I am trying to call up the words to talk about this last week away on safari with our kids and the Wild Hope summer crew, but it's all too rich and wild and good and big to figure out which words will paint for you this most excellent time.
Plus, I'm dead tired. Dead tired but very happy :-)
I think the beauty came from the mixture of traveling through dramatically varied landscapes, having deep conversation around the issues of being whole and free, launching into adventurous exploits, cross cultural friendships, exploring Creation and discovering the bigness of God.
Were there any troubles along the way? A few. My emergency pit stops by the side of the road on the final long day of travel without "facilities" reminded me that it's not just visitors to Africa who need tummy soothing meds from time to time. But over all, it was pretty dreamy.
Our first day's (very dusty) drive delivered us to the foot of the rumbling volcano, Oldonyo Lengai, where we pitched our tents on the somewhat stable shores of the saline Lake Natron. We lost track of how many tremors we felt and wondered which part of sanity told us to make camp at the epicenter of recent quakes that are making news in East Africa.
We traveled on from the heavy heat of those prehistoric vistas (where we thought it would be fitting if a dinosaur appeared from behind a big pile of rocks) and made our way through wide open plains, up into softly rolling hills and into forests that still befuddle many a wanderer.
And that's just the geography of where we went. In community we went into honest, raw conversations and prayer times, looking together into the unspeakable love of God and finding such freedom there to become ourselves, the selves He has been dreaming of.
He dreamed us, as he made us. He dreamed us free and full and givers of grace and life to those around us.
This wild safari we call life is getting us there. These final ten days with our summer team gained us all new ground and we are grateful.
The house is quiet in a sad and restful way as Tommy, Dane, Carly, Christian, Gabby and Joel are no longer here with us.
What good traveling companions they made!
(Photos: Jesse Borden)
5 comments:
Tears pretty much work for me, tears of gratefulness for what God gave you all on this journey!
I've never been on a safari before, but the metaphor for spiritual discovery still seems to work for me.
I suppose, maybe, because I like to think that God is still present in the places and experiences I have yet to discover.
Wherever I wander, He is there.
Beautiful Oldonyo Lengai. God is so amazing and I am so glad that He continues to draw us to Himself so we can become who He dreams us to be. What a good God! Blessings on your wordless wanderings.
Your words still do us well, dear Lisa. Thank you for distilling those days down.
I like Kelly/Spain Dad's thoughts on God being present in the places we've yet to discover. The Western Church would do good to embrace that thought, I'd say.
Nelly, yes, that Spain Dad is a smart one :-) God is already there in the places I am on my way to. He welcomes me home as I arrive.
And you, you have a very silly new profile pic which is making me giggle as I pull myself away from catching up with mails and get my tired wee self to bed. It's late in East Africa and the household sleeps.
xx
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