We started the day off with breakfast and saying goodbye to the Poetice staff, as well as a few of the kids we met this week who stopped by to say goodbye. It was bittersweet to see them one last time as they shared with us how much they were going to miss us, and we shared the same with them.
This was followed by a two hour bus ride to Livingstone to visit Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. We hiked down to the Boiling Pot of the falls to enjoy the view of the rapids as they moved downstream. We explored making our way around the rocks closest to the river and taking pictures of the amazing scenery. After a while we hiked back up the path to find a family of baboons along the way. It was a new experience to seem them up so close. We then walked along the overlook to get a view of the water cascading down the falls. The power of the falls created an amazing mist which rained down on us, soaking our clothes. Despite this, it was breathtaking to see the beauty of God’s creation.
After leaving the falls, we stopped at a roadside park to eat lunch. We had Hungry Lion, which is like the KFC of Zambia. We then drove to our home for the night to drop off our bags and relax for a bit before heading out to the safari. The team piled into two vehicles, and we took off into the national park. Within the first five minutes, we saw six elephants, including one only thirty feet away. As we continued driving, we saw impalas, giraffes, Cape buffalo, baboons, warthogs, zebras, and hippos. Midway through the ride, we were able to pull over and walk into the Zambezi River, the largest east flowing river in Africa. We were amazed at how quiet and peaceful it was after seeing Victoria Falls earlier in the day. Another part of the safari included getting out of the vehicles to walk into the territory of a family of white rhinos. Our guide led us, and we stood fairly close to the rhinos as he informed us about their behavior and history.
The safari lasted around two hours, after which we were dropped off at our hotel shortly before we walked to the restaurant. For our last dinner in Zambia, we had pizza and gelato, which was a nice treat. Our night ended with our final debrief, where the team got to read letters we wrote to ourselves in the spring about the trip (addressed to our post-Zambia selves). We all got to share something meaningful about our letters and then moved on to questions about our week. We shared lessons we learned and don’t want to forget upon returning home. We also discussed how we felt God’s presence in the last week, along with what gifts and passions we think He has equipped us to use back home. We shared what we learned about the global church, and ended with a word that represents this week in our lives and that can serve as a challenge moving forward. It was great to hear all of the ways God has been moving in each of us. We could not have asked for a better ending to our trip. We’re sad to leave, but looking forward to being home soon and seeing all of you. Prayers for safe travels tomorrow!
Love,
Tucker and Amanda