Foto Friday - Y-Malawi, Day eleven: Liwonde National Park

Before I left for Malawi, I bought an all-in-one camera lens so I would have the ability to shoot wide-angle landscapes and zoom close on subjects in an instant. As I packed my camera bag, I dreamed about what it was going to be like to see God-created African wildlife in their native surroundings.

It was an amazing experience to be sure.

What I could not have known at the time, however, was how desperately I was going to need the time in Liwonde National Park to decompress and process all that I had seen and heard during my time with the people of Nkhoma/Chilenje and the Y-Malawi ministry partners. Those nine days in the mission field had left me undone in ways that I could not have expected.

When reviewing my shots from the safari for this blog, I was strongly reminded of the overwhelming feelings of God's peace I had while encountering God's creation in the "warm heart of Africa." I share these photographs with you from a place of deep gratitude for such a God-filled, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The African crocodile is a fair bit more frightening than the American alligator.

Hands down the best shot of the safari!

Elephants are one of Africa's "big-five" game animals. The adjective that best describes my impression of these animals is "majestic."

Who doesn't love a baby elephant?

I find this photo particularly fascinating- elephants, crocodiles, and hippos quietly existing together in one place.

This crocodile was prehistoric in its proportions. I could have reached over the side of our boat to pet it - but would never have dared to do so.

The zebras were shy.

So were the kudus. It took me all afternoon to get a shot like this.

The sunsets were breathtaking.

Knowing that there would not be any light pollution whatsoever in the night sky, one of my hopes for the trip was to shoot the Milky Way. I had no idea that the Milky Way would actually be visible to the naked eye! It looks almost cloud like - the detail you see here is brought out in processing. This is the riverside cabin where I stayed at about 9pm. I didn't stay out in the dark very long - especially after my compadre, Will, spotted a large crocodile lurking in the bush about 10 yards behind us.

Well, we're almost at the end. My next post will conclude the Foto Friday series of my time in Malawi!

Mulungu akhale nanu (God be with you),

Aaron

Foto Friday - Y-Malawi, Day ten: Liwonde National Park

After the long days spent in the mission field with the Y-Malawi ministry partners, our team boarded our bus and traveled south from Nkhoma for a retreat in Liwonde National Park to pray and dream together about how God might be calling us to join the work of Y-Malawi. On the road, I captured this through the windshield that is one of my favorite scenic shots from the trip.

We made our way to the Shire River, where a guide named Danger (yes, Danger!) took us by boat to where we were staying. Along the way we saw fishermen and caught our first glimpses of African wildlife. I struggled a bit with finding my groove shooting photographs from a speedboat but managed to capture a few shots.

Nestled along the Shire River, Liwonde National Park in Malawi offered us several incredible opportunities to observe African wildlife up close in their native surroundings. These shots are from a brief, late afternoon safari we took on our first day.

Up next, more Liwonde National Park when the wildlife photos go up a notch.

Mulungu akhale nanu (God be with you),

Aaron