Monday, October 27

Aided by our amazing SITAG family, we arrived at the wharf about 6:00 yesterday morning.  We quickly found our favorite spot on the second level of the Kosco, and soon all of our boxes, plants, backpacks, and mats were settled on the boat.  Ten SITAG kids ran around while the adults visited and enjoyed our downtime before the boat left.  Olivia expressed it well: “It makes me feel so special when our SITAG family comes down to the wharf to tell us goodbye.  With everybody laughing and talking, it's a little easier to deal with the sadness of the farewell.”

Some of our colleagues brought us a fabulous breakfast of cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, juice, and coffee.  I felt spoiled rotten.  Then everybody circled around, prayed over us, and disembarked.  As we pulled away, several of them stayed on the wharf waving goodbye.  We would not be able to go back and forth to the village if we didn't have the Body of Christ to help us through the transition. 

Another ex-pat was on board the ship.  He is a medical student taking several years to travel around the world and volunteer his knowledge and skills in undeveloped countries.  We enjoyed visiting with him from time to time. 

Hours of reading pleasure belonged to us as the boat chugged through the ocean toward Marulaon Village.  The ocean was calm and glassy, very much an answer to the prayers of people around the world!

We arrived at Yandina and stayed at the wharf for about two hours while the crew unloaded bags and bags of rice, sugar, and flour.  Watching the line of men tossing these huge bags like clock work made us smile.  Yandina also has a nice market for hungry ship passengers, and Aaron picked up some pomelo, green coconuts, and ring cake for us to enjoy.

This trip was the first time we haven't unloaded at Marulaon Village.  Instead, the Kosco bypassed our village for another village a little bit farther West.  The sun was sinking rapidly by the time the ship slowed to a stop, and we were so thankful to see our friends in two motor canoes!  Unloading everything into the small boats took a long time.  Our drivers told us that we were running on fumes, so ten liters of petrol went into each engine - so glad we brought it!  It was dark when we finally sped off toward Marulaon, Aaron in one canoe, and the kids and I in the other.  The phosphorescence in the water glowed, but that was about the only light.  A thin crescent moon hung low on the horizon, beautiful but not illuminating.  I was really thankful that Sarah tucked her flashlight into her backpack, Benjamin and I took turns holding it up so our driver could navigate around the rocks in the shallow channels. 

We pulled up to Marulaon to find happy neighbors waiting to help us carry all of our things up the hill to the house.  I don't know what we would have done without all of them.  It would have taken us all night long to carry each box up.  We walked in the house just before 8:00, and the family split two apples with peanut butter while we took turns taking a quick shower to wash off the grime of the ship.  Thank you for all of the prayers offered up on our behalf.  When I think of the magnitude of the trip, the path that we and our cargo must take (SITAG to truck to wharf to ship to motor canoe to shore to house), I'm in awe of all that God does for us.