AWE

"Awe-Inspiring": a term most often laced with generous amounts of hyperbole. 

But yesterday morning, my awe was literally inspired. I hesitate to write about the experience here because I know I could spend hours trying to find the right words and still come up short.

But here's my attempt:

After breakfast, Dave, Emmanuel, and I hiked to the waterfall near the village of Wli. 

In the local language, the falls are called "Agumatse", which means "Allow Me to Flow". And the water DOES flow. 

To access the falls, we were required to have a guide. 

We wouldn't have needed James to find the falls; the 45-minute walk through the forest was clearly marked. But he proved to be valuable in unexpected ways. He was 22 years old, knowledgeable about the local plants and animals, full of personality, and ready to walk me out into the cold pool once we arrived at the falls. 

And standing at the foot of that tremendous waterfall was what inspired my awe. 

As I approached the wall, I was not expecting the wind carried along by the water to hit me with such force. When I stepped into the water, I could barely breath.

Looking at my photos now, I realize the ones from a distance simply do not capture the magnitude of the falls. 

Look at this, for example: 

I mean, it looks to be maybe 50 feet to the top ... at most. 

Maybe this next one makes it look a LITTLE taller:

But it's not until you compare the look of the falls at the bottom of that photo with the next one showing James and me wading toward the spray that you start to get some idea of the scale of this waterfall.

So I leave it up to your imagination - what it's like to wade out into this brisk, cold water, hearing the sound of hundreds of bats overhead as they nest on the face of the cliffs beside the falls and becoming more and more aware of the immense and rushing power at play as the mist alone knocks you off balance as you attempt to approach. 

And nobody is there to appreciate the moment and the power but you and a handful of friends.

And when you all leave a few minutes later ...

Nobody will be there but God.