This last Friday we had our second trip to Kobarima. We went down to the landing a little later than the first day. I dropped Terri off and then went to get the paddles. She told me that all the children had already came, but there was a man who told her she could take any one she wanted. She said that she pointed to one that she said looked good, and he told her, “That’s me mother’s”. He pointed to a different one and said that the person who owned that one wouldn’t be back until 4:00. So we got in that one and started paddling up the creek. The current was flowing against us, so it was a little more work, but we went along so smoothly that I was thinking I should keep my camera out to get pictures, instead of keeping it inside a ziplock bag in case we tip over.
We reached Kobarimo and had several nice calls and set a couple more up for next week. When we got back to the landing, our canoe was gone again, and the only ones sitting there were very narrow. We tried getting in one but it felt very very tippy, so we got back out. We were sitting there trying to decide what to do when a couple of young women with a child each came paddling up and got out. We explained what had happened and our predicament and one of them tried to help us get into one of the canoes. Again it seemed like we were about to tip over, so we got out. She suggested we try the one she had, since she said it was a little flatter (although it didn’t look much so). So Terri got in and sat in the back, and then I got in the front. It seemed a little more stable, so we decided to set off. The only problem was Terri was in the back, and she had no idea how to steer it, so we were crashing into everything. I said there was no way that was going to work, so we paddled backwards back to the landing and she got out, then I got out, she got in the front and I got in the back and we set out again. At that point I was glad everything was inside plastic. As we paddled back (once again against the current), I was reminded of my early days of rollerblading, always feeling like I was about ready to fall. But we reached the landing without incident, and one getting out of the canoe, we gave each other high fives!! So now we have paddled a much narrower canoe. It will be interesting to see what next week will bring.
I had told Paul Donlan that I would come to Kaituma to give a talk there since I figured he was the only brother there. I had initially thought we would just go up Sunday morning to give the talk, and then come back in the afternoon. But I figured it would take three hours to get there in our boat, and if anything happened we wouldn’t make it in time. So I emailed Paul and asked about coming up Saturday afternoon and spending the night. He responded that they temporarily had six brothers visiting there, so there would be no room, but he said if we were late, they would just do the Watchtower first. Then Terri decided that it would be too much for one day, so she said she wasn’t going. I had asked Compton earlier, as he had mentioned he had yet to see Paul & Sinead’s baby. So it ended up just being the two of us. I put the higher speed prop on the boat since we would be light, and we made it to Kaituma in about two hours, fifteen minutes.
We had gotten an early start, so we were on the river as the sun was coming up. I couldn’t help but thinking what an experience it was to be out on the river in the rainforest in South America. I actually found myself thinking, “If I died tomorrow, I would still have lived a very full life.” But since you are reading this, you can know I didn’t die the next day.
Now we are preparing for visitors Wednesday. Eliesha is returning, and the Finches will be coming for about three weeks. We are still very low on water, so the added people will tax it that much more, but we are trusting in Jehovah that he will provide for us.
