The Pans

Why should I resay what has already been said? Especially since I put most of it together, anyway? ;)

Go here to read and watch some videos of our trip to the pans in Central Botswana.

Slowly, but surely, I am checking things off my list of things to do while living in Africa. Why pass up the opportunities when they are so close? Next up, I'd really like to work in a trip to the Kalahari (obsessed with Namibia) and still need to visit the Okavango Delta. It really helps when we have so many guests that we want to show our Africa - it forces us to plan and go on these trips and not just get bogged down with daily life. So, who wants to go to Namibia with me? Rebekah? ;)

Contrast of Africa

And there I was. Surrounded by my Africa. Surrounded by its beauty, its harshness, and its ruggedness. This is the Africa I love. This juxtaposition of death and life. This contrast of hardness and inconsistency with awesomeness and spirit.

There I was – window down to the breeze, the scent of the elephants and the dust and the river all mixed together to give the scent of Africa. Waters of beauty looked glassy, reflecting every color of the sunset back to infinity – colors as far as the eye could see. But beneath the waters lurked terrors, things with teeth and survival instincts that should put fear into any thinking person. Long golden grasses bend in rhythm with the wind, masking more lurking beasts. Every amazing thing you see signifies harshness, a reality of life that we want to forget about. Plants with thorns, spiders that bite, snakes with poison, and even flowers that sting. Everything beautiful provides a cover for a creature that would like nothing better than to harm you in protection of itself.

This is the wildness that so many people find invigorating. It is so unlike our sterilized world of clean-cut lines, warning signs and safety nets. This is the real world; the real wild, unadulterated by man’s rules or tamed by firearms.

It’s breathtaking, but it can be breath-crushing. This is the lure of Africa, the call of the wild. Something in us responds to this unknown, this carnivorous otherworld where survival depends on your speed and your quick wits. Without some power outside of myself, I would not last in this world for very long. Without shelter, camaraderie, and protection, I wouldn’t get very far in this wild world after all. Maybe there is a lesson here. Maybe I should think on this some more.

But for now, without digging too deep and thinking too hard, I know this: This is why I view all this beauty and cruelty from my window. As much as I love this wild part of Africa, I’m glad I can participate in it while in the safety and security of my modern-world vehicle.

Trip to Vic Falls and Chobe

Road trip this week - On Tuesday, 7 of us packed up the vehicle and went 6 hours north to Kasane, setting up camp near the Zimbabwe border. ("Luxury" camping would be the proper term as we had a) electricity and b) access to bathrooms with not only running water, but HOT water, though we were sleeping in tents and did some of our own cooking out of doors.) Wednesday we went over the border to Victoria Falls, then spent a couple hours in a local market trading and bargaining, and the guys held a Bible study. Thursday we went into Chobe National Park, catching both sunrise and sunset as we drove around viewing hordes of wildlie (but no cats, much to our disappointment). Friday we loaded back up and drove home to Francistown.

All in all, a very relaxing week, yet we're all a little sore from sitting so much. :) But the beauty of God's creation that we saw? Incomparable.

The Falls were... wet. We got pretty soaked, and it was hard to see through the mist. I don't think I'll ever tire of their immensity and power.

Trading at the market was a fun experience. I brought along a bag of old clothes and shoes, and got several wooden bowls in return. We also went to a local grocery store to pick up some lunch items and I was surprised (again) to see the cash drawers of US currency. Poor Zimbabwe.

Though we weren't truly camping, I really enjoyed the laidback style of our accommodation. Each evening we built a fire, roasted marshmallows over the hot coals, and looked at the countless stars in the vast Africa sky.

Chobe National Park was amazing. It was the first time I had visited this particular park, and we only traveled a very small section of it throughout the day. We saw many elephants, cape buffalo, hippos, crocs, fish eagles,  giraffe, zebra, and others that I am probably not thinking of now. We saw a wide variety of antelope as well, including the elusive nyala, kudu, and sable, as well as the exclusive (to Chobe, at least) puku. So though we saw no cats, I felt that the day was overall satisfying due to the vast numbers of these other animals that we saw. Plus, we got to watch the sun set just past a herd of elephants on the river. This little snapshot straight out of my camera doesn't even do justice to it.

Kinda hard to believe that anywhere in  Botswana could be so lush and green, huh?

Mixed Up

Today is cold and windy and gray. My curtain seems to move by itself as the breeze gusts in around the edges of the window. Everything is overcast and everyone is moving a little slow. If I was not in Botswana and it was about twenty degrees colder, I would expect to see snow coming from the sky at any moment. We are all bundled up inside the house, and will soon be lighting a cheery fire in the living room. I made a delicious peppermint coffee creamer that tastes like a certain season, which brings me to the point of this post.

Where are the carolers? Where are the cookies? Where is the music? WHAT HAPPENED TO CHRISTMAS?

Oh, yes, it really is July, not December. Next year, I'm proposing we hold off on having Christmas when we are melting into a puddle of liquid and save it for a few months when the weather turns cool again. Right now, I just want to go bake a pumpkin pie and light a candle or four. I want to smell fresh pine and peppermint and go sledding. *sigh* I'm so confused... but I'm enjoying this cooler weather while it lasts. I know it will be gone all too soon!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Him?

This week has been so busy. I often feel like I am being pulled in thirteen different directions. Dealing with people's spiritual needs, guests in the house, classes to sit in and pay attention to, and yet still keep up with other responsibilities of our correspondence school and literature needs. All this can pile up over my head and leave me feeling rather overwhelmed.

But then when I sit and take a breath... I remember just how very blessed I am. I remember just what a big God that I serve. I remember how I am part of something that is so much bigger than just me.

He is God to so many people. In history past, He worked through kings and prophets, and sometimes it's hard to remember that He is just as interested in little old me. Books have been filled, hundreds of songs written, and countless sermons preached about Him, and yet when I come to His Word with humble heart, He has something that He wants to teach just for me. We can learn a lot from past examples, stories of other people who have trusted Him. I love quotes and biographies for that very purpose, and yet... God has something just for me. He wants to write my story. Even with all the other things going on in this world, He is interested in me.

I love Him. There's no other way to express it. Thus far in my life, He's led me every step, provided for me faithfully, fulfilled all His promises. I don't expect Him to stop now!

Winter

Would you believe it if I said it is freezing here? No, probably not. Most people (us included) are surprised by how cold it actually gets in Botswana. Of course, it's not so much how cold it gets as it is how the cold affects everything.

Imagine a house with concrete floor right on top of the foundation which is level with the ground. This house is all tile floors, all concrete walls, all windows thin and rattling in the breeze, all with no insulation to speak of. This house (the style of all houses/buildings here) is like a little icebox... it catches the coolness and traps it. Nights get down to freezing - no cloud cover 'desert effect' brings really, really cool nights. The house tempers to the cold around it, and traps that cold, no matter how warm it may get during the day. The walls and especially the floors are always cold to the touch.

It's a seeping sort of cold. We layer on clothes - sweaters and jackets over shirts, socks over other socks. Scarves, gloves, and hats, even in the house! All the layering has a purpose, because if you go out during the day and end up walking in the sun, you will probably start to overheat and want to shed a few layers. Some days it still gets up above 80 when in the sun, so you can imagine how hard it is to decide what to wear in the morning that will last you all day!

We have friends from Alaska staying with us, and even they think it is cold! Mornings I wake to see my own breath in the air, and it is so hard to roll out of the little cocoon I've made for myself to go shower in the frigid bathroom.

I just keep reminding myself of how in a few short months (maybe even weeks?) I will look back on this time with great fondness. As I sweat great drops of perspiration, I'll remember these cool mornings and wish for them to come again. :)

Thinking tonight about some facts... it's easy to get too caught up in feelings. The truth is summed up in a simple question: "DID GOD LIE?" If He has promised something in His Word, who am I to doubt what He has said?

God has never changed. Just as He was in days gone by, so He is today. I can look back and read about those in the Bible who knew God and loved Him and served Him, and I know that He is just the same today. I can see His character played out in Scripture; I can read His promises to me.

THAT is the truth. Those are the things I can bank on; those are the things I can trust.

Catch-up

When I don't write, I feel like I miss so much of life. Writing about what has happened helps me process, learn, remember, and of course, stay in touch. Failing to write makes me feel like I'm forgetting and not learning all I could from life, and of course, failing to stay in touch as I ought. :)

My short trip home was immediately followed by some crazy busy days. Here's a basic run-down of what I remember.

Days spent in immigration offices, hunting down paperwork, trying to pull together papers that I later found out I really didn't need, paying more fees and spending a lot of time in queue. Long story short... still waiting to hear about this newly-submitted application. Until a decision is reached, I get two-week extensions (which means standing in queue every two weeks to check and extend).

Preparing for another missions module group, this one consisting of a married couple, two girls, and one guy. (You can check out their blogs here, here, and here.) There were others scheduled to come who had to drop out, but it's still a pretty full house. We also hosted two families passing through (well, coming to this part of the world isn't usually passing through) - one overnight, and one for a week. Friends old and new continue to encourage us and we love making people comfortable, feeding them good food and showing them our Botswana. Plus, it's always fun to play musical rooms (or beds).

Other highlights that stick out of the rather blurry past month include a long, labored-over project coming almost to a close, a total lunar eclipse, temperatures dropping and bringing us all much pleasure, paring down my email inbox to empty (and keeping it that way for a full 24 hours!), as well as countless Bible studies. Recipe highlights include another run at poptart making (we are getting rather good at that, I must say), homeade Cheezits, and a wonderful, garlicy, fettuccine alfredo. The only 'problem' with enjoying good food and learning how to make these things when you can't just buy them is that when I am once again able to buy them, I will probably like the homeade version better. I'm creating a monster, I tell you.

My deepest apologies for being so silent on this side of things. I don't intend to neglect writing; it just happens sometimes. Does that catch you all up? More interesting things to come later... I hope!

Last night, we showed a film in the village. The air was clean and pure, and I sat and watched the sun set and the moon rise beyond the thorn tree. Such beautiful colors filled the sky and you could see the whole big moon, though only a tiny sliver was illuminated. Once dark, people came by the droves and as they watched the film of Jesus’ life and death, they awed and gasped in shock and wonder. I stood in the back and tears ran down my face as I remember everything He has done for me. In that moment, I affirmed again that I want to give everything I have for Him. Everything else is so worthless – so without meaning. He gave so much for me.

After the video, as the crowd dispersed, I stared up into the deep midnight blue sky. A million stars spanned the horizon; staring straight up made me dizzy. Such a spectacular scene and one that I never tire of seeing. The cool night air, the sounds of Africa around me; at that moment, I felt so happy and content with my world.

There are so many unknowns about my future. Never have I felt the uncertainty so much. Always, I have had the anchor of going home, and now no more. Whether to stay or to go… such questions can only be answered in His time. And, as I well know, He is never early and never late – but always right on time.

*So* after two weeks of silence immediately following that 'cryptic' previous post, I guess I should slow down a minute to explain what happened. That last post was scheduled to go up while I was in transit, headed home to PA to surprise a friend and spend two weeks in this part of the world.

Surprising people is so much fun, and since very few knew I was coming, I did surprise a lot of people. These past two weeks have been so much fun and my head is just spinning with it all. Of course, I had a list of things to accomplish while I was here and a long shopping list of things to bring back with me. It's been fun to shop for my family and now comes the tricky part of fitting it all in my bags within the weight limit. :)

My days have been packed spending time with friends and reconnecting with our church. I'm staying at my brother's house, so of course enjoying all that extra time with nieces and nephews. With just a couple days left and still lots left to do, I'm looking forward to things slowing down when I get home to Botswana. But do things ever slow down for us? I have a feeling I'm going to hit the ground running. :)