The Land Rovers left the Lodge at 6:00 a.m. for a 3-hour
game drive in the Chobe National Park. Before we even reached the park
entrance, we pulled off the road and used the headlights of the vehicles to
watch three young lions playing in the grass. Just as we were ready to leave
them behind, three adults—including a male with a full black mane—crossed the
road and joined the others. It was an incredible beginning to a wonderful final
full day in Africa.
In the park, we wrapped ourselves in blankets to stay warm
in the open-air vehicles and saw zebra, guinea fowl, mongoose, honey badger,
kudu, impala, giraffe and of course, lots of elephants. Our drivers got us
really close to one young male elephant (see pictures) but the driver—who does
this for a living—felt perfectly safe and seemed to know what he was
doing. We were back at the Lodge by 9:00 a.m. for a hearty breakfast. The group
had a few hours to themselves with options to do whatever they wanted,
including a tour of the area by helicopter, the spa, walking into town to shop,
going fishing, or just hanging out. We all went on another game drive at
3pm for more amazing sights in the Chobe National Park, with a wonderful dinner
tonight.
This is our final full day in Africa. Tomorrow (Thursday) we
drive back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, fly to Johannesburg and from there, fly
to Washington DC. In DC, the group breaks apart to the various states from
which we came.
We have enough memories to last a lifetime because this was
a trip of a lifetime. From Penguins to Elephants, from the cold temps of Table
Mountain to the heat of Chobe, from poultry-based ministry in Mozambique to
relational ministry in Johannesburg, from the history of Soweto to a first-hand
account of the Dutch Reformed Church during Apartheid, we have experienced so
much. What tied this all together was a love of Dordt College and what Dordt
stands for. Dordt’s vision is Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of life.
We saw this happening through a variety of ways with people associated with the
Iowa-based Christian college. Our team of travelers is made up of alumni,
parents and grandparents of alumni or current students, and those who want to
see this important institution continue for many years to come. As a group, we
laughed (a lot), we sang, we prayed, and we were challenged to live our lives
for God’s glory. Through it all, we saw amazing sights, enjoyed excellent food,
and formed friendships that will last a very long time.
This is the final blog post from this trip. We appreciate
the many people who contributed to the thousands of page views this blog has
had for the last two weeks. Thanks for following, for your interest in Dordt
College, and for your prayers for those on this trip. Thanks—in advance—for
your continued prayers for Dordt College, Dordt students, faculty and staff.
