Snake Shock

On Sunday morning I was sitting outside teaching my Sunday School class a few houses away from mine.  We were getting to the end of the session and closing up when I heard lots of screams and shouting. Living on site with 80 children, this is not uncommon but then I heard the words “Snake”! Children were running past where I was sitting to go and see it and I then was told, “it’s at your house”! My Sunday school class was quickly rounded up as I also wanted to go and see this snake. Now please understand, I wasn’t rushing there because I like snakes or have any sort of interest in them at all. Not in the slightest – in the 8 weeks I have been here there have been 4 sightings of snakes, I have come to conclude that this is not a good sign for avoiding them over the next 10 months! The first, I was more than happy to have been told about and never actually saw. The boys had seen one near the guesthouse, which is far from where I sleep. The second was at one of the children's homes and they found it near their latrines.  The third snake had been found at the building opposite my house and so I was happy to be at a good enough distance to watch the commotion but feel very safe. This time it did not feel safe – this snake was at MY house!

As I approached the house I could see the stoning in action. A few of the brave boys were killing the snake and have amazingly good shots with rocks! ‘Stoning’ is not uncommon here and we have even had some first aid casualties that have been stoned in the head accidentally when rocks are chucked about :(

I slowly and tentatively came closer so that I could get a look. The children that were standing a good distance behind the stoners screamed every time the snake twitched which did not help my nervousness. I had a peek and saw the snake, which was pretty much dead with just it's tail twitching and moving around. The offending snake was lying on my front porch about 2 metres from my front door. Too close for my liking. It had a small head, which apparently meant that it was poisonous?!  The children finished their job and then everyone wandered off to Church with something very exciting to talk about. I was left on my porch, which was covered in stones, rocks and blood feeling very freaked out!! Mark and Amy who live in the other half of our duplex house and share the same porch disposed of the snake in the bushes. However, the thought that it had been so close was enough to keep my mind distracted all day!

We have a number of poisonous snakes (Forest Cobra & Black Mamba) here in Africa and often here in the long grass at GSF. Fortunately the children do an amazing job of ‘slashing’ the grass, keeping it short and keeping the risk of snakes appearing to a minimum. I have been to the local hospital who assure me that they have the correct medicines to deal with snake bites but let’s keep praying that we never have to test that!

I have got over my snake shock now and everything appears back to normal. I will from now on always have a careful look behind the bench when leaving my house just to make sure!!

Deuteronomy 31 v 6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you".