As the days went on, Mike began to spend more and more time with Reverend Mitchell. He would often go down to the village to sit in on the Bible studies that the reverend and the interpreter had set up for the tribe. Mike was full of questions, eager to know the answer to each one. He slowly began to understand more about this Jesus that the reverend had introduced him to just a few days ago. Finally, Mike came to the decision that he needed Christ in his life as well. When he told Lily, she just about burst with joy.
Lily, who had been given a Bible, dug into it eagerly every day. Not only was it the only reading material she had seen in two years, but it's message had her captivated. She'd go down by the waterfall to pray, and each time she prayed that God would take them to where they needed to be, even if that meant staying on the island forever.
The Coast Guard, of course, had been notified of Mike and Lily's whereabouts. After making a trip to the island to confirm the claim, they then notified both families that the two had been found and would be taken home fairly soon. Mr. and Mrs. Vanguard could hardly believe what they were hearing. They were so thrilled that they dropped the charges on Derreck, and told him that the money didn't matter. They were just glad their daughter was alive. Mike's mom was overjoyed at the news. After hanging up the phone, she immediately called Davy, Micky, and Peter.
The guys were sitting around the Pad, reading magazines, when the phone suddenly rang.
"Hey Pete, would you mind getting that?" Micky asked as he looked up from his magazine.
Peter laid down his copy of "Rolling Stone" to see who was calling. He picked the phone up, half expecting it to be a solicitor. He was surprised when he heard Mrs. Nesmith voice on the other end.
"Hello. ... Oh hi, how are you?... No, you're joking. ... That can't be, it don't make sense. ... Are you sure?... They did?... That's wonderful! I have to go tell the guys!... Thank you, bye," Peter said as he hung up the phone. Davy and Micky looked at him strangely. They were curious as to who called.
"Who was that?" Davy asked. Peter's grin got even wider.
"That was Mrs. Nesmith. Guys, Mike is alive."
A few days after the Coast Guard had contacted Mrs. Nesmith, and Mr. and Mrs. Vanguard, Mike and Lily were able to patch a message through to the states on a Hamm radio that the minister had. The reason they waited was to let the shock of their being alive sink in with everyone. After Lily got in touch with her parents, Mike called his mother, and then the guys.
Micky answered the phone this time. He set down his bottle of pop and took a quick swallow of his sandwich.
"Hello... Yes, we'll accept charges!" Micky told the operator with excitement.
"Hello Mick, it sure is good to hear your voice," Mike replied. This almost didn't seem real for Mike. He thought he would never hear the sound of his friends' voices again.
"Mike, I can't believe it's you. Hey guys, it's Mike!" Micky shouted across the room, holding his hand over the mouthpiece. Davy threw down his newspaper and flung himself out of the hammock. Peter came running from the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to his shoe. They immediately began to fight over the phone.
"Oh, I wanna talk to him. Me, me, me! Hi Mike!" Peter yelled, still grabbing for the receiver that Micky was weaving around in the air.
"Come on man, let me talk to him," Davy said, getting mad.
"No man, we'll share and we'll all listen to what he has to say. Then we'll talk," Micky directed. Mike was quite proud of the way Micky had been handling things.
"Hey guys. I've really missed all of you. I'm sorry you had to worry," Mike said.
"We've missed you too, mate. What's happened to you the last two years?" Davy asked.
"Well, Lily and I landed on an island, we met some of the native people and they taught us how to survive. Lily and I learned to love each other, and we are having a big wedding as soon as we get home," Mike said. The guys became ecstatic with excitement. "Now hold on a minute! I didn't tell you we've got a baby coming, and we both found the Lord. Guys, I don't know how I've lived so long without Him." Mike wiped a tear away on the last sentence."A baby? Wow! When's it coming?" Peter asked.
"In a few weeks. We won't be coming home until then. I've gotta go. This Hamm radio is only suppose to be used for emergencies, but the reverend was kind enough to let me use it. Good bye for now fellas and God bless," With that, Mike ended the call.
"Wait! What minister? Tell me about the natives. Come back," Micky hollered at the dial tone.
"I wanted to talk to him some more," Peter said sadly.
"Me too, Pete, but he had to go. We'll see him soon enough. I'm just glad he's alive," Davy said.