Day 4 in the jungle and time to head home! Showers!!! Yeehaw!! We traveled home to Yuri, leaving Centro America about 8:30 a.m. The boat ride was great, despite the low water levels around Centro America. Once we got back to the Yuri area the river a lot highter than when we left. God is amazing. We had received word that the strike was intensifying and weren't sure how we would get things back to the Hogar, but somehow the boat owners arranged for us to dock at the Naval base, which is very close to the Hogar. Even the army personnel helped us carry some stuff up hill.
Highlights from today:
- being asked by the elders of the village to witness the flag pole ceremony in Centro America; a great honour.
- stopping in Gema's village for Dr. Sam to see her Mother. The tenderness of Gema for her mother. The mud! Sinkholes on the shore and Pat sunk down to her knee! I completely forget about the sinkholes coming back, I was so focused on getting some vitamins from the second boat for Gema's family. As I was coming back to shore I heard everyone yelling, "not that way Julie! Go the other way!" when suddenly I could feel myself sinking! I just kept high stepping and made my way off that part of the shore. Apparently I looked like I was doing quite the dance! Made for a lot of laughter.
- Gema insisting on washing the mud off my boots before we got into the boat - extremely humbling to see her demonstration of gratitude and servant's heart.
- docking at the Naval Station and walking down the streets with all our gear...we were quite a spectacle.
- arriving "home" to the greetings at the Hogar - lots of love and hugs.
- doing my laundry in the tiny little sink at the Hostel. Clothes hanging everywhere!
- the teenage boy who worked at our hostel offering to clean our boots. He never expected any money but he did SUCH a fabulous job, we were so happy to give him money. It took a bit to convince him to take it but in the end we passed along word to our teammates about it and he ended up making a pretty little penny that day! The beauty of it was that wasn't his intention, his intention was merely to help.
Saying "goodbye" to Centro America...
Steve and Vicky poking their heads out the "dining hall" window
Young boys there to see us off.
Coming down river...a group of people waiting to be picked up.
Stopping in Gema's village, Balsayachu....
Sam and I making our way through the muddy path. Pat took this just after I had stepped in a mud puddle and splattered mud all up the front of my right leg!
Gema, her grandfather and her mother.
Baño time! That's not the bathroom to the right, the bathroom was just a spot in the jungle! Just a funny shot Pat got of me heading in with my TP.
Back in Yurimaguas....
"Welcome Home!" at the Hogar
Along with the blockades, come the volleyball nets!
Sam doing double duty, carrying Corrine's bag too, on route back from the Naval base.
Only a block away from showers!
Walking back to the hostel
Laundry time in my little hostel sink!
My boots after the young fellow at the hostel cleaned them!! Amazing!!! Look how he even tied the laces so neatly. There is absolutely no way for me to describe to you how dirty they had been and then how clean they were afterwards...even the tread...looked brand new!
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