On our last day before leaving Africa, my squad visited one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World – Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
We took a cable car up to the top of this 3,000 ft wonder, and when we got to the top I was ecstatic because one of my bucket list items is to touch a cloud and we were inside a cloud up there!! We may not have seen incredible views from the top, but I absolutely loved being inside a cloud. It was windy and cold and our hair got wet from the moisture in the air but it was AWESOME.
To get back down the mountain, you can ride in the cable car or hike. The adventurous ones of our group decided to hike down. I was undecided but didn’t want to bother buying a ticket for the cable car, so I went with the hiking group. The views from Platteklip Gorge were stunning, and I was so glad I decided to hike.
The trail of Plattekilp consisted of rocks… a lot of them. Big ones, small ones, flat ones, round ones. The trail is a switchback of stairs all the way down the gorge to the main road. Along the way, we cautioned each other about slippery spots and encouraged careful footing. I joked with some of my squadmates that if I broke my ankle, I could just scoot down the mountain on my butt. Our legs – specifically our quads and knees – were feeling the burn for sure haha.
About halfway down, I slipped on a steep, rocky section. I remember feeling terrified (I really dislike the feeling of falling), yelling “OH NO OH NO OH NO” as I stumbled more and more, losing more and more footing. I fell – more like dove – face-first into the trail and immediately let out a blood-curdling scream. I was hurt, and I was scared. I thought for sure I had broken something. I flipped onto my back and almost immediately I was surrounded by my squadmates, and a cacophony of prayers poured over me as Wendy, our squad coach and a physical therapist, and Becks, my teammate from Wild Fires and a nurse, inspected my leg. A man we had passed less than a minute before was also there, and I could hear him praying for me in the Name of Jesus. I found out later his name is JJ. He hikes Platteklip often, so he was able to call for a rescuer to come and meet us on the trail. The first thing I said when I could speak again was, “Did I rip my pants?” Unfortunately the answer was yes, but my query lightened the mood considerably; I wasn’t the only one who was scared. We determined that nothing was broken and I still had range of motion in my knee and foot, so I stood and Becks wrapped my knee in an ace wrap.
Four of my companions – Bob (our squad coach), Ally, Mary Beth, and Hannah – stayed with me and together the five of us made our way slowly down the mountain. I cried for the first 20 minutes of that hike. I was in pain, yes, but I was also still so scared, replaying the fall in my head over and over. It took us an hour and a half to do the last thirty minutes of the hike.
Bob walked in front of me, and Ally and Mary Beth stayed at my sides. I held on to Bob’s shoulders while we walked and he let me put my weight on him when I needed it and he told me where to step when we reached precarious parts. At times, he would even carry me on his back down steep steps. Mary Beth and Ally held my weight for me as I stepped down to reduce strain and impact on my injured knee. They encouraged me, told me how strong I was, and prayed for me and for my healing the whole way down. They were all so steadfast and patient and selfless.
It was a beautiful picture of God the Father and the community of the Church that was not lost on me in the slightest. Bob was my father figure, guiding me down the treacherous mountain, supporting me selflessly, guiding me as to where I should walk, and carrying me through the hardest parts. My sisters walked beside me patiently and selflessly, helping me carry my weight when I needed help, and encouraging me and loving me all the way.
About 15-20 minutes from the bottom we saw a man coming towards us – my rescuer! After some introductions, he took my hand and told me to wrap my arm around him. He told me over and over, “I am your rock. I am your rock. I am your rock.” We chatted together about my trip (no pun intended) and his life and work and involvement in the community. There were instances when he would tell me where to place my foot and I wouldn’t comply because my momentum was already taking me somewhere else, but he adjusted his walk and supported me regardless. He was constantly faithful to bear my weight, and even encouraged me to put more weight onto him as I walked, again reminding me, “I am your rock.”
There was an ambulance waiting for me at the bottom of the mountain, lights on and everything. Funny detail: they were told I was an elderly woman! Haha! The EMTs wanted to inspect my knee, but my pants wouldn’t roll up, so I volunteered to take my pants off so they wouldn’t cut off my favorite pants. As soon as I saw my knee, I started crying. It was much worse than I was expecting. I had hoped it was a scrape, but it was a GASH; I had a hole in my knee. They immediately recommended stitches and I was noooot happy about that. Because we were an hour away from where we were staying, we decided to forgo taking the ambulance to the hospital and chose to go to a facility closer to our hostel.
My rescuer drove us back to the cable car station, where we were meeting the rest of our squad. As we drove, we watched the sun setting over Table Mountain, and I asked my rescuer for his name again, and he told me his name was Aslan. You’ve got to be kidding me! Haha! My rescuer was named Aslan! Just the day before at church the pastor shared the quote from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in which Susan and Mr. Beaver discuss Aslan:
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
The Jesus imagery of my rescuer’s name and mantra, “I am your rock,” was not lost on me.
The whole situation of falling off a mountain, busting my knee, and getting off the mountain was such a spiritual journey. God was so sweet and sovereign over the whole thing. My squadmate, Naomi, was standing right next to me when I fell and she told me she thought I would have a head injury and internal bleeding, but that God protected my head as I fell. Aslan himself could have been an angel sent to care for me, and if not an angel, his name alone tells me he was sent by God. Christ was tangibly present in my teammates and coach as they helped me down the mountain step by step. I’m so thankful for all the ways God loved me and cared for me in my fall and the subsequent hours, and even lying in the ER, all I could think about is His goodness and my gratitude.
I ended up getting three stitches in my knee, which is just perfect because we have a three-in-one God who holds together every part of my life, why not my skin, too? 😉
We got on a plane the next day for Malaysia, where we are now! Travel days can be wild, but this one was so blessed. I took a total of 6 wheelchairs (and a couple luggage trolleys) in four airports on countless elevators and one time I even rode in the back of a truck! Our last flight was almost completely empty, so I got an entire row to myself and as many pillows as I wanted to prop up my leg. WOW God is so kind and generous!
As of right now, my knee is really stiff and it’s painful to bend or move, so please pray for my speedy recovery!
To Him be the glory forever!
Jess
