the lion sleeps tonight

Saturday we had the chance to go to a Lion Park. It was…amazing!! We ate an awesome meal, with lions not far from us (we were separated by a chain link fence and an electric wire…really, I didn’t feel all that safe). This lion was about 10-15 yards from where we were eating.

We played with really BIG lion cubs. One man that worked there said that they were probably too big for us to play with, and that they could definitely hurt us…HA HA. Things here work so differently than they do in the States.

But the highlight of the day was definitely this:

I drove an ATV!!!!!

We got to drive heavy-duty safari 4-wheelers on a game drive. I have never even been on an ATV, much less drive one. And these were intense. They had a stick shift and all. AND we did it for free because there had been a mix-up!!

And let me just say, this was no joy ride. IT WAS TERRIFYING. We weren’t just driving on a road. We drove up some very steep, rocky, intense paths. I drove Katie, one of the other interns, because she didn’t want to drive one. At one point, we got stuck in the middle of a huge hill. I thought for sure we were going to roll down the hill backwards, and the safari driver had to come help us. Then, towards the end, we drove down a treacherous hill, no joke. I held the brake the whole time (therein lies my mistake). Our tires and brakes locked up, we fishtailed, and we slid diagonally down the remainder of the hill. It was so scary, but so worth it. We had a ton of fun, and at least it wasn’t a boring ride. I will put up some pictures as soon as I can.

But I’ve learned something about myself this weekend. I always push past my fears. Very rarely do I let fear hold me back from doing something. I may be hesitant and fearful, but there comes a moment when I just go for it, full throttle. Once I am in it, I don’t back out. Being scared can also be completely thrilling, and the adrenaline rush from doing something you are afraid of is unlike anything else.

shake, rattle, and roll

After many, many years, I finally faced my fears…..

I learned how to swing dance.

This is a scary thing for me, but I did it. I learned quite a bit and it was A LOT of fun. I hope to do it often in the future. I will put up a picture or two once I get a hold of them.

And I remembered something about myself, that I need to more intentionally work on: I am not good at looking people in the eye. As in, I never do. I am incredibly uncomfortable with it. So, I decided tonight that I am going to be intentional about changing that.

unwalkable

“As gas prices drill deep into U.S. pockets and people cast about for ways to drive less, a company has ranked the 40 biggest U.S. cities based on their “walkability.”

San Francisco tops the list, thanks to eminently walkable neighborhoods such as Chinatown and the city’s financial district, with a score of 86 out of a possible 100 points. The runners-up in the top five: New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, in that order.

Jacksonville, Fla., on the other hand, came in dead last, with an overall score of 36 out of a possible 100.”

Ha ha. Interesting, huh? So Jacksonville, my hometown, is unwalkable. Unfotunately, I’d have to say that I agree.

something to live by

“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” -Helen Keller

How does life become a “daring adventure”?

By embracing what God has for you.

By forging into the unknown future, despite fears.

By loving passionately and courageously, withholding nothing.

Two posts in one day…crazy! But I couldn’t just blow past that quote. What would it be like to wake up every day excited for the adventure that is to come? I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9

i’m learning

I have never learned more about myself than I have this year. I decided to start writing these things down. Here are a few self-discoveries, and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.

I love cooking and baking anything. I love making food for the people I love. Whenever I am out on my own, I will probably invite people to my apartment often to eat dinner (or any meal or food, really).

I am more comfortable in small group settings than in large social events. In fact, I am usually uncomfortable when there are a lot (like more than 15 or 20) people around, especially people I don’t know. I love one-on-one talks, or one-on-one anything. And I REALLY enjoy having time alone.

I like to take walks. But this just may be because it is beautiful here.

I love any and all forms of expression. Music, writing, journaling, blogging, painting…you name it. I’m not fantastic at any of them, but I enjoy it and enjoy the artistic work of others.

I like baths. But it’s cold here, so it might just be to de-thaw.

I am learning how to like the unknown. This is new for me. I often times get annoyed by last-minute changes. But I am learning to embrace the unpredictable future for what it is…unpredictable. And unknown. But exciting, if I choose to look at it that way.

“Bye, Bye Miss American Pie”

Right now, we have about 75 Americans here on the mission base. This includes staff, interns, Outreach Staff, and 2 mission teams. So for the Fourth of July, we all went out to eat burgers and ice cream! And then, they played a song for us: “Bye, bye miss American Pie…” Throw in a few sparklers, and it’s just like home…well, almost. Either way, it was a great night with the Thrive family! Here’s all of the interns, enjoying our taste of home!

all the little things

Who knew that something so small could make me so happy? I journal a lot. Which is interesting, because before this year I never journaled. I am almost to the end of another journal….which brings both happiness and sadness. I am always sad to leave one journal-I feel tied to it. But I am always excited about the potential of a new journal with blank pages…it carries with it the possibility of new thoughts, new experiences, and new discoveries about me and about life.

Here in Harrismith, I have not been able to find a single journal without lines. But today, a few of us were sitting in the Daily Grind, a coffee shop in town, and there was a bookcase, which I always thought was primarily for decoration. Marc grabbed a book, and it turned out to be an empty, unlined, handmade journal! I was too nervous to ask about it, so Marc asked if it was for sale for me. (Which Marc…if you read this, it defeats the point of you asking if you say that you are asking for me because I am too nervous to ask!! Ha ha.) But they gave it to me for less than $2!!! I could not contain my excitement, even though a couple of other customers were laughing at me.

Yes, I realize…I just wrote an entire blog about finding a journal. But do you ever have a small, unexpected thing happen that makes you happy for a week? That is what happened today…and I am soaking in the joy of it. Here’s a picture…just because I am so excited about it. That is one thing about me-it doesn’t take much to make me excited sometimes.