Moraikobe Village
This week my life changed dramatically for the better!
When we embarked on territory that until recently hasn't been worked in years! Once in 2oo6 and then since then, not since the '7os! The boats that were talked about in the 2oo5 year book, the 'Kingdom Proclaimer' boats, back in the day were used to reach this village. Descendants of the Arwak tribe Amerindian people reside here, they were open humble. They originally settled in this area when slaves first arrived. To escape being enslaved they paddled in canoes as far up river as they could get, about a hundred miles, and settled there. They remain there to this day, but even so far separated from the rest of civilization as they are, they've still lost much of their culture, only a few elderly ones speak only Arwak, and come ten years, probably no one will speak it. But wonderful vestiges of Amerindian culture remain. Its slow pace of life for instance. The only motor vehicles, tractors and a few with motor boats, but many of them still have hand carved out of tree trunk canoes! Besides that its walking, some children have to walk about 3 hours round trip to and from school everry day! The village has around 1,5oo people. The main source of income, lumber, is shipped out to support the area. Even the women help and use machetes and strip the trees of their bark of the beam poles. Clean white sand blankets the area, and they don't let a weed grow under their feet. Half of the beauty of the place comes from the pinapple, coconut, etae and awara palms that cover the area. Some thing overwhelmingly sweet and hibiscusy was in the air too, couldn't figure out where it was coming from, but it added to the awestruck state we were in. The scenes were unforgettable. Thatched roof buildings. Flocks of parrots over head. It stands a head and shoulders above the other villages in Guyana I've visited over the years. Simply gorgeous. Its sure hot as blazes though, despite over cast skies we wrung wet with sweat. This village, nestled in the jungle's trees, doesn't offer much breeze.
The village cheif was amazing. This hospitable man invited and encouraged us to come there as often as possible. He even went door to door recommending that they attend the 'movie night' that we put on! A recommendation from one of the most respected men in the community, no doubt added to our attendance and the respect people have for us! We showed Caleb and Sophia videos and then took turns to ask the children what they learned and then showed the adults various inspiring life experience videos from our broadcasts. Its the Toushou, or villlages chief's, hope that we have our own place of worship in that village. The program was to start at 5:oopm, but at 4:59 we wondered if we would have an attendance of 3 kids, but at 5 on the nose the children came running from off the cricket field in droves, they enjoyed the program (the area doesn't have easy access to electricity and no internet) and many of the darlings even came to see us off when we headed out! The children still play simple games where you dig hole and toss pebbles. While we were cooking lunch the next day groups of them snuck up to the windows and were peeping in at us giggling and running away and said "Jehovah and Jesus"! and were all pleading for some books and brochures. The adults were thirsty to learn more too. One of the ladies I was taking to about the Kingdom with, was telling her friend after we shared scriptures with her, "See? Paradise is right here" in a 'I told you so' fashion, like they had already thought about and discussed the topictogether before. They were happy to listen, they would gladly take a weekly Bible study. Since the village is 1oo mile trip and costly to get to, I would be happy move to this little plot of paradise if I was assigned to. If a group of us were assigned to it to support each other as a little tiny congregation, I think we would immediately have a good meeting attendance. With just over 1 hour to invite people, that 'movie night' was our first 'meeting' ever held, and we had an attendance of 58! So on a regular basis, I think it would only grow! And people would have a healthy amount of spiritual food. But as for now, we have the the support of the village chief who will remain in office for 3 years, our jet boat, the Mahaicony congregation and a hand full of need greaters in and out, that's progress, and that's exciting!
We got to see new creatures too and it was the cleanest village I've seen in Guyana. White sand lined banks through the rain forest to get there. I was not ready for how beautiful the trip was, we couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. The most pristine jungle and the water was dark from leafy sediments so it reflected like a mirror, I'd never seen anything like it. Around the twisty turns the dark water on the white sand did a beautiful sunburst pattern and the water turn orange and then clear as it reached the bank. The reddish water contrasting with the greenery everywhere was so beautiful. I had been told that the water reflected like glass, but it doesn't sink in until you see it with your own eyes. The water plants at the edge of the water would bend down toward the water and then just before touching it, or barely dipping a stem in they would lift back up toward, the light again, then the bushy plants and trees above them, the palms and taller tees above that so it was as though each group of plants progressively bigger than the ones near the water, was placed their by hand, trimming the river in the most beautiful way. Then deeper into the jungle where the river split and got more narrow we saw more deep woods things like 3 foot tall large thick blade grasses and ferny palms. Then, when the engine cut out at one point because we had run out of gas we heard the howler monkeys raving like lunatics, they sounded like a zombie monster. Demonstrate the sound they make for your self, take in angry gasping desperate breath of air, that's what they sounded like, only sounded like at least 15 of them at once continually bantering and fighting. The most interesting vines hung down with great big pods at the end like curtians. We'll be trying to do this trip about twice a month. My roommate who will remain known as Robeenya said about this trip that she has been to Montupichu, The Great Wall of China, the Eiffel tower, but said that this felt like the closest thing to paradise she'd ever experienced. This quaint little village, snuggly tucked down on the river in the middle of the Amazon rain forest felt indeed like a little glimpse of paradise.
Canadian Companions
I love all my preaching buddies too! We have Robeenya who serves where the need is greater in Nova Scotia and came to live with me for 2 months. She's got a dry sense of humor and is easy to be around. Then we have Jen and Mike a couple that have been serving here in Mahaicony for a few years and they are simply wonderful. Mike is the gentelest of creatures in teaching and in manner, and Jen is beautiful and witty and intellegent and and if I have any story to tell Jen is the first one I run it by to see what cleaver thing she has to add, she's one of my favorite beings on planet earth! Then there's Christopherson, who supports himself back home as a graphic artist, he's a very talented artist and musician. He's good story teller too and funny, he brought a little friend along with him too; Toe-mas who has been quite intertaining as well and very helpful when muscles are needed for any reason. He's just a peach of a kid and is excited about coming back for a longer stint next time. He's had some unforgettable questions and comments that I got permission from him to share with yall. The other day he was looking at the nutritional facts on a water bottle and asked "Is there really no calories in water!?" LOL! I keep encouraging him to keep asking these questions, not for my entertainment alone, but so that he learns these important things. Another one; Thomas: "What are the chickens doing when the one is biting the neck of the other?" Me: "They're mating." Thomas: "That's what I thought, so he bites her neck and all of a sudden she's fertilized." LOL! Another; Thomas: "So, what do Native South American's look like?" Me: "Somewhat like Native North Americans." Thomas: "So, do natives from every country look the same?" LOL! We love you Thomas, keep that innocent charm! Also, surely if he would have thought ahead for just a second he would have come to the right conclusions on his own on any of these subjects, but his impulsive speech works well for our comedy relief. Anyways, we've all been having a blast together, at the work and enjoying it TOO much along the way. This is the life I tell you.
On your way to Moraikobe
Recently we took a trip up river to see what we could cover, a piece of river territory that hadn't been worked in years. When we reached up river we called on a couple of girls that were actually expecting us! Why!? Reason being that they had been messaging a friend who my room mate had been studying with not far from our house in our village. She was happy to receive us, they offered us refreshments. When I asked the young girl which of the lessons in the Good News she picked lesson 10 on how we know which is the true religion. A humble spirit. We've contacted her again since then and found her with a similar appreciative attitude. Who knew way out there in the boonies someone would be there expecting us to come when we hadn't contacted that area in eons. What a pleasant surprise.