We enjoyed a little ‘west and wee-laxation’ this
past Sunday. Our group gathered for a worship service, commencing the
meeting with freshly baked scones and French pressed coffee. The air
smelled like a bakery, with an aroma of cinnamon, baked goods, and
coffee beans. And we gave thanks to God for His favor shown to us. The
rock wall required a special permit, and through the grace of God it was
obtained, and very quickly. Not only did we get a permit from the DNR,
we also have the backing of the local Barungai captain.
‘Barungai’ is like the community leader, the man in charge of local projects and general keeping of the peace. Barungai are highly respected, and having our local Barungai support came as a huge and unexpected blessing. Captain Pallo has adopted our rock wall as his own project, which gives the rock wall a double security, and even went so far as to send two of his ‘police’ men to stand guard and act as a visual representation of our Barungai Captain’s approval.
On many levels, we have seen the favor of Jesus Christ during the past week. John thanked Him for protecting me during my illness, and for my speedy recovery. I have felt the strength returning to my limbs, and I am so grateful for the gift of restored health.
John Langham thanked Him for the gift of his father’s recent conviction from Christ, and that he sought reconciliation with his estranged son, Daniel. Yes, Jesus has been moving all over the world. I am thankful that we can see glimpses of His transformation as He changes the hearts of His children.
In the midst of our gathering, there was a timid knock on the front door. Standing there were two tiny Aeta women, one with a small baby boy on her hip, and the other toting a backpack. They had come to deliver the ‘goods.’ Jason had informed us that one of his hired Aeta workers, Boyett, had captured two ‘mountain bunnies,’ and Jason had agreed to pay him in exchange for the critters. His hope had been to crossbreed the wild rabbits with his domestic male bunny.
No one knew quite what to expect Boyett’s conception of a mountain bunny to be, but I don’t believe that any of us could have been prepared for the sight that met our eyes. As the young Aeta woman began to unpack the contents of her bag, she withdrew a gunnysack with a knotted end. The sack was hardly moving, and we wondered if the creatures were even alive. The unfurling of the sack gave us onlookers the first glimpse of the wild bunnies. Only they weren’t bunnies at all. In appearance, they resembled a rat, and an opossum, and a guinea pig, with a long, furry tail like a monkey. Hands like a monkey’s, but with claws. Short, rounded ears like a mouse. A pink, heart-shaped nose and long black whiskers. For all their fierce appearance, the two wild things were quite docile.
They were not bunnies. This we were all agreed upon. How anyone could
mistake them for a rabbit was beyond comprehension, and Jason didn’t
know what Boyett was thinking. Boyett had even seen real bunnies here at
the land. True to his word, though, Jason paid the women in exchange
for the creatures. The lady with the baby was Boyett’s wife, and she
carried their son, whom they called Larry boy.
Such an oddity. None of us had ever seen the like of those strange creatures, not even in books. What in the world were they? After finishing out our worship and prayer service, we decided to satisfy our curiosity and began to search the Internet for an answer to our query. And find it we did. Those odd little critters that were sitting out in Jason’s bunny cage were in fact Giant Cloud Rats, native to Luzon, and only found in this part of the Philippines. Reading on, we discovered why they were acting so calmly. They are nocturnal. Allaying Theresa’s fears, the article informed us that they did not carry any harmful diseases. Cloud Rats are herbivores, and are somewhat of an endangered species, as they are hunted for their meat. In the whole world, they are only in captivity in three zoos: Prague, Bronx, and the London Zoo. We were beholding a rare species, native to Luzon.
After all of the excitement, John and John decided that our lazy afternoon would be the perfect day for fishing. I tagged along, bringing my book with me. We drove into Subic and parked near the bayside, and the two guys set about baiting hooks, attaching bobbers, and casting out to sea. I sought a shady spot and commenced in reading One Thousand Gifts. As the afternoon wore on, John strung me up a hammock between two trees, and I moved into the comfortable swing. I fancied my new vantage point. Across the bay lay a mountainous island, and the peak seemed to touch a low-lying cloud. The sun was beginning to set. John relaxed in a hammock next to mine, and I could see his contented expression. We sat there, suspended in the air, watching the sun go down.
And what a gorgeous scene it was. Just like shakinah glory, spilling out brilliant hues of light across the canvas of the skies, and painted in such gorgeous tones. As the orb of fire descended behind the mountains, the cloud above took on a grey-violet shade, the very edges of which were tinged in radiant gold. The sky, which had been a baby blue all afternoon, was transfigured in stages. The bottom of the horizon was swathed in a dusky orchid pink. Gradually, another layer was added, blending burnt amber into the azure and blush. Then the sun disappeared, and the heavens were awash with more color than before. A stroke of salmon pink that wove a ribbon color against the clear blue up above, crescendoed into warm golden yellow, leading down to the amber brushed with dusky orchid, and ended in a deep violet. But the cloud! The cloud above the mountain had edges of fire, an orange so intense that it hurt the eyes to gaze steadily at its beauty. And it was beautiful, as a whole, to see all of that wonder light reflected in the shimmering waters of the bay.
They did not catch any fish, but we all caught the sunset. Sitting there, in my hammock, I was so thankful for life. To witness that splendor, to feel the strength returning to my limbs once more, to see John outlined against the fading colors of the sky, strong and handsome and mine. I was overflowing with joy at the gift of it all.
We ate dinner at Rali’s, the outdoor bar and grille by the bay. As dusk fell, I saw the first evening star appear on the horizon, and it sparkled like a brilliant diamond. I relished my dinner of onion rings, rolls with pats of butter, garden salad, veggie medley, mashed taters and gravy, the blue marlin dripping with buttery lemon sauce, and the fresh mango shake to top it off. Superb. Peering across the bay, I watched as the giant fruit bats, some with a wingspan up to 6 feet, made their way home from the island.
It was a day in the life. Just an ordinary day. But I love finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to me, it was a wonderfilled day. Another day to praise God for the blessings and the beautiful, and to thank Him for the gifts. Thanksgiving is just around the corner… What are you thankful for in your life?
On a side note, those Giant Cloud Rats are no longer in Jason’s possession. They found their pluck that night, and the two wild things devised an elaborate escape. Come next morning, all that remained of the mountain bunnies was a gaping hole in the thatched roof of the rabbit hutch. We have not seen hide nor tail of them since.
originally posted on November 16, 2011
‘Barungai’ is like the community leader, the man in charge of local projects and general keeping of the peace. Barungai are highly respected, and having our local Barungai support came as a huge and unexpected blessing. Captain Pallo has adopted our rock wall as his own project, which gives the rock wall a double security, and even went so far as to send two of his ‘police’ men to stand guard and act as a visual representation of our Barungai Captain’s approval.
On many levels, we have seen the favor of Jesus Christ during the past week. John thanked Him for protecting me during my illness, and for my speedy recovery. I have felt the strength returning to my limbs, and I am so grateful for the gift of restored health.
John Langham thanked Him for the gift of his father’s recent conviction from Christ, and that he sought reconciliation with his estranged son, Daniel. Yes, Jesus has been moving all over the world. I am thankful that we can see glimpses of His transformation as He changes the hearts of His children.
In the midst of our gathering, there was a timid knock on the front door. Standing there were two tiny Aeta women, one with a small baby boy on her hip, and the other toting a backpack. They had come to deliver the ‘goods.’ Jason had informed us that one of his hired Aeta workers, Boyett, had captured two ‘mountain bunnies,’ and Jason had agreed to pay him in exchange for the critters. His hope had been to crossbreed the wild rabbits with his domestic male bunny.
No one knew quite what to expect Boyett’s conception of a mountain bunny to be, but I don’t believe that any of us could have been prepared for the sight that met our eyes. As the young Aeta woman began to unpack the contents of her bag, she withdrew a gunnysack with a knotted end. The sack was hardly moving, and we wondered if the creatures were even alive. The unfurling of the sack gave us onlookers the first glimpse of the wild bunnies. Only they weren’t bunnies at all. In appearance, they resembled a rat, and an opossum, and a guinea pig, with a long, furry tail like a monkey. Hands like a monkey’s, but with claws. Short, rounded ears like a mouse. A pink, heart-shaped nose and long black whiskers. For all their fierce appearance, the two wild things were quite docile.
Such an oddity. None of us had ever seen the like of those strange creatures, not even in books. What in the world were they? After finishing out our worship and prayer service, we decided to satisfy our curiosity and began to search the Internet for an answer to our query. And find it we did. Those odd little critters that were sitting out in Jason’s bunny cage were in fact Giant Cloud Rats, native to Luzon, and only found in this part of the Philippines. Reading on, we discovered why they were acting so calmly. They are nocturnal. Allaying Theresa’s fears, the article informed us that they did not carry any harmful diseases. Cloud Rats are herbivores, and are somewhat of an endangered species, as they are hunted for their meat. In the whole world, they are only in captivity in three zoos: Prague, Bronx, and the London Zoo. We were beholding a rare species, native to Luzon.
After all of the excitement, John and John decided that our lazy afternoon would be the perfect day for fishing. I tagged along, bringing my book with me. We drove into Subic and parked near the bayside, and the two guys set about baiting hooks, attaching bobbers, and casting out to sea. I sought a shady spot and commenced in reading One Thousand Gifts. As the afternoon wore on, John strung me up a hammock between two trees, and I moved into the comfortable swing. I fancied my new vantage point. Across the bay lay a mountainous island, and the peak seemed to touch a low-lying cloud. The sun was beginning to set. John relaxed in a hammock next to mine, and I could see his contented expression. We sat there, suspended in the air, watching the sun go down.
And what a gorgeous scene it was. Just like shakinah glory, spilling out brilliant hues of light across the canvas of the skies, and painted in such gorgeous tones. As the orb of fire descended behind the mountains, the cloud above took on a grey-violet shade, the very edges of which were tinged in radiant gold. The sky, which had been a baby blue all afternoon, was transfigured in stages. The bottom of the horizon was swathed in a dusky orchid pink. Gradually, another layer was added, blending burnt amber into the azure and blush. Then the sun disappeared, and the heavens were awash with more color than before. A stroke of salmon pink that wove a ribbon color against the clear blue up above, crescendoed into warm golden yellow, leading down to the amber brushed with dusky orchid, and ended in a deep violet. But the cloud! The cloud above the mountain had edges of fire, an orange so intense that it hurt the eyes to gaze steadily at its beauty. And it was beautiful, as a whole, to see all of that wonder light reflected in the shimmering waters of the bay.
They did not catch any fish, but we all caught the sunset. Sitting there, in my hammock, I was so thankful for life. To witness that splendor, to feel the strength returning to my limbs once more, to see John outlined against the fading colors of the sky, strong and handsome and mine. I was overflowing with joy at the gift of it all.
We ate dinner at Rali’s, the outdoor bar and grille by the bay. As dusk fell, I saw the first evening star appear on the horizon, and it sparkled like a brilliant diamond. I relished my dinner of onion rings, rolls with pats of butter, garden salad, veggie medley, mashed taters and gravy, the blue marlin dripping with buttery lemon sauce, and the fresh mango shake to top it off. Superb. Peering across the bay, I watched as the giant fruit bats, some with a wingspan up to 6 feet, made their way home from the island.
It was a day in the life. Just an ordinary day. But I love finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to me, it was a wonderfilled day. Another day to praise God for the blessings and the beautiful, and to thank Him for the gifts. Thanksgiving is just around the corner… What are you thankful for in your life?
On a side note, those Giant Cloud Rats are no longer in Jason’s possession. They found their pluck that night, and the two wild things devised an elaborate escape. Come next morning, all that remained of the mountain bunnies was a gaping hole in the thatched roof of the rabbit hutch. We have not seen hide nor tail of them since.
originally posted on November 16, 2011
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