March 23

Nothing really exciting happened today. Students worked on their sermons, and rested. It’s coming down to the last stretch and I think people are getting tired. I took a nap for most of the afternoon J

This evening I went with Leighton and Vern to their church. I finally figured out why we Americans prefer big cars. It is because we don’t fit in small cars. Their driver is very short so he drives a small car. I am not short and therefore do not fit so well. I had to fold myself into the front seat. When I got out and looked at the car I really wondered how I was able to fit in it! The tires are smaller than doughnut tires.

We stopped on the way to get pictures of the groups that are preaching in that area. It had been raining up in the mountains so the river is higher and very dirty.

We pulled off the main road and parked next to a shack. We unfolded ourselves and crossed a swinging bridge. Passed a Papaya orchard and climbed up a short yet steep hill into the village. We crossed the always present soccer field and continued our assent up another hill on the other side. And just over the top set the church. It was a very nice church. The people over here build their churches well.

Leighton preached a great sermon on the state of the dead. The devil wasn’t so happy about that. First we had problems with getting the projector to work. Then the power went out half way through. But he kept right on preaching. They quickly got the generator running and the lights came back on. But the funning thing is that the sound system never went out. The microphones kept working.

It started to rain while we were there so the trip down was quite treacherous. I had a couple of close calls, but made it down on my two feet J Then we folded our selves back into the car and headed home. The trip back was like a video game. Frogs were jumping all over the road! I am happy to say all of them made it safe (at least I hope).

There are only six more days until we head home. I am going to miss it here. The people are so nice. And the food is simply awesome. They can cook gluten any way you can imagine. Most of the time it honestly looks like real meat. And I really like that the people are so connected to nature. Most of them, even if they have a regular city job, still have a rubber farm that they work. (Rubber and palm oil are the two big exports here.)They live in small villages scattered here and there in the jungle. It is a great way to live. Here is what I found out about rubber farmers. Right now the market is good so they can make up to 80 USD a day. That’s really not that bad. Especially considering you can get a full meal for about 2 USD. And they don’t get taxed on it. Everyone spends their money on their cars. There are tons of new cars driving around. I saw one house where the car had more cover over it then their house. It is so hot here that cracks in the walls are good. Lets the wind through. Kind of interesting.