We have been looking forward to going on safari from the time we started planning our move to Kenya. The Roberts (our mentor family and good friends) had suggested a day trip to the Masai Mara and we eagerly agreed. As it turned out the manager of the Fairmont Mara Safari Club had read our blogs and very graciously allowed Steph and I to spend the night and covered all of our expenses. After the emotional roller coaster of the prior week, it was wonderful to have some time away!
The day began with loading up the three Kelley boys and the three Roberts boys. This actually went relatively smoothly. En route Noah gave us a bit of a scare though. He was having so much fun laughing in the back of the vehicle with the rest of the kids that he began choking on his breakfast. Thankfully he recovered and all was well the rest of the trip. Our first safari was courtesy of Ben. We drove around and were able to see many amazing creatures including zebra, gazelle, topi, warthogs, and a tower (I looked it up and this is the name for a group) of giraffes…there were actually over 20 of them, which was spectacular to see! We then arrived at the Fairmont where we ate lunch and played around at the pool. It was at this time that Noah again gave us another bit of a scare. The floor of the pool was very slick and Noah (who doesn’t know how to swim very effectively yet) started to slide his way from the shallow end to the deep end. I played lifeguard and jumped in to pull him back to where he could again reach. We all know that events, patients, etc. come in threes and this time was no different. We’ll come to that in a bit.
In the afternoon on Saturday we went out on our first official game drive. To say that it is impressive does no justice to the magnificence of God’s creation in this country. Here is the list of animals that we saw that Steph and I came up with (I think it is pretty complete). We saw a pride of lions (minus the papa lions), a tower of giraffes, a herd of elephants, a herd of zebras, several mongoose, a crash of rhinos, a bloat of hippos, a cackle of hyena, a troop of baboons, several types of gazelle (mostly Grant and Thomson), a herd of impala, a herd of eland, a herd of wildebeest, a gang of Cape buffalo, several jackals, several dik diks, several types of monkeys, a herd of topis, several ostriches, a ton of wart hogs and lots and lots of various birds and eagles.
We saw A LOT of amazing creatures and learned quite a bit about them. For example, the dik diks are monogamous. If one of them dies, the other has been know to either jump off a cliff or feed itself to a pack of lions. This was only one the of many trivia type questions that we can now answer thanks to our guide Moses. As nice as the pictures are, they only capture a transient glimpse of the remarkable creation in which we live.
After completing our afternoon safari, we returned to our rooms and prepared for a short drive to see the hippos feed. The hotel is situated right along the river and you can watch many of the hippos there throughout the day. After sunset, they come out of the water and follow “hippo highway” to areas where they feed. We were then treated to a bush dinner. The food was amazing but before we ate, we were able to watch a performance by a group of Masai. They chanted, danced, and jumped around the fire in traditional garb. It was amazing to see how those traditions have been passed down through the ages.
While our time at the Fairmont and on safari was relatively brief, it was still amazing! We are so thankful to the manager and employees for taking such good care of us and also to our friends the Roberts for taking us there and for then watching our boys…and to Ben for helping to fix Noah’s eye. So Noah’s third injury was an eye injury (seems somehow fitting since he was staying with an ophthalmologist). Thankfully, it was just a corneal abrasion that has since healed. We have been so blessed by so many people since losing Hannah. While these blessings don’t take away our pain, they are small ways of reminding us that we serve a God who is bigger than cancer, bigger than death, and bigger than any grief we could ever experience.
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8 Comments
Carol Monteverde
May, 29, 2013I guess it’s true what they say about things coming in threes! Wow! What a wonderful time you all must be having.
Meredith
May, 29, 2013Your words are so powerful and so encouraging! Thank you for opening your hearts and your life and sharing what God has done and is doing in the lives of you and your family! May God continue to annoint your ministry!
Liza Haubert-Balough
May, 29, 2013Aaron and Steph- I have truly enjoyed your blogs. I can’t tell you how much your faith has inspired me and my family, really too many to recount. I have to to tell you, these pictures from your safari are amazing. God’s creation is so perfect as is His timing and His faithfulness to those who surrender to him! Thank you for sharing your story! I continue to keep you and your family in prayer and will do so! I had a very good friend of mine (our unit Chaplain’s wife) tell me once that when life seems overwhelming/painful/severe, the phrase that always comes to mind is: “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle” while this is true it is that. He often does give us more than we can handle so we rely on Him to help us handle the rest. I would like to share yesterday’s devotional with you because I think it was so powerful and very encouraging, we truly do serve an awesome God:
SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by MARSHA BURNS
You are making progress whether or not it is apparent to you. The real key is that you stay in absolute, unwavering faith in Me to bring you through this difficult process to perfection. Your attitude will reveal the true nature of your belief. Stand strong in what you know to be the truth of the situation, and refuse to allow fear to have any place in you at all, says the Lord. Know that I am with you and for you.
Psalm 91:1-7 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.
Kathy Ames
May, 29, 2013Nothing says “adventure” like having your portrait made with a rhino. Your pictures are stunning!
Jody Allen
May, 29, 2013I am so glad the manager of the hotel blessed you all with such a lovely opportunity and lasting memories. After seeing your pictures I actually found myself wanting to go to Africa even looking up information on the safari you went to. Your pictures should be submitted to national geographic magazine. God bless and carry on…
Joanne Vollmer Goodhart
May, 29, 2013What a wonderful experience!
I think God is saying something soothing to you like a parent would say: “I’m here. I’m here.”
Billie Jo
May, 29, 2013I think Noah may need a bubble!! So glad you all had a good time, it looks amazing. Love and prayers from WV!
Carol Webster
Jun, 6, 2013Thank you for sharing this! It brought back so many wonderful memories of my safari in Kenya 20 years ago – I think it’s time to go again. God’s creatures are truly magnificent! Blessings…..