Elephants are quite fast—they’re known to run about 30 kilometers per hour. We could only drive 40 kilometers per hour, with wheels spinning and dust billowing out behind us as we tried to get out of the brush.

We were beside ourselves. All four of us volunteers were yelling at the driver to stop the vehicle and just stay still and quiet. The park guide was telling the driver to step on the gas and try again. It was mayhem inside our car. I was praying out loud for God to send angels to protect our car.

The elephant is closer and a simple volunteering trip is about to become catastrophic.

Have you ever seen that TV show—I think it’s called Animal Encounters or Animals Gone Wild or something—where someone happens to be videotaping some foolish person getting way too close to a wild animal? Usually it goes like this: Crazy tourist with a penchant for close-up photography and a lack of respect for wildlife tries to get up-close and personal with some dangerous creature.

The center of the Catholic faith is indeed a tourist highlight.