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.