Blessed Beyond Belief (The Masai Mara)

Well hello to my few and precious readers of this blog...


So it is Monday and I figure I'd recap you on the unbelievable weekend I just spent at the Masai Mara, staying at the Masai Serena (pry spelled that wrong).   I shall first explain what we did and saw, then recap you on my thoughts.  Deal?  I'll then update you later on today, because today was unbelievable too.  Sorry I'm behind, we are doing so much and constantly meeting new people.

That's a male lion.  I thought this pic was epic, pry my fav pic.

The Masai Mara was the most beautiful trip I've ever been on.  I can't speak for you, but as for me, whenever I would watch videos or documentaries on African wildlife I'd always get a burning desire too go on a Safari.  Well, that dream came true.  We stayed at an unbelievable resort overlooking the Serengeti, I mean literally overlooking it (see below).  I could see Giraffes in the distant from the pool we swam in while watching an African sunset, which is in a league of its own in my opinion.  How incredible is that?  We took two safari rides everyday, which are called game rides and saw some incredible animals.  I was 5 feet from a lion and a cheetah.  I was 20 feet from a herd of elephants.  We saw gazelles, zebras, giraffes constantly, basically when you think of the animals on the African Savannah, I was fortunate enough too see them.  Hippos and Crocs- yeah they are astounding and quite deadly.  Hippos are freaking huge.  What we saw was incredible.  I saw so much of God's beauty in nature and in his creation, it was mind boggling.  Several verses came to mind.

Here's where we stayed for the two days.  Incredible.  So blessed.

-Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

-Romans 1:20 (NLT) "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God.


-Jeremiah 51:15 "He made the earth by his power, he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding."

These verses rang clear this past weekend.  However I was definitely challenged by this simple question.  "Why me?"  Why am I so fortunate that I was able to see God's beauty and his eternal and awesome power?  Why do I have parents that care deeply about me, when last week I was talking with kids who were living on the streets in the slums without parents.  Why am I fortunate enough to get an education?  Why am I so blessed? 

It was hard at times to be honest.  I would sit by the pool during our free time and just think, "literally two days ago I was walking through the slums, now I'm overlooking this incredible beauty, why do I get this and not these kids?"  It could easily have been me that was born into what they are going through, or you.  But I picked up on a few nuggets of wisdom after talking with people and with God.

-Any earthly Father that loves their children wants to bless their kids.  He wants to go good for them, to give them gifts.  And more importantly he wants his children to receive them and love them.  To be thankful for them.  How much more does our heavenly Father love us?  It's almost a dishonor when I'm filled with guilt for the gifts I have.  Instead I tried my best to really thank God and dwell in his blessings.  Being truly thankful for God's gifts I believe is honoring to God.

-I also asked Graig about how he dealt with wrestling with the question of why am I blessed, and how come I'm not suffering.  He said some interesting things.
1. Who am I to question God's blessings?
2. Am I really more blessed?  Jesus said in Matthew 19:24 "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Just because I have an education, a car, live in a nice house doesn't mean my life is better than someone that lives in a tribe?  Who am I to be a judge of that and believe that? (I'll blog more on those thoughts at a different time.  This trip has forced me to think about how I can help, am I really helping, and what is the solution for poverty in Kenya besides the gospel).

The cheetah was beyond graceful and beautiful.  He was right by our car haha.

Another thing I'm starting to learn.  No matter how much I praise God.  It will never be enough.  I mean, I'd write in my journal and pray during the trip to the Masai Mara and just thank Him profusely, and I'd always end with the thought that I must do more (How's that like my life?  A lot like it).  It doesn't matter how much I thank Him.  My praises and thanksgivings won't be enough for what God has done for me.  Not just for seeing his beautiful creation at the Masai Mara, but for what Christ did on the cross for me.  The victory in heaven He won for me.  I will not be able to thank him enough.  But I can chose to live in his blessings, to thank Him daily from my heart and shower in his grace (I also need to ask Him for help to do that ha).

Anyways, those are a few things I thought about, saw, and wrestled with this past weekend.  A few tears of thankfulness were shed this past weekend because of his blessings.  

I'll eventually get a full album up here so you can see the rest of God's beautiful creation.  I'm excited to blog about what we did today.  I Meant some incredible people doing amazing things for the kingdom.  Quite humbling and epic. Hope you are all swell!  God bless!

-cam