Can you guess why Rich is pleased as punch?
Well, I’ll give ya a little hint. If you were following our blog five years ago you might remember we told you that the C.O. at that time had mentioned that it would be great if someone had a sailboat because then the islands could be reached with the good news and that they hadn’t been worked in ten years!!
Well, Rich was scheduled to give the public talk in San Pedro on Sunday… well, actually twice… once at 10AM for 1 congregation and again at 6pm for the other, so because the water taxi stops running at 5pm, we had to spend the night. Anyway, while chatting with the brothers before the 6pm meeting, Brother Smith asked him if he liked to fish. Of course anyone who knows Rich knows the answer to that one… no. So he asked him what he likes to do for recreation, so, naturally, he said ‘sailing’. (starting to get the picture?… keep reading though)
Brother Smith was instantly excited and went on to explain that another brother, now living on the mainland, who was special pioneering in Belize since age 18, owned a sailboat and that he had given it to the San Pedro congregation for preaching in the islands but, said Brother Smith, ‘there is no one that knows how to sail’! Soooooo…;)
just a few 'minor issues' to attend to, but hey, nothing half so worth doing!
Well, the next day Randy Smith drove Rich & I out to the boat yard (way out of town) where ‘Aqua-Mar’ was in the water. He had some calls to make, so he dropped us there and left. He hesitated for a moment and yelled… “are you sure this is ok? I feel like I’m leaving you to the wolves or something!” Ha! no worries there, eh! As Richie has often quoted ‘Water Rat’ from the Wind in the Willows, I’ll post a little excerpt here that will explain quite well:
`Is it so nice as all that?’ asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.
`Nice? It’s the ONLY thing,’ said the Water Rat solemnly, … `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING–absolute nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’ he went on dreamily: `messing–about–in–boats; ‘