Hurray!!!!
We've arrived!
About 3 hours ago, around 8am, we sailed into port at Tene Rife. This morning I woke up and realized my bed was not rolling. It was odd, I was thinking, "are we here?!" Last night about 10 o'clock we could see the little lights of the canary islands off in the distance. It was an odd paradox, the pitch black sky with its gorgeous stars like you can only see in the open sea...and then the glow of the islands-Land! off in the distance. It was exciting.
So this morning around 6:30 as I woke up to the odd stillness of my bed (as I've become used to pitching side to side), I heard my roomies scurrying around, getting ready to go up to deck 8 to watch the sunrise and then watch us sail into port :-D we all grabbed our sweatshirts and our fold up camping chairs from the ship shop, and scrambled up the few decks from our cabin on deck 4 to our top deck 8. It was still dark and we were anchored right off shore of Tene Rife; the lights were beautiful! So much excitement!! Then on the other side the rising sun.
It came up with soft pink hues, not a bold sunrise but a soft gentle one. I love God's variety.
As the light grew we could see the island we will be docked at for the next 6 weeks. There are Mountains! Everywhere! Its gorgeous! It's actually a volcano (which I will be climbing with 9 other girls tomorrow! :-D). And then modern buildings. We are off of spain! Yay! I get to speak spanish!! The crew began to gather at the Port side railings of decks 7 and 8. The Pilote boat was coming out to meet us. Everyone waved, and the pilote boarded. Yay! we could start sailing into port. As we came close we heard the sound of a trumpet playing hymns. Our Trumpeteer was a quaint white haired man, whom I later learned trumpets us in and out of port every time Mercy Ships come to Tene Rife. I heard his name is something like Theodoro and he owns a small buisness like a pizza shop in town. It was such a warm welcome, he continued to play songs like "I have decided to follow Jesus" and "when the saints come marching in." I wonder when he's last had such a large audience. In between songs we would clap and cheer and wave :)
finally we were tied up and docked in port. We made it!! solid ground! I thank God for a wonderful voyage, a great experience, His awe-inspiring creation, and the variety of it all. I'm so excited to have arrived in a new place, I can't wait to begin exploring!! Who know's what new adventures are to be had!
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