I eventually returned to Arugam Bay where I was excited to get a crewing position on a 27-metre schooner called the “Constellation”.
We sailed out of Sri Lanka in the middle of the night en-route for Africa and twenty-six days later, after many sea adventures, we arrived in Port Louis harbour on the island of Mauritius.
While I was in Mauritius I lived in Tamarin Bay, among the local Creole fishermen and surfers.
Hashish (Marijuana) gave us a common bond and they accepted me into their lives and taught me to night dive on the outer reefs.
Night diving is an incredible experience. The crayfish come out at night and you can blind them with your under water flashlight and just pick them up. The fish go to sleep at night and you only need to decide which one you want to spear for dinner. It was a fantastic sport and we would sell our catches to the local tourist hotel.
After surfing my heart out on Tamarin’s very fast left-hand reef break for several weeks, I was running out of money. So I headed to South Africa where I found a job teaching windsurfing and water-skiing.
Amazingly they actually paid me to do this! I surfed Jeffrey’s Bay and Elands Bay and visited some of South Africa’s world famous wildlife reservations.
My desire was to travel over land through Africa up into Europe, but my plans were completely changed when I heard from New Zealand that my younger brother was planning to get married. I wanted to be at his wedding so I made the decision to return to New Zealand via Reunion Island, Mauritius and Australia
(At my stopover in Reunion I found an amazing surf break called St Leu where I had some great waves to myself. Then I headed on to Mauritius. It was March 1982 and I’d been travelling now for nearly two years, often sleeping in a tent on beaches and living like a nomad. It was time to return home.)
To be cont'd
Blessings...
Yaddy
Friday, January 10, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
A glimpse of eternity "Cont'd
So I asked her why God hadn’t ever spoken to me.
I vividly remember her answer; “Often it takes a tragedy to humble us so that we will turn to God. Men by nature tend to be quite proud”. I retorted, “I’m not that kind of person, I’m not proud”. But when I reflect on it, I was very proud.
My mother said, “I’m not going to force you to come to church. But remember this one thing. Whatever you do in life, wherever you go, no matter how far you think you’ve gone away from God, remember this one thing; if you’re in trouble and in need, cry out to God from your heart, and he will hear you. He will really hear you and forgive you.”
I remembered those words. They stuck in my mind.
But I decided that rather than be a hypocrite..... I wouldn’t go back to church..... because I had never really had an experience with God.
It was basically just religion to me.
I travelled on up through Java, Singapore, Tiomen Island and into Malaysia, then onto Colombo, Sri Lanka with a Dutch woman I had met up with. Once there, I made my way up the coast to surf Arugum Bay.
After a month of awesome waves my visa was running out so I returned to Colombo.
I befriended some Tamil people in Colombo who welcomed me into their home and family life.
One time while I was staying with them we all travelled to the hidden city of Katragarma. While I was at this sacred city I had my first supernatural experience. As I was looking at a carved idol I actually saw its lips move.
I was deeply disturbed by this experience and I wanted to get out of that place as soon as I could!
As I continued to live with my Tamil friends, I observed that each day they would offer food to their household idol, the elephant god Garnesh. Some days they would clothe it, other days bath it in milk or water. It seemed strange to me that a person could believe a stone idol could be a god, as some one had obviously made it with their own hands.
But looking at that stone statue one day I felt an evil yet powerful presence emanating from it. It surprised and intimidated me.
Then into my mind these words came, “You shall have no other God but me and you shall not bow down to any graven image or idol.” Immediately I realized that this was one of the Ten Commandments found in the Bible (Exodus 20:4-5) and I began to reflect on these words that I had heard way back at Sunday school.
In my own way I was on a journey to find the ‘meaning to life’. At times I considered myself an atheist, and at other times a ‘free thinker’. These experiences made me think about supernatural things but I didn’t have enough understanding of them to interpret them. I wanted to experience every thing that life had to offer, and at that time my philosophy was simply to live life as fully as I could. In those years I never wore a watch … I lived in a timeless zone of sunrises & sunsets.
To be cont'd
blessings...
Yaddy
I vividly remember her answer; “Often it takes a tragedy to humble us so that we will turn to God. Men by nature tend to be quite proud”. I retorted, “I’m not that kind of person, I’m not proud”. But when I reflect on it, I was very proud.
My mother said, “I’m not going to force you to come to church. But remember this one thing. Whatever you do in life, wherever you go, no matter how far you think you’ve gone away from God, remember this one thing; if you’re in trouble and in need, cry out to God from your heart, and he will hear you. He will really hear you and forgive you.”
I remembered those words. They stuck in my mind.
But I decided that rather than be a hypocrite..... I wouldn’t go back to church..... because I had never really had an experience with God.
It was basically just religion to me.
I travelled on up through Java, Singapore, Tiomen Island and into Malaysia, then onto Colombo, Sri Lanka with a Dutch woman I had met up with. Once there, I made my way up the coast to surf Arugum Bay.
After a month of awesome waves my visa was running out so I returned to Colombo.
I befriended some Tamil people in Colombo who welcomed me into their home and family life.
One time while I was staying with them we all travelled to the hidden city of Katragarma. While I was at this sacred city I had my first supernatural experience. As I was looking at a carved idol I actually saw its lips move.
I was deeply disturbed by this experience and I wanted to get out of that place as soon as I could!
As I continued to live with my Tamil friends, I observed that each day they would offer food to their household idol, the elephant god Garnesh. Some days they would clothe it, other days bath it in milk or water. It seemed strange to me that a person could believe a stone idol could be a god, as some one had obviously made it with their own hands.
But looking at that stone statue one day I felt an evil yet powerful presence emanating from it. It surprised and intimidated me.
Then into my mind these words came, “You shall have no other God but me and you shall not bow down to any graven image or idol.” Immediately I realized that this was one of the Ten Commandments found in the Bible (Exodus 20:4-5) and I began to reflect on these words that I had heard way back at Sunday school.
In my own way I was on a journey to find the ‘meaning to life’. At times I considered myself an atheist, and at other times a ‘free thinker’. These experiences made me think about supernatural things but I didn’t have enough understanding of them to interpret them. I wanted to experience every thing that life had to offer, and at that time my philosophy was simply to live life as fully as I could. In those years I never wore a watch … I lived in a timeless zone of sunrises & sunsets.
To be cont'd
blessings...
Yaddy
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
“A Glimpse of Eternity”
is the incredible true story of one man’s encounter with death and the realms beyond it. Stung by five box jellyfish while diving off the coast of Mauritius, Ian McCormack later died in hospital and was dead for 15-20 minutes. During this time he experienced both hell and heaven and came back to tell the story! Dying was his doorway to true life and his story is transforming lives around the world as it touches on some of the deepest questions we all eventually ask.
There is a way that seems right to a man
but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
It was 1980 and I was 24 years old when I set out on an adventure that was to turn my life upside down. I had saved some money and was eager to travel and explore the world. My best friend and I decided to sell our worldly possessions and head out on a surfing safari, an ‘endless summer’ holiday.
I was born and raised in New Zealand, a beautiful island country in the Pacific region. My parents were schoolteachers, and because of this we moved towns often, relocating in various rural areas. I had two siblings and together we had enjoyed many of the privileges that many New Zealand children take for granted, such as summer holidays at the beach. From a young age I reveled in the sea.
I completed a university degree in agriculture at Lincoln University and then worked for two years as a farm consultant with the New Zealand Dairy Board. I loved farming. I loved working in the outdoors, and spent as much time as possible in outdoor pursuits. Most of my weekends were spent diving, surfing, tramping, and pursuing all kinds of sports.
After two years of working, I got the urge to travel. In New Zealand a phenomenal number of young people travel overseas before they finally settle into a career and family life. It’s a phenomena fondly termed ‘The Big O.E.’
So off I went with my surfboard under my arm. I initially flew to Sydney, Australia first and surfed my way up the East Coast of Australia to Surfers Paradise. I travelled light and stayed in the cheapest accommodation I could find, while spending my days catching good waves at Dee Why, Fosters, Lennox Heads, Byron Bay and Burleigh Heads.(these are all well known Australian beaches on the east coast)
I hitchhiked up through the outback of Australia to Darwin and then carried on to Bali in Indonesia, where I surfed Kuta Reef, then took my chances surfing Uluwatu, an amazing left-hand reef break. I also visited a few Hindu & Buddhist temple sites before continuing on overland through Java.
As I travelled through Asia the people often asked me if I was a Christian, presumably because I was white skinned. The question challenged me because I had been brought up in a Christian family, but I wasn’t sure if I should call myself a Christian.
I was raised as an Anglican and attended the “Church of England”. At the age of 14 years I was confirmed in the church. I would pray as a child, and went to Sunday school and youth group, and yet I’d never really had a personal experience with God. I remember coming out of the church on the day of my confirmation quite disillusioned. Nothing seemed to have happened. My heart was full of questions, so I asked my mother if God had ever spoken personally to her. She turned to me and said “God does speak and He is real”. Then she shared how she had cried out to God in a time of tragedy and He had answered her.
to be continued!
blessings,
Yaddy
There is a way that seems right to a man
but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
It was 1980 and I was 24 years old when I set out on an adventure that was to turn my life upside down. I had saved some money and was eager to travel and explore the world. My best friend and I decided to sell our worldly possessions and head out on a surfing safari, an ‘endless summer’ holiday.
I was born and raised in New Zealand, a beautiful island country in the Pacific region. My parents were schoolteachers, and because of this we moved towns often, relocating in various rural areas. I had two siblings and together we had enjoyed many of the privileges that many New Zealand children take for granted, such as summer holidays at the beach. From a young age I reveled in the sea.
I completed a university degree in agriculture at Lincoln University and then worked for two years as a farm consultant with the New Zealand Dairy Board. I loved farming. I loved working in the outdoors, and spent as much time as possible in outdoor pursuits. Most of my weekends were spent diving, surfing, tramping, and pursuing all kinds of sports.
After two years of working, I got the urge to travel. In New Zealand a phenomenal number of young people travel overseas before they finally settle into a career and family life. It’s a phenomena fondly termed ‘The Big O.E.’
So off I went with my surfboard under my arm. I initially flew to Sydney, Australia first and surfed my way up the East Coast of Australia to Surfers Paradise. I travelled light and stayed in the cheapest accommodation I could find, while spending my days catching good waves at Dee Why, Fosters, Lennox Heads, Byron Bay and Burleigh Heads.(these are all well known Australian beaches on the east coast)
I hitchhiked up through the outback of Australia to Darwin and then carried on to Bali in Indonesia, where I surfed Kuta Reef, then took my chances surfing Uluwatu, an amazing left-hand reef break. I also visited a few Hindu & Buddhist temple sites before continuing on overland through Java.
As I travelled through Asia the people often asked me if I was a Christian, presumably because I was white skinned. The question challenged me because I had been brought up in a Christian family, but I wasn’t sure if I should call myself a Christian.
I was raised as an Anglican and attended the “Church of England”. At the age of 14 years I was confirmed in the church. I would pray as a child, and went to Sunday school and youth group, and yet I’d never really had a personal experience with God. I remember coming out of the church on the day of my confirmation quite disillusioned. Nothing seemed to have happened. My heart was full of questions, so I asked my mother if God had ever spoken personally to her. She turned to me and said “God does speak and He is real”. Then she shared how she had cried out to God in a time of tragedy and He had answered her.
to be continued!
blessings,
Yaddy
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
HE rescued us from death......
Matthew 1:21, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”
2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”
The Bethlehem crowd was all concerned about a census and the power of Rome.
They had no idea whatsoever that the infinite infant Son of God was asleep in their little town.
Only a few shepherds hurried to see Him who was born in a stable.
And as they left, they glorified God.
We can get so caught up in the commercial busyness of the Christmas season that we overlook how great a gift this little Babe really was. Only when we remember that His sacrificial death for our sins and His resurrection from the grave were His destiny do we recognize His value to the human race!
Then we can exclaim, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
__________
Further thoughts:
It’s the night before Christmas, and I thought it appropriate to get you in the right spirit for this Christmas season.
The fictional character of Santa Claus has become an integral part of the celebration in our culture because he symbolizes gift-giving, the centrepiece of most holiday gatherings.
But…..what is the best gift ever?
A lot of people believe Christmas time, is the time for the spirit of giving.
As admirable as that spirit may be, there is something much more grand and life-changing to believe in.
At Christmas we need to focus on truths like these:
(1) The prophecies of Jesus’ birth (Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7)
(2) The miracle of Jesus’ conception (Matthew 1:18)
(3) The perfection of the holy Christ-child (Luke 1:35)
(4) The mission of that baby boy (Matthew 1:21)
The Creator of the world miraculously became a man on that Christmas morning so He could provide us with the gift of eternal life.
Did you read that?
THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD….................. He created the world……
So….. because the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, became a man, He can identify with our trials and temptations. He understands the heartaches, pain, and difficulties we face.
Since “He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
And because He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), He was able to die in our place as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 2:14-17).
During this upcoming busy Christmas season, let’s take time to remember in awe and wonder what Jesus Christ did for us. He was born that we might be rescued from eternal death! Just think of that……eternal death!
We so deserve death…..but….He rescued us from death…..
To make Christmas complete this year, “Celebrate the baby, but trust in the Saviour.”
__________
The best gift in the world was wrapped and placed in a manger.
Mikey
Thanks Mikey
blessings
Yaddy
2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”
The Bethlehem crowd was all concerned about a census and the power of Rome.
They had no idea whatsoever that the infinite infant Son of God was asleep in their little town.
Only a few shepherds hurried to see Him who was born in a stable.
And as they left, they glorified God.
We can get so caught up in the commercial busyness of the Christmas season that we overlook how great a gift this little Babe really was. Only when we remember that His sacrificial death for our sins and His resurrection from the grave were His destiny do we recognize His value to the human race!
Then we can exclaim, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
__________
Further thoughts:
It’s the night before Christmas, and I thought it appropriate to get you in the right spirit for this Christmas season.
The fictional character of Santa Claus has become an integral part of the celebration in our culture because he symbolizes gift-giving, the centrepiece of most holiday gatherings.
But…..what is the best gift ever?
A lot of people believe Christmas time, is the time for the spirit of giving.
As admirable as that spirit may be, there is something much more grand and life-changing to believe in.
At Christmas we need to focus on truths like these:
(1) The prophecies of Jesus’ birth (Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7)
(2) The miracle of Jesus’ conception (Matthew 1:18)
(3) The perfection of the holy Christ-child (Luke 1:35)
(4) The mission of that baby boy (Matthew 1:21)
The Creator of the world miraculously became a man on that Christmas morning so He could provide us with the gift of eternal life.
Did you read that?
THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD….................. He created the world……
So….. because the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, became a man, He can identify with our trials and temptations. He understands the heartaches, pain, and difficulties we face.
Since “He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
And because He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), He was able to die in our place as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 2:14-17).
During this upcoming busy Christmas season, let’s take time to remember in awe and wonder what Jesus Christ did for us. He was born that we might be rescued from eternal death! Just think of that……eternal death!
We so deserve death…..but….He rescued us from death…..
To make Christmas complete this year, “Celebrate the baby, but trust in the Saviour.”
__________
The best gift in the world was wrapped and placed in a manger.
Mikey
Thanks Mikey
blessings
Yaddy
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
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