You and me both, pal.
After the great performance the night before, the team regrouped at Maple Ridge Alliance Church to clean up and pack up. The kids were all rather sleepy, which is understandable given the relatively short turnaround for them to come back to the church. Thankfully, the cleanup went smooth, as we once again had help from some amazing volunteers.
Before the team hopped on the bus that would take us to the ferry for Nanaimo, a song of praise was sung.
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Once on the bus, the kids began to wake up and show off their youthful energy. I was sitting at the back of the bus with Samuel, Moses and Yusvae (the Khmer version of Joshua), who were finding it very hard to stay seated. Also nearby were Srey Neang and Leah, who have been cruelly pinching and teasing me throughout the trip. Such injustice!
It was interesting to see everybody's reactions when we pulled up to the ferry. Everyone on the bus got really quiet, watching with fascination as Marty drove the bus onto one of the ferry's decks.
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As we exited the bus to go to the main deck, the kids stayed close together, possibly a little overwhelmed by this new environment. This went away once we reached the main seating area, as the boys and girls divided into sections to call their own, all while watching the outside ocean from the windows. Once the ferry lurched into motion, the kids went silent like they did on the bus. About a minute in, they went back to chatting.
The adults then took the children out onto the outer decks. They were all very excited to do this, although the cold air meant they could only handle being outside for so long. The rest of the trip saw a few of them would wander back outside with a chaperone every now and then, but most opted to stay inside to chat, watch videos, or nap.
As the voyage neared its end, I was made aware of what might be the most wholesome photo opportunity for the whole tour. Twins Chantha and Chanthy napping together in a rather unorthodox manner that looked as if they were still sharing a womb.
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Once aboard the bus, we departed from the ferry into Nanaimo. The drive to Departure Bay Baptist Church was a short one, and we unpacked rather quickly. The kids were very interested in the large tree beside the church, leading to some humorous moments. Several members of the team noticed the maple leaves that had fallen to the ground and they were quite intrigued by seeing the symbol of our flag in reality.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing around the church, eating a delicious supper from Trakuan, and visiting with the billets. The team split up with their billets at a relatively early time, getting to spend more time with friendly Canadian families.
So far Nanaimo has been great. I know that the performance at Departure Bay Baptist will continue this trend.
God bless & Jesus saves.
So precious for the twins to snuggle in safety and security!! Thanks for sharing Adam!
Looks fun! Would have loved to travel with you and witness the reactions to the new experiences!