So, a dream I have had since I was 5 years old came true the other day…I got to go on an African safari!!!! It was so awesome! I was with a really fun group in the safari vehicle, with a mix of January and June racers. Although half of the group had a very healthy fear and respect for the wildlife, the rest of the group took it upon themselves to make growling noises out of the side of the vehicle at the lions and to hope aloud that rhinos would charge us. I’ll let you guess which group I was in! We did have a close encounter…a palm-sized spider found its way onto the roof of the safari car and decided to grace us with its presence half way through the trip. After a quick hunt, it breathed its last under the shoe of our guide. We were definitely more alert after that! All in all, it was an incredible experience! We saw lions, giraffes, elephants, impalas, rhinos and hippos. And of course, we had our spider friend.
Our time in Swaziland is coming to a close this week. We have completed our week of training and have each been given the next destination for our teams. Our team of 6 (whose name, by the way, is Team Awaken) will be traveling back to South Africa to spend the next 6 weeks with one of the January teams. We will be running a Vacation Bible School for a ton of kids…not sure how many yet! I’m so excited! We are one of the lucky teams that will actually have running water and electricity! Some of the teams that are staying in Swaziland are not as fortunate, but I’m sure we’ll all get the chance to rough it for Jesus…at least I hope so! I’m stoked too because we stayed in South Africa for a night last week and met an amazing missionary couple, so it will be good to see them again and hang out for longer. They are a young couple, 25 and 26 years old, and they already have three kids…adopted from Swaziland. They told us the radical story of how God brought their kids right into their path. I admire them so much for being obedient in a way that has changed their lives forever. That’s trust right there!
So, the next few days in Swaziland will be spent going to hospitals and orphanages. Who knows, maybe God will call me to stay at the first orphanage and never leave…! I’ll let you know, either way!
God has been bringing me to a place of sober acceptance of His will lately, without actually knowing what it is. It’s funny…even though we haven’t technically done ministry yet, He is already telling me that this trip is going to be so different than my expectations. I thought my expectations were pretty normal and even extreme, but I think God’s about to take it to a whole new level. I’m only being vague because I don’t have the clarity yet myself. But you will know once I know.
P.S.- I added pics to my page…check ‘em out! And when you see how we’re dressed you’ll realize…it’s winter in Africa right now!
