Oxygen Rich and Monkeying Around

July 20th

Misahualli, Ecuador

To know that you’re in the most oxygen-rich place on earth is a good feeling, especially when you’re running. I’ve been doing my best to stay in shape during my time here in Ecuador, running and hiking quite a bit in the mountains. However, I haven’t run more than three or four miles during my time here so far. That changed this morning when I was in charge of organizing the running before breakfast crew from the states. Lucky for me, that included a cross country runner that will attend Stetson University in the fall and a few others that were experienced runners. Needless to say, I needed all the oxygen I could get in order to finish the approximately six mile run on the jungle roads.

Although deprived of oxygen, running in the jungle is such a privilege. My Grandpa often says when we go hiking that the most civilized places are those that are uncivilized. That phrase seems to become truer and truer as I continue to scout out the landscape here in Ecuador. Everything seems to function in such harmony. From the trees outstretched to reach the sun to the colony of ants carrying leaves ten times their weight in a path back to their nest. It’s better than watching the Discovery Channel or National Geographic. It’s the Amazon.

Church was a blessing this morning and Brother Jorge gave the sermon at Second Baptist Church of Tena. I was pretty impressed with the attendance, considering the size of the city. Following church, we returned back to camp to eat before continuing on with the day in Misahualli, a canoe port town. It was the same place we rented canoes the time before to raft down the Rio Napo, and this time, Tyler, Jacob, and Kelli wanted to go with me to see a few of the communities on the way. Our first stop was Chichicurumi, a Kichwa village, with monkeys and various small Ecuadorian animals that were people friendly. They also had a Kichwa museum (in a hut) to show the various weapons and cultural objects that the Kichwa people use and still use to some extent. It was better than going to the zoo. The monkeys crawled on you and wrestled around with the other animals, providing quite the entertainment. It was almost like watching a pair of brothers wrestle on the ground. We stopped at one more community before returning, Muyana, to watch how Chicha (the Kichwa drink) is made and then to drink a bowl of it.

It was a quick trip down the river, but one with plenty of memorable moments. I noticed myself starting to translate quite a bit for the others in the group, something I’ve never quite been able to do before. Learning the language in still an ongoing process and difficult at times, but being able to translate for others in a good feeling.

The kid’s camp started tonight and the camp is absolutely packed. We’re expecting close to three hundred kids here on at the camp that usually holds one hundred. God knows what He’s doing though and it’s our job to follow his direction. In Spanish, this week will be a little ‘loco,’ but at least we’ll be in the jungle to enjoy it.