Wow the safari has already come and gone and we are back at work planning our next event, The Ark.
The Ark is headed up by us, the interns and happens every other Friday on campus at African Bible College (ABC). It is a place for people to gather during the transition season of their regular community groups. Just like in San Diego when every one leaves for the summer so does Flood Malawi have a winter season when everyone is gone visiting families and taking a break from school. Community groups that usually have a consistent amount of people during the rest of the year diminish. This also means that people are in town visiting; people like us who are here to serve on a short-term basis and looking for a place to experience God and community. Therefore we host The Ark. Two weeks ago was “Won Love.” Our theme was based around games and learning that we don’t, win God’s love, He has already won us. This next week is In Love. We will focus on being in love with Jesus. The night will be filled with prayer, worship, and communion.
However, since we were on our safari all week there was no time to plan it. Since The Ark is happening tomorrow night, we will spend tonight planning. We will also be doing our regular Friday ministry tomorrow. We have a staff meeting in the morning, make lunch, and travel to Kudoku Village for the afternoon. Although we had a fabulous time on our safari we needed more down time to rest and just be humans.
Unfortunately we were playing catch up on our safari. Four hours into the trip in Chipata (passed the Mchinji/Mfuwe, Malawi/Zambia border) our driver pulled over to the side of the road (the left side). Having been on a South Luangwa Safari before and with the same company, Land & Lakes, I had a flashback of a nightmare. On our return home in 2009 our vehicle broke down on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. A piece of the rear axle had dislodged itself and we waited for 4 hours for the part and fixing. This time it wasn’t the rear axle; instead the engine of the 20 passenger bus was overheating. The driver wasn’t sure if it was the fan belt or the water pump but the bus began to fill with a burning plastic smell.
We all got out of the bus, and after urinating in the reeds, settled about 3 feet above the road on another dirt road/path thing. It was the four of us, American Interns + Edith, our Malawian supervisor; 2 Brits, a mother and her son, who were working with endangered species with the organization, Born Free; 10 Norwegians who were Lake Malawi divers, and on Holiday; 1 German who was a very liberal, English, German, Literature teacher on vacation. The British son, Oliver (15yrs) made it into my quote book when he said, “that German guy is crazy.” Let’s just say we became a big family while we were stranded on the road from 2pm until after dark at 6pm. To make a long story short we finally arrived at Thornicroft Lodge around 11:30 pm. It was one of the happiest moments we’ve all experienced after enduring the bumpiest, dustiest, most exhausting ride one might have. Not to mention being squeezed into a mini-bus with absolutely no suspension, having to pee, having a scratchy sore throat, stomach cramps, and being on the road at night with drivers that have never driven the route before makes for a great story. Fortunately, they held our dinner for us and that dinner was worth all the trouble. It was the most warm, mouth-watering, 3 course dinner I have had in a long time. Our beds were real mattresses and the blankets were so snuggly.
The next morning our wake up call was at 5am, tea at 5:30am, and our first game drive at 6am. We were all like zombies but were blessed with the fragrance of God’s creation! We saw more animals than I know how to describe…God is so awesomely cool!! There is nothing like hearing the roar and purr of a male lion. There is something so unique and calming about sleeping giraffes. Honeybadgers DON’T CARE! Civets are weird. Hyenas stocking Impalas are gangsta. Hippos are just funny. Crocadiles are so suave. Mongoose are sneaky. Porcupines are legit and extremely fast. Elephants are intriguing. Baby elephant trumpets are like music to the ear. Lion cubs are the cutest thing I have ever seen! Mama lions aren’t kidding. Leopards are beauuuutiful and stealthy. Water buffalo are like water buffalo. Zebras blend in despite their black and white. Warthogs (Hogwarts) are brats! Baboons need wet wipes.Vultures are crazy especially when there are like 30 eating a dead hippo. 1 day old dead Hippos smell worse than the toilet hole at Kudoku village. Frog living in my closet…you are so cute and can stay anytime!
In conclusion, the excitement of living in Africa has not gone away and ABC feels and smells like home now. (Mom, Pop, and Alyssa don’t worry, I’ll be home before Christmas haha.) I am excited to relish in this next month. This last month went by so slow and fast all at the same time.
In Pursuit of the King,
Sarah
p.s. Malawi = "The Warm Heart of Africa." Zambia = "The Real Africa"
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