Day 3 - Visiting Areruta

Day 3

Saturday, 9-6-14

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We are in the boat again, heading to Areruta for the day.  Dilma cooked breakfast for us and we stopped on our way to Areruta to drift and eat fried fish, rice and banana.  It was great!

Always amazed at God's beautiful creation

Dilma and the kids went with us to Areruta

When we got back on our way, we suddenly turned around in the river to go catch a duck.  It was on the shore and couldn’t fly.  Puma caught it.  I held it – it scratched me – I passed it to Pablo, then Pablo to Dilma.  Dilma wrapped it up in a shirt and held it like a baby, laughing the whole time.  More blue and yellow macaws are flying overhead.

15:26

We left Areruta at 14:00.  We stopped once because the gas filter was stopped up.  Tito and Pablo either unstopped it with a pocket knife or broke it – either way we are on our way again, but our boat has a leak.

We did things  a bit different in Areruta.  We gathered all the people, Tito preached to all of them.  Then, as a group, we gave Paracetomol, Vitamins, Albendazol, Baby powder, cream and toothbrushes.  The idea was to save time and not explain the same drugs over and over.  But, doing it this way loses the personal contact.  I think maybe next time we can be more effective if we stay in one or two villages and spend time there – focusing more on relationships.  The time Claudia and I spent a week just in Oromomo – talking, eating and working alongside the women – was one of the most effective trips.

Tito is sharing the Gospel in Chimani

Brenda explaining some vitamins and the importance of boiling water

Our Pharmacy

It is a pretty hot day today – not many clouds.  Brenda’s thermometer reads 100 degrees!  I would say about 95, of course sitting in a canoe in the river, with no shade, it feels like 102 degrees – especially when the motor suddenly quits and there is no breeze.

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We arrived around 16:00 from Areruta. We were so hot!!  I convinced Brenda to go down to the river with me and cool off – we stood knee deep in the water.  I bent over and washed my hair, letting it hang in the water.  Tiny fish came up and started nibbling on it!

In the meantime, about 10 women came and were waiting to be seen by Brenda.  I helped her a bit and then went to go cook dinner.  I was exhausted!  The heat was really draining.

At 20:00 we had a church service.  It was mainly children and youth.  We sang some songs and then Puma preached.  There were probably 60 people there.  It is  so great to see the church being used and the Gospel being spread.  

The front step of the church in Oromomo