Blurting out obscenities, as he and his crew poled the large dugout canoe toward our port, the rugged comerciante (merchant) didn’t even know he was our answer to prayer. Even his swearing was music to our ears, since there had been no comerciantes come our way in months that dry season. Supplies were running crucially low, so our family of 6 were living mostly on Indian fare, there in the village. Jeff, 6, Angie 4 1/2 , Lina, 3, and Susie, 1, didn’t complain, since they loved cassava, mañoco, platano, smoked fish and wild game the Piapocos brought us.
An exasperated Luis called out from the canoe, and Wayne quickly answered. ´What did you bring to sell?’ Wayne called.
‘I have everything, and no one has been buying!’ Luis lamented.
Well, we made his day and he made ours, as he had brought potatoes, onions, carrots, rice, noodles, flour, oil, sugar, powdered milk, chocolate, candy, TP, soaps, and much more. I think we may have even bought some cloth. It was like Christmas.
We had almost forgotten about Luis, until we discovered that the young man, Jonathan, was his son. Luis had married a Piapoco lady, so Jonathan, speaks both Piapoco and Spanish quite well. He married Rafael’s granddaughter, Luz Mari (Rafael having been the village Captain), and last week they brought their sick baby to the hospital here in town. They are a sweet and grateful little family, and we were glad to help them out. When the baby was released from the hospital, having been treated for a stomach infection, they came to bid us good-bye, only to later return since the boat in which they were to travel, had a motor in need of repair.
The upstairs bedroom was soon made ready for them, and they were so thankful for a place to stay. Jonathan said his father is in his 70’s, and has suffered a stroke. Some of his many children are caring for Luis, and we pray that he will come to know the Lord, and that his whole family, like Jonathan and Luz Mari, will follow the Lord.