As always is the case, as the time gets shorted, it seems to go faster. I guess it’s because you realize how many things there are to be done before you run out of time. The week started out with a real thief of time. Saturday, Alex had decided to take a trip up to Kaituma to give Sherwin a little help and encouragement, while there still was enough help here in Mabaruma that he could get away. He asked Amy and Rasheeda if the would like to go along, which they did. The plan had been for them to preach some on the river, and then continue up to Kaituma where they would spend the night and then Alex would give the talk in Kaituma before heading back.. Sunday evening, Terri had invited Solo and his family to come for supper at the front house, thinking that when the girls got back, they wouldn’t feel like having to cook.
About the time it was getting dark, we called up to Sherwin in Kaituma to see what time the group had left. He said they had left about 3:45, but he also said it had taken them almost four hours to make the trip up. We were a little concerned, as that could mean they wouldn’t reach back until almost eight, and they had taken no light with them, as
Alex had been told to be back before dark. Then it got to be nine and still no word. When we tried to call any of them, their phones went directly into voicemail, so that meant they were on the section of river between where the two towers could give service.
Solo was quite concerned, and said after he took his family home, he was going to go to Kamaka and see if there was nay word, and maybe see about finding a boat to go look for them. When he got in his van to go home, for some reason his headlights wouldn’t work. I said I would take the bike and drive ahead, and he could follow behind, so that is what we ended up doing. When we got to his house, I asked him if he was going to go to Kamaka, and he said he couldn’t now because of the problem with the lights. I said I could take him on the bike, so he said, “Let’s go.”
When we got to Kumaka, there was still no word from, or sign of them. Someone said that a boat had only recently arrived, and said they had passed another boat towing a boat, not far down the river, so we waited still longer. Nothing came along, and it was getting later, By this time, Compton had also joined us, So Solo and Compton started discussing what could be done, They tried to wake up someone who had a 25 HP motor that we could have put on Solo’s boat, but either he wasn’t home, or was passed out. They then called and reached a woman who had a 15 and a large dugout canoe that said we could borrow it, but she had no gas. Solo had a couple containers of gas, so we went to his house and got the gas, and then came back and picked up Compton. By now it was about midnight.
The plan was we would head up river until we either found them, or used the first container of gas, at which point we would be able to turn around and reach back. It was quite dark on the river, so I sat in the front shining a flashlight, to both watch ahead, and check along the banks. But since we had to not drain the batteries, I would shine it, see nothing, and then turn it off for a time. Once we had gotten underway, we realized that the canoe was taking on water, and we had nothing to bail with. After about an hour we came to a house that usually has gas to sell and after much shouting, finally roused someone who said they had no gas, and when we asked about a bailer, said they had nothing. We asked about getting a knife to cut a container we might find floating in the river, and were told they had nothing. There was a large boat tied up nearby, so I suggested we paddle over to it to see if there might be a bailer in it. We did, and there was, so that worry was solved. We then continued on driving and flashing until we reached the point where our first container of fuel was almost finished. We talked about what we should do, and I said I didn’t see the point of turning around, since we had spent all this time, and still not accomplished our objective. We decided we would continue on, and we either find them or reach Kaituma, where we could get more fuel.
We reached Kaituma about 5 AM, just as it was starting to get light. We waited there for it to get light, and for people to have woken up so we could get gas. We were told that there was no gas in Kaituma. We went by a man I used to study with and were able to get about 5 gallons of gas, which would not get us back, but would let us get to where there was a place on the river that usually had gas. So about 8:30 we headed back down, hoping that with the light, we would find some sign of the missing people and boat.
A little over half way home, we came upon them paddling the boat down the river. It seems they had developed mechanical problems just about as it was getting dark, and so had found a house along the river and had tied up there for the night, and in the dark, we had driven past the house. We tied the boats together and made our way back. By using the gas from the Kingdom Hall boat, we were able to have enough to make it back. It was about 1:30 when we finally arrived back. I went on a couple of our studies after that, and then went home and slept though until the next morning.
So with that time lost, and with starting to pack, with the idea of packing most things away to be left here, and doing some projects to prepare for the SAD, it has been a busy week. A couple (the Bouchs) arrived Friday from “town, and the Raineys arrived from Kaituma, along with Sherwin and Stephen from the Ridge. Brother Hinds arrived this morning (Saturday). While many from the congregation went out in the ministry, I asked Stephen to stay back and help me with projects to prepare for tomorrow. I felt it only fair since I missed the ministry in Matthew’s ridge to help them with their projects. Besides, he will be staying here for a week, to take in Bro. Rainey’s visit, so he will have plenty of chances to work in the ministry then.
We painted some, put up the pool, and set a tarp on the back of the house to provide either shade or protection from the rain, especially during the noon break, so we won’t be crowded into the Kingdom Hall (assuming we get a good turn out). Then Monday morning, we will be flying out with the Bouchs and Bro. Hinds.
This week’s pictures are from today. One is the group for service. Another is of the baptism pool under construction, and finally one of Terri helping me with the tarp on the back of the house.
I will try and do one more post while we are in ‘town with pictures and reports on the SAD.
About the time it was getting dark, we called up to Sherwin in Kaituma to see what time the group had left. He said they had left about 3:45, but he also said it had taken them almost four hours to make the trip up. We were a little concerned, as that could mean they wouldn’t reach back until almost eight, and they had taken no light with them, as
Alex had been told to be back before dark. Then it got to be nine and still no word. When we tried to call any of them, their phones went directly into voicemail, so that meant they were on the section of river between where the two towers could give service.
Solo was quite concerned, and said after he took his family home, he was going to go to Kamaka and see if there was nay word, and maybe see about finding a boat to go look for them. When he got in his van to go home, for some reason his headlights wouldn’t work. I said I would take the bike and drive ahead, and he could follow behind, so that is what we ended up doing. When we got to his house, I asked him if he was going to go to Kamaka, and he said he couldn’t now because of the problem with the lights. I said I could take him on the bike, so he said, “Let’s go.”
When we got to Kumaka, there was still no word from, or sign of them. Someone said that a boat had only recently arrived, and said they had passed another boat towing a boat, not far down the river, so we waited still longer. Nothing came along, and it was getting later, By this time, Compton had also joined us, So Solo and Compton started discussing what could be done, They tried to wake up someone who had a 25 HP motor that we could have put on Solo’s boat, but either he wasn’t home, or was passed out. They then called and reached a woman who had a 15 and a large dugout canoe that said we could borrow it, but she had no gas. Solo had a couple containers of gas, so we went to his house and got the gas, and then came back and picked up Compton. By now it was about midnight.
The plan was we would head up river until we either found them, or used the first container of gas, at which point we would be able to turn around and reach back. It was quite dark on the river, so I sat in the front shining a flashlight, to both watch ahead, and check along the banks. But since we had to not drain the batteries, I would shine it, see nothing, and then turn it off for a time. Once we had gotten underway, we realized that the canoe was taking on water, and we had nothing to bail with. After about an hour we came to a house that usually has gas to sell and after much shouting, finally roused someone who said they had no gas, and when we asked about a bailer, said they had nothing. We asked about getting a knife to cut a container we might find floating in the river, and were told they had nothing. There was a large boat tied up nearby, so I suggested we paddle over to it to see if there might be a bailer in it. We did, and there was, so that worry was solved. We then continued on driving and flashing until we reached the point where our first container of fuel was almost finished. We talked about what we should do, and I said I didn’t see the point of turning around, since we had spent all this time, and still not accomplished our objective. We decided we would continue on, and we either find them or reach Kaituma, where we could get more fuel.
We reached Kaituma about 5 AM, just as it was starting to get light. We waited there for it to get light, and for people to have woken up so we could get gas. We were told that there was no gas in Kaituma. We went by a man I used to study with and were able to get about 5 gallons of gas, which would not get us back, but would let us get to where there was a place on the river that usually had gas. So about 8:30 we headed back down, hoping that with the light, we would find some sign of the missing people and boat.
A little over half way home, we came upon them paddling the boat down the river. It seems they had developed mechanical problems just about as it was getting dark, and so had found a house along the river and had tied up there for the night, and in the dark, we had driven past the house. We tied the boats together and made our way back. By using the gas from the Kingdom Hall boat, we were able to have enough to make it back. It was about 1:30 when we finally arrived back. I went on a couple of our studies after that, and then went home and slept though until the next morning.
So with that time lost, and with starting to pack, with the idea of packing most things away to be left here, and doing some projects to prepare for the SAD, it has been a busy week. A couple (the Bouchs) arrived Friday from “town, and the Raineys arrived from Kaituma, along with Sherwin and Stephen from the Ridge. Brother Hinds arrived this morning (Saturday). While many from the congregation went out in the ministry, I asked Stephen to stay back and help me with projects to prepare for tomorrow. I felt it only fair since I missed the ministry in Matthew’s ridge to help them with their projects. Besides, he will be staying here for a week, to take in Bro. Rainey’s visit, so he will have plenty of chances to work in the ministry then.
We painted some, put up the pool, and set a tarp on the back of the house to provide either shade or protection from the rain, especially during the noon break, so we won’t be crowded into the Kingdom Hall (assuming we get a good turn out). Then Monday morning, we will be flying out with the Bouchs and Bro. Hinds.
This week’s pictures are from today. One is the group for service. Another is of the baptism pool under construction, and finally one of Terri helping me with the tarp on the back of the house.
I will try and do one more post while we are in ‘town with pictures and reports on the SAD.
