Halls

Halls
July 2015

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Day 9 in Masai land




The Tail of an Elephant
Day 9

            Today we travel to Tanzania, it is not an all day trip; well, we hope it is not an all day trip, this depends on when the driver gets here, our good friend. He is actually a real nice guy he just needs some new tires, that all. And if he would just show up on time, then he would be like perfect!

            Late evening was just great. The road up to Pastor James’s place was rough, I have been actually been doing most of the driving going here and there, that is once the car is here. James lives way up in the hills, the road just kept climbing, then we got to where there were no roads but we kept going. Finally, we arrived. The family all came out to greet us with smiles. After a little tour of his place we were offered a cup of chai. Soon the dinner came out and we all enjoyed an evening of laughter. We talked of Masai life and some of the difficulties that pastors work though here in Masai land.

            Before we got up to leave, some gifts were brought out from the back room, some nice Masai shirts and bead necklaces. We all stood and prayed together then down the hill we drove finding our way in the dark night.

            In the darkness Pastor Musa tells us that they are planning a ministry school the first week of December this year and asked that I come back and teach for the week, last year there were just over 600 pastors and church leaders and they say this year there will be more. The great news for me was not so much the invitation but they said that they would pay for $200 of my ticket. Now that was so great for me, not the money in itself; but the fact that they would invest. I had been talking about that this whole week - about becoming investors. My heart is pleased.

            So I will be travelling back to Masai land to be a part of that week. I still do need about $500 balance for the ticket, anyone interested in investing? Anyone want to come with me?

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            The driver shows up and we are off. We say our goodbyes to Pastor Musa’s family, who are inviting us back again. We are now off to Tanzania, Mark is excited about going home, Pastor Musa and James decided that they would like to accompany us. So we all drive off, this is only supposed to be like a three hour trip. Well, it turned out to be a 8 hour trip. One more flat tire in the first hour. We then stopped at the next village, to fix the tire and get some diesel. We did not get far down the road and we got yet another flat. With no spare we had to take the whole tire a part there on the side of the road and patch it. An hour later we all got in the car but now the car would not start. The sun was on its way down.

            I am not a mechanic and neither is Dr. Rick, he is a dentist, remember. Well Dr. Rick is getting a little nervous because we are in the middle of nowhere and sleeping in this car is now looking like a real possibility. Dr. Rick was good, he did not complain; for me, I figured out it was something to do with the battery connection. But all I did achieved nothing, the sun was down by now, but here comes a car flying down the road. Our savior. This new guy got the car going but we decided that we should go with this new guy for his car was in good running order. After 30 minutes of talking we all piled into this new car and headed for the border. The owner of the broken down car, now running, would have to slowly make his way to Mark’s village. That if he makes it at all…

            All the roads out here are rough dirt roads; during the rains no one even travels these roads. We reach the boarder around 10 pm. There is a pole across the small road, a police officer allows us into Tanzania. Into the little house to get our passports stamped. They say we cannot stamp your passport we are only police, you will have to go to the next village which is about 100km away to the immigration office. “Are you sure we can go in without a stamp?” I asked, “No problem,” they replied.

We quickly drank a cup of tea in the little sleeping town and on the road again. It was midnight now and we arrive just outside of Mark’s village. The main road does not go through the village so we walked about 1 mile or so to reach Mark’s house through the bush. The night air was cold, millions of stars shining in all their glory. We could hear a few hyenas in the hills. As we walked Mark began to talk about the three lions that came last year to take a cow. These lions came around each day for three days waiting their chance to take a few cows. Mark and his brother were sitting having tea and they looked at each other and could hear them in the bush, they said that is enough. They each grabbed their mkuki, or spear, and clubs and off they went. Two Masai verses three lions, that sounds like good odds to me. After killing two lions the third ran away.

Then Mark continues to tell us that one of the ways that Masai show their bravery is to cut the tail off an adult elephant. He said this is the ultimate challenge. Killing a lion is for small boys - but elephants…. For lions are all left “handed” meaning that all its striking power is in that front left leg so if you can take out that foot with the first spear, the rest is “easy”. 

All I could do is agree, what else should I do? My own mind flashed back when I was charged by a lion, I was trying to think about the front left leg but all I knew then was to stay calm and shoot if necessary. This male lion stopped just a few meters away from us and turned and walked away. I don’t think I wet my pants that day, well maybe just a little….

Mark shared his full experience of cutting the tail off an elephant and assured us he would never do it again, “Suicide,” he said. Mark has killed 5 lions thus far, mostly in protection of the cattle. When we were at Pastor Musa’s village one of the warriors was killed by a lion, it happens even to the Masai. Marks uncles leg (bottom half) was taken off by a lion when he was a young warrior. His uncle made a wooden stump and still goes on today. I will likely see him tomorrow; he lives next door to Mark.

            We made our way into Mark’s little house to find the bed. I could tell that Mark wanted to ask something but he was a bit embarrassed. “C’mon Mark spit it out,” Well Mark did not have a clue what I just said so I had to rephrase that sentence. Mark politely asks if I didn’t mind sharing a bed with Dr. Rick. It is either that or just sleeping on a cow hide on the floor, I chose the bed.  Dr. Rick and I smiled at each other and laid down some basic rules and we were off to bed!


I lost my leg to a lion

I am going for my first lion, or not....

Fuel by the bottle



What are we doing here again??

Mark's little house on the prairie

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