Baja Missions Trip 2023 - Day 4 "Sabbath Day"
The sabbath day, our day of rest had finally arrived. We were just about halfway through our trip and the prospect of getting to throw the schedule out the window was something many of us were looking forward to. The thing about Sabbath days is they look different to different people and unfortunately for me it was by far the least restful day of the trip thus far. The travel day on Wednesday was more restful than this Sabbath day was.
The plan for the day was loosely based around 3 major things, sharing a good meal, traveling to a place with incredible views, and time at the open air markets again. We started our day at roughly the same time but after breakfast we were able to bum around until about 10:30AM when Eric (the director of BCM) was going to pick us up and drive us around.
Our destinations were Esanada and La Bufadora (The Blowhole). We would be traveling further south along the Mexican coast, which again was made challenging by the rains which had created even larger potholes than normal. Ensanada was about and hour and thirty minutes from where we were staying so we piled in the van after Eric arrived and began our trek.
I don't even remember what I ordered, but I do know I didn't intend to order 5 tacos which is what I got. I think one of the tacos was a fish taco but I don't really remember. I did order a strawberry lemonade that was freshly made and tasted amazing. When I get the chance to go back I am resolute that I won't panic and actually be able to enjoy the experience instead of being anxious the whole time.
One of our teammates Dewey loves seafood, but his eyes were a little too big for his stomach and was still eating well after all of us had finished our food. One of the items he ordered was basically a seafood ice cream cone and that's what did him in. He spent the rest of the day and part of the night being incredibly uncomfortable and sick to his stomach due to the decadent nature of his meal.
We finished up at the restaurant, we headed back into the van to start the loooooonnnnnngggg journey to La Bufadora (The Blowhole) which was another 2 hours from where we had stopped to get lunch. The weather was rainy where we were but as we traveled down the coast the clouds relented and the sun started to peak through. About halfway through the journey to the blowhole it became evident that a number of us really needed to go to the bathroom, but there was no place in sight to gain relief. With the added terrain and potholes quite a few of us were uncomfortable for the remainder of the trip.
Once we arrived at the area where La Bufadora was we quickly parked the van and sprinted to the nearest bathroom, which we had to wait for them to open. The cold and inclement weather had kept people away, as a result, many of the shops, including the bathrooms weren't yet open. We had to pay to use the facilities, but it didn't matter because we were in dire need.
It was a short 1/4 mile walk down a slight incline to reach La Bufadora, passing by various shops and merchants selling their wears. It felt like walking down a long tube both sides of the walkway lined with shops. Though a number of places were closed due to the aforementioned rain. If we hadn't already eaten there was a place that was selling freshly caught grilled clams at the end of the funnel. Once we reached the end of the funnel the space opened up to reveal beautiful bluffs and electrifying blue water.
We were only at La Bufadora for about 20 minutes, which was so short considering how much time we spent in the van to get there. We took a few pictures, including a group one you can see below, and headed back up the 1/4 mile walkway back to the van. I talked with Stephan when we got back to the connections house and we both agreed that 20 minutes wasn't nearly long enough and how we both like to spend just as much time at the destination as we did traveling to it.
The ride back to the connections house was an eventful one. Due to the rain and construction on the main road there was going to be a severe delay. Eric, our chauffer for the day, called an audible and took a ton of backroads to help us avoid the huge delay... Let's just say I would equate our ride back to off-roading in a dune buggy. Motion sickness galore, playing chicken with a jeep and semi, and splashing unsuspecting pedestrians were a few of the descriptors I would use.
We didn't have enough time to visit the shops, and instead arrived at the connections house just in time to wolf down a dinner before heading to a local church service. The service was in "Spanglish", a service in both Spanish and English. The pastor spoke on James 2, warning to not show favoritism to anyone, communicating that showing favoritism is inconsistent with God's love, and how we must let Jesus reign in our life. It was a good sermon, but a long one since there was translation going on as the message was being delivered. The church body was incredibly welcoming however and made us feel at home.
With the service concluded we headed back to the connections house, assembly line styled sandwiches for the Fiesta we would be throwing the next day, and spent the last hour furiously attempting to learn how to blow up and make ballon animals for the kids we would be seeing the next day.
I was more than ready to go to bed at 10:45PM. My body was tired and I was ready to lay my head. I felt as though I was getting sick, with a bit of a tickle in the back of my throat. With the disappointment and unrestful nature that the "Sabbath" day had brought I can't help but feel as though this is a spiritual attack since I'm slated to give my testimony tomorrow at the Fiesta.
Lord help me to remain strong, help me to lean on you and not fall prey to the lies of the enemy.
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