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The only thing I will report on today is our trip to Victoria Falls. The main reason is that it is the only thing we did today. Let me explain.

The first thing you see about Victoria Falls whether from the air or driving to the falls is the huge cloud of water mist that floats constantly above the falls. There is so much water pouring over the edge to a thousand feet below that it simply explodes with force that pushes the water and mist up into the sky. As a result, the water rains back down constantly all around the falls.

Once you park the car and begin the hike to the falls themselves, you experience the next event in appreciating the falls: a thunderous roar. It makes you step back in awe at the amount of energy that it takes to generate that kind of sound. We stopped and tried to take a picture but it does not do justice to what is there. In fact, that is the repeated theme of those who have visited Victoria Falls, the pictures don’t do it justice.

The next thing you experience in visiting Victoria Falls is the water, itself. You are approaching the falls and begin to notice that is is raining. Okay, not really raining, more like a deluge with the flood gates of heaven open. The mist pushed into the air by the falls is so great that the water starts immediately to rain back down on the earth. They rent raincoats at the gate, rent umbrellas, rent shoes like crocs that don’t mind the water, etc. We passed all those up because we came to EXPERIENCE the falls. And that is what we did. By the time we walked across the front of the falls and over a foot bridge called the “knife edge” we were soaked through on every part of us. This was not a problem because we had been warned and came prepared to get soaked. We had cameras in tight bags and money in plastic and left behind everything we didn’t need. Besides, it is a surprisingly warm rain because this is still happening in African heat.

As mentioned, photos don’t really capture the falls. In fact, unless you could figure out how to turn off the mist, you can’t begin to see all the falls. Add to that the fact that they run along a lengthy ridge and you don’t have an angle to photography them all. Folks have taken pictures from the air, and they get nice shots of the mist plume rising into the air. I guess they have pictures taken when the river is low and the falls are essentially dried up but that doesn’t really count now, does it? I will include some photos later but don’t have any ready tonight to upload to the blog.

We walked back and forth in front of the falls to soak up the whole experience; and to get soaked. Then we walked up river and beheld the massive expanse of the Zambezi river. After that, we walked to the lower part of the river and an area called the Boiling Pot. The water is dropped over this massive cliff, it is concentrated in a narrow channel for a distance that forces the water into huge churning pools below the falls. It was quite a walk down into that area and back out but we were determined to get all that the falls had to offer.

The falls actually seem to be a metaphor for our Lord. You experience the effects of the falls far more than you actually see them. You see the cloud of mist, hear the thundering roar, get soaked by the rains, watch the turbulence and for all of this catch only glimpses of the falls streaming down. It is like the Lord in that you see a lot of evidence of His work in changed lives, answered prayer and His work in the world but you don’t see Him. I think He created the falls for us to stand and be in awe of both His power and His ways. He is working all the time and He is seen for what He does even as He remains concealed by the veil of heaven.

It has been a great joy to share this trip with you through the blog. I will likely not be adding another paragraph unless I can get something sent from Amsterdam. God bless you every one for praying and reading. See you soon.

Love,

Pastor Bill