So far being in Africa has not really felt like being in Africa. I guess people tend to think of Africa like what they see on the Discovery Channel or something. In reality most of the cities are similar to ours (well to a degree). Swaziland is wonderful. There are beautiful green hill sides everywhere and the stars are so clear at night. However, since we have been here we have been in training and have not really been able to get away from the house all that much. So, AIM decided to take us on a Safari!!!!
If I understood correctly, most all of the African wildlife like elephants and lions are on reserves. So the only way to really get to see those kinds of animals is to drive through a reserve and see them. Our team left really early in the morning and drove a little over an hour to get there. We loaded up on one of those vehicles with no walls and started on our way through the gate.
At first we really did not see much. The driver took us through different paths and we saw some pretty cool birds and boars but nothing else. As we are driving I am looking through the brush and see this gray stone. The longer I looked at it, I started to see eyes. It was no stone, it was a baby elephant! Once we spotted the baby, here came to mom. It was so awesome to see them so close. Elephants are crazy animals. Throughout the time we were there, we also saw rhinoceroses, giraffes, and lions. It was so much fun.
Taking a day to see some of the wildlife was great. It was a lot of fun and a really great experience to have with your team. God created these grand, majestic animals and set them here in Africa. How cool is that? I am anxious to really start our ministries here and start to get to know the people of this great land as well.
