California Trip - Monterey continued

Monterey on day two had turned cooler and the fog did not clear away. We tried to see the sun rise but the fog was too thick. In the afternoon we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we spent nearly four hours. Jenn favored the sea otters and we waited to watch a feeding. They are such playful creatures.

Each section had it's interesting points but the Drifters, of which the jellies are a part of, were probably the most intriguing to me - maybe because during a trip to Florida several years ago, Ben had tangled with the tentacles of a jelly. This exhibit of delicate jellies, pulsing and drifting, is the largest of their kind in the world.

The best part of the day though was when we went to the beach. Being indoor for most of the day, the cold air off the ocean wasn't a problem. Down by the beach was a different story. The tides were coming in and the winds were definately inbound. I had not brought along warm enough clothing! It was here that we were joined by Caleb's Bible study group to observe Caleb's baptism. Why, at age 25 was Caleb being baptized and, was it so important to us? There is no magic in baptism, it will not make him a better Christian or to live a better life. So why? Caleb was making a public testimony of the change that Jesus has preformed in his heart through the forgiveness of his sins and he wanted his family and friends to witness his stand. The joy of knowing he was making this public stand to live for the Father thrilled us.

The weather had never cleared up so not only was the water cold, so was the air. Even with the bonfire it was freezing. The singing was interesting. They would name a song with a title that sounded familiar but when they started singing it was to a completely different melody. And then the blind lady sitting next to me kept asking why I wasn't singing! She was quite a lady. Even though up in her eightys and blind she still lived alone with someone coming in each day for a few hours to help her out. Here she was in a wheelchair but I don't think she was bound to it. One of the soldiers found out she wanted to attend a Bible study so would pick her up on their way, when that soldier moved on to her next assignment another took her place and so this elderly lady had become an important part of the group.