We woke up before breakfast, as my grandfather used to say, to get an early start through the Dar es Salaam traffic. More or less rested, well fed and back on the bus, we headed out at 7am, but not before Kulwah asked us if we were going to pray before we began the trip. With the group politely deferring to me as mchungaji (Swahili for pastor), I offered thanksgiving for our safe arrival and prayers of blessing and protection for all of us--and Kulwah in particular--and off we went.
Almost immediately, we hit the morning rush hour traffic. Even on the far side of downtown, Dar is enough of a sprawling city that the first few kilometers went very slowly, caught in traffic jams. The first turn we made, though, was onto the University Road, and at the first seemingly-forever stoplight we caught a glimpse of the University of Dar es Salaam--Nkrumah Hall, the colorful covered amphitheater at the center of campus along with the tall dormitories like my own "Hall 6." Turning west, we got on the Morogoro road, and then settled in for the drive to Mkumi National Park.
About four hours into what turned out to be a six hour drive, we passed Morogoro, and specifically the entrance to the Lutheran Junior Seminary, where I had served my internship year in 1992-93. Even from the highway, I was able to see the row of staff houses where Sarah and I lived, along with the chapel, cemetery, and the assembly grounds. I'm looking forward to stopping in and looking around on the way back to Dar next week, and truly wonder if there's anyone there I remember, or who might remember me!
About 1 pm, we arrived at Mkumi's main gate, and waited to have our luggage transferred to the Land Rovers that would take us deeper into the park, where we'd be spending the night. A good decision not to take the bus on those roads--thanks to the light rain that was falling, even the four-wheel-drives were slipping just a little bit. We checked into our "rooms" at the tented camp (glamping, I believe this is called) had lunch and a rest, then met up for a game drive through the Park at 4. Giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, impala, elan, baboons, many different birds (including some vultures), jackals, hippos--we saw these all again and again, but no lions and an elephant only from the distance. Sadly, there are no more rhinos in Mkumi.
It's hard not to be awed by this incredible glimpse of God's creation and God's creatures in their natural habitat. Wide open spaces, animals mostly oblivious to our intrusion into their lives, skilled guides and drivers making sure we saw what we set out to see. The folks who run the tented camp, with its solar power and gently-engineered infrastructure are certainly being God stewards of this place, caring for it rather than exploiting it, using the tourist trade to preserve this habitat as best as can be done.
Still, it feels a bit surreal, too. As thrilling as our first safari has been, I'm anxious to get to the core of our trip together--walking alongside our sisters and brothers in Christ in the Nduli Parish of the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. This journey of accompaniment and transformation seems like it hasn't quite started yet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the wonderful opportunity to be at Mkumi and go on a game drive--and I appreciate the great amount of organizing and effort it took to arrange for this to happen. But since this trip, and indeed our entire companion relationship with Nduli, DIRA and the ELCT has to do with relationships, I want to begin diving into those relationships, to meet Pastor Medson, the evangelists, and leaders, as well as the faithful members of the parish and its 8 preaching points. I'm ready to see and experience the church in action, in the schools, clinics, orphanages, agricultural projects, and university of the Diocese. With the short time we have here, I want to make the most of these connections--to not just pray for and about these fellow believers, but actually pray WITH them.
Patience. Let us pray for patience. And Let us pray for the open eyes, open heart, and open mind to see what God is up to in this place, among these people. To actually see it for the first time! as some among us will do. And for the rest of us--myself included, of course--to see it all over again, as if for the first time.
Peter, thanks for sharing your fresh perspective. I especially appreciated your reflection on patience. Too often I carry high expectation for a specific moment in a trip, and thereby miss some of the unique moments that come along the way. Peace and joy be with you in your journey.
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