Hello everybody,
Despite what is happening with the fear and pandemic from the coronavirus, I am fine. My team and I are not in the area where it is prominent. We are taking the standard methods of prevention. I just wanted to ease your worries. On another note,Thank you so much for all the encouragement, prayers and support. This last month, I became fully funded and with your support, God has done some amazing things from around the world.
Since all the news is about fear, pandemic and chaos, I wanted to give you something good to read instead. Who does not like cute pictures of animals.
The other day, we decided to take a break and go for an adventure. Our adventure included a half day visit to an elephant sanctuary. Let me tell how awesome this was.
In Thailand, there is an estimated 70,000 elephants that roam the land and the jungles. Small villages have used elephants to help haul to a variety of different things, including illegal logging of trees. As the elephants have become domesticated, they have started to make trouble for the local farmers by eating the crops. So instead of shooting the elephants, a company started 5 years ago to provide a home for the elephants where they can go about daily life and not be threatened or killed. Since starting the sanctuary, they are home to 52 elephants. Most of them are females and domesticated. They can’t house the wild elephants due to security and personal safety issues. Wild elephants, especially males are extremely dangerous and can easily be set off and charge at people sometimes, occasionally killing a person. I don’t know about you, but I would not want to face a charging elephant. Here at the sanctuary they give land for elephants to roam in the jungles and provide them with food to eat.
It was amazing to see these creatures up close. Throughout the morning we got to help feed them watermelon. The elephants knew when food was there as they came running up for some watermelon. You could place the watermelon in thier trunks or give the command bon bon and place it in thier mouths. A couple of them have a sweet tooth for watermelon, as they grabed the whole thing right out of your hands. After feeding, we went down to river to give them a mud bath and then get in the water with them and give the a shower. The elephants really enjoyed a nice dip in the river on a very hot day.
One of the elephants was named grandmother, as she is 77 years old. When standing next to her, there was such a peace in her eyes. You could not help but feel calm. This peace reminded me of a verse in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” It goes to show us how great God is. If he can provide peace in animal why not provide peace for his children.
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So when the world is in chaos, take a breath and let God provide rest and peace in your heart. Sometimes God provides us that rest right in front of us. It can as simple as looking in a 77 year old elephant and having her wink back at you. Saying its going to be alright.
