I truly cannot believe that the month of June has passed by so quickly. This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to go on safari with Sarah, Jeffrey and five of the other Chapel Hill volunteers from other organizations. I have so much to say, but am not quite sure what to delve into first. I want to thank those of you who are patient with me and take the time to read all of my wandering thoughts and endless details of this trip. It means so much to actually have an audience that is willing to take the time and effort to read what I have to say. On Friday morning, we set out for the matatu park in Busia. It actually filled up quickly, and before I knew it, I was on the way to Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda. Around 2 pm, we arrived at the Logago stop, where we ate the most American food that I have had in quite some time. I ordered a cheese pizza, and it was quite interesting. Instead of the traditional tomato sauce that I am used to, there was hot sauce under a layer of cheese and onion. The crust was phenomenal though! From here, it was a short ride on a boda boda to the Red Chilli Hideaway, which is the campsite that we booked the safari through. Upon entering through the gates, I was somewhat surprised to see a random assortment of ‘muzungus,’ with accents ranging from British to Australian. A large mass of tan and black fur lay heaped in the floor of the lobby, which I discovered was actually an extremely overweight dingo-looking dog. He was quite friendly. A black and white three-legged cat also accompanied the dog in the lobby. I was quite content to be around familiar animals once again. After checking in, we were guided to a dorm with 9 sets of bunk beds, and all of which shared one bathroom. It reminded me of the camp buildings in movies. Several tents were scattered around the campground, as well as many luscious fruit trees, including banana and mango trees. It felt as though I had just walked into the jungle that Timon and Pumbaa live in. As Sarah and I were waiting for the other volunteers to arrive, we discovered a family of tiny monkeys living behind our dorm. There were ten or so, and they were so social. I am sure they are used to having many people, accompanied by their cameras, crowded around them, because they seemed to pose for us.
Safari: Swahili for “Journey”
I have had what I will go so far as to call a small obsession with animals for as long as I can remember. My mom can attest to this claim, as she witnessed on numerous occasions my costumes and animal behavior as a small child. Needless to say, I was quite enthusiastic to be embarking on a real life safari in the grasslands of Africa. Early Saturday morning, the eight of us boarded our very own safari van and left Kampala for Murchison Falls National Park, which is approximately four hours Northeast of Kampala. After stopping for lunch, which I must take a moment to say that a playlist of Beyonce was airing on Uganda’s version of MTV at the restaurant that we stopped at. Even half a world away, I can’t seem to escape just how influential American culture is on the rest of the world. Whether or not I think that is a good thing, I will not dive into at this time. As soon as we turned off of the main road into the gates of the National Park, the atmosphere seemed to change instantaneously. There was nothing but thick forest on either side of the dirt path, with no sign of mud huts or children screaming ‘muzungu!” After a few minutes of driving, our van halted as a family of baboons was perched in the center of the path. I could not believe that they were even real. They took their time to clear the path as we began to move again, but at that moment, I began to feel as if I were truly on a safari, and this wasn’t even our game drive! J Over the course of the next hour, we continued to drive deeper and deeper into the brush and see countless baboons peering into the windows as we passed. Finally, we arrived at the Red Chilli Rest Camp, which I would call home for the next 48 hours. There was literally a large tiki hut, under which the kitchen was located with several tables and chairs surrounding it. Four warthogs were lying under the shade of the hut as we walked towards it! Pumbaa! It was quite surreal to say the least. After a quick orientation, in which one of the “Red Hot” employees informed us to keep all food in the kitchen for the warthogs and hippos would most definitely destroy our tent to get to any scraps during the night. As if that shouldn’t scare us, the brochure for the safari actually states that if you see a hippo coming towards your tent, do not call the emergency number for there is nothing they can do… Exciting? I think so! Haha It was mid afternoon by the time we all settled into our tents, so I had plenty of time to reflect on the breathtaking scenery before my eyes. Directly in front of the tiki hut, there are several chairs facing a horizon of the entire park with the Nile River bisecting it. I sat staring out into what reminded me of the Pridelands in the Lion King for the next few hours and journaling just how fabulous God’s creation truly is.
At 6:30 the next morning, we embarked on our game drive. After boarding a ferry to get to the grasslands on the other side of the Nile, I had the unforgettable experience to see the sunrise over the Nile with hippos in the near distance wading in the swallow water’s edge. It was difficult to believe that this wasn’t a dream. Soon, our driver lifted the top of our van in order for us to experience a 360-degree view of the grasslands, and my mind began to play the instrumental music of “The Circle of Life”. I’m sorry to keep referencing Disney, but it’s the only thing that I have to compare, because truly for the next three hours, it was as if I had a behind the scenes look at a live taping of the real Lion King. Although, I did not actually see any big cats, I was enthralled at the stunning scenery of Ugandan Cobb, Waterbuck, water buffalo, warthogs, hippos and even giraffes grazing in the heat of the morning sun. We took a stretch break half way through the drive at the edge of a watering hole. Several groups of hippos were snorting and splashing around. It was so interesting to me that they spew water as if they were whales. Though our group was only about five yards from these massive animals, surprisingly I was not afraid. Hippos only charge if they feel threatened. I was so busy taking in the scenery that I did not take too many pictures. Of all the unforgettable moments on the safari, the giraffes were definitely my favorite part. One giraffe was standing directly in our path as we pulled up, as if to aid us in snapping the closest possible picture of the elegant animal. It is simply incredible how graceful they were despite their staggering height. Their necks were so supple, and they all seemed to be very family oriented. My pictures will never be able to accurately portray all that I took in during those few short hours. As we neared the end of our drive and were about to once again board the ferry, I was blessed to be able to see a herd of elephants coming to take a water break about 50 yards down the bank of the Nile. Absolutely incredible!
That afternoon, I got go take a boat cruise on the Nile towards Murchison Falls. There was lightning in the distance as we boarded our metal boat… Safe? Probably not, despite the assurance from our driver that is was perfectly safe. Oh Africa haha. As the rain gently began to create ripples in this ‘mighty river,’ I could almost reach out my hand and touch the various hippos that gave our group strange looks as we drifted past. I must admit that the first Nile crocodile that our guide pointed out on the nearest bank made me have a flashback to the few episodes of “Swamp People” that I have seen. I know that gators are somewhat different from these terrifying animals, but I could not help but imagine the Louisiana hunters with their thick accents having a field day on the Nile. Oh, reality television, how would we all procrastinate without you? haha I learned that if you see a lone water buffalo on the banks of the river, it has probably been forced to leave the rest of the group due to its old age. I can officially say that I have witnessed the circle of life, in all of its wonder and harshness. The halfway point of our cruise was the waterfall. I must note that Ernest Hemingway took an air tour of Murchison falls, and his plane actually crashed twice during the course of his visit. It’s so interesting to think of all of the history that this river has witnessed. To prevent us all from getting drenched by the mist off of the waterfall, our boat coasted to a stop at a nearby island of rock about a quarter of a mile from the bottom of the falls. It was a stunning sight, as I scrambled a top the nearest rock to get a better view. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, taking in God’s creation in all of its splendor. As we headed back to the dock, we spotted a lone elephant drinking from the river! Our guide was gracious enough to spend a few extra minutes allowing us to take in the magnificent animal. I was informed that many bull elephants will take their water break alone to defend a certain part of their territory. Oh, “how wonderful, how marvelous and my soul shall ever sing!” I cannot state it more eloquently.
“If I were to look for you, what would I find?” ~Taylor Hogan
Monday was my last day in Marchison Falls National Park, and oh, what an experience I had in my final hours. After packing all of my belongings, our van left for a hike to the top of the falls. We were dropped off by our driver at the top of a hill with an incredible overhead view of Murchison Falls. I wasn’t exactly sure how close we would actually be able to get to the rushing water, so I took many pictures right away. After a few minutes, a tour guide who proceeded to take us on a short hike directly to the source of the falls met my group. I have never been quite so terrified, yet awestruck at the same time by such a sight. The churning river is forced into a narrow passage before exploding into a magnificent waterfall to join the river below. We were close enough to feel the mist billowing off of the water. I took several videos in my attempt to capture a few moments of what was such an incredible experience. As we continued along the path adjacent to the falls, I looked back to be met with one of the most beautiful rainbows that I have ever witnessed. What an amazing way to conclude a fabulous weekend. After spending half an hour being captivated by the sheer beauty of this place, we headed back to Kampala.
I must give you all an update on Joe. The night before I left for the trip, I received the wonderful news that Joe would be returning to New Hope. His father is not able to adequately care for him, so he would be bringing him back at some point during the weekend. Although, it saddened me that his parents had to give him up, I thought that this was an answered prayer for Joe to come back to New Hope. After returning to New Hope on Tuesday night and discovering that Joe had not yet returned, I received yet more news concerning the matter. Sometimes God uses what seems to be the most heartbreaking of circumstances to reveal His sovereignty in the mightiest way. Joe will not be coming back, but this is good news. Although I truly believe that New Hope is such a wonderful, Christian environment for children to grow up in, it is not the ideal situation. By the grace of God Almighty, it turns out that Joe has an aunt, who is an accountant, in a nearby village whom has opened up her home to raise Joe. She has a housekeeper that will care for Joe while she is at work, and she has two small children of her own. Everyone at New Hope has been assured that this is the best possible situation for Joe to find himself in, and I must say that I agree. This does not mean that I will not miss his beautiful smile, but it’s so refreshing to have such a praise report to tell you all.
“You will never have anything more contagious than your joy” ~Beth Moore
It is with great pleasure that I get to give updates to you all about my Bible study because I truly receive a fresh word each and every time I open my Bible lately. My efforts to explain all that God is teaching me through this study simply do not do it justice. I will give my best attempt though. Last night, I was reading about God’s covenant with Noah. Of course I immediately drew a parallel to my adventure with God’s great animals only a few short days ago, but as I continued the study, Beth Moore drew her own. She was actually on a safari in Africa when she wrote this day of Bible study! I cannot even begin to describe the chills I got just thinking about how perfect God’s timing is and always has been. Beth wrote this study in 2004, and now seven years later, God is using her experiences to coincide completely with mine. Oh, the elation is indescribable! Then I thought back to the rainbow at Murchison Falls, and was overwhelmed how closely God was relating this study to my life. This weekend I listened to two more clips of Beth Moore. The first was while I was riding to Murchison on Saturday, I listened a clip from “Breaking Free Revised Edition,” in which she spoke about 1 John 4 and God’s love. The second was on the way back to Kampala on Monday, and it was about joy. I honestly have not yet been able to get through one of these clips without tears flooding my eyes. In the 
first clip, Beth described a sunset that was completely overwhelming on her way home, and she could hardly contain her joy when she realized that it was directly over her neighborhood. I understand her feeling exactly, because that’s how God has been in my life over the past week. I cannot escape His love, and why would I want to? Then Beth described how she cried out to God “why are You so nice to me after where I’ve been in… my life?” and the response was “don’t you tell Me you love me, say ‘I love You too.” For God is “the initiator and the only reason [we] can love [Him] is because [He loves us].” I cannot explain why this touched me so deeply, but yesterday, I brought this back to mind and it kept me from giving into the enemy’s desire to steal my joy. The second clip was from “Stepping Up,” and Beth spoke about how contagious one’s joy truly is. When you see someone filled with joy that only comes from God Himself, you cannot help but want to join in. Oh goodness, I can hardly type fast enough to tell you about it.
Yesterday was my first day seeing the kids after five days away. I must say that I missed them more than I thought I would. They welcomed me with open arms at 7:15 in the morning, as class was about to begin. I’m not sure if they were simply happy to see me or what, but that was the best class that I have had yet. We ended class with a new cheer, just like every week, and I walked back to Uncle Ken’s house in the best mood. During the morning break, I went to sing with Olivia and went back to the house. The power was off when we came back on Tuesday evening and remained off all day yesterday. My computer was dead, as was my iPod, and I decided to just journal instead. About this time, I started to give into my petty complaints. I don’t know why, but my mood quickly downward spiraled. I started worrying about how I was going to get to the airport at the end of July and everything else I could possibly worry about. I knew that if I continued to meditate on these negative things, I would only get overwhelmed about things that I can do nothing about today. After talking to my mom, I felt much better, and I wrote everything down in my journal. All of a sudden, I was reminded of Beth’s words from the Breaking Free study, and from that point on, I began to see God everywhere. I hung out with the kids before dinner, and then wrote down more lyrics for Olivia’s song collection. After being reminded that “God is love” and He cannot be anything less, my outlook on the day was completely rejuvenated. From then on, my joy has gone through the roof. I started off the day reading Romans 4, which describes God’s covenant with Abraham and how through our faith, we are covered as well. All day today, from the children’s beaming smiles to the sunshine, I have been constantly reminded of how good my God is. I know I just used a lot of words to say a little bit, but I am merely trying to expound upon the truth that God’s love surrounds each and every one of us.
I pray that you all will know how deeply God truly loves you and that your joy will be contagious!!
I love and miss you all!
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