Kris and Kell woke up early the next morning in the Big Potato Hotel in Idaho. At first, they could not figure out what noise had caused them to wake up so early, but then they heard it again! The brown cow was mooing loudly! Kell loved the brown cow, and she hurried outside to see why the cow was making so much noise. When she got to the cow, she saw that another envelope was tied around the cow’s neck. Kell quickly untied the envelope and took it inside the potato so that she and Kris could read it together.
The note told them to hurry up and get ready to leave because they had to get to the airport soon. Kris said, “We can take showers, eat something, and be packed in just a few minutes, but the note does not say how we are supposed to get to the airport, we do not have a car! Just as they finished packing, they heard a car drive up to the big potato and beep its horn. It was the same driver that they had had during the whole time they were in Idaho. They tossed their bags quickly into the car and then they were on their way. They got to the airport just in time, and their driver handed them tickets for a flight to Seattle, Washington.
When they arrived at Seattle, a person met them at the airport and handed them another envelope and keys to a rental car. The instructions in the envelope told them to drive to San Juan Island and there were also tickets to take a boat tour. Kell looked up San Juan Island on her tablet and found that it was about a three-hour drive to get there. They enjoyed the drive; the scenery was beautiful and very different from the wintery scenery they had just seen in Idaho. Kris explained to Kell that the Pacific Ocean and the mountains made Washinton State have a very different climate than Idaho.
They were surprised when they got to San Juan Island. They were expecting to see the Pacific Ocean and lots of big waves, but the ocean was not in sight, and the water was calm. They found out that San Juan Island (and many other islands) was in a large inlet off the Pacific Ocean. The distance from the ocean and all the other islands kept the big waves from coming in and so the water was calm. They would not have to worry about getting seasick.
The boat was about to leave, so Kris and Kell did not have time to ask anyone what they would see on the boat tour. They assumed that they were going to cruise around the islands and maybe they would see some fish. Kris and Kell got some popcorn to eat and stood by the railing so they could see the islands and the fish. Seagulls were flying around them and wanted to get their popcorn, but Kris and Kell were hungry, so they did not share their popcorn with the seagulls.
Then it happened! Suddenly all the passengers on the boat got very excited and started to point at something about 100 yards from the boat! Kris looked up and could not believe his eyes! He yelled in surprise and jumped up and down! Kris slipped on the deck and fell, and as he was falling, his feet hit Kell, and she also fell! They both landed in a heap on the deck of the boat, and their popcorn flew out of the containers and landed on top of them! The seagulls swooped in to get that popcorn! Kris and Kell began screaming and thrashing their arms and legs, trying to get up, but they kept getting tangled up with each other! Meanwhile more seagulls came after the popcorn! Kris and Kell eventually got their arms and legs untangled and got to their feet, their popcorn was gone! They thought that everyone on the boat would be laughing at them, but no one was paying attention to them, everyone was looking at something else!
The thing that had startled Kris and caused him to get so excited was a very large animal in the water! It was an Orca (Killer) Whale! There were two or three of them swimming a little way from boat, that was what all the other passengers were looking at. Kris and Kell found out that groups (pods) of Orca Whales frequently came to the waters around San Juan Island, and a boat tour was the best way to see them!
Kris and Kell could not believe how big the Orca Whales were! They were about the size of a medium-sized bus (30 feet) and weighed about six tons! They are also called Killer Whales because they feed on other sea animals such as, large fish, dolphins, and even other whales. The tour guide told them that while Orca Whales seem very big, they are small compared to Blue Whales. Blue Whales can grow up to about 100 feet long and can weigh 160 tons! Blue Whales do not eat other fish or whales; they live entirely on small sea plants and on sea creatures so small that a person needs a microscope to even see them!
On the boat tour Kris and Kell also saw some seals, some bald eagles, and some sea lions, but they could not wait to catch a glimpse of more Orca Whales. They had come on a very good day! They saw several pods of Orca Whales! Some were swimming partially under water, so they could only see the very top of them, but some came partially out of the water and then dove down into the water, their massive tail then came out of the water and smacked the water when it came down! It was an unforgettable boat tour, and Kris and Kell were so glad that they came, but they got very hungry because the seagulls had eaten all their popcorn!
Lesson Learned about God
That night when they were in their hotel room, Kris and Kell talked about the wonderful experience that they had had on the boat tour. Kell said that seeing those Orca Whales and reminded her of the story of Jonah in the Bible.
God had told Jonah to go to the wicked city of Ninevah and tell them about God. The people of Ninevah needed to believe in God, repent of their wicked ways and turn to God. However, the people of Ninevah were the enemies of Jonah’s people, so he was afraid to go there. So, Jonah got on a ship that was going in the opposite direction. God sent a storm, and the ship was about to sink! Jonah realized that God was using the storm to get his attention, so Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard so that the storm would stop. The sailors did not want to throw Jonah into the sea, but they really had no choice, they would all die unless the storm stopped! So, they threw Jonah overboard and the storm stopped. God sent a large fish (maybe a blue whale or maybe some other type of large fish that has never been discovered), the large fish swallowed Jonah but did not kill him. Jonah was alive in that large fish for three days. During that time Jonah prayed a lot and realized that obeying God is very important! Jonah was now willing to obey God and go to Ninevah! God had the large fish swim close to the shore that was near Ninevah and then the large fish spit Jonah out! Jonah went to Ninevah (imagine what he looked like after spending three days in a fish) and told the people about God. The people of Ninevah believed what Jonah told them, and they turned to God and asked Him to forgive them. (The story of Jonah is found in the Bible in the book of Jonah).
Obeying God is extremely important! When we read our Bible or go to Church and hear a teacher or a pastor and learn about the way God wants us to live, it is important to pay attention to what God is telling us! After we learn something about how God wants us to live, then we must take action and obey God to the best of our ability and live the way that He wants us to live.
In the Bible in James 1:22-25 it says:
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
In the Bible in James 4:17 it says:
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.
- Kansas – Humans are filled with hatred and evil. Genesis 8:21-22, Romans 3:21-25a.
- South Carolina – Reminder of the Crucifixion. Isaiah 53:3-9
- Arkansas – Jesus is Crowned with Glory and Honor. Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16, John 11:25-26
- Idaho – Times of Refreshing. Acts 3:19-20a, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:28-31
- Washington State – Obeying God is Important! James 1:22-25, James 4:17