to the jungle

i went on friday with a group of HCJB volunteers/workers to visit a community called Makuma. it was a community first inhabited by missionaries who found it a good place to land a small plane in the jungle and be near several Indian tribes. so we took a MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) plane seating 6 including the pilot 35 minutes by air over the jungle to Makuma and landed on a dirt airstrip. i have never been weighed before going on a plane. another new experience. (picture - the two planes coming and going from Makuma)

we spent the day meeting people in the community as well as the missionaries (Jim and Norma Headland) who have been there for 35 years. they are now involved with local members of the community in a massive translation project - translating the Bible from Spanish to Schuar. i was just fascinated by the process and deeply moved by their passion for providing the Word of God in a language the people can understand. Umbato, a man from the area who is the main translator, works tirelessly and shared with us his heart for this work. his hope and prayer is to live to see the completion of this work. the Headlands echo this same prayer, as they are in their 60's and forsee another 10+ years of this project. they are also praying for people to join and continue this work alongside of them in the days ahead.



we learned of the need for health care workers there, as their nurse practitioner has left for several months and there is no doctor nor rural intern available. i am hopeful to have the chance to return there for a few days to do some basic health checks and evaluate if patients need care at the hospital in Shell. if so, this would mean they are taken there by air.
there is also an impressive water project going on lead by an HCJB staff named Alexandra and several of the members of the community. clean water is something i will never again take for granted.