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Tuesday, August 29th
MAF called last night to see if a
couple of us would be interested in flying into the jungle today with a
work-group that has extra space. We decided that Elsa and I should go
because Mom and Maren didn’t want to leave their work at the school.
Over at the hanger we had to get
weighed in with the bags we’d be carrying. It was so exciting to crawl
into the back of a 6-seater plane where the seats were set on the floor
and our knees were at chest-level. A pilot showed us how to use the
seatbelt that went around our waist plus over both shoulders where it met
behind our neck. He also showed us where there were plastic bags – just
in case the ride got too bumpy for us.
J
Our pilot prayed, then donned his
helmet and waited for clearance on the runway. After taxiing out he
revved the engines so that the plane shook. Then we smoothly took off!
To make a long story short, I’ll have to switch to bullet points.
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- I love flying in small planes! They
bounce, and you can see out so well!
- Shell looks small from the air, but
the jungle does not. It is a huge expanse of dense trees rolling
up and down the hills and cliffs.
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- The airstrip used to be half as long
as it is now, and it was serviced by JAARS. They worked a lot there and
in communities to the north.
- The village didn’t know we were
coming, so they all started gathering as we landed and waited for
the 2nd plane.
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-Like we have seen in pictures and videos – they
came curiously right up to the plane and looked around inside it. |
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- We met Yui, one of the Waorani
who was out spearing on Palm Beach 50 years ago. He is now a Christian,
an elder of the church, a founder of the village, has worked with Steve
Saint, and comes out every time a plane lands to pray for them! He is a
small old man with big holes in his ears and a big smile. He came and
shook our hands.
- A pilot said it was fine for us to
take pictures of the Waorani. (Good! I had already been sneaking some!)
He said they love to laugh and joke, and they won’t be laughing at you but
with you – so don’t be embarrassed.
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- These are lengthy bullet points!
- We saw several of their
traditional buildings along with wooden and metal structures on stilts... |
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...and the cement foundation for their new church building.
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