Amboseli, Day Two: Breakfast in the Bush

Hi all-

It is 10:00 a.m. here, which means you guys are all sound asleep in your beds. Haleigh L. and Brian M. and I are sitting here at the hotel computers after a full morning of game-viewing and breakfast-eating (we have been on the go since 6 a.m.!). You will be excited to know that we have seen so much this morning, including a PRIDE OF LIONS!!!! Sadly, I do not have my zoom lens with me so I didn't see them up close. But I am looking forward to the official Millet version because the whole encounter was well-documented on video. It was really exciting- one of the female lions crossed the road right in front of our group of jeeps! We also saw lots of families of elephants this morning. You may know that Amboseli is known for its elephant population. In fact, there is a research facility here in the park that is world-renowned. Also seen this morning were hippos, zebras, hyenas (YUCK), gazelles, impalas, ostriches, and we got almost up close and personal with a clan of baboons (Mr. Morrill, if you are reading this, please find out what a group of baboons are called for next year's announcements. We want to know.). We just finished our breakfast-in-the-bush, and now, we have free time until our next game drive at 3:30. It looks like a gorgeous day ahead of us.

Last night in our devotion time, Mr. Millet told us that he views our time in this game park as worship. We are viewing God's creation in all of its glory. And I also like what James N. said to us last night about God being like Mount Kilimanjaro. I can't remember if I wrote this before or not but Mount Kilimanjaro is not always fully in view. For example, this morning it has been overcast, so we can really only see the very bottom of the base of the mountain. I'm fairly certain it is normally cloud-covered to a certain extent. But it is there, and when it finally reveals itself, it is magnificent. And what James said is that God is like that- He is always there, even though we may not always be able to see Him. But we can count on the fact that He is here with us. When we drove in to the park yesterday, those of us who had seen Kilimanjaro before recognized it even though it was completely obstructed from view- to the untrained eye, it just looked like those were storm clouds. But we knew it was there. Just like that, believers can see the hand of God at work in our lives, even though it may not be visible to the untrained eye.

Sorry- I don't mean to ramble (I warned you about the rabbit-trail-y nature of my writing!!). I've just been thinking alot this morning. :)

I will post again this evening after our devotions. Please be in prayer for us as we prepare for the next bend in the road: Kajiado. At breakfast this morning, James was telling me what all lies ahead and although I am very excited, I am also VERY aware that we will need the Lord's strength for the coming days. We cannot do it on our own. But in II Corinthians 12: 10, Paul says: "when I am weak, then I am strong." In fact, let me back up a verse. In 12:9 it says that the Lord says to Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." I'm hanging on to that right now because I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be a time or two over the next several days that I wonder "what were we thinking?" To which I will tell myself:

HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.

Love you guys... more later!

In Christ,
Jill

PS- I am adding this a little later from my original posting- I forgot to tell everyone thank you so much for praying for the three girls and Jon and their illnesses! All four are feeling MUCH better. I heard Jon tell someone this morning he feels like he is back to about 90% of his normal self, and they've all got color back in their faces and have been eating well. So, thank you, Lord, for restoring health to these four team members! I think that is the most people at one time we've ever had sick. Ugh.