Kids, Cameras, and Crocodiles

What do kids, cameras, and crocodiles have in common? Not a lot really, but it seems every kid does have a camera. The crocodiles we'll get to later. I can remember when Mitzi and I first thought about getting a digital camera. It was a big deal. We shopped and finally bought a mid-range Kodak...well, it was mid-range then...kind of outdated now. Not a big deal anymore. Everyone has one.

Last week I had the privilege of working with a volunteer group from Tennessee...mostly young people, 15-17 or so. They had some adults along too of course. Normally, I dread groups with lots of teen-agers. Well, I dreaded this one a little too. One never knows just what you're in for. I needn't have worried.These kids were great. Disciplined, polite, prompt, obedient...speaks well for their parents and leader. And they worked hard without complaining. We had lots of walking, most of it up steep hills. Oh, there was a lot of good-natured kidding about whose hills were the toughest, but I heard no gripes.

The week was good. We distributed somewhere between 400 and 500 copies of the gospel of John, showed two movies in the little church with whom we were working, prayer-walked the whole area, and got to know some new friends. The pastor said 5 people accepted Christ as Savior, and several families were located that expressed an interest in a visit from the pastor and wanted more information. Praise the Lord for that.

Oh yeah...the cameras and crocodiles. Well, virtually each kid had a camera...and knew how to use it. They got pictures of every combination and even were adept at taking pictures of themselves. It's so easy these days.

One day we made the obligatory stop at what is called the "Crocodile Bridge." It's a bridge that passes over a river, which is about 30-40 below. There is always a "herd" (What do you call a bunch/group of crocodiles?) of crocs lying along the river below the bridge. Naturally, the group took a ton of pictures, and...one of the young ladies somehow dropped her camera off the bridge. (Fortunately, it was of the disposable type and not an expensive digital.) She was a little upset. The camera was no big loss, but there were lots of good shots on it. We looked and thought. "How can we get that camera back? There must be a way."

We examined the route from the end of the bridge to the location of the camera. It wasn't in the river, but you would have to cross some pretty muddy area and wade a portion of the river to get to it. Now the mud didn't bother me too much, nor did the water...and the crocs weren't close to the camera, at least not at that time. I just wasn't sure I could outrun a hungry crocodile in mud and knee deep water. We went on to our destination...but we didn't forget that camera. Our driver thought all afternoon about some way to rescue the dropped camera, and came up with an ingenious idea. We could first lower a 2 liter coke bottle filled with sand and place it just behind the camera to brace it. Then we could lower a small plastic trash bucket down and scoop up the camera into the bucket. Seemed like it would work.

So on our way home, some 8 hours later, we stopped again. Sure enough, the camera was still there. Same place,same crocs...except this time they were closer. (I had the thought of lowering someone down on a rope and letting them pick up the camera before the crocodiles could get to them. Bad idea.) We lowered the coke bottle. No problem. We lowered the trash bucket. Well, this caught the attention of the crocodiles. They were sure it was something to eat. After a couple of attempts to lower it between them, one of the largest ones grabbed it in his jaws. When he discovered that it wasn't good to eat, he spit it out, but not before pretty well smashing it.

About that time a river tour boat pulled up. One of the guides told us in no uncertain terms to stop tormenting the crocodiles and not to "feed" them plastic buckets. It would kill them if they ate it. We tried to explain about the camera, and eventually he got the message. But he had a show to do. He got out of the boat, fed the crocs by hand...and even held some fish in his mouth while the crocodile grabbed it out. Finally he finished his "show" and came over and got the camera and put it in the bucket which we lowered, but not before taking a couple of pictures of us from his vantage point on the river bed.

So...all in all the kids had a good week filled with work,fun, picture taking and a story to tell. It's a commentary that we probably will remember the crocodile/camera incident more vividly than we will the people who accepted Christ. I was asked several times how long crocodiles live. I really don't know, but I do know this...not as long as someone who has come to know the Lord and will have eternal life.