9:00am
Kaitlyn Crosby: KAITLIN, MADELINE GET UP ITS IMPORTANT
A very grumpy Kaitlin wakes up wondering what could possibly be more important then Madeline and I’s plan to sleep in until lunch so we don’t have to buy breakfast (living on a budget) and also catching up on sleep considering we wake up by 6:00am every other morning.
She comes in to tell us that everyone is going island hopping and snorkeling and we should decide on whether or not we want to go because they are leaving soon. I was quick to say “NO” and roll right back over in a hurry to catch some more Z’s.
She keeps insisting, I keep internally groaning.
I finally get up and start contemplating on what to do. First things first how much is this trip going to cost because if I didn’t even want to pay for breakfast why am I going to want to pay for this. I quickly realized how dumb that sounded so along with some nagging, strategic convincing and even a phone call wth my mom I decided to go.
10:00am
We jam into Worship on Wheels a white van with two rows of seats on either side. The journey begins. We park about 5 minutes away from the port and start walking towards the boat. Once we get there we find out that we got the wrong information and the trip will actually be 200 extra pesos. All I can think is “great, I knew something like this would happen” while trying to keep a crooked smile on my face. We’re all a little irritated and upset because the reality of it is not only are we all cheap-o-s but living the life of some extreme budgeteers. Our ministry hosts Mike and Natalie come over and tell us that they want to cover the extra since we had already drove the way down here.
Mike: This is something so cool for you guys to experience, take mental snapshots because these are things you will never want to forget.
With extreme gratitude and just relief we head over to finish waiting for the boats to come pick us up.
SIDENOTE- While waiting we had these powdered milk candies that when you puy in your mouth taste like you’re drinking milk then they quickly go bad. This really exited me because we haven’t had milk all of the Philippines and I love my milk. My bones are weak LOL.
Sometime between 11:00am & 12
The boats get there and we divy up into two of them because we are chubby Americans to big for one. The workers silly words not mine. It’s a little boat with these weird things on the side that I guess keep it balanced, they really just look like wings without an inside. The boat goes in a straight line and we are quickly at another island. We then divy up some more into these tiny little canoe type things 3 by 3.
Our “captain” was Mark. What a guy.
We take off and I start filling up my mental gallery with pictures of my beautiful surroundings. We pass by caves, mountains and white sandy pebbles all while having aquamarine water splash up on us. Our first stop is a cave that we climb up on top of then into. We climb down these bamboo steps and submerge into a little tunnel. With about 12 of us in there we smash into each other as the current pulls us back and forth and we try not to scrape against the rugged edges.
We shortly go back into our little boats and head toward the open waters.
Who even knows that time it is now:
SNORKELING TIME
Mark brings us to a stop and tells us to grab our snorkels because “It’s time”. We strap the goggles and mouth tube to our faces and giggle with pure excitement. I can’t believe I almost sad no to this.
He tells us to get out and hold onto the wings of this little yellow floating device (the boat, duh). With knuckles gripped tightly I hold my breath ,I forget I have my mouth mask on and go under the water. My heart beats out of my chest and I scream with amazement. I can see fishes and coral right underneath my toes. I come up for air (it took me a while to remember I could breathe under the water) and the boat takes off. We are holding on to the rope being dragged across the water. So freaking cool. I keep going in and out of the water in shock. IM SWIMMING WITH THE FISHHHEEEEESSS.
We come to a stop and are able to free swim around. One of the divers takes me over to look at this huge clam that is in the water. It was probably as big as a medium size circle rug. I try to swim down to the bottom but barely make it anywhere as the pressure auctions the goggle to my face and I contemplate how I will even reach the top again. We swim and swim and swim while fish surround us and colorful sea life just well happens.
After a while we get back on the boat, and grab lunch.
Sometime after lunch:
We grab more goggles and swim, swim, swim some more.
As we maneuver through coral reefs, touch slimy random things, watch fish swim with their schools and even pick up a starfish I keep telling myself “never forget this moment”.
I have told myself that a lot on the race. Never forget this, or that, or remember this moment. My mental snapshots are my favorite little memories that bring a wonderful joy to my brain.
I compare a lot of my life to other things in my life. Like jumping off the rocks, something like being fearless and just jumping into life. Looking at old monuments, something like remember the past and look at the beauty in the “befores”. I don’t really know why it’s just how my mess of a mind works.
While I was swimming along side tons of fish, rainbow fish, Dory,s from finding memo, skinny fish, pointy fish, fat fish and fish that don’t even look like fish I started comparing it to how we live with the community where we go.
We completely submerge ourselves into a new environment (while snorkeling this was the habitat of all the living things under our bodies). It’s all different and new but so beautiful and life changing. We live alongside the people wherever we go and watch as they go day to day. (Swimming along side the fish, observing their moves and how they sway with the waves). It’s something that is an awesome sight and a memory for the books. At some points you had to be careful where you stepped because you would scrape against the coral and quickly regret it. Since this journey is all out of our comfort zones being careful is essential. You don’t know where you are (even though I like to consider myself a local HAH) so watching your steps, your ways, the signs you make with your hands, the ways you eat your foods well it’s just a habit you get into.
So yeah while this morning I was grumpy and quickly to say NO I am so grateful I didn’t. Yeah, sometimes NO is the easier answer, the quicker way around things but what’s the fun in that. Where’s the experience in that. The other day we read a blog from Kaylayn our squad mentor. It talks about just that and how we should stop saying NO to the little things so we can say YES to the big ones.
I’ve said YES to this amazing journey I’m currently living so I might as well be all in. Today was definitely one for the books and “I will never forget it”.
I am currently still 2,700 away from my goal of 13,805. I ask that you please consider saying YES and donating any amount. Thank you guys for getting me this far and I know that God will continue to provide.
Much love from the Philippines.
