All in all, the Baramita trip was a success. We had 30 make the trip. We ended up arranging for a cruiser to take us out in two groups. On a sad note, Eugene wasn’t able to make the trip. When we were driving back from taking the provisions across, the road was muddy and on one of the log bridges, I dumped the bike and the rear foot peg mashed down on the top of his foot, and it was still swollen Friday morning. I told him that since husband and wife were to be one flesh, he could now sympathize with his wife who is unable to walk far due to an old injury. I had recorded the Assembly program before we left the states, so I burned it onto CD’s so they could listen while we were away. I stopped by when we got back and the swelling had gone down and he was again walking.
I led the first group across, with Jonathan bringing up the rear. In our group there were, myself, Terri, Doris, Keeza, Stephanie, three of Stephanie’s granddaughters, Caretta, Colleen, and Saneefa, Cecilia, Mavis. Claudette. Beverly, and Jonathan. We started walking about 9 AM and reached Baramita about 4 PM. The other group started at 11 AM. Stephan mentioned on the way out he was thinking who he could get to bring up the rear to make sure no one got left behind. He said he had thought about asking Fonda. When they were ready to set out, he asked for a volunteer to walk in back to make sure nobody got left, and Fonda said she would do it. In his group were, himself, Patricia and her three year old daughter Melissa, Grace and her three year old son David, Regina and her 10 month old son Shamere, Victoria, Genefa, Caretta, Evelyn, Nicola, Ivon, Latisha, Sonia, Fonda, and her five year old daughter Jeanie. Because of all the little ones, it took them longer. They reached Baramita after dark. Since we had no way of knowing if they had even started (for all we knew the cruiser broke down) there was no point in starting to go look for them. I was very relieved to see a white person coming walking in the dark.
A brother who was supposed to have come from ‘town to help with the program never got his assignments, so they were a little short-handed. As a result, both Stephan and Jonathan got to have parts. They both served as chairman for a session, and Jonathan handled the consideration of the daily text on Sunday morning. I ended up with four parts and a share in a demonstration.
I had asked Terri to oversee the food preparation. We were given access to an outdoor kitchen with all the necessary utensils. So she arranged for different ones from the group to be responsible for various meals. We did breakfast and dinner each day. It required that she get up at 5:30 each morning to oversee breakfast. Fortunately, we had been to the Assembly before we had left the states, so after breakfast was finished, she would go back to bed. But she kept things going very smoothly.
It was hard because the family we stayed with (the Smiths (see box p. 181 yb05)) wanted to have us eat our meals with them, but we wanted to be able to eat with the group. I said that next time, we will make it clear to our hosts that we will be taking our meals with the group. Sunday evening we purchased some deer meat and the sisters cooked it up and served it over rice. I at least got to taste a piece of the meat and it was excellent. Our hosts served us smoked alligator, which was also excellent.
When we got there, Brother Smith suggested that we consider staying an extra day because there was a possibility that there would be some flights between Baramita and Matthew’s Ridge. I discussed it with Stephan and we decided that since it wasn’t a definite thing, we would head out Monday morning as planned. Then Sunday morning I learned that flights were scheduled for Monday morning, it just wasn’t clear how early and how many. So I made a prioritized list of everyone as to getting on a plane to return, with older ones and mothers and children first. We also learned that a bush truck was leaving Baramita Monday morning. We decided we would put all the bags on that so it wouldn’t detract from the number that could fit on a plane, plus any who had to walk would be able to do so lightly.
There were supposed to be five shuttles, with about five able to fit on each. But the first flight also took two sick people over to go to the hospital at Matthew’s Ridge. Since we had so many small and not so small children, and even the adults for the most part were small, we were able to squeeze more on the following flights. The fourth flight fit everyone except myself and Stephan who was going with the bags on the truck. The pilot mentioned that there was not cargo enough at Matthew’s Ridge to warrant a fifth flight. So they got on the radio and called across to figure out what was happening. Meanwhile I wasn’t sure what I would do. Jonathan had wanted to stay back so I wouldn’t have to walk the bush line alone, but I told him to go. We soon realized that if there was a fifth flight, Stephan and I could go with all the bags. When we got word that there was going to be one, we hurried and got all our bags off the truck, which had been scheduled to leave two hours earlier but had been delayed, and down by the airstrip. We were able to get everyone and everything back to Matthew’s Ridge through the air. A nice final treat.
Monday night at our family study, I had asked the ones from the house who went, to pick a ‘Baramita moment’ to share. I will try to include them another time. I think this entry has gone on about long enough. Thank all of you who made our trip a matter of prayer. It was a positive experience for all.
This week’s pictures are one from along the trail on the way there, and a picture of the group at the Circuit Assembly.
