Sitting on an elephant gave me this exciting rush of energy. It was when I left the security of the basket on her back and crawled up to her head when I got the adrenaline rush of a life time. There was something about sitting on the head of a 65 year-old elephant that brougt this sense of uncertainty and excitement.
(I made sure I got my chance to pet the elephant!)
Elephants are my favorite animals on the planet. I have been intrigued by them since I was in middle school and have collected elephant pictures, calendars and figurines for years. To be able to ride an elephant was probably the best thing to happen to me aside from Jesus saving me. I am not kidding. Elephant riding is way up there on my list of things I have done that have been the best things ever.
Leaving the safety of the basket on the elephant's back was easy but quite nerve-racking. There is nothing to hold on to up there. It was just me and this elephant (with Ciera in the basket). All I could do was hold on to her head. And her little hairs were pricking my legs through my super thin Thai pants.
(Like I said, nothing up there to hold on to! Freakyy!!)
There were times where I thought 'this elephant could easily decide she doesn't want me up here any more and I am a goner…' or 'she is really huge and I am really not, she could kill me.' So it was definitely a new and almost frightening experience to be up on her head like that.
After the elephant riding, I went bamboo rafting. Basically, eight or nine pieces of bamboo were strapped together and was about twelve feet long. They put three people on a raft together and had us sit down on it. Which immediately had your butt and thighs soaked.
After a few minutes of stressing out because of my wet butt I noticed that the person in front of me had hundreds of ants on her back. When she asked for help I noticed I had hundreds of ants on my lap! So we are both freaking out and splashing ourselves to get them off. They didn't bite, which was fortunate.
The national water festival, Sangkran, is a festival that can last up to six days where people throw water on other people as a blessing for the traditional new year. Also, April is the hottest month of the year and this is a great way of cooling off and having fun.
Since Sangkran was about to start, there were people in the river we were rafting down that would throw or splash water on us which was just plain fun. They would splash me, I would splash them, therefore, instant friends for life!
After we had been on the raft for a while we came up on a baby elephant (3 years old) who was playing in the water! So so so cute! I didn't even hesitate to jump off the raft and go play with him. He would splash us and he was poking me with his trunk. He was pretty little. By that, I mean that I was taller than him. BUT, when he decided to flop into the water we would have to jump out of his way because he could crush us! He was so precious!!
(Not the elephant from the water.. No one brought their cameras to the rafting. This is a baby from the elephant riding place. He was much smaller than the one playing in the water. This one is only about a year or so old.)
We then came upon this baby elephant's dad. And oh my goodness was he huge! I was a little terrified of him. Tusks the size of my legs! When he started to walk toward our little raft my heart sank. All it would take was for him to get spooked and step on the raft. I was paddling with my hands with everything I had. I almost jumped off the raft to get away. I love elephants, don't get me wrong. But I do not like sitting on a little raft where I am not even as high as the knee of the giganta elephant next to me.
After having the time of my life spending the day with elephants, I get home to find that I have made the third deadline! What a fabulous end to a wonderful day!
Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me after I have left home. I was worried about not being able to fundraise while out on the mission field. But God is faithful and the hearts of those who gave since I have been gone are faithful!
Since I haven't been able to send thank you's after I left home, I would like to recognize those who have given since I have left and say thank you for helping me reach the third deadline:
Sara Gaba
Debra Fisher-Ricks
Anonymous
Hank Brooks
My Parents
My Grandparents
Debra Terrell
Joe Defilippo
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I am right where God wants me and he is proving himself faithful every day. I have no doubt that more money will start coming in to get me to the fourth and FINAL deadline! I can't believe I have come so far. I am $4,500 away from being fully funded. If you feel led, please make a donation to help me become fully funded! Thank you!!
(Feeding bananas to elephants is so much fun! They just take it with their snotty trunk! I loved it so much!)
Much love!
