And this is how my 23rd birthday started! I woke up at 6am to Sarah B. shaking me saying, “Hey! It’s May 13th, and it’s your birthday!” Then at 6:15am I woke up again to Molly and Jeanette throwing 11 1/2 orange balloons all over my bed while singing “happy birthday” in a whisper, because everyone else was still sleeping. Then needing to get up to use the bathroom, I walked out into the hallway to see a bright “Happy Birthday” sign hanging on the wall-thank you Pammy!! After I got ready for the big day I walked over to the YWAM base, and Seth made me some amazing organic Costa Rican coffee. Colleen gave me a spanish strawberry short cake card with a birthday message for a free pedicure (something that is long overdue for me). Then I did what any birthday girl would do… JUMPED OFF A 260 FOOT BRIDGE!!!!!!! After I got back, my amazing team had a night-o-fun planned out for me. They gave me clue cards for every place we went. I got to have mexican food, pizza, and AMAZING red velvet cake. After cake they told me they had one more suprise for me. They sat me down infront of a computer. As I watched my birthday video from all my teammates who were unable to be here because they had gone to Panama, my heart was flooded with joy and love. That night I fell asleep in my balloon-filled bed. Honestly, this was the best birthday I have ever had in my entire life. I LOVE MY WORLD RACE FAMILIA!!!!!!
I was nominated to go first, because I was the birthday girl. Suprisingly, I wasn’t that scared. I figured that if I spent the whole time being scared then I would miss out on the exhiliration of it all. After I got the velcro wrapped around my ankles, I stepped up to the platform. Aaron (the bungee worker) says, “ok I’m going to count down from 5. I will be ready for you to jump as soon as I say five, but you have to jump by 1-no hesitation.” There I was, standing on the edge of a metal platform listening to a guy behind me count down from 5. I waited until he said 1 just to make sure he was ready. Then, without any hesitation I jumped. I jumped into the unknown, not even “am I sure I saw him strap that velcro tight around my ankles?” Free falling into the wide open is the most freedom I have ever felt. It’s the closest to flying I have ever experienced, and I loved every second of it. It was just me and God, out there in the open. As I was screaming my guts out, I felt His closeness wrap around me. After I stoped bouncing in the air, I felt stillness. Hanging by my ankles, all I could think was, “I hope I don’t black out”, as all the blood had rushed to my head. As they started to pull me back up, that’s all I was consentrating on, “don’t black out, don’t black out.” I was seeing stars floating around me. Then sucess-I made it back to the top of the platform. Holding on for dear life, not wanting to experience the rush again, with my body shaking, and wearing a huge smile on my face, the only words I could get out were, “That was freaking awesome!!!” Then it was Mark’s turn.
23rd BDAY Jump!!! from Megan Dunegan on Vimeo.
Birthday Wishes from Megan Dunegan on Vimeo.
