There is no such thing as a bad trip, only a bad mood
A word that turns things around
December 4, 2011, Sunday. Rise at dawn. I turned on the hot water faucet in the hotel bathroom. Just like last night, after waiting for a few minutes, my hands were still cold. Sitting on the log balcony with green broad leaves in my eyes and the gentle chirping of birds in my ears, I eagerly watched for the group members who were about to get up one after another in this large hotel located in the volcanic hot spring area of Costa Rica.
severe urgency
In such a beautiful and beautiful time, I clearly felt the heavy uneasiness, discomfort and unhappiness in my heart. This moment is the midpoint of the 2011 True Love In-depth Tour. Four days and four nights have passed, and there are still four days and four nights left from now on. I observed that some group members were showing signs of fatigue; I heard coughs and complaints coming and going; I smelled the emotions of tolerance and dissatisfaction. - I knew it very well. I seemed to be standing at an intersection, leading a long line of sixty-three group members behind me. One road sign said "a complete failure" and the other road sign said "a complete success." Victory or defeat is the difference between a thought and a step at the moment. To be honest, in the past ten years of in-depth tourism, I have never encountered such a severe and urgent crisis!
My wife prayed with me. We both agreed that although we had tried our best, we were helpless in a foreign country with which we were unfamiliar, coupled with a large group of group mates who were from late middle age to around eighty years old, and most of whom had far more travel and life experiences than us. , the number of variables, the complexity of the situation, and the magnitude of the challenges are completely beyond our imagination.
We must immediately seek a miracle from God that will turn the situation around. Therefore, I must quickly draft a "spiritual talk" that can turn defeat into victory, and immediately write a speech that can turn defeat into victory. And I must express it sincerely, humbly, responsibly and humorously enough to turn things around!
Everyone turns
So, while I prayed fervently, I started writing quickly, until my wife reminded me that the time was up, and I wrote for more than an hour without realizing it.
After Sunday worship, I went on stage and spent fifteen minutes sharing with all the members.
▲Taken about half an hour after the "group talk" described in the article ended. Did you notice? Most of the people in the photos can already smile cheerfully.
It's so amazing! As I talked, I seemed to be in a trance, watching everyone one after another, from paying close attention to understanding, to smiling, to bursting into bursts of laughter... This was my first time. To see so clearly what it means"The whole audience was moved by it"! After the speech, everyone expressed their approval and understanding. Some even rushed forward to grab the microphone to express their support. Thank you Lord, at that moment, I knew that He had led all of us to turn and embark on a path of joy, fulfillment, and growth, and we were expected to achieve the original intention of designing this trip.
My co-worker and preacher Mo Fei often said: "Creation is a spiritual experience." The truth of this statement has once again been vividly confirmed.
Here I will share with you what I wrote, what I said, and record the audience’s reactions (thus witnessing the movement of the Holy Spirit) -
bipolar reaction
Peace to all brothers and sisters! I want to use a short period of time to talk to you.(The audience immediately looked attentive).
When doing marriage counseling at True Love Family Association, we often remind couples: "Everyone's feelings are the most real and should be respected." We can have endless reasons and difficulties, but we can never prohibit them. When others are angry, dissatisfied, aggrieved or hurt, because that is the other person’s true feelings, we can only accept and understand them, and then slowly find out the reasons and gradually resolve them.
So, on December 1st and 2nd, we stayed at the inn in Turtle Island National Park. Some people thought it was simple and primitive, full of rainforest style, while others complained that there were no glass windows, no sound insulation, noisy people, and even more noisy monkeys! -Who is right? Both are correct!
And what about yesterday (12/3)? In the morning, we took a boat trip to another part of Tortuguero National Park. Some people thought it was a repeat of the previous day's itinerary, while others thought it was an extra, double blessing. When we went hiking on the Caribbean Sea, some people felt vast and peaceful, and thought about the leisurely nature of heaven and earth. Some people think that it is a waste of physical strength and time, and it is unnecessary; after lunch, boating on the turbulent river under the heavy rain for nearly two hours to catch the bus, some people think it is an unforgettable experience. Experience, shouting and shouting is worth the price of admission, but someone pointed out that each person was not given a life jacket, how dangerous it was! And it’s not like he’s being chased by Pirates of the Caribbean, so why is he running for his life? —Who is right and who is wrong? Both are correct!(Some people smile knowingly, some laugh out loud)
▲The original ecological journey along the river is a highlight of this trip.
How embarrassing
Then there was last night. After a long drive in the afternoon, the tour guide first told us that the drive was two hours, but later changed to say three and a half hours. In the end, it took more than five hours to have dinner, and another half an hour to arrive at the hotel. It was nearly nine o'clock, and everyone was at the end of their game. They were all tired and haggard, with blood sugar dropped, blood pressure elevated, mood depressed, and anger rising.(The contrasting language and body movements made the audience burst into laughter). I can definitely relate because my wife and I are exactly the same way.
After helping everyone handle all the check-in details, my wife and I returned to the room, wanting to take a hot shower and have a good sleep. I turned on the faucet and waited for a long time, but I couldn't feel the slightest warmth. Is it twisted to the wrong side? Turn around again, wait again...it's still ice! At this water temperature, a hard wash will just end up with a cold. In desperation, I had no choice but to sleep with my whole body sticky. I woke up and tried again this morning, turning left, right... still the same as last night. Brothers and sisters, when we can't wait for hot water, the first thought that flashes through our minds is not to curse the hotel or the tour guide who arranged the hotel, but "Oh no, how should I explain it to the group members?" This is The mood of the organizer.
After sleeping for an hour, at half past midnight, the room phone rang. An old group friend who had participated in several comprehensive tours said that there was no hot water in his room, and his response to the front desk was delayed. There is nothing I can do to help, except that I don’t have hot water here. Unexpectedly, when the other party heard this, he immediately said considerately, "Let's talk about it tomorrow!" My wife and I were deeply moved. This old member must have had deep confidence in our ability to negotiate with the hotel based on past experience, so he asked us for help even after he tried his best to deal with it and endured it for so long, knowing that it would wake us up. This was completely Just treat us as your own family. How embarrassing it is for us to betray such trust!
▲Husband and wife, mother and son, the family relationship is strong and they depend on each other, which is touching.
take full responsibility
The above are just some of the many situations. Thank the Lord, my wife and I have heard all the dissatisfactions, complaints, and questions. This just means that people trust us and will speak in front of us or within our hearing range, instead of gesticulating behind our backs.(Audience laughs).
After all, True Love Family Association is not a travel agency, but a non-profit organization engaged in family education and counseling. Whole-person in-depth travel is an educational, mobile camp we hold annually. However, even though we are in the tenth session, we cannot say that we have no experience. How do we know that the series of encounters in the past four days and four nights will completely surpass the rich experience we have accumulated?(Everyone laughs again)
This time I will choose Costa Rica, focusing on its primitive and simple natural style. But what we didn't expect was that the so-called "original" included not only the scenery, but also the differences in accommodation facilities, ways of doing things, and ways of expression. As for why you chose this local Chinese travel agency to host it? Why did the travel agency send two tour guides to greet the whole journey, and why did there happen one after another small episodes? Why is there some discrepancy between the actual itinerary and the one originally sent to everyone? It’s a long story, so I’ll omit it. Otherwise, before I finish speaking, everyone will have to queue up to use the toilet.(Everyone laughed, because "letting go" is a serious and practical problem for large groups during long-distance driving).
However, even if we want to say it, we are just as surprised and dissatisfied as everyone else; even if we want to whisper in your ear: "We are also victims!" Even if we have a hundred reasons, None of this can be used as a reason! As the organizer, we can only bear the general responsibility and take full responsibility.
Therefore, as the main co-workers in the True Love team responsible for preparing this trip, my wife and I would like to sincerely and deeply apologize to everyone for the inconvenience and discomfort you have experienced these days.(At this time, I asked my wife to come on stage, hold hands and bow deeply to everyone, and the audience burst into warm applause. I added: "Does it look like the TV news pictures in Taiwan?" Everyone laughed).
Of course, we both want to express our greatest gratitude and highest respect to you for your tolerance, consideration, and cooperation in love.(He held hands with his wife and bowed deeply, and the audience burst into applause and laughter again. It was so lively!)
We cannot guarantee that any situation will not occur again, but we can definitely promise that we will try our best and provide the most dedicated and considerate service to everyone.(The applause lasted for several minutes).
▲The "eating sugar cane" style journey is coming to an end, and everyone is reluctant to leave (photographed on December 7, 2011, in a hotel on the Pacific Ocean in Colombia).
determined to be happy
Our prayer is:
First, let us all trust and look to God together. During the remaining four days of the journey, my body, mind and soul were enhanced. I not only learned from nature, but also seized the opportunity to have a deeper communication and sharing with each other, whether in the car, at the dinner table or during the tour. There is a saying that "every good friend is like a good book", and our group of sixty-four good friends come from all over the world. Everyone has rich experience and wonderful stories. It would be a pity to let them go so easily! Also, even though it has entered the rainy season in Colombia and there are showers every afternoon, "there is no bad weather, only bad mood". The car is full of joy and nothing can stop us! Secondly, since God has allowed these two tour guides, who are only about 30 years old, can speak Chinese, and grew up in Colombia, to spend so many days with us, I sincerely hope that I, the organizer, can become a service team partner with them sharing the glory and disgrace. , rather than two opposing sides at loggerheads. I would also like to suggest that we all treat them as nephews and nephews worthy of influence and support, and help them improve and make breakthroughs in their profession, faith, and behavior during the remaining four days of the journey! Thank you!(In the second half of the trip, everyone really cared about them. One of them actually decided to believe in the Lord and confessed to my wife and me privately when sending us to the airport at the end: "Without your help this time, we would have died!" ")
Author profile Qi Xu, from mainland China. Full-time tax advisor (EA) and financial planner (CFP). I love reading and watching movies. I also like to read novels and essays when I take a break from my busy schedule. These are the most enjoyable enjoyments in my leisure life. Now lives in New Jersey.