Day 6: Beach Break

Tuesday. It was a school holiday and there was no kindergarten. Sometimes the kids still come even when there is a public holiday. For example, Monday which was Vesak day meant that the kids did not have to come to school, but apparently if you don’t tell them explicitly not to come...they’ll come anyway. So we made sure we told the kids not to come on Tuesday and so we could all have a break after a successful 3day camp.

Before the beach

What the beach was like

Artistic pic of Zhihong and the FANTASTIC FOURSOME!

Aunt Lucy and the rocky terrain

In a tropical island, one would have to visit the beach. However Uncle Gilbert and Uncle William were excluded because they were still participating in the university program. So the remaining 5 together with my mom and Carol, headed towards the beach were a surprise would meet our eyes.

You’d expect sand next to the sea, but what we saw was more of rocky terrain with puddles of water here in there. It was actually dead coral reef, the after effects of the tsunami. But we could still appreciate the lovely nature as we found hermit crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers and the biggest fish we ever saw – FRANK. About the size of my hand. It was just nice to feel the cool breeze and watch the crashing waves like unwinding from all the packed activities during the 3 day camp.

Darren shows that the waves are no match for him while a multitude of hermit crabs congregate at this particular spot

This is the famous papaya tree. The inspiration for THE PAPAYA TREE, the sequel to 'the lemon tree' song.

After that we walked to my uncle’s house where we got some delicious papayas, before heading down the road in exploration. We came across a house that had an avocado tree in front of it and a man had just climbed it to collect some avocados. Aunt Lucy was interested in getting some and so my mom asked the lady whether they were for sale. We bought about 6 of them, big and heavy and right off the tree. The guy would use this net like thing to grab the avocado and then let it drop to the open palms of the lady standing below. We were afraid it would fall on our heads...or at least I was.

Darren thinks to himself "oh no! oh no! please don't drop on me, please don't.."

Weighing the avocados and goin for a walk

The house on the left was actually built by a Singaporean. Apparently it's like a glasshouse and it's high up a hill.

In the evening we went for their weekly prayer meeting at my cousin’s house. We presented the song, “May the Lord find us faithful” and then they in turn sang us a song in Indonesian. Zhihong gave a short testimony and then Uncle William gave the message on the sower and the seeds with my dad as the translator. It was touching to hear some of their prayer requests especially that of my aunt who wanted her family to draw closer to God.

Aliman and Tutti on the right

Aliman and Tutti were touched by the message of the sower and the seeds and desired to be like the last seed, to take God’s word and apply it in their lives. A day well spent