Weekend on the River

Man oh man time flies. I can’t believe that I have be gone for two months and that I am already over half done the lecture phase of my DTS. We have had such topics has personality and spiritual gifts, identity and destiny, inner healing, making choices that honor God and this past week communication and interpersonal relationships. I can’t even describe how much I have been learning and how much I have been challenged. Some weeks have been harder then others, but in a good way. I continue to make good memories and have tons of laughs.

Last weekend we did a mini outreach to the jungle. Oh the experience. We left about 11am on Friday, boarded bus for a short 20 min ride to where our boat was and then about 1 hour and 45 min ride on a boat to the little village. The boat ride was awesome. Meeting families on the way that were coming to and from the city with their little wooden boat full of goods. I also have great respect for people who know their way around. Now we weren’t on the Amazon, we were on a little off shute of the Amazon, and when I say little I mean HUGE. This isn’t the Pembina we’re talking about, it’s like a huge endless lake with so many paths to go down and they all look the same. But by some miracle, in my eyes we made it to the little river village of Centro Fuerte. Just so you all know this was a really river village and you hear about in book or see on movies. It was the real deal and it was pretty awesome. Some of the houses were in the river because the river was high. We followed this cement path (which is odd for a river village) back into this cute little village. There were little shacks on the way and the beautiful children would run out to meet us and it let back to the center of the village where the church was, the school, a meeting place and of course the soccer field. We spread out in different places. Me with some of the other girls were in this one house type thing. Some girls slept in tents and me and some of the other girls slept in jungle hammocks.

So about the hammocks, I get mine all set up and as I was getting ready for bed I said to the girl that I was sharing a room with that I had this vision of me falling out of my hammock. So this was at about 11pm, and man did I sleep good. Until 2am that is. Now I still can’t really explain what happened, but I will try. I think I tried to turn around and my jungle hammock decided to throw be on the floor. Now as you will see from the pictures, your fully enclosed in your jungle hammock, so I was still in my hammock but just on the floor. Of course I screamed as I was falling, waking many people up. I guess a scream in the middle of the night in the jungle isn’t a welcomed sound. So I manage to climb out of my hammock and I get out and inspect the damage. Now this is where the confusion sets in, everything was set up as it should have been. So I adjust it a little bit and get back in and as soon as I get in I just flipped right over again. I got back out, I was so confused, might I remind you that this was after 2am. I was standing outside of my hammock for like 20 min because I was soo confused as to how I fell. Well I adjusted a few things, got back in successfully and then some how, in my fear of falling again went back to sleep.

Admist the struggles with the hammock and the thousands of misquitos and the really less then desirable bathroom conditions, it was an awesome experience. We did programs for the kids and adults, helped them bake bread that they sell for money, machete their grass and just hung out with them. It was all pretty surreal actually. And every single person I met there was just beautiful, they are just beautiful awesome people. I feel quite blessed to have been part of that weekend. However I may need prayer for the 10day stint in the jungle that we have coming up in June.

There is so much more that I can share and that I can tell you. I did try to keep it short and sweet and for those of you that know me well I know you would of appreciated the hammock story.

Anyways my dear friends and family, thanks once again for your abundant support and for all your prayers. They are soo needed and soo appreciated. Just so you know, you were part of this weekend in the jungle cause I couldn’t of done it without your love and support. So from me and the little river village of Centro Fuerte, thank you.