And God Created Wild Animals

Genesis 1:24-25

God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:

cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.”

And there it was:

wild animals of every kind,

Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.

God saw that it was good.

Today we got to experience His beautiful creation in one of the most remarkable ways possible.  We went on safari at Lake Nakuru.  We were able to see so much of God's creation here in Kenya--the vegetation, the landscape, and most people's favorite- the wildlife.  Seeing these animals in the wild was breathtaking.  Such a fun trip and such a blessing to see His kingdom on display.  

We woke up this morning bright and early to head out at 6AM.  A great example of "This is Africa" which has commonly been said when it comes to time to leave, etc.---we ended up leaving at 6:30.  We drove about 2.5 hours to Lake Nakuru where the safari park is located.  We drove in three separate vans as opposed to the bus we had the rest of the week.  We had another semi-scary drive in the beginning as the fog was extremely dense again.  Once the fog lifted and the sun actually came out for the first time since we've been here it was a beautiful drive.  Joseph, the driver of my van, was a great one to have as he gave us some great information.  While driving we saw some gazelles, a zebra, and a warthog which Joseph told us most were on a private ranch owned by a rich Kenyan.  

Once we arrived at Lake Nakuru we were ready to start on safari.  Our drivers popped open the top of our vans so we could stand up as we drove through the park.  One of the first crazy sights we saw was the water level of the lake.  The rainy season is ending now so the lake was out which Joseph said was not normal.  The first animal we saw was an impala and a black crested eagle as soon as we entered.  But that definitely was only the beginning.  We all had hopes of which animals we wanted to see and were able to see almost all of them.  We saw tons of buffalo and impalas.  One of the funniest animals we saw was the warthog....aka Pumba!  No sighting of Timon though.  During our morning game viewing session we also saw lots of interesting birds, velvet monkeys, and a HIPPO!  The hippo was one of the animals at the top of my list.  He was at the edge of the water so we weren't all that close but you could see him well with the camera and binoculars.  After the hippo sighting we headed to the lodge to check-in.  We are staying a a game lodge that is absolutely incredible.  It was weird arriving at the lodge and seeing all these white people....after a week with almost all Kenyans and few other mzungus it seemed odd. We had lunch as soon as we got here and it was a buffet feast.  They served a wide variety of foods of which I tried most.  There were things such as: pumpkin marsala, stir fry veggies, lamb curry, traditional irio, steak with thyme infused gravy, matoke in peanut and corriander sauce, tilapia with a lime and arrabiata sauce, and many fresh salads and fruits.  The desserts were phenomenal as well....cappuccino mousse,  korosho mramba, orange gratin (some what like a cobbler or bread pudding with oranges) and many others.  The korosho mramba was like a pay day pie--so so good!  After lunch we hung out around the lodge for a few hours.  The view is breathtaking from here....we can see Lake Nakuru through the trees.  And the fact the sun was out was such a welcomed thing.  



We headed back out in the vans to find some new animals this afternoon.  The animals are typically out early in the morning and at dusk when they are feeding.  This run was even better.  As soon as we left we went to find a leopard that had been spotted.  Unfortunately the leopard had moved but as a trade off we found Simba!!  There was a male lion lying in a tree. Camille asked me to bring her back a lion so I did my best and got some good pictures of him.  We also saw two more lions later on but my camera...both my actual camera and phone had died...so I'm going to be stealing some photos from someone.  These were a male and female lying in the grass asleep.  We waited a few minutes to see if they would move and finally they did...they began to flirt shall we say.  Again...such a cool thing to see.  They weren't but about 20 yards away.  Simba and Nala in their natural habitat.  We also saw rhinos, zebras, baboons, and after briefly getting a glimpse of a giraffe early on we finally saw a giraffe up close on the drive back to the lodge.  All such incredible creatures...fascinating to watch.  Paul commented in our van that it is hard to see an animal like a rhino with the setting we were in, a lake and mountains for the background with sun beams coming down through the clouds and not believe there is  a God.  His kingdom is such a beautiful place and experiencing His creation is such an awesome opportunity.  


Joseph gave us some cool facts about the animals throughout our drive.  I wish I had a recorder with me so I could remember them all.  Paul is supposed to remember them for me but since he's not around I'll tell the ones I remember.  He said the giraffe's heart is the strongest of any animal--it pumps 20 gallons of blood per minute.  When a lion dies the rangers often have to move the carcass themselves rather than other animals feeding on it as happens with most--the others fear the lion so much that they do not dare mess with it even when it's dead.  He said the Maasai women used to place their children on the dead lions because they believed some of his courage would go into their children.  When a lion gets old he loses his teeth which is his killing mechanism.  So the warthog, or pumba as Joseph calls them, becomes his most common meal.  The warthog has a very short memory...12 minutes.  So if the lion is chasing him the warthog eventually forgets and then the lion sneaks up on him.  There were several others that he told but between my own lack of memory and you probably not wanting to read my version of National Geographic, I'll leave it at that and share more when I see you. 

After the drive we came back to the lodge again where there was a dance performance and dinner.  The dancers performed "traditional Kenyan dances" but it was not so authentic according to Joe and Caitlin.  While it was entertaining....and they got Char, Joe, and Caitlin up on stage....it was not so authentic nor was it an award winning performance.  Nevertheless though we were in a beautiful setting with a fire pit, some music, and wrapping up an unforgettable trip.  After the dancing we had dinner which again was a buffet style feast.  They offered a wide variety of international dishes again including some delicious alfredo, steak, red snapper, and the best naan I have ever had.  They also served fresh fruit--I had some pineapple and passionfruit.  The desserts were great again---a toffee chocolate cake that was awesome (Lester, you make a similar version).  Needless to say I'm glad we're only here for a night because I'd otherwise gain so much weight.  

And now it's after dinner and I'm sitting by the firepit as I write this blog on our final night in Kenya.  Most of the group sat out here for a while but pretty much everyone has headed to their cabin now.  It is so peaceful out and so hard to believe it is my last night in Kenya.  It was tough to say goodbye to the Kenyans I have met and it will be tough to say goodbye to Kenya itself.  God has used this week in so many more ways than I probably even realize much less can write about.  Just as sure as He created the creatures of the Earth I know He created me for a great purpose in His works and this was a part of that.  Seeing and doing all that we have this week brings so many things into perspective, but it also leaves me with so many questions.  As I have tried to point out each day, God has answered my prayers and broken my heart for what breaks His.  But now the questions come of what next.  The second part to that request or song lyric is "everything I am for Your kingdom's cause."  God answered that part too this week....but "everything I am" is a big statement.  Tomorrow I get on a flight to Doha and eventually back to the States a few (or 12) hours later....and my prayer is that I continue to seek God just as I was seeking Him in this trip.  I pray that He continues to break my heart for what breaks His, that I give all I am for His kingdom's cause, and that He uses my time here in Kenya to remind me.  I can't leave a place like this and the impact it has made on me and just forget--it is my prayer God uses it daily.  And God-willing I will be back to this place sooner rather than later.  

So that's our trip.  I plan on writing a follow-up once we're America bound and/or back home.  I will say that while I'm going to miss Kenya like crazy and have enjoyed it more than I ever hoped, I am excited to get home too.  I know my dad will be excited to hear that I'm back. Please keep us in your prayers as we make the trip back over the next couple of days.  We leave the lodge at 6:30AM and drive out through the park....back to Brackenhurst to pick up our bags...and then Nairobi to catch our 1PM flight.  We fly through Doha again where we have an extremely long layover...then an extremely long flight back to DC.  It's going to be a long couple of days.  I'm excited to see you guys when I get back and share more stories of God's kingdom and my experiences.  Asante sana (thank you very much) for taking time to follow along on our trip here in Kenya.  

And GO HEELS!  I hope to see us still playing when I return!  A big fist pump happened in Kenya when I heard we beat State.  Beat those Bruins!