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| This is me, the diver. |
I am living a dream. Most people wouldn't think that living in a small apartment in the tropics without airconditioning, with spotty internet and about three minutes of hot water for each shower is the dream, but it's the beginning of mine.
You see I have wanted to be a diver since I went on my first dive with my mother when I was 16 years old. We signed up for a short excursion on the island of St. Thomas while on a family reunion vacation cruise. Growing up on an island, I have loved the ocean my entire life. It is where I find my peace, for it is where I feel closest to God. The flow of the oceans tides and the currents that keep everything in motion remind me of the flow that I desire with my Savior. So imagine my excitement at the thought of getting to explore the depths of this mysteriously spiritual place.
I remember donning the gear for the first time and trying to hard to stay calm, looking cool, while it took everything in me to not jump up and down with excitement. Our instructor quickly explained the basic functions of the gear, but I must admit that I was too busy freaking out in my mind that I forgot to fully pay attention. This proved to be a problem when we all began to descend and slight panic began to set in. I tried to hard to stay underwater and breath through the regulator, but every impulse in me forced me to hold my breath underwater and swim to the surface for air.
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| Going Deeper |
Embarrassingly enough the instructor ended up holding my hand throughout the first half of the dive, but thank God he did because the life I saw under the surface was breathtakingly beautiful. It was awesome to be able to swim with the fishes and get a closer look at the way they live. Everything was so new and interesting from all of the different colors of fishes to the shapes and movement of the coral where they lived.
I was hooked. Two years later my love for diving was solidified with obtaining my Open Water certification, and from that point on, I wanted to be a diver.
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| This is we, the NiedDUO |
That dream was put on hold for a little while when I was given a chance to go to college and study international business. During my four years at the university, God also placed a love for missions and human development in my heart. I felt drawn to Latin America because I see a tremendous opportunity for the love of Christ to be spread through ministry, business and sustainable living.
Before my last year in college I met Grant, the man of my dreams, in a coffee shop. There we discussed our passions and life directions, and we immediately knew that we had to do this together. He inspires me everyday (even when I am reluctant) to keep moving forward and going deeper.
Looking back on that first dive now, I laugh to think how amazed and satisfied I was after experiencing the "depths" for the first time, for today I understand that I was just barely scratching the surface of what the deep blue had to offer.
I believe this concept is true for all of us. We have just barely scratched the surface of what we are capable of. We have barely descended into the depths of knowing our Creator and flowing with the currents of his plan.
I am currently a divemaster missionary in the Dominican Republic exploring, leading, teaching and learning all I can about the underwater world, the spiritual world and the world of sustainable living that few people ever get to experience.
My life is an experiment into the depth. This blog tells the story.
