What an incredible start...

April 1, 2013 will forever be a day we remember. Opening Day was a tremendous success and we are so thankful for all that YOU did to support and encourage the beginning of Kershaw's Challenge 2013. We are already off to a great start!

Of course, it's hard to look past the awesome day at Dodger Stadium--thank you to all who came out to cheer on the new season. Hopefully, we have 161 more games just like it to look forward to! If you are in LA, come on out--if you're somewhere else around the country or world, tune in! We are pumped to share this new season with you.

Kershaw's Challenge 2013 is off and running. Enjoy the new additions to our site--we'd love for you to join our efforts any way. Represent with a new KC t-shirt, make a pledge per strike-out, create a challenge of your own and tell us about it. Every little bit makes a HUGE difference and we couldn't do it without you.

We are grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, and even bigger than baseball. Come alongside for the journey ahead!

A place to call HOME...

We have just returned from an unbelieveable trip. Surrounded by our dear friends and family, we traveled to Lusaka to celebrate an incredible event--the opening of a new home for 8 precious children. Our trip is catalogued here on this blog--starting with the last day and moving towards the beginning. Please enjoy it from the beginning! We look forward to recounting the stories and the Lord's mighty work in the days to come.

Thank you for rejoicing with us in this exciting step. A beautiful, completed home stands proud in the middle of Lusaka, Zambia. 8 joyful, LOVED children run through the open back yard--enjoying their new and sometimes startling reality--a place to call HOME.

"The Lord has done GREAT THINGS for us and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

Gratefully, Ellen and Clayton Kershaw

Victoria Falls

We just returned from an incredible two day at Victoria Falls. The falls stand on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe--an easy flight from Lusaka to Livingstone. We hoped on a chartered flight early Monday morning and arrived in Livingstone in the pouring rain. Thankfully, it didn't stay for long! Our accomodations were incredible--the beautiful Zambezi Sun hotel, located right on the edge of the falls. It has every bit of African charm you can imagine! It was the perfect African vacation to end our trip, and celebrate an incredible mission trip with our team!

Our crew didn't waste any time. We planned afternoon acitivities and set out immediately to see the falls. There is a pathway around the front of the falls, as well as upstream behind the falls. It is incredible to see the rushing water from both sides. You get soaked by mist as you walk the paths and take in the views--spectacular from every angle. After seeing the falls for the first time, we went to the famous bridge, which reaches between the two countries. It is most famous for the bungee jumping and other high-adventure activities. We had a few brave souls--bungee jumpers and gorge swingers! Most of us enjoyed the view from the bridge.

Monday afternoon, most of our group went on a favorite activity: the Lion and Cheetah walk. What a lifetime experience! We got to pet and walk lions--brown lions and while lions--and play with cheetahs. These African cats are HUGE and stunning. It was humbling to be so close to such powerful creatures. Exhausted from a long day of adventure, our team enjoyed dinner all together that night.

Tuesday started early with a sunrise game drive. We were picked up by three open air jeeps and taken to a national park near the hotel. It was an amazing three hours--filled with every African animal you can imagine (excluding the predators such as lions, etc). But we saw so many awesome animals--giraffs, water buffalo, hippos, impalas, wart hogs, elephants and white rhinos. Every turn, we saw something new. Amazing! The tour was complete with breakfast tea overlooking the Zambezi River. This was the perfect cap to our African experience!

The afternoon was spent around the falls and with a few more activities--including more bungee jumping! We made it back to Lusaka late on Tuesday afternoon...exhausted, but satisfied by our time at Vic Falls. It was the perfect end to our trip.

View from our plane as we flew over the Falls.

We will be making our way HOME to the states on Wednesday. It is hard to believe our time here in Zambia has come to a close. In every manner, the Lord has been gracious. We have seen more--learned more--and seen His grace in more ways than we will ever be able to recount. Thank you for praying--thank you for following our trip. We hope that you have been encouraged and reminded of the Lord's goodness in new ways. We will do a final wrap up upon return.