This part of the jungle is very remote and still fairly primitive. It has only been in the past couple of years that the villages have had electricity. Although it is fairly ironic because we saw many DirectTV satellite dishes in many of the villages. Our power was very spotty and we had to rely heavily on generators. It still is, however, difficult to get clean water. Even at Kumanii, our shower water came from the river. They do have water filters to clean the kitchen water but this is a very large luxury.
If you click on the picture, you can see that Kumanii is out in the middle of nowhere.
We joined a group of about 22 people. This group hailed from several different congregations; Lawton, & OKC, OK, Western Hills in Sherman, TX, Lamesa, TX, and a large portion from our home congregation, Woodland West in Arlington, TX.
We took a 4 hours bus ride from Camp Bellevue to Borbón.
From there we jumped on motorized canoes for a 3 1/2 hour ride to Kumanii. The only way to get into this part of the jungle is by boat. You will not see any cars once you get out of Borbón. Everyone out in the jungle uses canoes, some motorized but most paddle. You will also see young kids, even as young as 6, out on the canoe by themselves paddling to somewhere.
A quick stop in the mountains to take pictures on a suspension bridge.
Team Jungle Hats
Kumanii is beautiful place. You can see how tropical it is… but I wish you could feel it! In 5 minutes you are dripping in sweat. Plus, throwing in doing hard labor and you are soaking all day long.
We working on various projects around the camp. One of the sleeping lodges needed renovation, so on the first day we worked on gutting the place. A group of guys, including Jake, then worked on making sure the structure was sound and started laying flooring. There was another group who built a new electrical building. I spent some time helping build the new kitchen area. I also got put on hole duty. On the last day we starting digging a hole for the new septic tank. (The hole digging crew liked to call our hole the Ecuadorian Hot Tub crew)
We spent many hours working hard. We did however, find some time to have some fun. On Thursday a few of us headed on a boat ride to the river's head waters. There was saw a fairly large python doing a little sunbathing. After a little bit of hiking on the rocks we headed to a nearby village to check out their new church plant and to purchase some beautiful hand-woven baskets. In the village we saw an Ocelot and a Kinkajou (I learned about those on Dora the Explorer!) and I was able to capture some amazing pictures of the locals.
Kent Marcum, our tour guide.
Kinkajou
Baby Ocelot
This village is one that Kumanii serves during medical campaigns. They desperately need help with things like hygiene and parasites. Currently there is another construction crew in Kumanii, finishing up the work we started. The week after that there will be a medical campaign with doctors, nurses and vets to work with the villages on the river.
The little girl in the front has a swollen belly probably due to an intestinal parasite.
We had a wonderful time in Kumanii. It was a physically grueling week but it was also spiritually uplifting to spend time with our Christian brothers and sisters, sings songs (IN ENGLISH!) of praise and help serve this seemingly untouched part of the world.
For me, it helps to put into perspective (yet again) that our lives here on the mountain are very blessed. We grumble about out hot water being out (which it currently is) and out internet being spotty but we have so many blessings and need to be thankful for them.
We enjoy it here on our mountain. Our lives are so much slower and simpler than they were in the states and that is a wonderful feeling. But being in the jungle it was even more so. We had no worries of internet and cell-phones, car troubles or anything else we stress about. It was all about physical work, fellowship with others and being one with God.
So now we need to take this feeling and keep it within us for those frustrating times. Because if these people on the Cayapas River can be joyful and thankful for their beautifully simple lives, we too should be thankful.
