But while the world watches the world's best surfers compete at one of the world's best waves with one of the world's best resourced surf companies, another meeting is taking place. Twelve ragged surfers and friends are meeting in a makeshift garage with bread, salad and water to discuss the spiritual needs of the Tahitian surf community. It's the first national gathering of such like minded "kingdom of God" by Christian Surfers Tahiti. There's no live telecast. There's hardly any interest by the church. For 24 years Kevin has generally been misunderstood by the surf community for being a Christian, and misunderstood by the church community for being a surfer. Today, we hope, he has found some more partners.
After some great conversations and encouragement we paddled out to Teahupoo to watch the last 5 heats. Amazing, flawless blue barrels and a huge flotilla of "Sunday afternoon" drivers. Mum dad and kids on jetskis, giggly 12-year-old girls on plastic kayaks, grandparents in boats, babies with floaties and the pro surfing World Tour all cheer the surfers into the best tubes of the world circuit....and they are all less than 50m from the deadly reef!!
Back at Norman's place we feast on peanut butter and jam rolls with banana in our tent like groms. In God's providence the other Brazilians staying happen to be fired up Christians from Hawaii and we have some worship, share our Jesus journey, open the Bible and, despite our differences - no actually because of our differences - it's a taste of heaven.
I happily fall asleep this night to the ongoing roar of the ocean.
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