Nick kicked off the morning with a great devotional about friendships rooted in Christ after breakfast. We then packed up the trailer and said our goodbyes to our beautiful Bomake cooks, who made us a big breakfast each day and tidied up our rooms. The team got one last photo at Red Berry, our home for the majority of the trip.
Malusi, our awesome driver who felt more like a friend and team member throughout this entire trip, drove us to town for a young entrepreneurship training led by Natalie and assisted by fellow entrepreneurs Greg and Snappy.
We had 25 young individuals join us to learn about starting a business with a kingdom-led mindset. The goal of this training was to spark ideas about how these youth could positively impact their communities and shape their futures through entrepreneurship. Natalie taught them how to create a mini business plan, market their business, structure pricing, stand out from local competitors, cultivate a mindset for success, and make an impact with their skills. The team also helped equip the kids with the confidence, eye contact, and proper handshakes to successfully pitch their business ideas. Snappy did an amazing job emphasizing the importance of conducting business through relationships rather than transactions and staying authentic to who you are.
After saying our goodbyes, we made our way to the Manzini Market for one last shopping experience. The market is full of local vendors selling fresh fruit, handmade goods, carved figurines, and more. We picked up a few items to serve as gentle reminders of the incredible memories we’re taking home from our time in Eswatini.
Our team likes to say, “You can’t leave your heart in Africa, but you can leave a piece of Eswatini in your heart.”
After shopping, we stopped by the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Club to drop off some robotic kits and laptop donations. These donations are incredibly impactful, as they empower young members to continue advancing in technology, contributing to their communities, and competing on a global stage in STEM robotics competitions. These advancements can even bring monetary wins back to the country.
From there, we drove to Hlane Game Park, known as the King’s Park, as it’s the only park the king of Eswatini visits. The park spans 35,000 hectares and serves as a safe haven to protect animals from poachers, allowing them to live freely in their natural habitat.
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset safari, soaking up the scenery and spotting an array of wildlife. Our team saw impala (referred to as “fast food for the jungle”), rhinos, warthogs, mongooses, kudu, giraffes (around 10, which is quite rare!), nyala, wildebeest, turtles, an elephant, and even a lion!
The lion gave us a show, waking up and walking over to drink some water — a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a testament to God’s breathtaking creation.
We learned that rhinos weigh around 4,500 pounds and elephants can sleep standing up so they can eat as soon as they wake.
After our evening game drive, we sat down to a delicious dinner lit by lanterns on our tables. We reflected on our trip, sharing the highs and lows, and processed all we had seen and experienced.
Then, we made our way to our yurts for the night. The yurts had showers, running water, and toilets but no lights or electricity. We used kerosene lanterns to illuminate our rooms, making for a unique and memorable experience as we crawled into bed and wrapped mosquito netting around us for the night. The sounds of animals in the distance filled the air as we drifted off to sleep, getting a few hours of rest before our sunrise safari.
While it was still dark the next morning, we climbed into the Land Cruisers for our last game drive. We watched the sun rise over the park, slowly lighting up the landscape as we drove.
Along the way, we saw plenty of impala and two elephants. Then we spotted two lions — a father and son — walking after finishing their breakfast. It was fascinating to see these powerful animals in their natural habitat. Next, we saw two giraffes surrounded by impala and kudu, as well as some rhinos.
A highlight of the morning was stopping for a cup of coffee or tea and some muffins right in the middle of the park. As we sipped and snacked, we walked closer to two rhinos and a few giraffes — an indescribable experience.
The icing on the cake came near the end of our drive when we spotted some zebras and giraffes slowly walking toward us, giving us one final show and reminding us just how incredible our Creator truly is.
Our team enjoyed one last breakfast together with hippos and rhinos nearby. It was a wonderful way to start the day!
Afterward, we returned to the yurts to pack up and begin our journey back to Johannesburg, our hearts full of gratitude for this unforgettable experience. We will be traveling the next two days back home!