the pool then sit out on lawn chairs in the sun. While the boys continued to play poker and Finley tried to regain some wins from Conor. In the afternoon we set off for a safari drive and got to get up close to a heard of elephants! Two boys playing with their trunks and others using their trunks to drink water. It was an incredible sighting!
Back at camp we had a surprise waiting for the kids, to show who could be the next Gordon Ramsey. A cooking class/competition. The students made Potjie a traditional African stew made with chicken,veggies, potatoes, chutney sauce, and other spices. With hair nets and instructions the students did their best to win over the chefs taste buds. France’s, Evan, and Latham cut the veggies for one team. While Alice and Patrick cut the veggies for the others. Will and Henry decided to take initiative and season the chicken… turns out one of the seasonings was spicy and not all of it was supposed to be used…. The other team was told by Tyler to put all the chutney sauce in which also was not supposed to all be used…. In the end with some concern in how the food would taste the chefs chose in favor of the spice! Crowning Bailey, Frances,Latham, Henry,Evan and Will the cooking champs! Both pots were SO delicious and were devoured at dinner that night. The next day, arriving at Kekana community to continue our paint job, we were greeted by the little kids waiting for arrival. We did a recoat of the yellow paint and painted some other walls green.
Bailey and Lizzie decided to paint some lion paw prints along the wall to help add some characte. Finley & Connor tagged team the yellow wall turning it into a mini competition which ended up making the wall fully covered and streakless! Avery was meticulous with her work making sure the edges looked sharp and all the holes were patched. Patrick might have turned into shrek. Using the tall paint roller, he got his hands covered in green. After some hours of painting we noticed groups of kids waiting for us to be done so we could play. The girls had their usual down by the banks, duck duck goose, and hair braiding. Evan showed off his soccer skills to the kids teaching them how to dribble. Henry and Will became the kids personal jungle gym and swing set. The boys tossed these little kids in the air, putting them on their shoulders, and hanging them upside down. It became some what of a workout after the amount of kids that came to them wanting to be carried. We shared lots of goodbye hugs to the kids and made our way back to camp. That afternoon we went on another safari drive! Looking for buffalo, rhino, and of course lions. We spotted so many different animals, during the drive Latham with the help of Avery started our Safari car karaoke. Getting the whole car singing Fleetwood Mac. That evening we again had another surprise for the kids doing a drum lesson with the locals. Sitting around the fire playing different drum beats and songs we sang around keeping beat and even getting up and dancing. Avery for sure was the best drummer of the group keeping up the beat and energy. Conor showed us his best dance moves that had all the students giggling. For dinner we had a buffet of traditional African dishes and enjoyed some Malva pudding with ice cream for dessert. The next day Little Mongetta hosted their celebration for Nelson Mandela Day. Where they hosted 170 elders from the community of Kekahana for a meal, coffee and tea, and gifting blankets at the end. The students split into two groups one in the kitchen and the other as servers. The kids in the kitchen made a traditional African dish called Paup. (It’s their version of grits). Evan was told by the chef he made the best Paup out of the group. Bailey and Avery were on coffee and tea duty making and handing out so many. All containing lots of cream. Henry was a fan favorite of the elders because he walked around with the basket of sugar for the coffee & tea. Finley assisted some of the elders who couldn’t walk well with their plates loaded up with food by Latham and Connor. It was something special to watch the kids serve the community truly heartfelt and impactful. That evening we had another surprise for the kids. We had our bush walk! Getting out of the safari vehicles walking in the bush looking for some animals. We also stumbled upon our campsite for the night! Our campsite had a big table with a buffet style meal waiting for us, a nice fire, and yes sleeping bags. Patrick thought we were pranking everyone while others like Latham & Avery were too familiar with Cowboy camping from their Moondance trip last year. We had a big dinner and roasted marshmallows by the campfire playing games like “birdie on a perch”, “mafia” and even Finley telling scary stories. When it was time for bed the kids debated on who got to sleep in the middle of the group. The sounds of lions roaring and monkeys howling in the trees did not help Will and Henry. They managed to squeeze their way in the middle, they will say they were doing it for warmth but the girls & safari guides will say they have never seen 2 teenage boys more scared! It caused so many laughs before falling asleep. In the middle of the night Latham and Frances and somehow six others all woke up and cracked jokes by the campfire with their new friend, our safari guide Maritz. During this Patrick seized the opportunity to find any layer of clothing on the ground and put it on. In the morning Patrick was rocking France’s fleece, Latham’s rain jacket and Lizzie’s sweatpants (inside out). We watched the sunrise and left still giggling and debriefing the silly moments that happened in the night. After a few hours of rest at camp we went back to the community of Kekahana to do our volunteer work for 67 minutes for Nelson Mandela Day. Some insight from our community service director Anna: “Nelson Mandela day is on July 18th. Every year the people of South Africa volunteer and serve for 67minutes in honor of Mandela. 67 was the number of his prison cell”. The students attended a nursing home handing out blankets, toothpaste, deodorant, and cookies. The elders at the home were so thankful. France was prayed for and given lots of hugs and kisses by one of the older ladies! After our 67minutes was up we said our goodbyes to the community and made our way into town. Our town day was at the Montecasino, an indoor/outdoor mall. We started off the day with some bowling where Conor carried his team to victory, we then played some laser tag. Lizzie had an interesting strategy, hiding and killing Bailey every time she walked by. We walked and looked at all the shops,
Of course the girls got some matching Tshirts with animal faces on them. For dinner the girls went to a cute Italian restaurant with a balcony splitting salads, pastas, pizzas, and mocktails. While the boys had a challenge of their own. They were conquering the Steers triple bacon cheesy burgers with a side of cheesy fries. They had to be a part of the CPC (Clean Plate Club) and finish every bite. They felt accomplished and a little nauseous after. We made our way back to the hotel thinking it was going to be a calm night and the kids were going straight to bed. That was the hope until we heard a knock and on the other side was Patrick and Evan. They somehow managed to convince Tyler the pool was heated and that he needed to jump in. The boys made their way down and cannon balled in quickly realizing it was in fact FREEZING. The girls were filling up their water bottles in the lobby noticing the boys jump in. They came to laugh and it quickly turned into them being pushed in! The kids schemed their way to push Lizzie in with her jeans on! The girls ran up to the other kids rooms claiming we had an emergency meeting by the pool and shortly after everyone was in the pool! It was a fun and chilly way to end our time in South Africa! The next time you hear from us we will be on the beach at Mozambique sipping on smoothies and enjoying the sun!
Conor: thanks mom and dad for this trip it’s been very fun. And I appreciate the opportunity to come here and I’m having fun.
Finley: Hi mom and dad, thank you very much for sending me on this trip. I’ve had tons of fun and I’m very grateful for being here. I miss you and love you 🥰
Patrick: hey mom and dad miss y’all a lot, and thank you for giving me this opportunity of a life time. I could not be more grateful for this once in a lifetime time trip. I love you and miss you a lot see you soon.
Evan: thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip I have see lots of cool things and am grateful for this opportunity. Can’t wait to see you guys.
Henry: thanks for sending me on this trip it has been a great experience. I am very excited to tell y’all about it and show y’all pictures. Thank you!
William- thanks for sending me on this super cool trip it’s been crazy. Can’t wait to show u pics, miss y’all.
Frances: hi parents! Thank you so much for sending me on the trip and allowing me to experience things like this! Having lots of fun miss yallll❣️❣️❣️
Latham: hey parents I’m having the most amazing experience and I can’t thank you enough for letting me come! I can’t wait to tell you all about it! love you!💗💗
Alice: hi mom and dad thank you so much for sending me to Africa it has been so much fun!!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it and show y’all all the pictures! Happy early birthday mom🎉🎉 hope u have the best day ever!!! Hope y’all are having fun in Montana!
Avery: Hey parents!! Thank you so so much for letting me come to Africa on this trip. This has truly been an amazing experience and I can’t wait to tell y’all about everything! Love y’all 😘😘
Bailey: hey mom and dad thank you for letting me experience this opportunity it has been amazing, I can’t wait to tell y’all everything we’ve done. I hope you are all doing well, see you soon! Love and miss y’all!!
Update from South Africa!
July 15, 2025
Birthday Safari! Birthday Safari! and….. Birthday Safari!
After a mini vacay at Latham house in ATL! The students finally arrived in Johannesburg. Very eager and ready to get started on our adventure. After a night of rest we made our way to Mabula game reserve where we stayed at Kwafubesi lodge. We were greeted by our host Nikita & Tristan and our two safari guides Ethan & Louis, and Monkeys…. Ever heard of the tale of monkeys jumping on the bed!? Well in this case it was true! The monkeys loved Patrick’s granola bars, Connor’s Mott’s gummies but they seemed to love William the most, leaving him a yellow stain on his bed. The group got such a big laugh including the boys. We learned that day that monkeys can get into a tent, they really like juicy fruit gum, and to lock up all the snacks in the safe! On day one we went to track cheetahs, Actually getting out of the safari car and walking to find them with the ecologists. Two brothers hanging out under the tree, It was an insane sight to see! After seeing the cheetahs we went to search for the king of the safari, the pack of lions! The lion was 3 meters away stretching on a big tree, it’s undecided if the kids or Tyler were freaking out more… The next day we woke up to our first safari birthday… Latham turned 15! On this day we helped the Mabula Veterinarians with Rhino darting and testing. We watched as a helicopter flew by and darted at a 7 year old rhino. The students helped the vet team collect samples and inject vaccines. Evan used a drill to collect horn samples, Avery took measurements of the horn, Patrick monitored the Rhinos breathing patterns, Frances used a tool to search for the microchip, then William & Henry inserted a new one in. Finley injected the rhino with ointment to clean the dart wound, Connor injected the rhino with vitamins, Alice gave the rhino vaccines, Bailey & Latham also took hair samples. The head Vet made sure Latham got a birthday present she would never forget, Latham got to take the fecal sample. Sticking her arm elbow deep into the Rhino’s butt! With her birthday crown on she was hesitant but got the job done like a true champ. We finished our day with a safari drive and chocolate brownies with ice cream and singing happy birthday to our newly 15 year old in the group, Latham! Back in the tents the girls decided to surprise Latham & Alice for a girls night for their birthdays! Lizzie brought over some cookies and everyone sat in their PJs squeezed into the heated beds, sharing stories and laughs. The following morning we woke up yet again to…. Another birthday! We celebrated Alice turning16! For Alice’s 16th birthday we worked with the rhino ecologists and got to feed rhinos! Afterwards during free time, the group got into playing many games. Alice taught the group how to play spicy uno, Bailey & Lizzie taught Tyler how to play backgammon while the boys played soccer and the rest of the girls played tennis, Evan has been playing blackjack during free time dealing push ups out to all of his victims… the competition gets heated. William & Tyler ended up in the cold pool fully clothed after a poker loss. However, the competition gets EXTREMELY heated especially when the Pennsylvania boys join, Finley & Connor…. I think Finley still owes 80 push ups for his big loss. Avery taught everyone how to play monopoly deal getting the girls fired up, Tyler claims he was going to win (some will say he wasn’t close) Latham got competitive and requested to play again since she lost all her money, and Frances won the game (but she was trading cards under the table)…. So a rematch is bound to happen again. To end the night off we had a special Bowman dinner that was decorated with gold streamers, balloons, and a birthday sign. The food served was an African cuisine buffet, Paup with sauce and Ox tail seemed to be the hit! Of course a chocolate cake with light blue frosting and candles was served with a side of a happy birthday song to Alice. Latham was particularly excited to sing Happy Birthday to Alice but… in Chinese! After dinner the group played a game with the safari guides called “touch my lantern” the guides sit in the middle with a lantern and flashlights while the students have to try their best to sneak up to them and touch the lantern without getting caught by the flashlight. Some students’ army crawled, even dove for the lantern like Patrick, others might have gotten caught early on due to excessive giggling (Frances and Alice). In the end with a slow and steady army crawl Evan and Henry were the winners, Getting closest to the lantern. After so much birthday celebration, silly games, and dinner under the stars the group went to bed with stomachs full of cake. The next morning we had a sunrise safari drive and it was…. Williams 16th birthday! We drove around the reserve with the bush looking pink and purple from the sunrise. Getting to see giraffes, warthogs, Rhinos, Hippos, and a lion having a zebra for breakfast. For our breakfast back at Kwafubesi, a stack of flapjacks with chocolate and strawberries and best of all sparklers was waiting for William! We all ate big breakfasts and said our sweet goodbyes to the incredible Mabula Staff and reserve. Our guides Louis & Ethan shared so much knowledge and silly dad jokes that the kids were sad to say goodbye to them. It was bitter sweet to say goodbye but we are so thankful for the most beautiful place that allowed our students to become so connected. We are now transferring to Little Mongetta to do community service but first… a McDonald’s stop for McFlurries! The kids have been eating lots of sugar and being extremely respectful, kind to one another, and very open to the Moondance Experience. This group is something special and we are only a third of the way in! More to come from our community service portion but for now we are having a blast!
With lots of love and appreciation
Lizzie & Tyler
Latham: Hey fam! I’m having the best time in Africa all the animals are so cool! I miss y’all and can’t wait to tell you all about everything. Tell Gagi and PopPop I said hi! Love you guys🐘🦓🦒🦏🦛🐆🦁
Alice: Heyyyy! Africa is sooo much fun🦓🦏🐆🐘🦛🦒we saw all of those animals and I got some great videos! We got to pet and feed a rhino! I injected a rhino with a vaccine or something like that! My birthday was super fun! I hope y’all are having sooo much fun in Montana!!!! Love yall!!!!!🦁🩷
Avery: Hey!! I’m having so much fun in Africa! So far we have gotten so close to some many animals like rhinos, lions, and zebras. Missing y’all so much but not ready to come home yet. I can’t wait to tell you all of the stories and hear all about the BVI, California, and Maranook! Love y’all so so much!!
Conor: hey mom and dad it’s been really fun and all of the guys here are really nice . Ive seen lions elephants rhinos monkeys cheetahs dogs all within like 10 feet. All of the places we stayed are really nice and I will tell more next time. Love you guys
Frances: hiiiiiiiii! Im having a great time and it’s so cool y’all would love this. We’ve seen lots of animals and today we are going to a community to paint! Love yall😙😙
Evan: hi mom and dad having lots of fun and seeing lots of cool animals. I got to touch a rhino and get a horn sample. Can’t wait to see you.
William-I’m having fun thanks for video, be back soon.
Henry- Hey I am having fun wish y’all could see this.
Bailey: HEY! I’m having so much fun this trip is amazing. I have seen so many different animals and have done soooo many activities. Meeting a lot of new people and making friends. Mom, hope you are doing okay ive been thinking about you, hope you are doing ok. I miss you all and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it.
Finley: Hi, I’m having a great time in South Africa and ive seen lots of animals like rhinos and cheetahs and lions and giraffes and elephants 🐘🐘🐘. I miss you guys tons and love you
Patrick: hello mom and dad I’m having so much fun here. We have seen every animal you can imagine chetahs, lions, and even an elephant. I miss y’all and love y’all see you in few days.
Safe Arrival!
July 10, 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
