PARENTS!!

 The last time I had seen my parents was in Heathrow airport on the 28^th August 2012. I was about to start the adventure of a lifetime and still to this day do not know how I plucked up the courage to wave goodbye to them one last time as I turned the corner of passport checks and saw my parents and sister waving me off.  (Almost welling up just thinking about it)

So last Friday when I was heading up the staircase to a very lovely Tanzanian hotel the butterfly’s in my stomach were doing summersaults and all the emotions and feelings of missing my parents were coming to surface. When I saw my mum opening the door I leaped on her, wrapping my arms around her body, an adrenaline like feeling came to me and could not stop smiling. I then saw my dad and went over to hug him, the adrenaline had subsided and tears began to uncontrollably stream down my face. The overwhelment of seeing my parents, touching them, being with them, feeling their embrace proved to much to handle and I went into an emotional bundle of tears, laughter, hugs, hugs and more hugs and then eventually just a permanent smile stretched wide across my face.

After I got over the initial shock, I was able to take in their hotel room for the first time. I felt like id walked into a palace, they had a fridge full of food, a large double bed, a Jacuzzi bath, a widescreen TV (I hadn’t seen a TV like that in a long time let alone watched any TV) a microwave (do not have one) and wait for it… air-conditioning. (Which I might add, my dad would make sure was on full blast, saying it was too hot any other way, now coming from a house with not even a fan, I was rather chilly every time I went into their room)

Air conditioned room

Later that night I was able to take my parents to meet all my other missionary friends. It was so great to show of my parents and everyone had made such a fuss to get to know them and make them feel welcome, I am so blessed.

Mum with two of my adopted mums here

Dad with Francis and Robbert 

The days that followed were all so exciting getting to chat and spend time with my parents and show them my house, cat and friends. This was all just the started for what was about to come. SAFARI!

Oh my days, I do not know what I enjoyed more, seeing all the animals or spending time with my parents it was just the best combination ever, and such a blessing. We saw elephants, giraffes and monkeys on the first day and it was so sweet watching my mum well up when she saw her favourite, elephants and squeal like a little kid.

After a long and exciting day we headed towards the hotel, lodge we were staying in. The lady who had taken us on Safari, went into the room and said that it ‘would not do for her UK guests and that we were to go somewhere better’ I mean to me it looked luxury, (well I mean the restaurant did and I was rather hungry by this time) But we headed off in another direction and came to (well all I could describe is a safari palace) We were greeted by a posh man, handing out warm towels for us to clean out hands and face, then another smart man with a tray full of fresh fruit juice. (I had to giggle as it is so different to the way I have been living) We were then taken to our rooms (well I say room but it was basically a mini house) double beds, open fire place, posh cushioned sofas, large marbled top bathroom and to top it off a complimentary pot of tea (I say pot, but in Tanzania you use themasks) and cake (in which I could not eat, but thankfully I had some scrummy G.F cookies left over)

nice nice

We were then greeted with a 5-course meal and tiredness to the better of me and I fell fast asleep.

A roaring lion

The next day we went down into the Ngoro Ngoro crater, and saw Lions, Hippos, Rhinos, Zebras, more elephants and lots of different strange birds. It was such an experience and I loved every minute of it.

Zebras bottoms

Mum and Dad on our safari truck

The last couple of days my parents have been speaking at a conference, so I have been back to school. I came back after two days off and my gorgeous little mercy came running up to me shouting ‘miss holly, miss holly, I remember you, I remember you’ It was so cute as the word for remember and miss you, is the same in Swahili.

My parents leave tonight and I am trying to be a real grown up and mature 24-year-old missionary who can handle her parents leaving. I love them with all my heart, and couldn’t have been prouder of them and have had the best week ever. Thank you for being such a blessing on my life, and thank you mummy for coming to Africa, I never thought I would see the day.

Me and my Mummy