Boomerang Retreat

I hear that I'm not the only one that has been bad about keeping up my blog lately and I guess this tends to happen when you live somewhere for over a year - things become "common" and "everyday" that there is not much to write about. But really, that isn't very true because in Samoa there is always something to write about.

For many months I have been considering an offer from my pastor to stay in Samoa and work at their high school: Fa'atuatua. I would become the computer teacher with non-existent computers or a place to hold them. Frustrated with my stagnant prayer life along with my indecisiveness about where I would be next year, I decided to escape for a couple of nights to a safe place.

Thursday morning I jumped on the Saleapaga bus and sat there for an hour and a half before we started moving. After making a few rounds in town we headed down East Coast Road. We stopped at the petrol station to fill up and most of the bus jumped off to go shopping. Another half hour later we were finally on our way. I arrived at Boomerang (the beach I was staying at) four hours after I got onto the bus.

I dropped my stuff off and went to the beach and opened up my getaway with some dialog with the Lord. I dedicated the entire retreat to Him and continued to listen to music, read the Bible, pray and contemplate my big decision. After dinner I meditated on Scripture using Lectio Divina. The Lord spoke to me through Luke, "Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." I felt He was telling me to be in full submission of His will whatever that may be.

Friday morning at breakfast a couple that was staying at Boomerang offered me a ride to Lalomanu and I was all over that (Lalomanu is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island and is an incredible swimming beach). I grabbed my journal, Bible and mp3 player. God showed me that He wants me to wait on Him for a few reasons: to cultivate patience and endurance and to teach me that He answers in His own time and not when I tell Him to. Those things may seem obvious to you, but for me it was illumination. When we got back to our fales, I noticed that my door had been opened and my cell phone and big bill money was taken. I went to the staff to tell them what happened. As we walked over to my fale to look at the door the owner came running to me with my cell phone and some of the money in his hand. His 7 year old daughter found the money and cell phone on the front porch of my fale...mysterious...but oh how blessed I am to have only lost $20! The remainder of the night was reflecting and meditating upon Psalm 37.

The first hour of Saturday morning was spent praising God while gazing into the endless ocean as the sun rose. There is nothing comparable to spending your quiet time and praising God with no one but the waves of the ocean. I realized that this retreat was an answer to my prayers for intimacy with God. I wasn't hearing from God because my prayer life had become mundane and lifeless. God is speaking to me and is going to reveal His will about what to do next year in His time. He has calmed me with His peace and that is just what I needed.