monthly focus ~ trapped by a cobra

TRAPPED BY A COBRA

Ruth Rising is administrator for the school on the Bethesda Outreach Ministries property in South Africa.  On May 1, Ruth recorded her own "missionary snake story."  She was inside working at her desk after school had dismissed and the children had gone home.  She writes: One of the teachers called me over to my window and mentioned quietly that a cobra was moving toward my office door.  I, of course, needed to try to see it rather than quickly running to my door and pulling it shut. . . .  It managed to slither and slide its way into the room with me still in it.  Being a good female, I quickly jumped onto the nearest chair (after getting my camera) and stood there for a while until one of the men was able to come in and help sort out the whole problem.  It took several trips by others to the maintenance shop to find the right tools for the whole job, but eventually, the cobra was caught and ushered into "snake heaven."  It was my first real snake experience and although I was never in any real danger, I was thankful for people who were nearby who were able to take care of the problem. . . . I'm pretty sure that most of the teachers and school principals that I know have never had this particular experience at school."  Ruth goes on to say that "all in all, the snake was less than a meter long which makes it a rather minor snake." 

Nevertheless it was big enough to get her heart racing!