I’m happy to report that this week was less eventful than last week. Noah’s eye is healing nicely. Safari was amazing. Jacob and Levi are alive and well….I guess the only excitement we had was the safari, so I’ll share some pictures and some of the experiences we had last weekend.
My prayer for the weekend was that God would show His glory through our safari. Of course, I wanted a fun, relaxing weekend away from the compound, but I needed God. He delivered. (I’ll try to share different pictures than Aaron. You should check out his blog too. www.aaroninkenya.com)
Saturday morning started with a long, dumpy ride to the Masai Mara with the Roberts family. Four adults and 6 boys (ages 10, 8, 7, 7, 4, and 2) anxiously awaited the wild life. God delivered! We saw giraffe, zebra, warthogs, and many other animals before we arrived at the safari club.
Once we checked into the Fairmont Safari Club, we enjoyed some time in the pool, ate lunch, relaxed in the sun and gazed at some hippos. Yes, hippos swim in the river right next to the club! Then, at 3:30 Aaron and I joined 2 other people for our first game drive. It was amazing!
Elephants, gazelle, lions, and so many other animals were added to our already long list of animals. It’s awesome to see these animals in the wild. You can’t really appreciate their size, camouflage or demeanor unless you see them in their natural habitat.
Our last stop of the day delivered 2 lionesses and 4 lion cubs. I was silently praising God for such an amazing day, but He was not finished. As we drove back to the club, the biggest pink sunset appeared. The pictures Aaron took are beautiful, but they cannot give justice to the handiwork of God. Again, I praised God and thanked Him for this blessed assurance that He was with us, but He was not finished with the outpouring of blessings.
After changing for a quick evening game drive followed by dinner in the lodge (at least that’s what we thought was going to happen), God surprised us again. We saw hippos grazing and then were treated to a bush dinner. Masai came to perform for us. We were served a huge outdoor buffet of gourmet food. And we were protected by a man carrying a very large gun. Then, we got to retreat to our beautiful tent for a restful sleep. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
Sunday involved 2 more game drives. This time, we saw many of the same animals, but we visited the rhinos who are protected by Masai guards. Despite our guide’s best efforts, we never spotted a leopard or cheetah. I guess we’ll have to go on another safari!
Since Sunday’s drives were a little less eventful, I had time to reflect on the weekend. Thinking over all the blessings we’ve received through our 2 1/2 months of mourning, I began to miss Hannah all over again, like it was fresh and new. The realization that the entire weekend would not have been possible if she was perfectly healthy and here with us hit me. I’ve been missing Hannah terribly ever since. I’m so thankful for friends and family here and all over the world that are willing and eager to listen to me, cry with me and pray for me. Please continue. Each day brings its own set of mixed up emotions. Fortunately, each day also brings God’s new mercies! Praise Him, for He is worthy!
Praise and Prayer Requests:
1.) Praise God for being Elohim, Creator God! What an amazing God we serve. He is holy, just and big!!
2.) Praise God that Aaron and I had a fun weekend away.
3.) Praise God for the community at Tenwek. They are so wonderful and accommodating.
4.) Pray for wisdom while Aaron and I make decisions about how to fit into our Tenwek community. Parts of us want to jump back into life with full force. However, that doesn’t seem to be working. (Aaron’s headaches are most likely stress related.) Pray that we will move at an appropriate pace even if it’s slower than we’d like.
5.) Pray for us as we near the 3-month mark of Hannah’s passing. June 14 is also our 10 year anniversary. What a bittersweet day that will be. Pray that we know how to plan for that weekend.
Psalm 119: 89-94
Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
- New and Old News - July 28, 2016
- Going back home - May 9, 2016
- Take the Pledge - April 11, 2016
1 Comment
Joanne Vollmer Goodhart
May, 30, 2013Oh, Steph, I’m so glad you had a good weekend, and so sorry that grieving is so hard. There is just nothing to do but submit to it—you will see in retrospect that you are making progress, but nothing is as quick as we would like it to be. It’s just so difficult, but we share a precious hope that gives us strength. We send our love and prayers.