Monday, August 25, 2008

Team Malawi Return Update

We're back in the states! What an AMAZING experience we all had. Here's an update on the last bit of our trip.

After finishing up our last week of ministries, we headed off to Zambia for a three day safari. The actual ride to Zambia was misery...7 hours of extremely bumpy and dusty roads. Upon arriving at the lodge, we were pleasantly surprised to find a family of elephants wandering through the the area. Also, there were monkeys everywhere...swinging from trees above our heads...running around the outdoor dining hall...they are as common as squirrels on the UW campus. Our accommodations at the lodge were guest houses overlooking a field of wild animals. We definitely felt pampered while staying there. During the safari rides, we were fortunate enough to see more elephants and monkeys, along with giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hippos, a leopard, and a pride of lions. It was absolutely surreal; all of us felt as if we were watching a real life version of The Lion King.

After finishing the safari, we headed off the Lake Malawi for a couple days as a debriefing time. Lake Malawi is huge; it looked like an ocean from the shore. So tranquil and exotic, it was definitely a great place to unwind and reminisce about our time in Malawi. We spent our time there swimming and jumping off rocks, which was an absolute blast. While at the lake, we also did a good deal of bartering for souvenirs. Some of us gave away clothing items and shoes in exchange for wooden carvings! What a great yet stressful experience that was.

So, we're back safe and sound, but still a little jet lagged. We all greatly miss Malawi, but are happy to be home as well. Thank God for such an indescribable adventure, and thank you for all your prayers!

Tionana!

No comments: