April 24, 2009
Wow, what a special day spent with the Agape girls! Today we took a little break from the artwork and we were able to bless the girls with a once in a lifetime experience . . . a day trip to Bahura Beach Resort!
As the girls were loaded in the car, ready to go (30 minutes before departure time showed their excitement), Papa Mike came over to the car and asked if he could share something from his heart with them. He reminded the girls of how special this day truly was. Due to the blessings poured out to the Agape Art team, we were able to share this blessing with the girls. “Bahura is a very special place”, he reminded them. “A place that you have never been and may never be again. It is a truly unique experience. So it is my prayer”, he said, “that you have as much fun as possible and enjoy this blessing of time and fun that the Lord has given us through the Agape Art team.”
With that special reminder of how the blessings we received back home are having a special impact on these girls lives, along with the beautiful sound of the girls singing songs to the Lord in the car, my heart was warmed and my day was extraordinary long before we ever arrived at the resort.
The resort left us with no disappointments (other than some painful sunburns). Our day was filled with beautiful pools surrounded by tall palm trees and tropical plants. Just beyond the pools was pure green grass that led to a little beach with the vast ocean before us and two other islands in sight. In the distance on the other side, we could see the beautiful mountains of Dumaguete through the trees. A few of us began with a long walk down the beach that included some time swimming through the refreshing salt water of the Pacific. Next we splashed (literally) into the turquoise pools. Kadie had her own little diving class going with some of the girls in the 13 foot pool. She was so good, a European man came and asked to join in her class. It was funny, he really seemed to want some help with his diveJ I had the privilege of teaching two of the girls to swim free-style and how to breathe out the side correctly. A three course lunch with appetizer, entrée and dessert was included in our $10 admission fee. A few of the girls had a hard time finishing as they are not used to more than one course. After lunch we got to do some kayaking in the ocean. Some of the girls who are not strong swimmers were very timid, but they were happy to ride along with a stronger counterpart. There sure are some competitive athletes in this bunch. They did great! While we took turns on the few kayaks we had, a few of us made a fascinating discovery of the fun to be had bouncing on a fallen palm tree over the water. This was one of my favorite partsJ What a wonderful day of connecting with the girls and each of their unique personalities!
Thank you to everyone at home who poured out blessings upon us and this vision of Agape Art. Whether it was an encouraging word to push forward with my vision, a financial donation to make it all possible, a donation of supplies of all kinds, or even for just allowing me to take off from work for two weeks . . . I thank you from the depths of my heart! Your generosity impacts lives and pours God’s love upon us all that get to experience His blessings through wonderful places and time spent together.
-Becky Palmieri
Exhausted, but full of love and gratitude!
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