Today we began our Tok Pisin classes as well as our swimming challenge.
One of the challenges is that whatever your level of swimming is, that you do better by the end of the course. Part of this course is to physically condition our bodies for the walking and altitude at Ukarumpa.
Only we've already been there and gotten used to the altitude and the roads.
The oxymoron is that is isn't a weight loss camp because the kitchen puts out some pretty good meals.
Anyway, the put a rope out in the warm tropical waters of Madang after giving us an hour lecture on how to not get stung by something poisonous and general medical information. In general, don't bug it, and it shouldn't bug you and you most likely won't see a whole lot of waterlife while you're splashing about in the water.
So the rope is up on buoys, 8 laps is a mile, the water is 25 feet deep. The kids are over with their class playing safely in the water, and I am convinced by looking at this rope that I can't do a single lap. I'll be able to get half way before tiring out.
My wife says to me "how can I encourage you to do well?" because the fear of knowing that we can physically survive here is gone, we know we can. So the motivation to physically push ourselves has to come from somewhere inside.
My personal goal, isn't to do the mile, because as I said, I was certain I would not be able to even finish a lap. My wife, did 5 laps in an hour, and I did 3. At the end of three I thought I would "sprint" you know... run the race and sprint at the end. I did swim as fast as I could push my body and when it was over, had a very tough time catching my breath.
But I had completed 3 laps. I was very surprised. Before coming to Ukarumpa I would not have had the lung capacity to swim 1/8 of a mile, much less 3/8 of a mile the first time out.
After six weeks time I expect I should be able to swim a half a mile or more. I expect my wife to be able to swim a whole mile.
The challenge isn't so much I didn't have the energy. It was that I didn't have the time. They gave us an hour, and I stopped swimming on their suggestion to get water and jumped back in.
I am amazed that I have the energy I have right now. I was expecting to be exhausted. To go swimming you take a 30 minute jungle road ride on the back of a big truck. For the kids that was draining in and of itself, but they'll do anything for the chance to go swimming.
Overall, today has been the best day of POC thus far. I surprised myself with the distance I swam, I was impressed with my wife's distance, and overall we feel uplifted and encouraged.
We've made friends with two finish families as well as some American families.
The challenges of POC are as I see them:
-physical - swimming and hiking - the most ominous
-social - living closely with people of different cultures with no chance for privacy, socially we both adapt well, although I do tend to like a few hours of privacy each day.
-language - learning Tok Pisin, we are already ahead of the game here
Calvin's mosquito bites have healed nicely, and the kids are running around adventuring and having fun each day. They end the night being tired and don't go to bed well yet as they share a room. Knowing them, they usually go to bed so well.
Your prayers are appreciated.
Was someone praying for me today? I appreciate it if you were out there praying for extra energy and encouragement.
