This last week I got the incredible opportunity to go on a bush trip with some great guys and the Malamaunda church teachers. These opportunities don’t come all the time and I didn’t even know I was going to be able to go until the 11th hour, so to speak. But the Lord worked it out amazingly with flights in and out. This, in and of itself, is difficult with the lack of pilots we have these days!
I flew in last Friday to the Malamaunda airstrip and then on Saturday Bob Kennell, John Hutteman and I, along with the Malamaundan believers took off on one of the toughest 2-day hikes I have done in this country. We waded through rives, creeks, and swamps. We climbed for hours up mountains that had pitches that would make your hairs stand on edge. We crossed wet log after log and walked for hours on the roots of trees that were all over the place. But finally after two days on the trail we made it to our location – Hinya!
The purpose of the trip was to do phase 2 teaching and teach through the book of Acts. Yet, the missionary wasn’t doing any of the teaching but the Malamaunda teachers were. It was so, so neat to see these guys fulfilling the Great Commission and studying in the night just to prepare! This is why we are here – to see these tribal believers equipped with God’s Word and understanding, so they can bring it to other people groups. It was a neat and encouraging time!
Another thing we did was look at two potential airstrip locations carved out in the jungle. These guys had cut down a mega amount of trees in hope of an airstrip. We are not experts but we do know a little and we know that they have to be certain lengths and also not have swamps in the middle of them! So we gave them a look see and then had to give them the bad news that they probably wouldn’t work.
Thankfully we made it back safe and sound (just sore)! I arrived home to my girls just yesterday! As fun as it was, I was so glad to get back to them!!!