Shell beach

Took a much needed break and spent three days relaxing on white sands, clear blue water, basking under the coconut trees, and drinking fresh coconut water. Well not quite, there was sand but it was coarse shells, there was the ocean but the water was so brown you couldn’t see the palm of your hand while cupping water, we don’t sit under coconuts trees because too often the coconuts fall, but I did enjoy plenty fresh coconut water.

The other three student missionary boys and the family I live with took off on a Tuesday morning in a Dutch style motor boat. We piled our stuff in the front, covered it was plastic, and then squeezed into the bench seats trying to get as comfortable as possible on the hard wooden seats.  We took an hour and a half boat ride to shell beach. When we hit the open water the waves splashed over, everyone huddled together and ducked under plastic to try keep from getting drenched. I LOVED IT! (Hard to beat the smell and taste of salt, the wind blowing through my hair, and bouncing along looking out at the endless horizon of water.)

Upon arrival to the beach our boat guides warned us that on command we would have to jump out of the boat and into the water so the boat could get as far onto the beach as possible. They yelled “get out” and we obeyed! Luckily the water was nice and warm and only waist deep.  At first I thought unloading the boat was hard, then we had to push the boat up the sand bank and into the “boat house.” In order to move the boat up the sand back we used the “Egyptian style technique” we placed logs under the boat and with man (and yes women power) we moved the boat! I have a new respect for those who built the pyramids and basically any one that has to move heavy objects with logs.

For three days we were able to just relax on the beach, swim in the water, collect shells, play cards, make local baskets, and search for the famous giant leather back turtles. Our first night searching we came up empty handed. We had gotten up at 11 and stayed up till 1 searching for turtles on the beach and hiding in a palm branch hut from the rain. But, on the second night we lucked out! At only 7:30pm a turtle was found laying her eggs. When I saw her in the distance I was impressed with how large she was, getting even closer I became a bit more nervous. But, the guides said she was too distracted with her mission to worry about us. We got to hold an egg, touch her, and measure her shell length. Just her shell was 6 feet!! Once the excitement of the turtle over and the turtle had finally made its way back into the ocean we all crawled into our mosquito net beds and fell asleep. At two in the morning someone came and woke us up saying, “do you want to see baby turtles?” Of course we did! Immediately we all jumped out of bed and ran to the beach. Hatching turtles had been found by the wild dogs. After digging up the rest of the nest only 16 babies were found. While we were taking a group photo of us holding the baby green sea turtles, a large leather back turtle decided to join in and we had to part the way so she could crawl through. We all laughed thinking it was one of the best “photo bombs” we could ask for.

As we boated away from our little escape I thought of how blessed we were to experience leatherback turtles, baby green sea turtles, hold whale backbones, see scarlet ibis, visit with the locals, relax in our hammocks, drink fresh coconuts, have a clear sky with the milky way, and most of all being able to reflect on God’s amazing creations!  This mini-vacation was the perfect break to help finish out my last month here.

It’s hard to imagine, but now I have less than a week left here in Mabaruma, Guyana. Keep me in your prayers as I prepare to say my goodbyes and get ready to come back to the states!

Visiting Jana in Guyana

Jana is the engine that gets things done through planning and a significant sense of responsibility.  Jan, Julia and I wanted to experience Jana in action as a student missionary.    Visiting exotic Guyana, part of the Amazon Rain Forest would be an added benefit.

Jana and Smokey the cab driver met us at the capital city of Georgetown.  An hour cab ride from the airport allowed us to hear Jana’s new pidgin dialect-laced conversation with Smokey as tour guide.  Bumpy roads with wind blowing through open windows gave a feel for the humidity and smells.  We took cold showers and went to bed under the ineffective mosquito nets at a house used by Adventist World Aviation’s Wings for Humanity when in “town”.

Georgetown was built by the Dutch.  As you might guess from Dutch tradition, Georgetown is below sea level with a sea wall and manifold series of canals that once worked with the tides but are now clogged with foliage and rubbish.  Wings for Humanity pilot, Laura Labore gave us a walking tour of town visiting a small 4-story department store with one entrance/exit (scary), tourist huts, the tallest wooden structured church in the world and Bourda – the densely-erected open food market where we could get lost if we didn’t pay attention.

That afternoon we headed to a different airport where the single engine 6-seater awaited us 6 passengers, our luggage and Bourda food purchases.  Laura packed carefully and we took off for the hour plane ride to Mabaruma, only accessible by air and boat.  Saw mostly trees but some big rivers, occasional clearings from gold mining and several forest clearing fires.  Laura landed our plane on the hilltop landing strip and we stuffed everything and everybody into a vehicle for the short trip to the Van Fossen residence.  This house was also the residence for a family of 9 below the 4 Van Fossen’s and Jana.  Jan, Julia and I moved into a tent on the second story veranda.  Our veranda-mate was Jana’s second premature lamb named Kai-ewe that she was bottle feeding every 3 hours.

After traveling all day we were able to sleep in spite of the 5 hour time difference, warm temperature and high humidity.

The next day was sabbath.  We traveled a short distance by car and then by foot over a log path to a small church.  Nearly 20 congregants, mostly children, also walked to the church where Jana assisted Crystal Van Fossen with singing, a bible story and crafts.  The children were so attentive and friendly to Jana.  What proud parents we were.

Over the week we did several hikes with the 3 other SM’s and Van Fossen teenagers.  The barely readable Mabaruma welcome sign indicates these hikes as: Tiger Cave, there is rumor that a dead dear was found at the entrance; Kissing Rock, that includes a very muddy swimming hole and Hosaroro Falls where Red Howler monkeys were sighted and photographed.

Mabaruma is the headquarters of Region 1 in Guyana.  It has a small police station, government guest house and hospital.  Jana volunteers at the hospital weekly.  She took us on a tour where she confidently showed us around the facility and introduced us to everyone we ran into.  The open wards, empty beds and paper charts stacked in neat piles gave the impression of a very casual work experience.

Jan and Julia spent time helping Jana with meals, breadmaking and lamb feeding.  Ron spent time “swimming” in White Creek which was anything but white and experienced the fishing trip that Jana blogged about previously.

Guyana is part of the Amazon Rain Forest.  We were very fortunate to be flown to the National Park of Kaieteur Falls by SM Brenden and Greg Van Fossen for an overnight stay.  Many of you saw the pictures of the 700 foot waterfall on Facebook.  It was a natural wonder that inspired us to sit on its banks and just look around. 

We also searched and found rare golden frogs and large orange birds named

Cock-of-the-Rock.  The Scarlet Ibis was another amazing color against the lush green that prevailed in the rain forest. 

Jana works very hard supporting the day to day activities of the missionary family efforts in the community – meal prep, cooking and cleaning up, baking, laundry, modest gardening, lamb feeding, sabbath school prep, weekly hospital clinics, soccer, playing with children, plane flights and overnight stays in Georgetown, weekly food market shopping and journaling.  She has developed a work ethic and spiritual strength that will benefit her and all she shares with for life.