Patrick Tan

At this moment I’m lying alone in an open bamboo cottage just beside the shores of Samal Island. It’s total darkness. Only the night lights illuminate the sky. Barges lit across the sea with rolling Davao mountains in the background. I can hear the sound of calm waves clashing through the shore. The place we settled in is an uncut diamond. A private resort off the island’s more popular resorts, we managed to arrive at 3PM. The sand is white and lined with trees. It reminds me of Bataraza in Palawan.

I left Manila Domestic Airport at 10AM. I felt a little dizzy while on flight. Arrived at Davao International Airport 12NN. Ate Merla and Ate Afel were already waiting for me outside. We dropped by Gaisano Mall to have lunch. I remembered to text Kuya Arthur (or Bay Arths), my Dabaweno classmate in AIYS 2004. He helped us roam around the mall as we purchased last minute necessities. I forgot to bring my toothbrush. We and Kuya Arth separated ways after that. We took a taxi to the bus station crossing the strait going to the island of Samal.

Truly time is slow in the rural. In the island the main means of transportation is not the tricycle but the motorcycle. We dropped by the house of Pastor Dario, an AG pastor (mind you) in Babak district in Samal. He was gracious enough to drive us to the resort. We still had to drop by his church to pick up a karaoke and a guitar, the wet market to buy food for tonight.

The place I’m staying in has no electricity so tomorrow they will bring in a generator. For now they were gracious enough to bring me later a gas lamp because I will make my messages tonight. This is a new experience for me. Since last night I’ve been seeking and nearing the presence of God and He has graciously revealed Himself to me. This latest experience has helped me close everything and focus on Him. I managed to borrow an acoustic guitar here, so I and Ate Merla sang praise songs until the day lights were gone. The retreat delegates are coming tomorrow morning. They are around twenty I think. Later tonight we will still finalize the program.

Everything is calm and serene and peaceful. This is great. My ears are open to You, Lord. Please speak to me and through.