Safari Pics

Kruger Park here we come.
Ok so things (visa issues) have caused me to not write about our experience in the Park, but it was a large desire of mine that the Lord lavished upon His Locke family. I have wanted to go on a safari since I was a boy but of course the expense was out of question. Then when I was here two years ago I really longed to go on a safari but finances and the ache in my heart to see the family kept me away.



The craziest part about following Jesus is that he is so smart and rich. What it would have cost our family to go on vacation to South Africa for a safari would have been thousands of dollars and probably millions of Rands (SA currency). I have nothing against people planning and spending money on vacations but wow is it a whole lot better to have the Lord just take you there. Emie and I laugh at the places we have stood knowing we have no job, savings, or 401 (k) to ever allow us to experience what we have. It has given us great comic relief talking with millionaries who assume we also have money. I am going to begin telling people I am an invester.
So back to Kruger Park.



We have lost our sense of awe with large HDTV's but unless we are numb there is no way to explain seeing an elephant or a Rhino or a giraffe or even a lion standing less than 20 feet away. The wildness of it all was that every animal was standing on the edge of the road. You could reach out and touch them. Judah was a little to close to the lion, we had to tell him to put his head back in the window.



Driving in a car and coming upon a huge elephant does something to you, at least it did to Emie she seriously was hyperventilating. Or watching a rhino who is twice the size of your vehicle stroll towards you and then slowly meander around the back. I love Rhino for many reasons, their beauty, gracefulness, strength and other prophetic things the Lord used about them. God loves to use many things to speak to us.



Kruger Park gives more credibility to God's Word (if it needs it) when it says, "from the time the world was created, people have seen . . . all that God made, so they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God" (Romans 1:20).

I'm not sure what to say becuase it was so overwhelming and supernatural from the Lord. We kept telling the kids, "that many people come through here and never see anything. Look at how the Lord is blessing us." I wonder how people can look at the creativity of God and not stand in amazement.



The whole experience convinced me that if this missions stuff doesn't work out (which no one is a missionary rather a child of God who takes their calling and moves to another country. This also helps take the idiolizing out.) then I was going to become a safari guide. Actually I might do it anyways if I ever get the opportunity to live next to the Park. You know safari guide by day and preacher by night. I can see it now.



Emie gave a lot of the details of when we saw the animals and who wanted to see what. I had equally amount of fun photographing the wild beasts as I did seeing them. I took 582 pics (not very much for a professional, which I am not) and I really didn't have to do much because they stood there and posed the whole time. Emie mentioned the wonderful opportunity I had to use Kent and Shays camera (thanks guys) and it saved her a huge headache because I would have complained the whole time if didn't have it. I love cameras, I get it from my dad, who is a professional photographer. Now that my camera (which was awesome, thanks to my students) has officially been broken, this Kruger thing has whetted my appetite more. I have desired for a certain type of camera for some time, now I can't control myself. Some day soon it will come to pass, Lord willing.



We had a wonderful time knowing all we needed to do was drive slowly around and wait for the Lord to lead his pets across our path. Every time we would get a little tired or hot there would be another amazing animal on the side of the road.
So if you're ever in S. Africa you must take a day and drive through the park, it will knock your HDTV off its circuit.



Blessings and never stop being in AWE!
Heath