The boat engine sputtered, gasped, and died. A wisp of smoke coughed out of the exhaust. I am not a mechanic, but it was clear to me that something bad had just happened to that engine. I gazed helplessly at the large active volcano in front of me, not knowing what to do next.

This took place on the last day of my week in Tagaytay; a vacation destination just outside of Manila, Philippines. The city is magnificently perched on the rim of a massive crater forming the Taal Lake. Inside the lake, there are several volcanic islands that reach out of the water towards the sky. The largest of these is the Taal Volcano, which is over 1000 feet tall and looks like something out of Jurassic Park. Lush farms terrace the countryside, taking advantage of the rich soil produced by the occasional dusting of ash. These farms produce the sweetest and juiciest pineapple I have ever tasted.

The big island in the middle of the lake has a crater on its summit, which contains another smaller lake. The “lake within the lake” has visible signs of ongoing geothermal activity: hot rocks that will literally melt the soles of your shoes, smoking vents spewing sulfuric fumes, and boiling water within the lake itself.  This volcano is not to be underestimated. In 2019 the volcano erupted, impacting nearly half a million people and sending 64,000 people into shelters.

It had been a busy week spent training over 200 church planters and school administrators who were working with the urban poor in the massive slums of Manila. My missionary friends and I had brought them here for a time of encouragement and rest. I had 3 ½ hours of free time before the evening session where I would be giving the closing message to the delegates.

Since we had a break, I told our missionary (Pete) that I thought we should rent a boat and guide and visit the “lake within the lake”. We made a few calls and quickly located a local guide who informed us that it would take 30 minutes to drive to the boat, 30 minutes to cross the lake, and not long to hike to the top. It would cost us $10. Perfect! We had the time to squeeze in this excursion before the evening session. I had never been on an active volcano and was not about to miss out.

Our guide (Jerry) met us in the Starbucks parking lot and directed us down the crater rim to the lakeshore where we paid for our trip and waited for the boat. A small boat with an outboard engine appeared to the north and made its way to us. Two Filipinos were on the boat – one steering the engine and the other was at the bow. Jerry called to them in Tagalog and directed them to our spot. We climbed into the boat, shoved offshore, aiming our way towards the volcano.

We glided across the lake past floating houses and “fish farms” filled with tilapia. The volcanic peak in the middle of the lake loomed large before us. As we neared it, we realized that the hike to the summit would be long, steep, and sweltering.

Two-thirds of the way across the lake the boat engine began to sputter, cough, and then it quickly “died”. As the boat driver lifted the engine cover, I heard him mutter something in Tagalog that I understood was a swear word.

Being the deluxe $10 tour that this was, our guides had neither cell phones, radios, or signal flares. What they did have were bright orange life vests. Jerry grabbed one and I thought for a moment that he was going to jump overboard and swim to shore. I was wrong. Next thing I knew, he was standing high on top of the boat frantically waving the life vest. There was no one in sight, but perhaps someone would see us.

My friend Pete didn’t look happy and I couldn’t help but laugh. I reminded him that these things happen to me all the time and that it really can be a lot of fun. The adventure was just beginning. I hopped on top of the boat and began waving a life vest as well.  We needed to be seen. We needed to be rescued.

Far on the horizon, I spotted movement as a small speck of a boat began making its way towards us! “We still might make it!”, I suddenly thought.

The rescue boat arrived, circling us twice before our guide made his first attempt at throwing them a rope. It fell in the water with a splash, well short of his target. Everyone on both boats gave him a lot of advice on rope throwing. His second throw was successful, and we were soon being towed to the shore of the volcano in the middle of the lake. Once on dry land, we asked Jerry an important question: “How far is it to the top of the volcano?” 4.5 kilometers was the answer. Uphill. Dirt trail. 90 degrees and humid! Nearly six miles, round trip. Thankfully, we had brought our water bottles.

Men with pony-sized emaciated horses approached us insisting that we pay them to ride one to the top. One look at the horses and I knew that riding on them would be the slowest way to the summit. Plus, we would be guilty of animal cruelty. Pete knew that we were under time constraints and began jogging up the well-worn dusty horse trail.

We passed through a village of cinder block and sheet metal houses. Naked children smiled and waved at us as we jogged by. Two white men in shorts, running through their village was apparently a very unusual sight. We smiled and waved back as sweat burst from our pores while we strided towards the top of the mountain peak.

I gave Pete a trail running tip – run until you feel like walking, walk until you feel like running. This is a technique used by experienced trail runners, especially while going through extreme terrain. We adopted this pattern, walking the steep sections, and running the flats. It seemed to work, and we were soon passing tourists on horses.

After going through a valley and up a steep ridge we saw what appeared to be the top of the volcanic rim! Turns out our guide had miscalculated, and the trail was not as long as we had feared. Surging to the summit, a breathtaking view greeted us – the rim was high, narrow, and sheer. We scooted to the edge and looked down the cliff. High above the lake within the lake, we could see the water below boiling and steaming. We stood on the rim of a volcanic cauldron.

Pete and I exchanged high fives, took photos, and bought four more bottles of water from a vendor for 100 pesos. After chugging down the waters, we both glanced nervously at our watches and began our downhill charge back to our boat. On the run down the mountain, we let gravity carry us, flying downward, kicking up a dust cloud as we went. We passed a few horses, one of which decided to race us. It looked at me as I tried to go around and it began to sprint as if saying “Don’t you even dare pass me!” The woman on its back grabbed her hat with one hand while grasping the reigns as she bounced on the saddle. She frantically tried to slow her horse down. I was afraid she would fall off, so I ran even faster, passing the horse and never looking back.

I am certain that we set a world record for the fastest descent of the Taal Volcano, although it is likely that no one else has done this. Covered in dust, and soaked with sweat, we made our way to the shore where Jerry our guide was waiting for us.

While we were running, I thought he would be fixing the boat engine. Unfortunately, Jerry was not a mechanic. Instead of fixing the boat he found another boat to tow us all the way back across the lake. It was slow going, but because of our rescuers, and our speedy run, Pete and I still had time to grab fast food for dinner, shower, and arrive before the evening session.

That night I shared my adventure with my Filipino friends and they were excited to hear about how much I enjoyed my hike up the Taal volcano in their beautiful country.

There are times in life where we need help. We break down and get stuck. We want to be seen by someone who can rescue us. We send out signals and we hope someone notices that we do not have it all together. There are times when our prayers do not appear to be answered. Healing doesn’t come. Protection is missing. Provision runs dry. Promises are unfulfilled.

Fortunately, we have a God who is our Rescuer. He is present through our pain. He is a companion during times of uncertainty. Sometimes He is quiet, but He is constant, empathetic, and attentive. He sees the way through situations that look impossible. Trust in Him today, and let the adventure continue.

Colossians 1:13-14:

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Genesis 16:13

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

  • Identify any areas of life where you feel stuck right now.
  • Ask God to give you patience while asking Him to intervene in those situations.
  • Find comfort in His presence while you continue to move forward.