Visits from family and close friends help make the years away from home bearable and we anticipate these times for months ahead of time.  Last week my good friend and fellow student from Harding Graduate School, Drazen Vamplin, came to visit for several days.  Besides reviewing some of the events and people from our time together in Memphis in the 1990s and getting caught up on our lives today, Drazen and I got to see some of the interesting places in this part of Malawi, including the lake, Zomba Mountain, and Liwonde Game Park. 

Later in the year we expect visits from my mother and from my sister Kim Bower with her husband Wade.

In the attached photo Drazen is not standing in front of one of those cleverly set up photo props.  He is sitting in a boat just a few yards from wild African elephants at Liwonde Game Park, about two hours' drive from here.