Molokini (May 23, 2007)

This was an amazing day. Elisa, Jacob and Noah had done some snorkeling, and Joshua, Caleb and I had done some SCUBA diving and snorkeling, but today we had an amazing boat trip to acomplish a little of both and some extra things as well. Elisa, Jacob and Noah had the chance to experience Snuba - a combination of snorkeling and SCUBA. When you Snuba, you basically get to go underwater and breath through a regulator (just like in SCUBA), but you don't have to carry a tank. Instead, you have a hose that extends up to about 15 ft. to a floatation device at the surface that holds the air tank for you. It is less difficult than SCUBA and so younger ages can experience it.We booked a trip to Molokini (a crescent shaped crater that reaches just above the surface of the ocean and is located just off the coast of Maui - see the photo below, unfortunately not taken by me) on the boat "Pride of Maui". We chose this boat because they allowed snorkeling, snuba and SCUBA. The water at Molokin is 35' deep near the crater walls and drops off sharply as you head out toward the missing portion of the rim. It actually drops almost immediately to 300' on the back side of the existing crater rim. The most amazing thing about this spot is the visability, which is about 150', meaning that from the surface you can see down about 150'. The water is simply crystal clear. Elisa, Jacob and Noah chose to Snuba and went about 15' underwater. They had a blast, especially Noah. He came out of the water begging to go again and also to learn to SCUBA dive. This was pretty amazing in itself, as the water was about 80-100' deep where he was and he was also in the middle of the ocean. It was even more amazing when you consider that earlier in the trip, he had jumped into a tidal pool that was about 15' deep at most and by the time his face came out of the water he was already screaming, "Get Me OUT of Here!" (More on the spiritual significance of this in a minute).Joshua, Caleb and I decided to SCUBA dive and we experienced a large part of the crater floor underwater. The coral growth was unbelievable (primarily because it was deep enought that all the snorkelers couldn't walk on it). Joshua and Caleb got a glimpse of a black tipped reef shark, but I missed it. It was actually swimming in the deeper water, just beyond the missing crater rim. I had experienced trouble with equalizing the pressure in my ears while doing our training dives (which had only been at about 35-40' maximum), so I was utterly shocked when we got back to the surface and I realized that our depth guages showed we had been to a maximum depth of about 78'. The boat made a second stop before going back to the dock. This one was nearer to the coast and the water was much more murky. It was supposed to be a spot where we were likely to see Green Sea Turtles. Noah HAD to snuba again and once again he loved it (even without seeing a turtle). Jacob got to see one while snorkeling around the boat. Once again, Joshua, Caleb and I elected to go diving. We had been swimming for about 20-25 minutes, when we noticed a large discolored spot on a piece of coral. What do you know, it was a huge turtle just sleeping there. I was so intrigued watching it that I forgot to tell the boys to look. When I realized I hadn't told them, I turned around to signal to them. Instead of seeing the boys, I found that I was being checked out by a curious turtle and there we were eye to eye. WOW! Oh, yes, the boys had seen the sleeping one and had watched the other one sneak up on me as well. There are a few photos posted, but we didn't have a very good underwater camera, so they just don't do it justice.Now, what is the spiritual significance of all of this. Well, the first thing I noticed was the change in attitude for Noah. While he was simply swimming on the surface (snorkeling) and unable to go into the deep (snuba), he was literally terrified of what was "out there". Yet, there was a drawing within him. Having seen his brothers SCUBA and heard them talk about it, he desperately wanted to get down there, even though it scared him. Once he was under the water, his perspective was totally changed, just as mine had been earlier. It is essential that we have those who will take the risk and dive deep into the things of God, not only for themselves, but for the benefit of those around them as well. There is a generation out there who is looking for someone to lead them and they will not be satisfied with talk. It is only the real experience that will satisfy them and then, only for a moment. They will be hooked and never be the same again, once they taste these "deep" things. In addition to that, I realized that there is also a generation who (when we are really honest) is afraid to go really deep. This generation, represented by yours truely, fears what they have not experienced. This can be overcome, but not without difficulty (my problems equalizing the pressure in my ears - which, by the way, neither Joshua or Caleb experienced, they just jumped in and dropped into the depths without a second thought). It is essential that when we experience the challenges associated with going into the deep places, that we not let it stop us. I was determined to simply go as deep as I could. I knew it might take me longer and that I might not even get as deep as those around me would, but I didn't let it stop me from trying. Next thing I knew, there I was deeper than I had ever been and yes it had been difficult, but in the end it was easier than I could ever have imagined. I learned one more thing on this trip that impacted me spiritually. The greatest pressure change that you will ever experience when diving is the one that comes between the surface and 33' below. What does that tell me? Well, it really means that simply getting started is half the battle, that it only gets easier after we take the risk and dive in!