1 Peter 5:7

As most of you know, I (Jim) was robbed in Nakuru a couple of weeks ago.  Back in November, we had scheduled a safari at a travel fair; we were to depart only four days after the robbery.  Dealing with the emotional end of my being robbed while on safari in a National Park was much more difficult for Heather, and Faith had actually picked up on quite a lot of the details.  Because of that, we were pretty apprehensive about our trip to Maasai Mara, but God knows best.  We were able to borrow a camera from some friends of ours, hired a driver with the Gonzalez family, and took off.

 We stayed in a 'tented camp.' It was nothing like camping, except for the feel of being outdoors and listening to night sounds through cloth walls.

All our meals were buffet-style in a beautiful restaurant, with foods from all over the world.  We had tasty deserts, the kids enjoyed rabbit and duck (Joel was especially excited) and, generally, felt like we weren't in Africa - salve for our homesick hearts.

It was expensive; it probably cost $100 per day (thanks, Mom and Dad!) but we needed the distraction, and the security.

The kids thrived on the independence, the pool, time with friends... They even posed with the creepy-looking maasai statue.

Game drives were a fun diversion.

 

There was plenty of time for reading, Heather had a massage and a pedicure.

It all felt very un-missionary-like to be pampered, comfortable, and relaxed.  For a few days we were sitting in the lap of luxury, away from the stresses of life at RVA, and from the constant wariness: hiding possessions, watching for pick-pockets, wondering about bribes and government corruption, looking at window-bars, tightly grasping our kids' hands.

In college I heard a quote: "You are a missionary or a mission field."  I'm not sure who said it, some evangelist at an Urbana conference, I think.  At first it excited me, then bothered me.  In a later conversation, a friend said it shouldn't bother me at all because EVERY Christian SHOULD be BOTH a missionary and a mission field - it's when we spend most of our time as only a missionary or only a mission field that we run into problems.

'Cast your anxiety on Him for he cares for you'
1 Peter 5:7

God is incredibly good.  We felt so blessed by our week away.  The timing and the activities of our safari trip were the perfect antidote for our anxiety and worry and through it, God really gave our family comfort and boldness.  Faith was first very scared about the idea of going on safari because that was where I was robbed, but now she wants to go to Nakuru and stay in the SAME PLACE with her Grandmom who arrives next month.  I even bought a rungu stick our last day in the Mara - just like the ones that glowered over me in Nakuru - as a memento and souvenir of the moment.