Mulanje, or, witness of a wonder

Name one of the seven wonders of the world. Name something you recently said starting with, "I wonder..." Name a Bible verse with the word "wonderful" in it. (Hint: think Handel's Messiah.) Anyway, just now, I can't help but give that word a bit more credit than I have before.

I returned home on Saturday from a sojourn on Malawi's highest mountain. It was wonderful. Rocks and dirt and trees and scrub piled high against an ever-changing sky, a wondrous testimony of the creativity of a God who, wonder of wonders, loves us more than landscapes he designed.

Every new day is the best day ever. This all but morphed into my personal motto during the four-day vacation with eleven other ABC staff members. The physical challenge of hiking; the determination required to reach the peak; the thrill of coming slowly, cautiously, prayerfully back down; the inspiration provided by an unexpected thunder storm; and the fellowship with these cool people all contributed to the revelation of God's goodness. The wonder of the mountain--its form, its climate, its unpredictability, its magnitude--was terrific to witness, and could do nothing but inspire awe of the mind and heart that created it, the heart and mind of a God who says:

"Fear not: for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine." {isaiah 43.1}

Redeemed, called, owned by the Lord--and you thought mountains were wondrous.

The point of the picture below is the waterfall, not the minuscule people beside it. One of the people is yours truly, but that's not the point of the picture; I hope that's clear. 

Below see me with fellow hiker (and cook) Sydney.

One of the highlights of the trip didn't occur until today: every class I teach wanted to hear all about it. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal to anyone else, but it was a big deal to me. They cared, and they laughed when I sat down very slowly because of my sore muscles, and they asked if I loved it, and they wanted to hear my answers.

The best comment came from one of my whip-smart 7th grade boys: "I was praying for you all the whole time, because Mulanje? Eesh!"