Mission Pains

"ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS, SHE TOOK FLIGHT......"

 

 

ONE HUNDERED AND FOUR YEARS, ONE MONTH, FIVE DAYS.

What a life!

 

She was born 6 years after the Wright Brother's took their first flight....she then lived to see man go to the moon.  She was there for Charles Lindberg.   She lived through World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and all the latest middle east conflicts.  Penicillin had not been discovered when she was born.  She lived through the stock market crash and the great depression.  She got a Master's Degree from Baylor when it was unheard of for most women to go to college.  She loved Robert and Elizabeth Browning.  She survived the Flu epidemic of 1918.  When she was born women did not have the right to vote. The Empire State building was started and completed after her birth. Princess Elizabeth became queen and Disneyland opened.  The Titanic sunk and the first silent movie happened after she was born.  Al Capone went to prison and Gandhi was assassinated, as was Martin Luther King, and John Kennedy. She witnessed the civil rights movements; the lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro NC and the march on Memphis.   She was an educated, working mom. She was witty, sharp, and at times a bit sarcastic.  She was known for astute intellect and for being a well-liked teacher.   She was fiercely defensive of her children, especially her baby Bob, who always got to win the game.  She really was a women before her time.  BUT, the thing I want my children to remember is that she was a women of God.  She was a faithful Bible reader and scholar of the scriptures.   The last time I saw her she told me she wanted to move on, but it was not her will, but the Savior's.  She had a "perfect love of Christ." 

 

Well done Wynnie, you endured to the end, you patiently waited on His will.

 

The mission experience is many things...it reaches all levels of emotion for different reasons.  The news this week of Nana's passing reinforces the importance of being close to family.  A bit melancholy.

LUCKY CHARMS

Bob and I have been to Kruger three times since moving here.  We had yet to see a lion in the wild.
Rian and Jim can to visit us an our luck changed, they were  lucky charms.  It was a fun, fast visit, but it was pretty great.  We all got car-its an TB from non-stop sitting and driving.

We went out in the bush the first day to pick them up.  Out in the middle of no where were these little dancers.  They were dancing their heart out for a few Rand.

 

 

The two men were definitely calling the shots.  I am always concerned that a child may being used unethically or abused.  It was obvious they were fairly poor, even the older men were wearing tattered clothing.   As we left they asked if I was from a church and I said yes, they wondered if I could bring back could some T-shirts to fit the children.

It is such a hard call trying to determine real need or if you are being manipulated.

They were very cute, it was hot, dry, dusty and there was nothing around where they were.  It was close to Sabi Sands a private/pricey game, safari outfit.  I assume they just come there and wait for people to give them a few rand.

 

Sunday was the township day...The minute we walked in to the branch Jim was told he would do the Priesthood lesson.   It was an event,  I bet he has never had the opportunity  to teach the gospel in those surrounding ...a dirty school, no teaching aids, but people with a great heart.  I know he had similar experience in Korea.  Bob said he did a great job.

 

Monday and Tuesday it was back to Kruger and we had a great, great experience.  We saw all the Big Five:  water buffalo, elephants, a rhino, leopard, and LIONS (4 different times)!  Rarely do you get to see the Big Five in one trip, but my "lucky charms" made it happen.  Since we have posted animals in the past here are just a few of the more interesting sightings that I had not seen before.

  

 

This was the first stop after we entered Kruger was at Crocodile Bridge.  We met this guy when we went with Christy and Bob. This is an area where people get out of their cars and look although it is against the rule,  I am sure they put this person there to protect people.  This guy has been there every  time we have gone but once.   He carries a gun and works for the park.  He offered to walk us down by the crocodiles.  So away went down into the river beds and we saw some hippos and crocs.  He was nice. and showed us a few things. One thing was the frog in the rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is amazing that there are all these fascinating smaller things that we don't associate with the jungle and bush.  Very interesting little animals that we have never heard of before we came here.

This Hippo had been attacked by something!
Note the red hide torn open on his back. 
A tracker thought it was other hippos or a lion.


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The crocodiles are all a bit different.  Most we have seen are long and not as massive, this guy below looks likes he could do serious damage.  We were pretty close to him.   This is when you DO NOT get out of a car.  We are told that they can be fairly fast when they go for an attack. 

This pride of Lions had attacked a Kudu.  This is a large deer type animal and they were chowing down  The Kudu's horn is sticking up.  It was fascinating.  Circling the lions eating were a large group of vultures.   The most fascinating was the fact that there were 5 or 6 big Hyenas pacing around on the outskirts of the lions.  This was the first close up of Hyenas we saw.  

This was a massive elephant.  He backed our car up to the main road, not giving us any leeway.  We saw lots of elephants, this one was particularly big.  His ear on the right had big rips probably from tearing up a tree.  Most other animals would leave this guy alone.  Elephants do lots of ecological damage in the bush.  They tromp over things and literally pull big trees out of the ground.

 This is the safari car we rode in, many of the animals we saw just driving our own car with "Safari Bob".  The first time we went on one of these rides it was a BOMB!  No animals (I mentioned this in an earlier blog), but this time it was better---It was the "lucky charms".  These little bush rides are hard....4:00 pm to 7:30 pm (gets dark and cold at 6:00 pm and 5:00 am to 8:30 am.  The 5:00 am is a killer, but we saw some neat things this time.
After checking into our little hut, we went on a safari ride.  Bob, Jim, and Rian are on the look out.  When it gets dark you use spot lights to look out through the bush.  We had some younger adults (19 ish) on this ride and they had the x-ray vision.
Below is a leopard they spotted on the side of the road.  He was hard to see because of the grass.  September is a perfect month. It is the end of winter and the grasses are down.  During the summer months, November through April the grasses are high and it would have been difficult to see many of the animals we saw.  They could be close to the road, but you can't see more than a few yards into the bush.



Leopards are harder to find.  They are very solitary so you usually only see them in isolation.  This is the second one we have seen.  Cheetahs are almost impossible to see in the bush and rarely do you see them.  Maybe we will sometime.  Hopefully, our next guests will have the opportunity to be our "lucky charms".  Who will it be,  let us know.....

 

 

We have not seen Hyenas at a reasonable distance.  This time we saw a number of them.  The tracker told us that they den up together, but they stalk pray alone.  When they find something, then they alert others and they all come. 

They usually follow the lions.  The lioness makes the kill, the pride starts eating this and then the Hyenas show up to get their share.  Both of the lion kills had a gathering of Hyenas around them.  They do not attack the lions unless they are small.  The Lioness with two young lions below took off after the one in the road.  I thought we might see some action.  The lioness was fast.  She waited patiently then sprang into action.  She missed the

Hyena, but it was fun to see it. 

 

These guys are pretty creepy,  But they probably have gotten a bum wrap because of the Lion King.

 

 

 

Second Lion was a young lioness lying beside the road about 8:00 pm.  She was alone. I missed her face when she was getting up, but butt shots can be good (can't they).  I do like this pic because she looks healthy  and muscular. They lions all looked strong.  

The Lioness below is the one that chased the hyena.  She was in the third group of lions we saw.  She was a mother with two, maybe year old cubs.  There is no way the hyenas were going to get close to the younger lions.

The same mother Lioness with one of the
smaller lions to the left.  They had just killed a wart hog ( not cute) and started eating it when the hyenas showed up.

 

We stayed in these  same little huts we stayed in with Bob and Christy.  I am sure they are up to par with the major Safaris and not up to the standards of most of us "hotel snobs" but they were interesting.  A number of wart hogs were wandering around the huts.

I finally saw the lions.   As we were leaving I made the comment that we didn't get a close up of a male lion...then just as we were driving out of the park there he was, being lazy under a tree...It was a great trip to Kruger.

 

 The next day we were off to the panorama.  I have posted picture, but we did find one new waterfall.  It is probably the best so far.

 Tarzan swing on his vines as we walk up a little jungle path!

 



 

 

 Rian and Jim at the waterfall.  It is truly beautiful with crystal clear water.

A favorite spot for me!

Hats for "God Window...hot, plus we wanted to support the local economy!

 The next morning we were up bright and early and off to Joburg.  A visit to the organic market and then to The African market.

Jim made lots of bargains....and friends.

 

  

 We put our junk in the trunk....then off to the airport...then the mystery was how to stuff the junk in the bags...it did work! 

  It was a quite road home for an hour, so thankful for the visit.  It was fun!

 

But, we refocused and starting reviewing the mission work.....it never ends, but we are thankful for this opportunity...99% of the time.

 

Beautiful South Africa in Kruger Park !