“He escaped from the sea” – Acts 28:4
It’s been drizzling since morning and at times heavy. Waiting to hear on the boat to Chowra. Since Teresa and Chowra don’t have harbors , the bigger ship waits at a distance and then we have to go into the open sea by a smaller boat to the bigger one. Also, had heard on how difficult it is to jump from a smaller boat to a bigger one and vice versa. Well, we will see today from first hand experience.
Had a good time in prayer in the morning. Too many things on mind and was able to let go of quite a few of them into God’s hands . Looking ahead to the journey still not sure where we will stay and the Island is fairly new to Pas.Adhikez himself.
One of the brothers who welcomed us in Theresa Island has paid for our stay and another for our food. God is surely working on our behalf. Probably we might need the money for a later date as four more Islands to go and a lot of travelling involved.
A long day, as I am writing in the night, staying in a hall near the Nicobari priest’s home in Chowra. We went to the sea shore in Teresa by 11 in the morning and it was nearly 3 pm in the evening before the big ship came and stopped at some distance. On waist deep water we mounted the little motor boat crowded with more than 20 people. I was lifted on to the boat by two youngsters. The sea was a little rough.
As we made our way towards the ship there was a competition of sorts between the little motor boats as to who was going to dismount first onto the bigger boat ! As the boats banged on to each other in the open sea near the bigger boat the women were screaming which made it all the more interesting. It was our time to dismount and did not have too much trouble jumping on to the steps of the bigger boat. It was a small success of sorts as Pas.Adhikez followed.
Since the ship was delayed by four hours it was dusk before we saw Chowra Island and the sea had become very rough. This time the jump to the smaller boat was more risky and we didn’t have young people to help us.
God helped my legs jump perfectly as the little boat was tossing to and fro. As the little boat turned towards the shores of Chowra we were quite far from land and it was tossed to and fro by the winds and the waves. Adhikezavan Pastor worried about my safety started praying loudly but somehow amidst the chaos I didn’t feel or see anything expect that the creator of the seas was by me and directing my boat. There was absolute peace and no fear.
As we approached the shores , I timed my jump poorly and my bag fell into chest deep water. By the time we made it to the shore I was wet and so were my bag and purse and i was dirty all over. We still did not have a place to stay. We walked a little more than a km and reached the Priest’s home uninvited.
No one was there , it didn’t bother me as I used their toilet and changed clothes. I was dirty and wet and just needed to be clean. When the Reverend ( Priest) came he was gracious enough, granting us a hall to stay and not kicking us out as we had barged in uninvited. If kicked out, we would have been homeless then.
Reflecting on the journey, as dangerous as it was , God’s perfect peace was there and only a slight sense of difficulty amidst everything. He provides grace and strength for any journey, ours is just to yield , obey and follow.
God grant me more of Your grace and as the journey’s in life get tougher let me only face it with You. Height or Depth, Life or Death, Famous and accepted or Rejected and Downtrodden, poverty or prosperity, favor or adversity, give me only Jesus and I will be satisfied!
Tommorow, is another day and Lord let it be for You and the people of Chowra!
Thought the day was over and we had to go to sleep without dinner. However, they had prepared a small feast of sorts and that really touched me. We were practical strangers in the Island and probably the first few they are seeing but the hospitality and love shown was so genuine. Deep inside the Nicobari people is God’s love . It might have been blocked from flowing out for various reasons but certain circumstances do bring it out of them and it is genuine.
In understanding how a people so far from God can love as such, it is the foundations laid in them from times past. It shows that they are not far from the truth.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 HOME
