Monthly Archives: January 2014

Hippo Attack!

17 Friday Jan 2014

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photo by Uryadnikov Sergey

Some people have nightmares about falling off buildings. They wake up in a cold sweat and upon realizing it was only a dream, take a deep breath of air and roll over and go back to sleep.

My nightmares were Hippos. After living in Africa near the Okavango Delta for many years, I have seen my share of damage that the Hippo can do. They aren’t a bit like the cute little stuffed animals you see in the Disney store! More people are killed by the Hippo than any other animal in Africa. The hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal. When we first moved to Maun, there were regular occurrences of hippo attacks. They used to roam near the river looking for vegetation to eat near where we lived and there were times when they would encounter us humans. Generally speaking, they just attack predators, including people, they don’t eat them since they are herbivores.  Once a man tried to take a stick and chase the menacing hippo out of his yard. The consequences were fatal for the man, and for his friend who tried to save him. After that there were shotgun sounds for a full day near the river where the horrid thing happened. Eventually, the local BDF (military) were able to eliminate the creature. Those are sounds that one doesn’t get over easily.

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At the time, my 2 boys were small. The mothering instincts were at their peak! So, for the longest time, nightmares of my children having encounters with hippos would torment me. Usually, it was a case where I could see the dangerous hippo before my kids could and always, just before the attack, I would wake up with a scream out to the kids to get out of there!! In my dreams they could be anywhere my children were. It was terrifying! When I had our 3rd son, Mason, we were living right on the river during a drought. There were 32 hippos who were scraping by, trying to survive. They would crash down the fences and make their way outside our bedroom to the dying fruit trees and the hippos would graze at night in our yard, standing up on their hind legs to reach the last of the green leaves.

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One night, my mother in law heard something near the long, narrow window in our passageway. She pressed her nose up against the glass to see what it was and to her surprise; she was nose to nose with a giant hippo! She spoke to it and whisked her hand saying, “shoo, shoo!” and it turned and left quietly.

Another time, Andy, our black lab was running next to the river. Barney, the gold lab, was a lot smarter than Andy and kept a safe distance from the river that was teaming with Crocodiles and hippos. Andy decided it was time to play and he went out to the center where the hippos and their calves were congregated. I happened to be looking out the living room window when all of a sudden, I saw Andy jump on the back of one of them! You can read here for the rest of that story! 

My fear of the hippo just got worse as time went on! There came a time when I realized that this was just not healthy. Being so terrified of anything, much less something I had to see every day was too much. Never mind the terrible nightmares I had on an ongoing basis!  I decided it was time to talk to God very seriously about this! I don’t know about you, but I wait way too long sometimes before I think something is “serious enough” to take to God in prayer and ask for His help.  I talked to him just like a child would to his parents pleading to remove this horrible fear from me.

After that, it just became less and less! I don’t like, go swimming with them like Andy did, but I noticed over time, that it just faded away. Until………

This has been day 16 of My 500 Words.   Read day 17 of My 500 Words for the rest of the story!

other pics found on bing.com

Alligator Gars and Tiger Fishing

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Life in Africa

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I have always loved fishing. Growing up I often went fishing with my grandfather on “Chocolate Bayou” near Galveston, Texas.  Alligator Garfish was a great game fish. I can’t say that I ever caught one though. I was pretty young but it was fun to watch him and the other guys hook some!Image

When my husband, Jerry and I went on our first trip to Southern Africa we were able to go Tiger Fishing at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. We had been married just over a year and had not really had a proper honeymoon and a Pastor from a church in Zim did a trade out for us. We got him some fishing gear in exchange for a weekend at a nice Hotel with mosquito netting over the bed and a great view of Lake Kariba. The Elephants would come and drink water from the swimming pool and the monkeys were making themselves at home around our room.Image

The cheapest way to Tiger fish there was to go out at night on a big Kapenta Rig, especially for us newlyweds on a shoestring budget. These rigs use mercury lights connected to portable generators to attract the fish to the rig. A dip net around 6 metres in diameter and around 8-10 metres in length is used to bring the fish up from as deep as 40 metres, (130 feet) Kapenta is similar to a sardine.  Local people dry them and eat them with their great taste and protein.

The predator Tiger Fish are clever. They know when and where to find a great meal. When the Kapenta rig shows up, they drop the net and the Kapenta’s race for the light. That’s where the lucky tag-along’s come in. This particular rig went out at night. When we got there, it was just before dark and getting colder as the sun went down. Yes, It really does get cold in Africa! It is an all night exercise.  We packed up with the bedrolls, food and got on the rig. The guys looked really surprised when I boarded. Shocked is a better word! She white lady going out on this rig for the whole night? It was a first for them.  We had to take turns sleeping and then it was a long wait to be able to fish around the guys working. I am happy to report that I got the first hit from the tiger! All hands on board that night jumped up from their dead sleep and work to watch this crazy lady from Texas try and bring one of the worlds best game fish in all by myself.

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(yes, that’s me in the photo, recently catching the first tiger between me and Jerry)

I actually have a lot of pity for the men, including my husband, that night. You see, I got the biggest one of the night! I really should try and be more humble about my fishing skills, but I just can’t help myself. We had a blast that night and the men probably never forgot the whole experience. I know I haven’t!

Let me give you just a small takeaway from this true story and address some peer pressure issues. The most obvious thing is not always the best thing. If you go along with what everyone else is doing, just because that is what everyone else is doing, you better watch out for some predators out there. I think about the nightlife scene in our village of Maun. People jam-pack the bars inside and out. Those Kapenta fish went for the light and got caught in the net. The ones who didn’t get caught in the net were vulnerable to the mighty Tiger Fish. Either way, those little fish likely had their last day!

Here is what the bible has to say:

1 Peter 5:8-11 (MSG)  “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”

 

My 500 words day 15

No Trespassing!

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Where I grew up in Texas, there was a huge sand quarry that we called “The Sand Pits” right next to our house. Dump trucks would come and go from there all the time.  It was a mysterious place that teased with intrigue! There were mountains of sand, places with quicksand and swamp like areas with Cattails. The place was a kids paradise. One day it was quiet and my brother, his friend and I found our way in through the fence that was meant to keep people out. There were “No Trespassing” signs all around.

ImageWe found ourselves at the bottom of a cliff-like wall. Boys being boys, they excitedly decided that they would dig a tunnel all the way to our house, which was just over the top of the wall. Of course, being the only girl, and the little sister, I got the grunge work! My brother Lee and his buddy Stephen got the front line work while I hauled the sand off that they dug through with their hands. After a few hours, it started looking like a cave and we were really making headway! Maybe we would manage to come out on the other side by the end of the day. Even our German Shepherd dog, Toro, was digging.

It happened so fast that we didn’t have time to react.  Out of nowhere, the entire wall, at least 10 stories high came crashing down on all of us. I was at the back so I was just waist deep in the sand. My brother and Stephen disappeared under the fall! Pretty soon, my brothers’ head popped out of the sand and he gasped for air.  We both checked each other to see if we were okay and only then did we realize that Stephen was nowhere to be found! We looked for the spot that we thought he was at and couldn’t see anything but a massive amount of beige colored fine sand. We panicked. Lee started digging like crazy and screaming, Stephen! Stephen! Where are you? Toro sniffed out where Stephen was and started digging too. Lee shouted at me to go get help. I ran as fast as my little 9 year old legs could carry me and I went to the house across the street from the quarry and asked for help since it was the closest from the gate. The lady wasn’t the friendliest person in the world and as neighborhood kids, we got on her nerves a lot.Image

She said in a cold voice, “Go home and tell your parents”.  I couldn’t believe she would send me away with something this urgent. I went home and they were both there, along with my baby sister. My mom said for me to stay with the baby while they went to help. They called the police before they left and then ran frantically out the door.  It seemed like an eternity by the time they returned. As I looked out the door and out onto the shell road we lived on, there was Stephen all covered in sand, a bit short of breath and coughing but he was fine! Whew! If it hadn’t been for the sand being very fine, like beach sand, he would not have made it.

Do you ever feel like you are on an adventure, you are “digging in” to your dream, only to have the whole thing come crashing down on you? Maybe you don’t feel like you can even breathe?  Maybe life gets too hard and you just can’t cope?  You are not alone. David had this to say when he faced unbelievable opposition and betrayal:

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Ps. 61:1-5 (The Message Bible)

3-5 You’ve always given me breathing room,1-2 “God, listen to me shout,
bend an ear to my prayer.
When I’m far from anywhere,
down to my last gasp,
I call out, “Guide me
up High Rock Mountain!”

a place to get away from it all,
A lifetime pass to your safe-house,
an open invitation as your guest…”

When you feel paralyzed, like Stephen in my story did, and you can’t even move because of the heaviness, cry out to God. He will send help. He will lead you out of it and onto a high place, once again. What was once a deep sand pit, has now, years later, become a beautiful lake that is enjoyed by many. God can turn something that was once a pit in your life, and fill It with his purpose and destiny!

My 500 Words- day 14

Photos from Bing.com

Princess Mmapula

13 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by in Life in Africa, My Journey, Our Family

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I was desperate at the American Embassy in Johannesburg, not knowing whether I would make it to my daddy’s bedside in time. I had our adopted African Angel, Mmapula with me and there was a glitch with her immigration paperwork that set us back a few days. She was to become an American Citizen upon entry in the USA that trip. It was all planned, but not the fast deterioration of my father’s health.

Finally, we found ourselves on the plane.  I was to arrive in time. Daddy hung on a few more weeks after that.  We arrived in the USA and went through Immigration. At last, Mmapula was granted her citizenship as planned, upon entry.  We got through customs and I pulled her aside, put our bags down and told her that we had to take a photo because she is now an official US Citizen! The next thing I know, she is looking at me with that precious pout that only she can give. Tears welled up in her eyes, and with a hint of defiance she said, “But I thought I was going to be a Princess!”

 She just didn’t see the big deal of being a US Citizen!  You see, we were to go to Disneyland on this trip and we had been telling her that her birthday was going to be celebrated and she was going to be a princess.   Everybody knows, if you celebrate your birthday at Disney you are an official Princess! The day at Disney was spent in pomp and circumstance! We had lunch with all the Disney “Princess greats”.

 From the moment we arrived, for the entire day, people would come up to her and say, “Happy birthday Princes Mmapula!” At one point she whispered to me, “Mommy, how do all these people know it’s my birthday?” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the big pin-on sign on her dress told all that it was indeed, her birthday!

The Psalmist, David, wrote about God’s incredible love for us, his children.  How wonderful that God counts us as his very own, every day. We are citizens of heaven, if we have accepted Jesus as our Personal Savior and been washed clean from our sins. We have an earthly passport and are citizens of somewhere. But no matter where we are from, we share the promise of Heaven! Like Mmapula, which means ‘one who brings blessing’, we can know what it is to belong to the Creator of heaven and earth!

Psalms 139:1-6

O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

Two Closets

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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When I was 14 years old, I started a brand new life of being a follower of Jesus Christ. I had made a mess of my life up to that point. I dutifully woke up every morning at 4:30 am to sneak outside and smoke my cigarettes before my mom got up. When I no longer needed or wanted them, it was no big thing to get up at 4:30 am to read the bible and pray. God’s love letter to me and my response to those words began to shape and transform my young life.

 In my assignment to learn how the scripture applied to my life I began to have a relationship with the One who loved me more than anyone else. I started learning how to talk to God, to build my relationship with him day by day.

 My bedroom had, not one, but 2 closets. One was for my clothes and the other one, I turned into a prayer closet. I cleared it out, put a makeshift alter in, a little lamp and placed a world map on the wall in front of me. The only way I could fit in there was to get on my knees. That closet became my daily alter where I met, and communed with God, creator of heaven and earth. Oh, the thought of him waiting there for me, each and every morning! It was there that I received my nourishment for the day. What once was a time of hiding and smoking around the back of the house, turned into a time of receiving my daily “orders” much like a soldier would. But I became a soldier doing battle on my knees.

 This is where I learned to hear and know the heart of God, His love, and compassion, His yearning for relationship with His creation.  I also came to know the agony of seeing His children make choices that would cut off that connection with Him.

The world map with the name of current Presidents of each country and a few statistics about each nation took me all over the world without even leaving my closet. My mode of travel was prayer! During my time there, I began to grow in my relationship with Him and bring the needs I encountered around me to Him in prayer. As a result, I began to see that heart from the closet on the street, at school, and everywhere I went.

 That closet became my refuge during some very difficult times for my family.  A place where I found out that being a Christian is not about a set of rules. It is building a relationship with the God, who, if I allow Him, will RULE my heart. It is there that, as a soldier for Him, I was learning that my God, is a God who is waiting for anyone who will call on His name and come, through faith in Jesus Christ, to begin a brand new, slate wiped clean, awesome adventure and nourishing relationship with Him. It’s not a religion, but it is a relationship!

 If you feel God’s love tugging at your heart right now, and you want to know more, go to this link and hear the words of Rapper, Deitrick Haddon who puts it so well!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4bsJoRLUbA