great is Thy faithfulness

My silence here at our blog has been only in order to quietly enjoy these last few days 

before Amy and Elise leave for college.

Tomorrow we'll load up their things and say goodbye to this sweet season of life,

beginning a new, very different chapter for all of us.

But we've been savoring this time,

so Tuesday we loaded up a borrowed truck (thank you, J and T!)

with borrowed bicycles (thank you, N and R!)

and headed for a day trip to one of our very favorite places, Jekyll Island.

 This quiet little island off the coast of Georgia is amazing in its diversity.

In our three-hour bike ride we enjoyed the rocky Driftwood Beach,

...the stately Historic District,

(yes, Joan, Spanish Moss drips elegantly on Jekyll, too!)

 ... mysterious marshes filled with marsh birds and zillions of dragonflies,

...sun speckled forest with shy deer, and sandy beaches rolling in dunes.

 It's a place full of wonderful memories for us5, so appropriate for this bittersweet time.

Recreating a favorite laugh from 2004 at J.I.

We're giving thanks for God's profound goodness over the years,

in all the diverse places and things He's brought us through as a family.

Barbara, Amy and Elise 10 years ago at Jekyll Island

Though it will be dreadfully painful to say goodbye to you, Elise and Amy,

as you leave gaping holes in our home,

we're grateful for the memories.

 

And we are tremendously excited for you, 

 delighted at the opportunities God will give to you,

and confident that our faithful God will go with you!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

 excerpt from the hymn by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923

 

lizard on a leash

 On the day that Michael climbed a volcano,

as he and his group headed back down the dusty trail,

they crossed paths with this big lizard,

photos by Michael

 presumably someone's pet, since it was tied by a rope (just in front of the back legs)

to a piece of wood on the side of the trail.

He viewed us, as we passed him by,
With calm and yet with questioning eye,
But moveless still, as though the stone
Were portion of his being's own.
- Edward Robeson Taylor

the end of the adventure

After our hike up Mount Puting Bato, we climbed back on those motorcycles 

and headed down toward civilization. 

I felt relieved to hit flat paved roads again.

We stopped at a sari sari for something to drink (bottom left)

and then headed on toward Hagimit Falls.

Michael takes the plunge at Hagimit

 We spent a refreshing hour at the falls,

enjoying the cool water and the peaceful setting.

This little girl (bottom right) sold us cold drinks.  

She was so sweet, I asked if I could take her photo.  

I love how she's framed by all the colorful goods for sale.

It had been a high-energy morning, and it was time to head home.

We said good bye to our trusty motorcycle drivers

and boarded a little ferry boat (below, right) homeward.

Elise and Amy baked a fabulous chocolate cake and served it up that evening for my birthday.

And Amy's birthday gift to me summed up how we all felt after our adventure...

There's No Place Like Home.

"Maybe that's the best part of going away for a vacation - coming home again."

-Madeleine L'Engle

Amy crafted this piece for me using a paper-cutting technique called scherenschnitte.  
The patience required for such precision cutting is beyond my comprehension, 
but I'm loving my beautiful gift!  Thank you, Amy!

an adventure continued

 Disembarking from the passenger ferry,

Mark bartered with three motorcycle drivers to negotiate a fare 

to hire them for the morning.

Once agreed on a price, we jumped on and zipped off down the road.

After a quick stop for enough gas to last the day ($2.50 per bike)

we headed to the highest point on Samal Island,

Mount Puting Bato (Mount White Rock).

These photos cannot do the 30-minute trip justice.

After all, good photos are only obtainable when you aren't bouncing along rutted dirt roads 

at a 45 degree angle.

After what seemed like hours of fervent prayer and holding on for dear life,

I found myself whole-heartedly agreeing with Mr. Baggins:

“Why O why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole?" 

said poor Mr. Baggins, bumping up and down on Bombur's back.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

 At long last we reached the Tayapok Trail, a 25-minute hike to the top of the mountain.

(Notice our drivers outpaced us by driving up the trail)

A brave heart and a courteous tongue.   

They shall carry thee far through the jungle. 

– Rudyard Kipling

But success was denied us;

the top of the mountain was off-limits that day.

Mark tried to rouse a keeper for the padlocked entrance gate; 

(that's him on the bottom left, peeking into the gatekeeper's lodge)

we would have been more than happy to pay the 15 cent entrance fee!

All to no avail.  

I guess they hadn't got the memo that we were on our way.

So Michael pulled out his R/C plane instead.

 What a great place for a flight!  

Our drivers were fascinated by the mini air show.

In the name of God, stop a moment, 

cease your work, 

look around you. 
 - Leo Tolstoy

- Stay tuned for one more post to complete our birthday adventure!