Jay in the Jungle

     After a few delays, Jay made his first flight into the jungle this week with Dr. Joe Martin. Here are some pictures to tell the story.

Preparing for takeoff.

Our town, Shell, from the air. We live above the green soccer field just left and below the center of the picture.

 
Jay and Dr. Joe who has worked here in Shell for several years.

Tonampari village - home to the Waorani tribe and main stage of the Nate Saint story (as featured in the movie: The End of the Spear and the book and documentary: Beyond the Gates of Splender by Elizabeth Elliot).

The docs flew in with Wings of Mercy, the Ecuadorian branch of Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Grass airstrip.

Homes and a covered outside meeting area on the right.

Jay seeing patients in the school house.

Average family size here is 5-9 children.

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Dr. Joe uses a common table to examine a Compassion child. Compassion is a Christian group that connects financial sponsors with children in third-world settings.

Emuengo Javier Wepe Tocari shows where a snake bit his foot two years ago. He had been deeper in the jungle visiting his grandparents. He and his father hiked for six hours to get medical help. He was hospitalized here in Shell for two weeks, then three weeks at the HCJB hospital in Quito.

A mother brings a gift of platanos (startchy cooking bananas) setting on the chair. 

Several boys stayed hoping to score a few cookies from the doctors. The middle boy sits between paintings on the school wall of traditional Waorani warriors. Before Christ's message came to the Waorani, they speared their enemies and revenge killings were a way of life. 70% of the tribe's death rate was attributed to homicide

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Community baths - a flowing pipe, a bar of soap and your swim trunks. After a sweltering day, Jay said it felt great.

Camping out inside the school. Less bugs but the overnight rain was deafening on the tin roof.

A boy using a banana leaf for an umbrella, stands near a walking bridge over a swampy area.

Another view of the village.

A marker for Rachel Saint's grave and behind it, the church that is a testimony to her years of sharing Christ's love with the Waorani tribe after it's members killed her brother and four other missionaries.

The marker for the five martyrs killed in 1956.

Satellite technology brings higher education to the jungle.

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Dr. Joe visiting with a boy who wanted to know more about Jesus.

Time to fly.

A tributary of the Amazon... snaking it's way to the Atlantic.

 Jay's home after the two-day trip. They saw 140 patients, most Compassion kids. Thanks for your prayers. Lynnelle