Toews Adventure

RV Walkthrough Tour Video

noreply@blogger.com (Kameron) — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:23:00 +0000

As much as I want to "rebrand" this space and make it fit this perfect vision in my head, as a full-time mom, wife and nurse, there simply is not the time or the mental capacity to make it happen. So for now, I will continue using the "Toews Adventure" name and do my typing in Blogger. And that's just going to have to be OK with me. *sigh* Hopefully though, I make the design resemble our current adventure, since we no longer live in Zimbabwe, but rather we travel the country in our RV while I take nursing contracts and Kameron edits on his computer and plays "Mr. Mom" aka raises our child.

I have really wanted to come to this space and document our adventure as full-time RVers. So instead of making it perfect, I'm just going to start (albeit 3 months late). To start us off, there is a video tour of the RV.

As you can see, we have a 33 ft long travel trailer bunkhouse with 2 slides. (We call her "June Bug.") It took us no time at all to feel at home in such a small space. I have dreams of renovating Joanna Gaines style, but for now this is home.

What do you think? Are we crazy for living in this RV? Ask us any questions in the comments.

I'll try to post once a week. The best place to follow us in the meantime is on Instagram: @erinetoews and @kamtoews. Make sure to watch our Stories. ✌

Re-branding: My Well Worn Map

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 06:32:00 +0000

Toews Adventure is changing it's name to My Well Worn Map!

It's been awhile since we've made a peep in our little corner of the internet.

Lately some exciting things have been brewing! We are about to embark on another Toews Adventures. Erin will start taking assignments as a travel nurse, and the family is joining her! To make each assignment more family-friendly, at each location we will be living in our travel trailer RV. Things will look very different for our family. But we are exciting.

With this change, comes a blog re-branding. Toews Adventure suited us fine. But, not even some of our family members can pronounce and spell our last name. How unfortunate! We will still be posting about our family adventures. Just now it will be called My Well Worn Map.

New logo and new web address to come.

Keep a look out for the fun!

Sunset at Domboshava Rocks, Zimbabwe

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 06:43:00 +0000

While spending some time in Harare, Zimbabwe, we were able to do a bit of hiking. – and you know how much we love hiking!

A few of the local churches participated in a youth conference for a week. One of the nights, we were invited to join them for a hike at Domboshava Rocks to watch the sunset.

Domboshava is a town located not far from Harare, about 30km. It is situated amongst giant granite rock hills. The biggest granite hill is actually a National Monument. Locals and tourists are welcome to visit the park and pay a small fee to climb to the top. The hike is fairly easy and does not take very much time. For most of the time you are walking on hard, sturdy granite. – Just make sure you are not wearing flip flips or other flimsy shoes.

There are some caves with rock paintings as well, but we did not have time to check those out this time. We’ll have to go again and explore all that Domboshava has to offer!

Zim Zips: Languages

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:43:00 +0000

This week on Zim Zips, Kameron is sharing about the languages spoken in Zimbabwe.

While many people here speak English, the two of us are learning to speak Shona (the most widely spoken tribal language in Zimbabwe). Learning Shona is both difficult and easy to learn. It is easy to learn because each vowel has one sound and it pronounced the same throughout the whole language, while in English, the "a" has many different sounds in simple words like "cat," "what," and "ate." It is difficult because there are many many noun classes & in English we have one. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, think of Spanish, which has 2 noun classes: male & female.) Each noun class has a different way to put words together. Right now it is all confusing and WAY over our heads, but maybe in a year we will be speaking fluently!

A few of my study materials.

While most of the time we are learning Shona by speaking with friendly people on the street, and twice a week we meet with language helpers to go more in depth, we also watch a DVDs series about Shona grammar and sentence structure and verb tenses.

We also draw fun pictures to help us learn our Vocab.

We usually study with a little help from some delicious treats!

Please be praying for us as we learn the Shona language. While we could get by with speaking only English, we know that relationships will reach deeper levels if we can speak with our friends and patients in their native language. It is an important and fruitful way to point people to Christ.

Have you ever learned another language? What tips do you have for us?

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This is the first post in a series called Zim Zips. Each week, Kameron will host a new video highlighting a unique aspect of Zimbabwe or Shona culture. To see more Zim Zips, click here. To subscribe to our YouTube page & stay up-to-date on all of our videos, click here.

Mukuvisi Woodlands

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:30:00 +0000

Last weekend while a short-term missionary doctor was in Harare on his way home, the Toews + our neighbor Stacy took him to Mukuvisi Woodlands to see some African wildlife.

Mukuvisi Woodlands Wildlife and Environmental Centre is located in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. It was only a 20 minute drive from our guesthouse. Mukuvisi offers opportunity to see wildlife without going deep into the bush! They offer different ways to experience the Woodlands: by horseback or on foot, a quick viewing from a terrace or 2-hour trek around the property with a guide to get up-close & personal with the animals, or a walk through the Bird Park.

We chose the option of a walking safari with a guide.

We saw zebras.

We saw giraffes.

We saw birds.

We saw crocodiles.

We saw turtles.

We saw cacti.

We saw flowers.

We saw impala.

We saw eland.

We saw many trees. (Can you spot my my long-necked friend in the picture above?)

Erin’s favorite of course was the giraffe!

Kameron was the lucky guy with the fancy camera who took all the pictures... So he isn't found in many of these photographs. Thanks Kam!

Our guide’s name was Simba (How appropriate)! Simba was very knowledgeable and answered our many questions about the types of animals found at Mukivisi, ages & names of the animals, etc. He even took a “selfie” with us.

The cost was $4 per adult to get into the park, and $6 per person for the walking safari. So $10 for a fun time seeing African wildlife. Not bad at all! – Granted not all of the Big 5 game can be found at Mukuvisi, you can still see some of God’s amazing creation.

If you come for a visit, maybe we’ll take you there! --- Or maybe you want to take us to Victoria Falls?

And some funny pictures to make you laugh!

Africa's most common animal seen on safari: White Girl. Complete with a latter, touristy hat, and GoPro on a selfie stick.

& Stacy with a random animal's pelvic bone as a mask. Doesn't she look good?

Zim Zips: Ombera

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:43:00 +0000

(ed: after recording this video, I learned I was clapping the wrong way. Women are supposed to keep their fingers together & hands cupped as they clap. You may notice that my left thumb is not touching the rest of my finger.)

While in Zimbabwe, we are learning about the culture and language of the Shona people (the prominent people group in our area). One of the most common topics covered is about

R-E-S-P-E-C-T (sing it with me). Yes, respect.

You are expected to show respect to all of those ahead of you in the line of respect.

Line of respect – Sekuru (grandfather or leader), Ambuya (grandmother or first wife of leader), Baba (father), Amai (mother), married man, married woman, single man older than you, single woman older than you, child.

Showing respect in the Shona tradition means having good manners and being humble & considerate. There is a proper way to do and say almost everything in day-to-day life. Respect is shown in many different ways: following the set patterns for traditional greetings, approaching others with the right posture & attitude, and clapping.

Clapping?!

Yes. Clapping. (or “ombera” in Shona)

Clapping is a way of showing humble politeness. You clap your hands when greeting other people, when thanking, and before receiving a gift. There is a proper way to clap, and men & women each have a different clapping style. Men clap with hands flat together and palms & fingers joined. Women cup their hands and lap the right hand crossways over the left.

The louder the clap indicates more respect.

The more claps, the more respect.

The next time you want to show someone respect, why not clap your hands and see what kind of response you get!

How do you show respect in your culture? Have you ever been to a new place and had to learn a new way of showing respect? Or maybe you have accidentally shown rudeness in a different country when you thought you were being respectful. Leave your answers & stories in the comments below.

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AdventureLust - 03 "Thoughts on Studying & Living Abroad"

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 14:23:00 +0000

Today on the podcast I am chatting with Hayley Swinson from Savvy Girl Travel the alternative online travel magazine for women. Hayley is not a stranger to traveling abroad for long stretches of time. Most notably, she received her Masters studying abroad in Edinburgh. Hayley gives us insight on steps you need to take to study and live abroad, including some thoughts & priorities to consider before making your plans.

Savvy Girl Travel | Facebook | Intagram | Pinterest | Twitter

You can listen to the pilot episode by pressing play on the player above.

If you like what you hear, PLEASE subscribe to the AdventureLust podcast on iTunes.

If you're feeling extra kind, share with your friends & rate the podcast on iTunes as well.

Please let us know if there are any issues that should be resolved, we're still troubleshooting & experimenting with this podcast thing.
More episodes can be found HERE.

SHOWNOTES

SWAP – Working Holiday

Working Vacation Visa

Book: Wide Open World by John Marshal

Read Hayley’s book review

Books by Toni Morrison

World Travel Market – free conference in London

TBEX conference

Interested in working on a “tall ship?”: ALVEI.com or Crewbay.com

DestinationExploration – Travel blogger Suzanne

OceanXploration – Website about Suzanne living on a boat

Savvy Girl Travel

Personal Site: HayleySwinson.com

Contact Hayley if interested to get involved with SavvyGIrlTravel

Harare Farmer's Market

noreply@blogger.com (Kameron) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:26:00 +0000

Fresh veggies and fruits are too good to pass up!

Today we ventured to the farmer's market, just 10 minutes from where we're staying in Harare (the Zimbabwe capital). Like farmer's markets in the US, we found fresh produce, homemade goodies, flowers, and everything in between.

Perhaps the coolest vendor was this espresso machine attached to the back of a motorcycle. Now that's what I call an ingenious idea! Let's bring this back to South Dakota, people.

We even ended up with samosas and Swiss nougat candy. There's no doubt we'll stop in here several more times, at least while we're living in Harare for these three weeks, learning the Shona language, culture, and of course learning to drive a stick shift on the left side of the road. More on that to come!

Our Home in Karanda (Before)

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 07:35:00 +0000

Hello from Zimbabwe! This is our first post in this country where we will be spending the next year at Karanda Mission Hospital. Erin will be serving the Shona people as a nurse, and Kameron will be making videos and promotional materials for the hospital and other missionaries in the area. We hope to keep you all informed throughout the year, giving insights on what God is teaching us, on our adventures, and on stories that need to be shared. Huzzah!

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This past week we were in Karanda organizing our home & getting acquainted with the hospital staff, missionaries, and our neighbors for the next year. We are now back in Harare for a few weeks of language learning & orientation, and to buy some items for our home.

Here are some pictures of what our house looks like right now, after rearranging furniture and doing some light cleaning. (Perhaps later on in the year we will post more pictures of what the house looks like once we've lived in it and made it our own.) Sorry for the poor quality. Kameron took them on his phone at 5:30am before we left to go back to Harare.

Here is the front of the house. The window on the right is to our bedroom. The window in the middle is to our office. The window on the left is our living room. The door to the far left is our front door.

On the other side of the wall is a different home (connected to ours) where a surgeon lives. She has been living there for about 4 months. You can see our entrance in this picture (& a bare flower bed... that needs to change soon!)

View from the front door. You can see our living room, dining room & fire place. (It is the cold season right now, but getting warmer. We probably won't use the fireplace until next June?).

The entryway right by the table leads to the kitchen. The entryway to the far right leads to the hallway and other rooms.

Here is the view from the kitchen entryway. You can see the front door. The blue curtain is hiding a HUGE window. Our new friend Cheryl found the placemats & set the table for us.

View of the kitchen looking left from the entryway. The metal thing on the left is a water-filter. The doorway in the middle is to a HUGE pantry. The door on the right leads to the backyard. The white thing on right is our fridge.

View of the kitchen looking right from the entryway. We have some stylish food-themed curtains and a nice gas stove. On the far left you can see a tiny-bit of our washing machine.

View of the hallway from the entryway. The room on the right is going to be our office. On the left is the bathroom. The far left room is the storeroom, and on the far right is our bedroom.

The office. Pretty bare-bones. We will get a desk for this room. It is were Kam will edit videos and Erin will do crafts and bug Kam while he works.

View of the bathroom from the doorway. We want to get a mirror above the sink. The tub has no shower, but that might change by the time we get back to Karanda. The toilet is hiding behind the wall on the far right.

Our bedroom. The curtains still need some work. The window above the bed looks out to the front of the house. Our mosquito net is bunched up on the tables on the left.

View of the bedroom from the bed. You can see the storeroom across the hall. The only things hanging in our closet right now are Erin's nursing uniforms.

View of our storeroom from the far side of the room. You can see the hall through the door. We have 2 twin beds stored here. Right now our deep-freeze is here as well-- it may stay here or get moved to the kitchen?

The walkway to the backyard. The stairs to our front door are on the left. The two windows you see both belong to our bedroom.

Our back patio. The door on the left leads to the storeroom. There is another door farther back in the shadows that leads to the kitchen. Far back on the grass you can see Stacy's garden. Our grass is very dry & needs some tending to. We will plant some flowers or succulents or something along the cement wall. We might have a small veggie garden. Who knows!

More of our sad back yard.

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So that's it! What do you think? I think that we will be very comfortable living here this year in Zimbabwe. The house is much bigger than we thought it would be. Since we are not long-term missionaries, all the furniture and kitchen supplies and sheets and towels & everything pictured above was already here. If we decide to stay here forever, or for a few years, then we will have to buy everything ourselves. What's going to happen to our future?

Look at this beautiful sunset by the gate to Karanda. God is good!

Announcing our Tinggly Ambassadorship!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:55:00 +0000

Hey all. Wanted to take some time to talk to you about a sweet partnership that the Toews have with a company called Tinggly. A while back, we were chosen to be Ambassadors for this brand, & we are pretty excited!

What is Tinggly?

Tinggly is a great new way of giving special gifts to the adventurer in your life. Tinggly offers various experience packages in locations all over the world. Check out their experiences map to get an idea of what we’re talking about. There are hundreds of different experiences to choose from. Expereinces like: snowshoeing in Norway, a historic Chicago kayaking tour, and bungee jumping at Victoria Falls inZimbabwe. Instead of giving a gift you are unsure if the recipient will enjoy and that lacks originality, Tinggly gives you the opportunity to send a gift that is personalized, fun, and flexible enough that the recipient will be sure to find something they love.

How does it work?

Why do we like Tinggly?

Thrilling experiences: Let us continue to list these cool opportunities: White Water Rafting in Colorado, Rock Climbing in Ireland, and Exploring a Volcano in Hawaii. What don’t they offer? We haven’t found an answer yet.

Anywhere in the world: Experiences are available in 80+ countries around the globe. You can find something close by home, or plan an international trip around your gift.

One price, hundreds of experiences: When you purchase one Gift Essentials package, the recipient can choose one of the hundreds of Tinggly experiences! This seriously takes all the pressure off of picking the “perfect gift.”

Two years to decide: Recipients get 2 years to choose the experience of their dreams. Timing is flexible, so there is limited stress when planning the adventure.

What is our role as Tinggly Ambassadors?

Testing experiences worldwide (including ones in Zimbabwe)
Writing reviews and articles on our blogs or via the TingglyJournal
Creating / sharing content on our social networks
Providing insights and feedback on local adventures
Recommending unique experiences (We’ve been trying to get Tinggly to come to the Black Hills!)

What does this mean for us in Zimbabwe?

It means that when we get a break from ministry at Karanda Hospital, we can try out the experiences offered at Victoria Falls. Right now there are three opportunities offered:

Bungee jumping

Walking with lions

White water rafting

We are excited about this opportunity & we’ll let you know about our adventures.

Which Tinggly experience would you like to try? Leave your answer in the comments below

Note: Toews Adventure is being sponsored by Tinggly as part of their Ambassadorship Program. In return for trying Tinggly experiences, we write reviews & articles about our adventure. All content and views are our own. All images are provided by Tinggly. Affiliate links throughout.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Today is the day.

Today we leave the Black Hills & head to Zimbabwe.

We have been waiting.

& waiting...

& waiting!

But God has finally blessed us with our work visas. (Thank you!)

We will be in Zimbabwe for one year serving at Karanda Mission Hospital. Erin will be a nurse and Kameron will make support videos and tell stories that need to be heard. This has been in the works since December 2013. Since then we have been to Romania, Tennessee, Savannah, and San Diego. And now we are ready!

Please be praying for us & keep in touch.

We will continue to update this blog. We will be on Facebook. We will post pictures on Instagram.

I lived in a suitcase for the month of June.

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Kameron & I moved out of my sister’s house during the last week of May. We had been living there for five months as we have beenwaiting for our work visas so we can volunteer at a mission hospital in Zimbabwe. Even though we did not have our visas yet, we decided we had imposed on my sister & her family long enough, plus we had a house-sitting gig, and then we volunteered at camp for a few weeks. --- Like I was saying, we packed up all of our things, we sold some, we stored some, we through away some junk. Things we didn’t think we’d need for the next couple weeks, we packed up in suitcases & marked “Ready for Zim.” But the clothes we’d need before we took off we packed in one suitcase each. We thought we’d live off those close for one week, maybe longer. The first week of July has come & gone, and we are still living out of those suitcases. (Thought before our road trip to Cali this week, we condensed into smaller “carry-on” suitcases)

I thought it would be fun to share a picture of the clothes & random possessions that I have lived off of for more than a month. Some items I did not use (marked with *). Some items used once & could have done without. Some items I used all the time (marked in bold). Some clothes I never wore, some I wanted to wear more than once per week. I definitely need to go through these bags and weed stuff out. I also need to go through the clothes I have in suitcases at my parents’ house & simplify.

Here's What I Packed

4 pairs of pants

3 shorts

3 dresses/skirts

3 sweatshirts

3 cardigans

1 rain jacket

1 jacket/coat *

9 t-shirts

7-tank tops (I wear as undershirts)

6 pairs of socks *

7 pairs of undies

1 swimsuit

4 scarves

Hiking shoes

Toms shoes *

Chacos sandals

Bible

Devotional book - “Jesus Calling”

Book on world missions *

3 notebooks for different purposes

Deck of cards *

Headlamp

Ear plugs & blindfold/eye cover

Medication

Essential oils

Diffuser for essential oils

Laptop

External hard drive

Headphones

Microphone for podcast

Solar charger*

Get to Work Book planner

Washi tape

Sharpie pens

Water bottle

Make-up*

Toiletries

Big suitcase

Backpack

It is amazing to see what I have lived off of for more than a month. Crazy how all that fit into a suitcase and a backpack! This has taught me that I need to simplify, simplify, simplify! Why do I have so many things?! (Plus we have boxes & boxes in storage…)

What items do you use everyday? Are there any items that you have not used for a month or more? Share your answer in the comments below.

_________

P.S. Mose of my adventure gear can be found at Sierra Trading Post.

& another P.S. Affiliate links throughout

AdventureLust - 02 "The 5 C's of Adventure"

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Sometimes we have adventure without thinking about why we love them so much. The other day I sat down to figure out our favorite aspects of travel and adventure. I came up with five: crave, culture, care, challenge, and celebrate. It's only a coincidence that they all start with the letter "c" - (ok, maybe I had to get creative to make my original answer work in such a clever pattern). Someday I may write in detail about what these five characteristics really mean, but for today I am sharing them orally through the podcast.

You can listen to the pilot episode by pressing play on the player above.
If you like what you hear, PLEASE subscribe to the AdventureLust podcast on iTunes.
If you're feeling extra kind, share with your friends & rate the podcast on iTunes as well.
Please let us know if there are any issues that should be resolved, we're still troubleshooting & experimenting with this podcast thing.
More episodes can be found HERE.

SHOWNOTES

My One Little Word for 2015 "culture"

More about One Little Word by Ali Edwards

Our hike up Iorgovanului

Caving in Romania

Rock Climbing in Romania

Starfish on the beaches of the Carribean? I spent 10 days in the Dominican Republic.
Click here for more information on our mission trip to Zimbabwe.
Want to read more about our trip to Romania?
Facebook Page
Erin's Instagram
Kam's Instagram

Do agree or disagree with any of my 5 characteristics? Do you have any to add to the list? Leave a comment below. Thank you for listening. Have an adventure-worthy week.

Roadtrip to SoCal

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 18:44:00 +0000

Thursday morning the Toews + Chadwick (E’s little brother) hit the open road! We’ve been dreaming of a vacation, seeing some family & friends & supporters, and sitting of the beaches of San Diego. We were told that our work visas will take about two more weeks to processes, so why not? After the trip, be on the lookout for some posts with beautiful pics & content from places along the coast.

Check out pictures from our adventure on Instagram. @erinetoews & @kamtoews.

AdventureLust: 01 - Pilot

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 19:21:00 +0000

Today I officially launch my newest adventure...

The AdventureLust Podcast!!

Get excited! This podcast has been a long time coming. I kept talking with my husband about this idea that I had to launch a podcast about travel & adventure. So for my birthday he bought me a microphone and encouraged me to start. So I did.

You can listen to the pilot episode by pressing play on the player above.
If you like what you hear, PLEASE subscribe to the AdventureLust podcast on iTunes.
If you're feeling extra kind, share with your friends & rate the podcast on iTunes as well.
More episodes can be found HERE.

SHOWNOTES

The main show notes page: http://www.toewsadventure.com/podcast
Kameron's freelance video website (Keylight Media)
My favorite podcasts: This American Life, Serial, Gimlet media, Elise Gets Crafty
Click here for more information on our mission trip to Zimbabwe.
Want to read more about our trip to Romania?
Blue Yeti microphone Kam got for my birthday
Facebook Page
Erin's Instagram
Kam's Instagram

Do you have questions? Or perhaps suggestions for topics and guest hosts? Contact me. Email me: toews (DOT) erin (AT) gmail (DOT) com.

Thank you for listening.

Three Romanian Castles You Must Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Romania is home to several castles & citadels. On our grand Romanian adventure last year, we visited three remarkable castles that we want to recommend to you.

11. Corvin Castle

This castle is located near the town of Hunedoara. It was built & rebuilt many times starting in the year . Visit this castle to see ancient dungeons and torture chambers, to dance in a grand ballroom, and to have your breath taken away by breathtaking views of the Romanian countryside.

22. Bran Castle

Located near Braşov, Bran Castle was built in . It is nicknamed “Dracula’s Castle” and much can be read about the book and movie franchise. Visit this castle if your are interested in vampire stories, enjoy taking a “turn about” the courtyard, and to learn about Romania’s rich history.

33. Peleş Castle

The most regal-looking castle of the bunch, Peleş Castle is located near Sinaia and was completed in 1914. This is a guided tour, so you learn so much interesting information about each room and the history of the family that lived there. Visit this castle for an enchanting tour through a regal castle & to be jealous of the royal family that lived there.

(We also visited several citadels, but perhaps we'll save that for another day...)

Have you ever visited any of these castles? What about castles in other counties? Share your own stories & suggestions in the comments below.

Click here to watch a highlight video about our Romanian adventure!

Romania: Peleş Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 22:22:00 +0000

Isn't this castle breath-taking?

A few weeks ago, we shared pictures from when we explored the ancient Hunedoara Castle, Last week we shared about Bran Castle (AKA Dracula's castle). Today we have pictures of the beautiful Peleş Castle located near Sinaia, Romania. Unlike the castle In Hunedoara, the Peleş Castle was not completed until the early 20th century, so it is fairly modern with such conveniences as a central vacuum (I had never heard of such a thing until visiting this castle...).

The inside of the castle was awe-inspiring, with each room decorated in a different theme with decor from different counties around the world. We have not pictures of the inside because it was forbidden (or we didn't want to pay the exorbitant fee to get a photography pass -- that's probably more like it).

No fret. The outside of the castle is breathtaking!

There are three buildings on the ground of the castle: 1) the castle itself, 2) a chateau, and 3) a hunting lodge. We only visited the castle, and got the full tour. You could spend a whole day there! But this was the second to last day in Romania, and we were just about castled out!

What do you think of this castle? I felt like I was Belle from Beauty & the Beast!

Click here to read about Corvin Castle.

Click here to read about Bran Castle.

Click here to read all posts about Romania.

Click here to watch a highlight video about our Romanian adventure!

Around Here [June]

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Around here, we are finishing up with our week at VictoryCenter Bible Camp. This week was Teen Camp for the High School campers. Some of these kids were in my cabin as elementary students. Wow. How old am I? There are a lot of changes at VCBC from when we were campers and summer missionaries; now we refer to is as “pansy camp” because there is a fancy air-conditioned dining hall, a bath house with plenty of showers and stalls, staff housing with private bathrooms, and the game shelter has walls to protect campers & the games from the elements. It is amazing that God can reach so many young people in such a remote area in the middle-of-nowhere South Dakota. This is where Kam & I fell in love, so it is a pretty special place in our hearts. (Earlier in the week before any campers arrived, Kameron & his dad killed a great big rattle snake.)

Around here, our visa still have not been approved. The TEAM missionaries in Zimbabwe go to the Immigration office at least every other day to check in on them, but we have no news. I know we will have a team of angels in heaven and on earth doing a celebration dance when we get the “OK” to board a plane for Zim. In the meantime…

Around here, Kameron works on his final freelance project for the Great Plans Sioux Tribal Health Board while Erin dreams and plans out a new venture. If you have been following along on Instagram, you might already know what the new venture is. I’m pretty nervous about it, but I believe that we were created to be uncomfortable and to be stretched. This is going to be good!

Around here, we still have some things we’d like to do before we leave for Africa: 1) attend the production of To Kill A Mockingbird, put on by the Black Hills Playhouse (Erin’s favorite book/movie) 2) finish watching some of our TV shows: Grey’s Anatomy, Parks & Rec, Call the Midwife, the Walking Dead & Parenthood. 3) go camping.

What’s going on around you? What’s new? Leave your answer in the comments & we’ll chat.

Romania: Bran Castle (aka "Dracula's Castle")

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Once upon a time there was a fictional character named Dracula, who was loosely based after a man named Vlad the Impaler who lived in Romania a long long time ago. This man Vlad may have visited a place called Bran Castle, but no one knows for sure. Thus, Bran Castle is nicknamed “Dracula’s Castle.” Though it barley has a thing to do with Dracula except for this loose connection.

While we were in Romania last year, we toured Bran Castle on our road trip across the country. & It was AWESOME!

Our travel-mate Sarah joined us to explore this castle.

&when you’re at an ancient castle, you have to do a jumping picture in front.

Click here to read about Corvin Castle.

Click here to read all posts about Romania.

Click here to watch a highlight video about our Romanian adventure!

Where are we now? Victory Center Bible Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Flash back to the moment where Kameron & Erin Toews first met. Can’t picture it? Neither can we, because it was so long ago we don’t have a clear picture. But we do know that we first met at Victory Center Bible Camp near Ft. Pierre, South Dakota. Kameron’s parents have been the directors of VCBC since the early ‘80s, and my mother was a camper there in her childhood. The two of us were campers since 1^st grade and volunteered our summers there when we were in high school. Our connection to this place runs deep.

This week we are back to the place where we met & fell in love!

Because we don’t have anything else to do (seriously. No jobs. No place to live. Just wait for our visas) we decided to volunteer at least a week to help his parents prepare for the first week of camp. We are pleased that this is a unique way that God can use us as He prepares our heart for Zimbabwe. He will provide our visas when He’s good & ready. For now, we will continue to praise His name & go where He sends us.

Our friend Karen is the one who is with us in many of these pictures. Back in the day we were like the Three Amigos.

Did you enjoy these flashbacks? Where did you & your sweetheart meet? Tell me your story.

Click HERE and HERE for more posts about VCBC.

Black Hills Hike: Custer Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

For the past week, the adventurous Toews had been house-sitting/dog-sitting for some friends (& supporters of our mission) from church. They live WAY out in the Black Hills, just an hour's hike from their home to the top of Custer Peak. Most of our stay was cold, wet, & stormy. But Monday was warm & sunny - perfect day for a hike! (well, it was 80 degrees, so a bit warm for a hike, but that did not stop us!)

There were stream of water trickling down the trail because of how much it rained in the Black Hill in May. At first we avoided stepping the the cool water, but as we started sweating from the hot, hot sun, it felt nice to splash in our sandals.

One spot, however, got us in the deep trouble. Literally. Deep.

There was a puddle of thick, wet, quick-sand, gumbo MUD. It sucked us in. I almost lost my sandals. It stunk. Luckily, neither of us fell in the mud. & no harm was done. --- just a funny story to tell today. =)

A bird surprised us when we walked by its hidden nest & swooped to protect its eggs. We took a closer inspection & found these red & white speckled eggs. Precious! These eggs in the nest were a special gift from God. As we wait for our visas & struggle & find contentment, God whispered "Slow down, enjoy the wait, & find beauty in the tiny details of the world around you."

At the top of Custer Peak is a lookout tower used by the forrest service. We weren't able to climb inside, but enjoyed the view from stone steps. It was such a clear day & we could see for miles! I think we even saw Harney Peak (where we got engaged).

We hope this is our last Black Hills hike for a year. But we still don't have our visas yet. Who knows when we will get to Zimbabwe? Continue to pray for us & for our visas. We will be helping Kam's parents at their summer Bible camp, and hopefully won't spend the whole summer there. (But it is the place we fell in love <3).

Have you taken any summer hikes yet? What do you suggest?

Romania Highlight Video

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Thu, 21 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

It has been more than a year since we spent two weeks in Romania. --- That means it about time to post the highlight video that Kameron finished last week about all our Romanian adventures. It was really fun to see all this footage. (& I'm sure so long & tedious for Kameron) So many memories!

I hope that you enjoy this peek into our great Romanian adventures.

Is there any part of the video that you want to know more about? I'm still posting pictures from castles & adventures, so let me know & maybe you'll find a post about it one day.

Zimbabwe Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Kameron) — Tue, 19 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

This past Saturday was our going away party for Zimbabwe. Wow, we felt so loved. It's easy for us to get discouraged with waiting. We sent in our applications to TEAM in December 2013. That's a year and a half ago. But this wonderful party reignited in us joy, energy, and excitement.

Thank-you to all who have supported us through this whole process. Your support has genuinely been life giving. Friends from work to church to elementary school stopped in to eat, chat, and make us smile. We know many of you couldn't make it to the actual party (no one has any free time in May!), but were there with us in spirit.

We have an awesome canvas map that we used as our guest book. Its full of wonderful notes from wonderful people.

And a gigantic thank-you goes to Erin's sister and mother. They helped make this party a success!

We'll miss you all terribly, but look forward to what God is going to do through us and in us when we actually get to Karanda.

On that note, we have NOT yet received our visas, so we wait - sometimes patiently, sometimes not. Keep an eye out though, because we could get the word any day, and then we're outta here!

Again thank-you. And please keep the prayers and love coming. We need them.

Black Hills Hike: Crow Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Fri, 15 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Crow Peak is found near Spearfish, SD & is a must-hike trail in the Black Hills!

Elevation: 5760 ft.
Distance: 3.5 miles to the top (& back down = 7 miles total).

A couple weeks ago, Kameron & I spent the weekend in Spearfish with our friends Trenton & Kathleen. These friends used to live in our stairwell in the apartment we lived in before moving in with my sister. Around the same time we moved out, they bought a house & moved to Spearfish. We were happy when they invited us to spend some time with them. We took full advantage of their delicious cooking skills, went on a few little hikes, rode bikes around town, ate ice cream & other various desserts, visited the fish at the fish hatchery, sampled some brew at the Crow Peak brewery and hiked the peak that the brewery was named after.

As you can see, our go-to hiking snack on this hike was Cliff Bars. (& no, I was not paid for product placement...) What food do you usually take on your hikes? Leave your answers in the comments below.

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P.S. The winner of the With Love by Megan print was Cat Elsby. Congrats Cat! Remember: to those who fell in love with her prints, Megan is offering 20% for Toews Adventure readers. Use promo code: TCLPA20. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!

Go Ahead & Like It

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Toews) — Wed, 13 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Go Ahead & Like It - by Jacqueline Suskin

We live in a world that revolves around "likes." How many "likes" did my status get on Facebook? Do you like my new hair cut? Which boy do you like? Like, totally! Do we really like those things? Are we faking it? What do we really like?

Jacqueline Suskin, in this artistic, fun, and beautiful book, challenged me to think about things that I like & jot them down. Simple things like "reading outside on the grass" and "warm sunshine," to more meaningful things like "my husband who takes pictures of me when I ask." She says that the simple act of jotting down a list of likes during stressful times can lift the spirit. Sharing your list at as an ice breaker game at a party can help you get to know a group of strangers. Sending a list in the mail to an old friend can rekindle a forgotten relationship.

Have you ever read the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp? I read that one first a couple years ago. Very similar concepts, except this one is less faith-based. Though while I was writing down my list of "likes," I realized that I was thanking God those things as well. It's all in having the right perspective.

Right now, as we are preparing to move out of the country to live in Zimbabwe for a year, we find ourselves making a lot of lists! To do lists. To buy lists. To blog lists. Lists for days!!! All those lists can make a girl (and a couple) stressed out to the max! I found that switching gears & writing a list of things I like, puts me in a better mood and I can go about my day with a little less stress & a bit more pep in my step.

The author Jacqueline Suskin seems like such a beautiful & whimsical woman. The pictures she chose to include in her books should be included in one of my "lists of likes." and instead of using typed words & sentences, she hand-wrote everything, for a very unique & appreciated effect. Plus, a snippet from the Amazon page says she "is best known through her work with Poem Store, a public performance project in which she composes custom verses on a manual typewriter in exchange for donations." Say what?? So fun!

This was a short, quick book that I was able to read on a sunny afternoon. I left feeling inspired to make lists of things I like, sharing my real likes with my friends, and find positives in every situation. You'll probably find this book on our coffee table, if/when we ever have our own coffee table.

So tell me what you think. Do you think you would like this book?

Leave a short list of "likes" in the comments. We'd love to read them!

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Although I was not paid for this post, I received this book from Blogging for Books. All thoughts, photos, and reviews are my own. Some links on this post are affiliate links, so if you purchase something from these links Toews Adventure receives a small commission.