It was Jud’s first visit to Asia, and the sights, sounds, and flavors of Singapore were nothing short of breathtaking. The diversity of its people, the richness of its history, and the dynamics of its culture left an unexpected impact on him—he simply couldn’t get enough.
On his third day, Jud rose early and walked to Orchard Road, eventually finding himself near the Raffles Hotel by late afternoon. Deciding to treat himself, he ordered a Singapore Sling at the bar and settled into a large rattan chair, with the colorful drink in one hand and the contents of Envelope 5 in the other.
Dear son, The next phase of your journey will take you from Singapore, where wealth and prosperity are visible all around you, to a different place where people live with much less: the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. I have a friend, a very good friend, who was a porter in the hospital where your mother was treated for cancer. His name is Roberto. He returned to his home island to help his aging mother and manage the family store and small travel company he started, Davao Walking Tours. After your mother died, he invited me on a one-week walking tour of Mindanao. The time I spent with him in the hills of Mindanao was a turning point. I returned home determined to lead a healthy and balanced life, chasing the dollar less and reaching for life more. I gained a better perspective of myself and how the other half—or should I say, 90 percent of the world—live. Just one thing, though. When you walk with him, you are to take nothing with you, only a notebook and your malaria tablets. Roberto will supply everything else, although you won’t require much else. I told him that you might show up one day, so hopefully, he will not be too surprised. I wrote his number on the back of this note.
Love Dad
That evening, Jud called Roberto. Roberto had heard of his father’s passing through mutual friends and expressed his condolences to Jud.
“I received a letter from your dad a few weeks ago,” Roberto said. “He told me about his plan to send you on a world adventure and asked if it was alright for you to visit me.”
Jud sensed that Roberto was a compassionate man.
“You’ll need to spend one night in Manila,” Roberto advised, “but catch the first flight to Davao the next day. We’ll be in the hills for about a week, but your journey will end on a beach.”“Sounds great,” Jud responded. “See you in a couple of days!”
The Hills of Mindanao
The week Jud spent in Mindanao was nothing short of remarkable. He and Roberto trekked through the hills with only the clothes on their backs and small rucksacks each. They stayed most nights with the Lumad, the indigenous people of Mindanao, who lived in picturesque countryside surrounded by hills, mountains, and forests. The Lumad, Jud discovered, was facing significant changes due to war, deforestation, and chemical fertilizers. While he felt a deep sadness for them, he was struck by their contentment. To Jud, they appeared poor, but he sensed that when they looked at him, they didn’t see someone wealthier—just someone from a different place. Roberto, too, seemed content. Though he knew what America was like and how much money could be made there, he was happy to be walking through the hills of his island home.
“I’m glad I went to America,” Roberto said. “Not because I made more money, but because the change helped me establish what was really important to me. What I missed most was my home, this island, with its natural surroundings. That’s why, when I returned, I set up Davao Walking Tours to attract tourists. I want to do my little bit to help bring peace and prosperity to this wonderful place.”
Jud learned that Roberto was a passionate environmentalist, deeply grieved by the years of conflict that had made many hills inaccessible. Even now, he had to be mindful of potential tensions, sometimes canceling walks and refunding clients when security risks were too high. Roberto was also involved in several NGOs promoting sustainable agriculture and conflict resolution.
“Tomorrow is our last day, Jud,” Roberto said, “and we’re going to spend it in a village that’s been working with an NGO for several weeks, capping a spring and laying three kilometers of pipe to bring clean, potable water into the village.”
“Sounds interesting,” Jud replied.
“Tomorrow is the ceremonial turning on of the tap. Would you like to witness it?”“Sure would,” said Jud.
Early the following day, the two men walked fifteen kilometers, arriving just before the water ceremony began. Roberto introduced Jud to the engineer from a Manila-based organization assisting villages in accessing clean water. After greeting the village leaders, they stood back to observe the ceremony. There was dancing, prayers, and then the climactic moment when an older woman from the village, selected for the honor, turned on the tap. The villagers fell silent, their eyes fixed on the clean, sparkling water that gushed forth. The silence was broken by an unexpected shriek from the woman, who then lunged at the engineer, embracing him in a moment of overwhelming gratitude—a gesture that violated a tribal taboo against women touching men other than their husbands. After a few moments, she released him and began to dance. Her spontaneous outburst triggered a wave of thanks from the villagers, who passed their hands and sometimes their faces under the precious liquid pouring from the tap.
Roberto leaned over and whispered to Jud that the women were shouting, “Once we were cursed, but now we are blessed.” He explained that two weeks before, an elderly woman had died of suffocation while carrying a basket of water on her back from the distant source the village relied on. Though strange, her death was not the only water-related tragedy in the valley, ironically named Pigbalowan, meaning “Word of God descended from Heaven.”
“The spiritually inclined community should have felt blessed with such a name,” Roberto explained, “but instead, they felt cursed. Life was miserable. But now, with pure water readily available, the quality of life here will be remarkably enhanced.”
That night, Jud lay on wooden planks in a hut, Roberto snoring beside him. But sleep eluded him. The sight of the villagers celebrating the arrival of clean water and the story of the old woman who had died just two weeks before weighed heavily on his mind. It made him reflect on his life, job, and values. He realized how blessed he was, but a new understanding was dawning on Jud—any pursuit of greater power and money, climbing the corporate ladder, might be misguided. “Sure, managers, leaders, and CEOs are needed in the modern world,” he thought, “but to believe that these things can somehow make life better might be a false assumption.” What he had witnessed today reminded him that what truly matters is life and dignity.
Good Times on the Beach
The following day, Roberto and Jud took a bus back to Davao. About three kilometers from the city center, Roberto announced, “This is where I get off.”
“Huh?” Jud was surprised and a little concerned. “Just like that? You said we were going to a beach. Not that the beach is important, but this is rather abrupt, isn’t it? Is something wrong? Have I done something to offend you?”
“None of the above,” Roberto replied. “You are going to the beach, but not with me. In the letter that your father sent me, he gave very clear instructions…you are to go to the beach on your own. You’ll spend two nights there. It’s quite inexpensive. Once the bus gets to the city center bus station, catch a taxi to the port. From there, you’ll take a water taxi to your hut, where I’ve arranged for you to stay. You can swim, snorkel, even learn to scuba dive, but the beach and the water aren’t the places your father wants you to see.”
Roberto’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous sparkle, the corner of his mouth curving into a wry smile. Sensing Jud’s curiosity, Roberto added, “All will be revealed in the next envelope.”
At that, the bus stopped, as if the driver knew that if Roberto said anything more, the surprise would be spoiled. From the front of the bus, Roberto shouted, “I’ll pick you up at the port when you return. Just give me a couple of hours’ notice. Have fun!”
“Well, Dad, you certainly planned this out well,” Jud muttered. “It’s hard to believe that you were sick at all, having put this amount of thought into the trip.”
A couple of hours later, Jud arrived at the beach hut. Considering the price, it was pleasant: spacious, aesthetically pleasing, and only 100 meters from the beach. His was one of a dozen small cottages nestled in a grove of palm trees.
In his room, Jud opened Envelope 6 and found two items: a short note and a photo of his dad and himself taken a year before. The sight of his dad looking so fit was a sad reminder that he was gone. “If we had only known that cancer would take him so quickly,” Jud thought to himself. In contrast to his dad, Jud’s image was less complimentary. Sure, you could tell they were father and son, but compared to the older man, Jud looked overweight and pale, with stress lines marking his forehead. On the other hand, his dad had a huge grin, rosy cheeks, and eyes that radiated warm energy.
Jud, by contrast, looked weary, worried, and worn. He tucked the photo into the top right corner of the mirror frame and unfolded his father’s letter:
Dear son,You’re probably curious why I brought you here. You’re about to find out, but first, I need you to get into your bathing suit…"
“What in the world?” Jud asked himself. He was tempted to ignore the instructions and keep reading, but then he felt as if his dad was watching somehow. So he ripped open his rucksack and quickly changed into his bathing suit.
"Son, have you done it? No cheating now! Okay. I have a surprise for you. You will discover what it is when you look in the mirror.More later, Love, Dad."
Jud dropped the letter and turned to face the full-length mirror. It took a moment for him to figure out what his dad wanted him to see, but when he did, Jud smiled. Having seen himself in the photo a few moments ago, he was expecting a near-naked version of the same slightly podgy body. But to his surprise, he saw a thinner, fitter, tanned version of himself staring back.
“Wow,” Jud said aloud. “I’ve lost weight and toned up without realizing it!” He looked healthier and leaner and even stood straighter. A week of walking and eating healthy, organically-grown food had paid off.
Jud reflected on it and realized that his lifestyle had changed since he started this adventurous journey. He had been walking long distances daily and eating fresh, local produce whenever possible. He had often complained to his dad that he didn’t have time to maintain a daily fitness regime. His dad never commented, but now, posthumously, he had put Jud on the path to fitness without Jud even realizing it. Smiling, Jud grabbed a towel and headed to the beach.
The Beach
Jud surprised himself—he was never one for beach holidays, but this one had been great. On previous holidays, he had found himself exhausted after a short swim or a feeble attempt at volleyball. Gasping for breath and feeling prickly from the heat, he would retreat to a beach chair, order ice cream, and fall asleep under the shade of a nearby palm. He would usually return home plumper than when he arrived. “But not this time,” he determined.
Jud found he had stamina now and could snorkel for hours. He even joined in a two-hour volleyball match with some students taking a few days off college in Davao. He also discovered a new joy in running, setting out on early morning jogs along the winding paths of the rainforest surrounding his cottage. It had been a wonderful two days, but now Jud was ready to move on. He looked forward to having dinner with Roberto and his mother and continuing to the next leg of his journey.
He had one more stop in Oceania before flying on to Los Angeles. He missed Kathryn terribly and longed to be reunited with her. But despite his loneliness, he knew he owed it to himself and his father to see this journey through. He realized that the changes within him were more than physical—his soul was being reformed.
Jud’s journey is transforming him in ways he never anticipated—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But with one more stop in Oceania before heading back to the States, what final lessons await him? The adventure is far from over.
As Jud prepares to leave the peaceful shores of Mindanao, he reflects on the profound changes he’s experienced so far. But will the next leg of his journey bring him closer to understanding his father’s intentions, or will it raise even more questions? Stay tuned for the next installment, where new challenges and revelations await.
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