What's in the box?

A couple of days ago there was a lot of screaming outside my house and children shouting "Nurse Kate, Nurse Kate, come quick". I jumped up and ran to the door, my adrenaline pumping thinking that there was a huge medical emergency going on. As I opened the door Henry was standing right in the doorway holding a massive snake out on a stick that I very unhappily came face to face with. The children laughed, were jumping about and pleased as punched with themselves for making me jump and scream.

In all serious though, this is another snake that has been found and killed at GSF recently. There have been many reported sightings of snakes around the compound over the last few months and there have even been some much smaller snakes being seen and killed but this is the biggest that has ever been found here.

It turned out that the headmaster of our school was in his office and went to move a box that was on the floor. The box was much heavier than he expected so he glanced inside it. He couldn't tell if there was some sort of rubber inside or something else more sinister so with a couple of others for courage they investigated to find a big snake inside! The box was moved outside very quickly! Fortunately the snake had just dined out on a bird so was more placid than he potentially could have been. Outside a group gathered to 'stone' the snake and kill it with one of the school's javelins! 

The snake was then paraded around the site and created much interest and excitement around the children. Outside Amy and Mark's house he was laid out on the gravel and measured. He was 8 feet long!! Reports from those living here say that he may have been a Black Mamba.  

I love these pictures (that I pinched from Amy!) of the missionaries and children taking all 8ft of it in!!!

About a month ago the matron here at GSF got up at church to thank God for His protection here as at that point 3 snakes had recently been found and she wanted to praise God for the protection on all of us. Again, today, we can praise the One who keeps us safe from harm. 

Psalm 46 v 1-3 "God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble.   

                          So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the  

                          centre of the sea, and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake 

                          with its action.

Wikipedia - The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba,^[4] is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 2.5 to 3.2 m (8.2 to 10 ft) in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of 4.45 m (14.6 ft).^[5] It is named for the black colour of the inside of the mouth rather than the colour of its scales which varies from dull yellowish-green to a gun-metal grey. It is the fastest snake in the world, capable of moving at 4.32 to 5.4 metres per second (16–20 km/h, 10–12 mph).^[6] It has a reputation for being aggressive and highly venomous and is among the world's most venomous land snakes.^[7][8]