Normally, April 15th is a day we as Americans remember because our taxes are due…but from now on, April 15th will also mark the day that I got to do something that very few people probably ever get to do. You see on April 15th, 2011 I got to pet the fastest land animal, a cheetah, at a game park in Kisumu, a city about 2 hours away from where we are in Busia.
While we were touring the game park (it looked more like a zoo), our guide asked us if we would like to pet the cheetahs; so for 300 Kenyan Shillings (about 4 US dollars), we each got to pet the cheetahs. The moment that I touched the end of this sleek, big cat will be one that will be hard to forget. As I stood there, stroking its fur, the cheetah began to purr with contentment; not once while I was near it did I ever think it was going to harm me. In fact, it reminded me of my cat back home, Ally, with the way it just sat there, purring as I pet it.
I can say that this memory will never leave my mind, that I will be able to look back on that day and say that I pet a cheetah while I was in Kenya on a missions trip…I thought that this trip would help me make memories but I never expected to make one like this!
