Weekend Adventure

We had a very full weekend. A lot of fun. We left Jos friday afternoon went east into the next state. After a long ride, we arrived at a Wildlife Reserve. It was pretty cool. I got a lot of pictures. I didn't see any elephants or lions, but we did see some strange animals I've never seen before. I don't know the names. We had baboons come right into our camp! (We stayed in bungalows, and were well protected). My best pictures were of these monkeys, because they weren't very afraid of humans. We took a safari tour on a big truck. Not as nice as the ones Mom and Dad had in Southern Africa, but fun anyhow.

This park also had warm springs we could swim in. When we arrived on Friday night we went swimming after dinner. The water felt great (probably around 90 degrees). One of the African guys wanted to play, so I got some wrestling in. Reminded me of the dunking games I used to play with my brothers whenever we went swimming.

Our van had two flat tires that we discovered late Friday night, thankfully after we had safely arrived at our destination. The park had a shop, so we were able to get the tires fixed without being stranded.

Saturday we continued traveling east into the next state over. This is Bitrus' home state. We visited the Bible college where he got his undergraduate bible diploma. That was pretty cool. Nathan (our host and driver) is also a graduate of this school. And Jeremiah, one on our team, was their principle there. Anyway, John and I enjoyed watching them take a trip down memory lane as we visited the campus and some of the current staff.

Saturday night we stayed at the home of Bitrus' parents. They were very kind, and live in humble village conditions. It's so funny- as soon as someone sees white people they will say "Baturay" (Bah-tour-A), and before you know it a crowd forms of mostly little children just staring at you. At one point I counted over 25 people!

Another funny thing: after we've suffered from Diarrhea for a whole week, Bitrus nonchalantly sends someone into the town to buy Flagyl. We asked him why he waited so long to tell us we could get prescription strength medicine without a prescription. He never thought of it. Mom told me on the blog to get some Flagyl, but I hadn't yet figured out who to ask or how to get it. Anyway, we all laughed, and we are very glad to be rid of the scoots (mostly) for now. Consequently, my appetite is back, and I am again enjoying the food.

On our trip, we would buy the most delicious roasted meat along the roadside. Roasted lamb called "Suya." It reminds me of something you would pay a lot of money for at the fair. Delicious!

After visiting about a hundred people (I seriously lost count after awhile) and stopping in a bunch of villages, we finally arrived back in Jos last night, exhausted. I was glad to get back to a familiar bed, and woke up refreshed this morning.

Class went well this morning. We have started the more practical side of our course, and are having a nice discussion about the spiritual disciplines. Today we talked about Meditation (daily Quiet Time) and Contemplation (practicing the presence throughout the day). We continue to grow in our friendships with one another. Thank you all for praying. The Lord sustains us, and has kept us safe!