Day 24: River Blockade

Day 24: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Jungle life is never boring, to say the least. Last night the pastor of San Jorge told us to not be worried if we saw men with weapons because the surrounding villages were setting up a blockade on the river down at the next community (which was visible from the bank of San Jorge). Apparently there had been an oil leak upriver and the old company had not properly treated its employees and those affected. So these communities are blocking the oil companies from getting up or down river. I guess it’s like the jungle version of a strike or something.

This morning after breakfast the team held a “children’s service”. This group reminds me so much of my church’s mission trips. I felt like I was in youth group again. They had prepared quite adequately with crafts, Spanish songs led by guitar, skits, and “Shackles” dance. Several kids raised their hand to pray to receive Christ.

I took a very lovely nap this afternoon during free time. After dinner everyone boarded the boat to cross the river to the village that was hosting the blockade, Paradiso. It’s hard to describe what we saw as we rounded the riverbend. Obviously because of the blockade there was a line of boats and rope with flags and torches attached atop stretched across the river. Probably hundreds of people stood along the high bank. Dozens of peki-pekis littered the shoreline, each filled with men bearing rifles and machetes. We docked slightly north of the barrier and waited while Julio went to get permission to show the film from the community leaders. While we waited a large launcha (public boat) cruises up. The protestors won’t even allow it to dock, much less pass through. Peki-pekis rushed the waterfront while the loud crowd of men shouted from the bank. The boat returned to a nearby village down river of the blockade (still with in sight). Needless to say, the environment was not conducive to the work we wanted to do, so we returned to San Jorge, where we were staying, and showed the Jesus film.

The other interesting thing is that the team had planned to dig wells here in this village and another but Clever has not yet arrived with the equipment of materials. We thought initially that he was on the launcha that wasn’t allowed to pass. When Julio returned we learned that he had received permission to cross the border with a peki-peki to obtain the well digging supplies. It turned out all that was on the boat was the gravel and other supplies needed after the well was already dug. No well digging equipment.

As of now, the team has several options as far as itineraries go. It’s possible that Clever and the well digging equipment arrive tomorrow and we begin the well. Or we may pack up and return to Nueva York to do ministry. The plan is to pray overnight and decide at breakfast what to do.