14/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
(I am posting these all at once on the 17th as we have the day off. This will be the last one I do as I'm bored of the sight of a computer screen but I will update again as soon as I can. Could be next week, could be two or three weeks. Until then, farewell and wish me luck.)
Final morning here in Bonyic.
Finished packing and headed for breakfast. We had patacones - mmm - and tuna - eergh. I've never heard of having tuna for breakfast, plus I don't like it or its stench so I slipped it into Jarett's bowl.
We said our final goodbyes, took our final photos and then walked to the road and waited for a truck to pick us up and take us back to La Silencia. We waited around half an hour, and then we were gone.
Upon arrival at La Silencia, we were told that the person due to transport us to our next destination didn't have his bus. Of all the things for him not to have, I feel this was the most key.
But we managed to get a bus fairly soon after which was a relief - La Silencia is an appropriate name. There's almost nothing there.
So we then arrived in our next destination which turns out to be very close to the second week's location, Changuinola. This week's church is a two-month old church plant from Iglesia Nazarene, where we stayed in the second week.
Christina and I, as leaders, chatted to the Pastor for around an hour to try and find out about the week's schedule. I struggle to recall an hour in which I've asked so many questions and received so little information. One major difference this week is that we have to buy and cook all our own food. This requires a lot of thinking and work but luckily, the schedule he so poorly decribed seems to allow time to shop and cook.
It makes things harder to plan though, and it's never nice to have more to think about.
We had the day off so we went to Changuinola for lunch where I had the most ridiculous amount of rice and beef. It was at least six times the size of a normal portion, no exaggeration.
I'm being totally serious. It was massive.
And it was washed down with a nice cold beer. Mmm.
In the afternoon I went to an internet cafe for an hour where I answered a few emails and replied to some Facebook messages and only had time to upload one blog post which was annoying.
I then went shopping with Christina, Bonnie and Liset where we tried to buy food for three days in advance and did our best - we'll find out what items we've forgotten as and when the need arises for each thing.
Dinner was interesting.
I cooked us hot dogs but when they had finished cooking, they looked peculiar. It transpired that each one had its own individual plastic skin which should have been removed prior to cooking.
Oops.
We peeled them off retrospectively and then served up. The flavour was fairly normal but they weren't too visually appealing to say the least. Whoever came up with the ridiculous notion of individually wrapping hot dog sausages deserves some sort of tribute for being a waste of space.
After dinner Christina and I explained to the team what we know (very little) about the week ahead.
It seems that a lot of the time will be spent walking door to door around the community of his church, as it is only two months old and he wants to get his face around and build up his congregation. Apart from that, he seems to have left it to us so we're hoping to organise some kids programmes and services later in the week as soon as we know more about the community and its needs.
Of all the weeks to be leader, this seems to be a difficult one. Rather than being cooked for and told exactly what to plan like in previous weeks, we really have to do most things ourselves this week. This will make it tougher but also gives us all a chance to be creative and really try to spread the word of God in raw and interesting ways.
One quick note - the number of flies/mosquitoes/biting things here is unbelievable.
Every light is absolutely swarmed by them and we all got ruthlessly attacked this evening. Let's hope it doesn't continue, though of course it will.
JG
Thursday, 17 March 2011
#39 - Swept away
13/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
It's our last day here.
Woke up feeling refreshed after a deep sleep - I was simply too tired for any bugs or itchy sunburn to deter me from my sleep.
I rose at 7 with no morning wash - once again, I wasn't particularly bothered at this.
Breakfast was eaten very quickly and we then got straight back to work on the altar. Today was our final chance to get it finished and we didn't want to leave a half-finished job so we went for it.
We put in a punishing four hourse before lunch at 1, by which time we were all thoroughly exhausted and ready never to see a piece of clay or shovel ever again. Luckily we were served soup with a portion of rice about as big as my head.
This is big - when I was born my head was off the scale when it was measured at the hospital.
Unfortunately whilst I was trying to break up a piece of plantane I slipped and spilled loads of it down me - if I wasn't already covered in sweat and dirt I would have cared.
We managed to finish mining the clay quickly after lunch - over three days we moved a hill of clay. We then set about manually mixing cement (no machines here) which was particularly fun in the heat and with the help of semi-professional Panamanian builders. We slogged at mixing and setting it and finally, at 4:30 (Jarett and Jonny were the only two of us still going at this stage), it was completed.
Such a satisfying feeling, and a great legacy for us to leave.
And that feeling was compounded when we took a dunk in the river to wash and cool down and simply relax. It was richly deserved if we do say so ourselves.
My sunburn began peeling yesterday so my naked torso wasn't its usual pretty sight.
We then finished our post here by leading the evening service. Turnout was massive - the usual sixteen swelled to around 40 which was great to see. We had to give up our seats to mothers, who by the way breast feed their children happily and freely anywhere, anytime, any occasion.
We did three dramas, Jess's sermon, Jonny's tesimony and then a cool exercise Christina thought up where each audience member writes either a question or prayer request. We then answered as many questions as we could and committed to praying for the prayer requests for the remainder of our trip here.
After the service, Pastor Envelio and Joel thanked us for giving them the gift of the altar. They said they wished they could get gifts for us which was sweet but their hospitality and friendship has been more of a gift than we could ever ask for.
It aches to leave but I have many happy memories.
The door to door evangelism arount such remote areas which otherwise would never be reached. Though it was tough going, spreading the Gospel in such a raw way was fun and rewarding when we saw results.
Being in such close proximity to the river has also been a real treat. Not onlyn has it been useful for washing ourselves and our clothes and cooling off each day, but in the sunlight it is absolutely stunning. Set against forests and mountains it is truly a sight to behold and I look forward to sharing my photos.
And finally the community itself has been full of surprises. I now no longer look twice at a chicken or pig strolling around me, and am no longer scared of dogs - the one down side to having all these animals is in the night, when the dogs barking and roosters cock-a-doodle-ooing isn't what you want.
But all the kids seem so happy and loved the attention we could give them so it has been a great experience.
Myself and Christina are leading next week which will be fun as now everyone is well drilled at acting all the parts in the dramas, singing the songs, knowing their sermons etc. It shouldn't be as stressful as previous weeks.
Shouldn't be.
JG
It's our last day here.
Woke up feeling refreshed after a deep sleep - I was simply too tired for any bugs or itchy sunburn to deter me from my sleep.
I rose at 7 with no morning wash - once again, I wasn't particularly bothered at this.
Breakfast was eaten very quickly and we then got straight back to work on the altar. Today was our final chance to get it finished and we didn't want to leave a half-finished job so we went for it.
We put in a punishing four hourse before lunch at 1, by which time we were all thoroughly exhausted and ready never to see a piece of clay or shovel ever again. Luckily we were served soup with a portion of rice about as big as my head.
This is big - when I was born my head was off the scale when it was measured at the hospital.
Unfortunately whilst I was trying to break up a piece of plantane I slipped and spilled loads of it down me - if I wasn't already covered in sweat and dirt I would have cared.
We managed to finish mining the clay quickly after lunch - over three days we moved a hill of clay. We then set about manually mixing cement (no machines here) which was particularly fun in the heat and with the help of semi-professional Panamanian builders. We slogged at mixing and setting it and finally, at 4:30 (Jarett and Jonny were the only two of us still going at this stage), it was completed.
Such a satisfying feeling, and a great legacy for us to leave.
And that feeling was compounded when we took a dunk in the river to wash and cool down and simply relax. It was richly deserved if we do say so ourselves.
My sunburn began peeling yesterday so my naked torso wasn't its usual pretty sight.
We then finished our post here by leading the evening service. Turnout was massive - the usual sixteen swelled to around 40 which was great to see. We had to give up our seats to mothers, who by the way breast feed their children happily and freely anywhere, anytime, any occasion.
We did three dramas, Jess's sermon, Jonny's tesimony and then a cool exercise Christina thought up where each audience member writes either a question or prayer request. We then answered as many questions as we could and committed to praying for the prayer requests for the remainder of our trip here.
After the service, Pastor Envelio and Joel thanked us for giving them the gift of the altar. They said they wished they could get gifts for us which was sweet but their hospitality and friendship has been more of a gift than we could ever ask for.
It aches to leave but I have many happy memories.
The door to door evangelism arount such remote areas which otherwise would never be reached. Though it was tough going, spreading the Gospel in such a raw way was fun and rewarding when we saw results.
Being in such close proximity to the river has also been a real treat. Not onlyn has it been useful for washing ourselves and our clothes and cooling off each day, but in the sunlight it is absolutely stunning. Set against forests and mountains it is truly a sight to behold and I look forward to sharing my photos.
And finally the community itself has been full of surprises. I now no longer look twice at a chicken or pig strolling around me, and am no longer scared of dogs - the one down side to having all these animals is in the night, when the dogs barking and roosters cock-a-doodle-ooing isn't what you want.
But all the kids seem so happy and loved the attention we could give them so it has been a great experience.
Myself and Christina are leading next week which will be fun as now everyone is well drilled at acting all the parts in the dramas, singing the songs, knowing their sermons etc. It shouldn't be as stressful as previous weeks.
Shouldn't be.
JG
#38 - A lesson in football
12/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
Had a really poor night's sleep last night.
At one stage I must have been awake for around 45 minutes feeling uncomfortable and restless - my sunburn was also slightly stinging and I felt like I had bugs crawling all over me.
What was funny, however, was Jonny's mid-sleep antics. At one point he shook my arm and asked 'Are you Liset?', and I also heard him talking in Spanish and at one stage praying in his sleep - a bilingual and pious man so he is (another of his Irish expressions).
Once again I didn't wash this morning. I felt I needed the extra half an hour in bed after the poor night's sleep I had. Obviously a morning wash is a lovely tradition which I'll be gratefully continuing when I'm home but our here, it's just not necessary.
The girls were 15 minutes late to the group devotions they were leading but we didn't make too much of it. Team harmony is so important and girls moods go up and down like a yoyo anyway (I'm sure all men reading this are with me on that) so we left it after a little gentle mockery.
Breakfast was once again Hojaldra. I can't get enough of them but I dread to think how many calories are in each one - they're essentially a fried mix of butter, sugar and oil.
We also had banana porridge with it again - no-one likes it but we have to eat everything we're given to avoid being rude so there's no way to subtly hint at the cooks to not repeat certain foods or drinks.
I did my bit by having a glass this morning (I flatly refused to yesterday) and it was foul.
In the morning we hiked for around 45 minutes to another tiny neighbourhood and once again went from house to houswe preaching the Gospel. We saw at least 3 or 4 people accept Christ which was amazing - the one massive downside is that these people can't afford Bibles and neither can the church, so we're worried that our work here will slowly be undone by time. We're going to badger OM into sending some.
While we were there we came across a tree that produced some derivative of apples - they had soft flesh and were tangy and juicy. I felt like a true Panamanian just picking and eating one.
We returned at 1:15 shattered, hungry and dehydrated.
We had some freshly caught fish with a TON of rice - a quite ridiculous amount which I consumed with great gusto before finishing off the portions of some of the girls. I felt very satisfied afterwards.
It's becoming apparent how so many Panamanians have sizeable stomachs despite living on such little money - they have buckets of carb-heavy and sweet foods and drinks with each meal. I arrived in Panama fully expecting to lose some weight due to small portions but if anything I've put on a pound or two from the sheer quantity of rice I've consumed.
I used the afternoon to nap until 4, when we played football against some guys from a neighbouring community. Pastor Envelio said it was important to win, and we trounced them 8-2 despite playing in walking boots.
We had four of us gringos who were so tall compared to them that we easily won every physical tussle - they just bounced off us. We also employed a very Italian direct style of long-ball over the top which, when combined with our superior strength, worked a treat.
They tried to play silky latino football with tricks which just didn't work. We think that at the end they were mocking our style of play for being boring but at the end of the day, we won.
It was absolutely shattering in the blazing heat so we cooled off in the river.
We then led a service at Joel's house which was heavily attended, I think mainly by extended family who are visiting to pay respects to the guy who died a couple of days ago.
Bonnie did her sermon then we did the Jailhouse drama in which we use the song 'Everything' by Lifehouse. I then talked for around 15 minutes, totally unscripted, to explain the drama and I also linked it to the Gospel message and my personal testimony (see a previous blog for this). Making it up on the spot was fun and it went down well so I enjoyed it a lot.
When we returned home it was 9:45 - the service started an hour late to no-one's particular surprise. So I climbed straight into bed and that was that.
JG
Had a really poor night's sleep last night.
At one stage I must have been awake for around 45 minutes feeling uncomfortable and restless - my sunburn was also slightly stinging and I felt like I had bugs crawling all over me.
What was funny, however, was Jonny's mid-sleep antics. At one point he shook my arm and asked 'Are you Liset?', and I also heard him talking in Spanish and at one stage praying in his sleep - a bilingual and pious man so he is (another of his Irish expressions).
Once again I didn't wash this morning. I felt I needed the extra half an hour in bed after the poor night's sleep I had. Obviously a morning wash is a lovely tradition which I'll be gratefully continuing when I'm home but our here, it's just not necessary.
The girls were 15 minutes late to the group devotions they were leading but we didn't make too much of it. Team harmony is so important and girls moods go up and down like a yoyo anyway (I'm sure all men reading this are with me on that) so we left it after a little gentle mockery.
Breakfast was once again Hojaldra. I can't get enough of them but I dread to think how many calories are in each one - they're essentially a fried mix of butter, sugar and oil.
We also had banana porridge with it again - no-one likes it but we have to eat everything we're given to avoid being rude so there's no way to subtly hint at the cooks to not repeat certain foods or drinks.
I did my bit by having a glass this morning (I flatly refused to yesterday) and it was foul.
In the morning we hiked for around 45 minutes to another tiny neighbourhood and once again went from house to houswe preaching the Gospel. We saw at least 3 or 4 people accept Christ which was amazing - the one massive downside is that these people can't afford Bibles and neither can the church, so we're worried that our work here will slowly be undone by time. We're going to badger OM into sending some.
While we were there we came across a tree that produced some derivative of apples - they had soft flesh and were tangy and juicy. I felt like a true Panamanian just picking and eating one.
We returned at 1:15 shattered, hungry and dehydrated.
We had some freshly caught fish with a TON of rice - a quite ridiculous amount which I consumed with great gusto before finishing off the portions of some of the girls. I felt very satisfied afterwards.
It's becoming apparent how so many Panamanians have sizeable stomachs despite living on such little money - they have buckets of carb-heavy and sweet foods and drinks with each meal. I arrived in Panama fully expecting to lose some weight due to small portions but if anything I've put on a pound or two from the sheer quantity of rice I've consumed.
I used the afternoon to nap until 4, when we played football against some guys from a neighbouring community. Pastor Envelio said it was important to win, and we trounced them 8-2 despite playing in walking boots.
We had four of us gringos who were so tall compared to them that we easily won every physical tussle - they just bounced off us. We also employed a very Italian direct style of long-ball over the top which, when combined with our superior strength, worked a treat.
They tried to play silky latino football with tricks which just didn't work. We think that at the end they were mocking our style of play for being boring but at the end of the day, we won.
It was absolutely shattering in the blazing heat so we cooled off in the river.
We then led a service at Joel's house which was heavily attended, I think mainly by extended family who are visiting to pay respects to the guy who died a couple of days ago.
Bonnie did her sermon then we did the Jailhouse drama in which we use the song 'Everything' by Lifehouse. I then talked for around 15 minutes, totally unscripted, to explain the drama and I also linked it to the Gospel message and my personal testimony (see a previous blog for this). Making it up on the spot was fun and it went down well so I enjoyed it a lot.
When we returned home it was 9:45 - the service started an hour late to no-one's particular surprise. So I climbed straight into bed and that was that.
JG
#37 - Nibbly fish
11/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
Wasn't aware of any more cockroaches crawling around me during the night but I guess I wouldn't have been as I was asleep.
Woke up at 6:15 for my morning wash in the river, which was absolute AGONY as the sunburn was stinging an awful lot. It felt even worse when I got out.
One positive however was that I finally had an opportunity to shave! Baltin trimmed around my neck last week as he was decimating my hair but for the first time in around two weeks, I'm clean shaven. It feels so good.
Put some suncream on to moisturise my skin when I got back to the house - it was SO painful to move my shoulders, I mean REALLY painful. As I moved my arms it felt like I was just ripping skin from my back. I probably was.
At 8:30 (well 9 really, Panamanian timing) some local kids started arriving. Every child from this neighbourhood plus some from local communities came and we played some games, painted faces, made bracelets etc. for about 3 hours.
They seemed to enjoy it, especially one act called The Grecian Fountains. Jonny and Christina were carried on wearing white t-shirts and trousers and were each given a jug of water and a glass. They filled the glass, held the water in their mouth and then spat it either in the air above their head or at eachother to mimic Grecian fountains.
It was absoulutely hilarious and I have a photo of water mid-air travelling from Jonny's mouth en route to Christina's face.
The afternoon was spent doing more work on the altar.
We absolutely caned the clay area and did an awful lot of work towards the finished article - we're still not sure if we'll get it quite finished by the end of our time here though, we only have Sunday left.
In the West our machines could do this work in a matter of seconds but we're essentiall moving a hill of clay from one place to another which is tough work.
We snacked on some Panamanian Guava - over here, what we call Guavas are called Guayabas and what they call Guavas have no English translation.
At 4:30 we called it a day and went to the river to wash some clothes and cool down. Andy and I stayed after the others left and had a long chat about life and everything.
We were in a shallow sandy area and some tiny fish came over and nibbled our feet and legs - it tickled a lot but felt really nice all the same. I used a combination of these fish and sand to exfoliate and properly scrub my feet clean and I left feeling very fresh indeed.
However none of us had a watch on us and by the time we got back, got changed and got to the church it was 6:40. It turned out dinner had been at 6, and ours was sitting there cold.
Oops.
It was nice though, and I even enjoyed the Banana and Coconut cake! Perhaps I'm slightly warming to the taste of banana, but I still hate the texture and a more plausible reason for liking the cake was that it was cake.
We spent the evening relaxing and playing Uno for the first time in ages which was lovely. My sunburn is feeling slightly better but it beginning to peel.
We're now drawing to the end of our week here and are almost halfway through our mission here in Panama - it's amazing to think how much I've learned in this time and that a month ago, I didn't know these people who are now great friends of mine.
It's 8:50 - positively late! Must get sleep before my ritualistic morning dunk at 6:15am, where I will once again be in agony. Damn sunburn.
JG
Wasn't aware of any more cockroaches crawling around me during the night but I guess I wouldn't have been as I was asleep.
Woke up at 6:15 for my morning wash in the river, which was absolute AGONY as the sunburn was stinging an awful lot. It felt even worse when I got out.
One positive however was that I finally had an opportunity to shave! Baltin trimmed around my neck last week as he was decimating my hair but for the first time in around two weeks, I'm clean shaven. It feels so good.
Put some suncream on to moisturise my skin when I got back to the house - it was SO painful to move my shoulders, I mean REALLY painful. As I moved my arms it felt like I was just ripping skin from my back. I probably was.
At 8:30 (well 9 really, Panamanian timing) some local kids started arriving. Every child from this neighbourhood plus some from local communities came and we played some games, painted faces, made bracelets etc. for about 3 hours.
They seemed to enjoy it, especially one act called The Grecian Fountains. Jonny and Christina were carried on wearing white t-shirts and trousers and were each given a jug of water and a glass. They filled the glass, held the water in their mouth and then spat it either in the air above their head or at eachother to mimic Grecian fountains.
It was absoulutely hilarious and I have a photo of water mid-air travelling from Jonny's mouth en route to Christina's face.
The afternoon was spent doing more work on the altar.
We absolutely caned the clay area and did an awful lot of work towards the finished article - we're still not sure if we'll get it quite finished by the end of our time here though, we only have Sunday left.
In the West our machines could do this work in a matter of seconds but we're essentiall moving a hill of clay from one place to another which is tough work.
We snacked on some Panamanian Guava - over here, what we call Guavas are called Guayabas and what they call Guavas have no English translation.
At 4:30 we called it a day and went to the river to wash some clothes and cool down. Andy and I stayed after the others left and had a long chat about life and everything.
We were in a shallow sandy area and some tiny fish came over and nibbled our feet and legs - it tickled a lot but felt really nice all the same. I used a combination of these fish and sand to exfoliate and properly scrub my feet clean and I left feeling very fresh indeed.
However none of us had a watch on us and by the time we got back, got changed and got to the church it was 6:40. It turned out dinner had been at 6, and ours was sitting there cold.
Oops.
It was nice though, and I even enjoyed the Banana and Coconut cake! Perhaps I'm slightly warming to the taste of banana, but I still hate the texture and a more plausible reason for liking the cake was that it was cake.
We spent the evening relaxing and playing Uno for the first time in ages which was lovely. My sunburn is feeling slightly better but it beginning to peel.
We're now drawing to the end of our week here and are almost halfway through our mission here in Panama - it's amazing to think how much I've learned in this time and that a month ago, I didn't know these people who are now great friends of mine.
It's 8:50 - positively late! Must get sleep before my ritualistic morning dunk at 6:15am, where I will once again be in agony. Damn sunburn.
JG
#36 - In memoriam
10/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
Had an interesting night's sleep.
I dreamed about a gorilla going mental and then woke up at 11pm to the noise of dogs loudly and furiously barking at each other. They carried on for around ten minutes non stop.
Mercifully they eventually stopped and I slept through until 6:15 - the burns on my back gave me a bit of grief but I still got to sleep fine.
When I woke up I was going to head to the river for a wash but couldn't be bothered.
I also wore yesterday's boxers without much of a fuss - I must be adapting to the backpacker's lifestyle.
Breakfast was early and consisted of Hojaldra (the delicious fried pastry things) and a banana porridge which I avoided and the rest of the group really didn't take to.
We then went out for the morning with a pastor who lives 3 hours down the river. He's called Danuel and took us in his boat to another local community called 'Tres Piedres' (Three Stones).
We walked around the houses telling them about God, once again using the handy Evange-cubes. People from three of the five houses seemed genuinely interested in our message so Pastor Danuel is going to come back at some point and give them Bibles.
The boat ride there and back was...interesting shall we say. All eight of us just about fitted in but whenever one of us moved slightly it rocked horrendously - the fact that we were motoring against the aforementioned strong current probably didn't help matters. On several occasions I was convinced that we could capsize but in what I can only describe as a miracle, we made it there and back relatively dry.
Jonny and I spent the early afternoon planning the evening's service.
The father-in-law of a senior guy in this church (Joel) died yesterday and we have to organise an hour-long service for his family. This is immensely difficult given that we didn't know the guy, have only been here a couple of days and this guy wasn't a Christian so it's tough to find appropriate Bible verses about death.
But eventually we finished planning and I went for a quick nap.
In the service each of us read a Bible verse we'd chosen and we then sang Amazing Grace in both English and Spanish. It was a dignified service and hopefully we brought some comfort to the family - it was mighty difficult doing it so soon after the event though but we pulled together.
We then stayed for a snack of hot cacao and bread and then returned.
We had our daily Group Devotions when we got back as we hadn't had time earlier and I finally got into bed by 10pm, positively late by recent standards.
I went to brush my teeth and then realised that the only water I had was pineapple flavoured from earlier in the day. Suffice to say that mint and pineapple don't compliment each other very well.
Whilst making myself comfortable in bed I discovered a dead cockroach which was a truly horrific experience. I've thoroughly checked the rest of my bed and sleeping bag and all seems well but it has unsettled me a lot.
Not a fan of cockroaches.
JG
Had an interesting night's sleep.
I dreamed about a gorilla going mental and then woke up at 11pm to the noise of dogs loudly and furiously barking at each other. They carried on for around ten minutes non stop.
Mercifully they eventually stopped and I slept through until 6:15 - the burns on my back gave me a bit of grief but I still got to sleep fine.
When I woke up I was going to head to the river for a wash but couldn't be bothered.
I also wore yesterday's boxers without much of a fuss - I must be adapting to the backpacker's lifestyle.
Breakfast was early and consisted of Hojaldra (the delicious fried pastry things) and a banana porridge which I avoided and the rest of the group really didn't take to.
We then went out for the morning with a pastor who lives 3 hours down the river. He's called Danuel and took us in his boat to another local community called 'Tres Piedres' (Three Stones).
We walked around the houses telling them about God, once again using the handy Evange-cubes. People from three of the five houses seemed genuinely interested in our message so Pastor Danuel is going to come back at some point and give them Bibles.
The boat ride there and back was...interesting shall we say. All eight of us just about fitted in but whenever one of us moved slightly it rocked horrendously - the fact that we were motoring against the aforementioned strong current probably didn't help matters. On several occasions I was convinced that we could capsize but in what I can only describe as a miracle, we made it there and back relatively dry.
Jonny and I spent the early afternoon planning the evening's service.
The father-in-law of a senior guy in this church (Joel) died yesterday and we have to organise an hour-long service for his family. This is immensely difficult given that we didn't know the guy, have only been here a couple of days and this guy wasn't a Christian so it's tough to find appropriate Bible verses about death.
But eventually we finished planning and I went for a quick nap.
In the service each of us read a Bible verse we'd chosen and we then sang Amazing Grace in both English and Spanish. It was a dignified service and hopefully we brought some comfort to the family - it was mighty difficult doing it so soon after the event though but we pulled together.
We then stayed for a snack of hot cacao and bread and then returned.
We had our daily Group Devotions when we got back as we hadn't had time earlier and I finally got into bed by 10pm, positively late by recent standards.
I went to brush my teeth and then realised that the only water I had was pineapple flavoured from earlier in the day. Suffice to say that mint and pineapple don't compliment each other very well.
Whilst making myself comfortable in bed I discovered a dead cockroach which was a truly horrific experience. I've thoroughly checked the rest of my bed and sleeping bag and all seems well but it has unsettled me a lot.
Not a fan of cockroaches.
JG
#35 - Altar-native
09/03/2010 (posted 17/03/2010)
Got up at 6:15 to wash. In the river.
It was a great experience and so refreshing. The water seems cold when you first walk in but after that it's great. It's also a nice change to have an abundance of water - last week we were using every drop from a bucket whereas it's so easy to get wet, lather up and rinse off and chill for a bit here.
I could get used to this.
We had a quick breakfast and then got down to our work for the day.
Our job for this week is to build an altar for the church as currently their concrete floor simply ends abruptly and there's an uneven section of grass and mud.
So we got to work.
The morning was mainly spent shifting a pile of rocks from about 200 yards down a small hill up to the church. We shovelled some into wheelbarrows which we took up and also enlisted the help of a horse, whom I named Neville.
He is a sweet little thing and I even had a go riding him. Unfortunately I wasn't good at steering and we went the wrong way twice which was impressive in itself. I enjoyed my first horseriding experience though.
Jess and I then went with the Pastor to fetch some pure sand from around ten minute's walk away. We filled eight bags and then waited on the road for someone to drive by and take them to the church for us as each could be just about lifted by one person so carrying by hand was massively impractical.
We started waiting at 12 and at quarter past, a guy said he'd turn around further down the road and then come to take the bags for us. By 1:15 he hadn't returned and luckily another friend of the Pastor drove by so we took them to the church and could then finally get some lunch. I managed to score some extra rice.
The afternoon was spent pick-axeing and shovelling clay into wheelbarrows. This will be used as the base for the altar - our plan is to fill inbetween the brick walls with this clay and then do a thin layer of concrete on top.
In the full glare of the sun, this was tough work and it was only later when we went to the river to cool off that I realised how badly my back was sunburnt. The water was a bit stingy on the burns but probably did them some good. We did some more floating down the river and washed some clothes - I'm truly awful at hand-washing clothes but as long as they get a nice rinse they're wearable in my opinion.
We seem to have all settled into this culture well.
Washing myself and my clothes in the river is such a world away from what I'm used to and so much fun. Also the beautiful food we are cooked every day has certainly helped settle me in and almost certainly isn't typical of what the locals normally eat but what can you do?
I'm having my earliest night yet - in bed and ready to nod off by 8:30.
I'll be up at 6:15 for a wash so I'll need my sleep.
My back is stinging A LOT so this will make getting to sleep interesting.
And the bloody dogs that run riot around this community are, of course, loudly barking just as I'm trying to get to sleep.
JG
Got up at 6:15 to wash. In the river.
It was a great experience and so refreshing. The water seems cold when you first walk in but after that it's great. It's also a nice change to have an abundance of water - last week we were using every drop from a bucket whereas it's so easy to get wet, lather up and rinse off and chill for a bit here.
I could get used to this.
We had a quick breakfast and then got down to our work for the day.
Our job for this week is to build an altar for the church as currently their concrete floor simply ends abruptly and there's an uneven section of grass and mud.
So we got to work.
The morning was mainly spent shifting a pile of rocks from about 200 yards down a small hill up to the church. We shovelled some into wheelbarrows which we took up and also enlisted the help of a horse, whom I named Neville.
He is a sweet little thing and I even had a go riding him. Unfortunately I wasn't good at steering and we went the wrong way twice which was impressive in itself. I enjoyed my first horseriding experience though.
Jess and I then went with the Pastor to fetch some pure sand from around ten minute's walk away. We filled eight bags and then waited on the road for someone to drive by and take them to the church for us as each could be just about lifted by one person so carrying by hand was massively impractical.
We started waiting at 12 and at quarter past, a guy said he'd turn around further down the road and then come to take the bags for us. By 1:15 he hadn't returned and luckily another friend of the Pastor drove by so we took them to the church and could then finally get some lunch. I managed to score some extra rice.
The afternoon was spent pick-axeing and shovelling clay into wheelbarrows. This will be used as the base for the altar - our plan is to fill inbetween the brick walls with this clay and then do a thin layer of concrete on top.
In the full glare of the sun, this was tough work and it was only later when we went to the river to cool off that I realised how badly my back was sunburnt. The water was a bit stingy on the burns but probably did them some good. We did some more floating down the river and washed some clothes - I'm truly awful at hand-washing clothes but as long as they get a nice rinse they're wearable in my opinion.
We seem to have all settled into this culture well.
Washing myself and my clothes in the river is such a world away from what I'm used to and so much fun. Also the beautiful food we are cooked every day has certainly helped settle me in and almost certainly isn't typical of what the locals normally eat but what can you do?
I'm having my earliest night yet - in bed and ready to nod off by 8:30.
I'll be up at 6:15 for a wash so I'll need my sleep.
My back is stinging A LOT so this will make getting to sleep interesting.
And the bloody dogs that run riot around this community are, of course, loudly barking just as I'm trying to get to sleep.
JG
#34 - Into nowhere
08/03/2011 (posted 17/03/2011)
I´ve been in Panama a month to the day.
Can´t believe it´s that long since I was home - had another brief bout of homesickness this morning where I pictures my home and my room and Harbury and Leamington.
It seems so distant and far away, another life completely.
I guess it is.
Had a good 9 hours sleep - it was pitch black by about 8pm so had no real choice. Mosquito net was very tight around me but it seemed to work so happy days.
Woke up and went for a shower - there was no water. I fancied going to the river but we have to go as a group or be accompanied by a local and no-one was around so I guess I´ll wash later.
It's fairly cool in this area - the sun is very bright but the shaded areas are lovely and comfortable. It'd top it off if there weren't any mosquitoes about but you can't have everything.
Breakfast was punctual and very nice - egg with a sauce and some delicious bread very similar to ciabatta.
We had a drink made from cacao fruit grown a few metres from the church - it was a nice intense chocolatey taste without all the sweeteners we are used to.
The morning was very interesting. We walked to a local community called Solong which consisted of around 6 houses.
I should mention at this stage that the route involved crossing four rivers, all of which came up above the knee but luckily my shorts stretched high enough up to avoid them getting wet. We then walked through a couple of forests before arriving there.
To call this area rural would be a gross understatament.
Upon arrival we split into three groups and went to talk to the residents - we used Evange-cubes which are fold-out cubes that tell the story of Jesus' crucifixion and our salvation.
One houses had the most random collection of animals I have ever seen. There was one ferret-esque thing, a screechey tamarin thing which had sharp claws and just hung off stuff, a pig, some chickens and a cow.
It was difficult just walking into people's houses and telling them stories. I think this culture is much more open and welcoming to people cold-calling but for I, an Englishman, it was tough.
We invited them to a short meeting at a local woman's house. She is called Lisenta and has just one leg. We had a bit of a crowd there so did some dramas, told a story and sang a few songs and that was the morning.
The route back was the same but with it being later in the day, the river was higher. We still managed to get through with our shorts heavily rolled up but my sandals dragged in the current and I nearly fell over, camera in hand, several times.
We had a free afternoon until 3 so Andy, Jarett and I went down to the river. It was refreshing and comfortably cool, not freezing cold.
The current however is ridiculously strong so we had to cling to rocks to stop ourselves being dragged away down river. Apparently some English people died here once so we ought to be careful.
However the current allowed us to develop a game - we waded into a deep area and clung to a piece of bamboo and rode the current for a while downstream. It was awesome.
When we got back Jess tidied up my hair with scissors - it really was atrocious but she did a pretty good temporary job.
We spent the afternoon playing volleyball and softball with some guys who travelled from local communities. They had all the proper equipment and were really keen whereas we were some gringos in completely inappropriate gear who had hardly played ever.
The bowler was amazing and I confess that I didn't manage to hit the ball even once.
Give me a game where you have one hand on the raqcuet and I'm laughing - two is unnecessary.
Dinner was small but I've decided to have no snacks inbetween meals as I need to adjust to the smaller portions. The juice we have with each meal is delicious but at the bottom of each jug is a sediment of sugar so I need to watch how much I drink.
We led a service in the evening in which attendance was fairly high which was nice to see. Jarett did his sermon then we prayed for some sick people.
Again I'm having an early night and planning to go to sleep at around 9. It's a big change for me but I'm getting to like it.
JG
I´ve been in Panama a month to the day.
Can´t believe it´s that long since I was home - had another brief bout of homesickness this morning where I pictures my home and my room and Harbury and Leamington.
It seems so distant and far away, another life completely.
I guess it is.
Had a good 9 hours sleep - it was pitch black by about 8pm so had no real choice. Mosquito net was very tight around me but it seemed to work so happy days.
Woke up and went for a shower - there was no water. I fancied going to the river but we have to go as a group or be accompanied by a local and no-one was around so I guess I´ll wash later.
It's fairly cool in this area - the sun is very bright but the shaded areas are lovely and comfortable. It'd top it off if there weren't any mosquitoes about but you can't have everything.
Breakfast was punctual and very nice - egg with a sauce and some delicious bread very similar to ciabatta.
We had a drink made from cacao fruit grown a few metres from the church - it was a nice intense chocolatey taste without all the sweeteners we are used to.
The morning was very interesting. We walked to a local community called Solong which consisted of around 6 houses.
I should mention at this stage that the route involved crossing four rivers, all of which came up above the knee but luckily my shorts stretched high enough up to avoid them getting wet. We then walked through a couple of forests before arriving there.
To call this area rural would be a gross understatament.
Upon arrival we split into three groups and went to talk to the residents - we used Evange-cubes which are fold-out cubes that tell the story of Jesus' crucifixion and our salvation.
One houses had the most random collection of animals I have ever seen. There was one ferret-esque thing, a screechey tamarin thing which had sharp claws and just hung off stuff, a pig, some chickens and a cow.
It was difficult just walking into people's houses and telling them stories. I think this culture is much more open and welcoming to people cold-calling but for I, an Englishman, it was tough.
We invited them to a short meeting at a local woman's house. She is called Lisenta and has just one leg. We had a bit of a crowd there so did some dramas, told a story and sang a few songs and that was the morning.
The route back was the same but with it being later in the day, the river was higher. We still managed to get through with our shorts heavily rolled up but my sandals dragged in the current and I nearly fell over, camera in hand, several times.
We had a free afternoon until 3 so Andy, Jarett and I went down to the river. It was refreshing and comfortably cool, not freezing cold.
The current however is ridiculously strong so we had to cling to rocks to stop ourselves being dragged away down river. Apparently some English people died here once so we ought to be careful.
However the current allowed us to develop a game - we waded into a deep area and clung to a piece of bamboo and rode the current for a while downstream. It was awesome.
When we got back Jess tidied up my hair with scissors - it really was atrocious but she did a pretty good temporary job.
We spent the afternoon playing volleyball and softball with some guys who travelled from local communities. They had all the proper equipment and were really keen whereas we were some gringos in completely inappropriate gear who had hardly played ever.
The bowler was amazing and I confess that I didn't manage to hit the ball even once.
Give me a game where you have one hand on the raqcuet and I'm laughing - two is unnecessary.
Dinner was small but I've decided to have no snacks inbetween meals as I need to adjust to the smaller portions. The juice we have with each meal is delicious but at the bottom of each jug is a sediment of sugar so I need to watch how much I drink.
We led a service in the evening in which attendance was fairly high which was nice to see. Jarett did his sermon then we prayed for some sick people.
Again I'm having an early night and planning to go to sleep at around 9. It's a big change for me but I'm getting to like it.
JG
Monday, 14 March 2011
#33 - Bonyic
07/03/2011 (posted 14/03/2011)
So today we moved to our new location for the week, Bonyic, still in the Bocas del Toro province.
Got up at 7 for a quick shower then breakfast. Only had 5 hours sleep as I returned from uploading last week´s blogs at 2am.
Spent the morning packing and saying some goodbyes.
Also ate loads of bread from the shop as we have no idea what the portions will be like this week.
They sell some delicious Guava and Pineapple juice which I had an emotional last carton of - my fourth pint in two days.
The bus was due at 11. This was pushed back to 11:30, then 12.
It came at quarter past 12.
So off we went in a tightly packed minibus - luckily the windows opened which avoided a mega sweatfest.
We had half an hour´s ride to a bridge where we then got in a 4x4. The bridge area is called ´La Silencia´ and is so unbelievable tranquil, just a river flowing through with forests lining the banks on either side.
Beautiful.
We thought the next journey would be 1 or 2 hours but after twenty minutes of a windy and very rocky offroad route, we arrived.
The community is all in and around grass and trees and bushes. Almost all the houses are wooden and many are on stilts, presumably to defend against flooding.
First impressions were that it was very isolated and basic.
It is also about a minute down a little track from the river we saw at La Silencia - apparently this is where we´ll be washing ourselves and our clothes for the week.
Interesting concept. It looks very picturesque though.
But the Pastor showed us the house we´ll be living in and it´s ok. Girls are on the top floor and we´ve got the ground floor .- this would usually be a positive except each day we have to put all our stuff upstairs and lock the door otherwise locals may pop in and steal it. This makes each morning annoying.
One surprise is that our toilet is a normal white toilet with flush and everything!
Water seems to be in decent supply here so they even have a basic shower.
As a further bonus, the girls have surplus mattresses from their comfy beds (we sleep on a floor) so we don´t have to sleep on roll-out mattresses.
It´s really a lot better than expected.
Lunch came at 3 and was soup containing yam and chicken with rice to stir in. We also had a juice made from local lemon-type things which was lovely.
We were told to get to the church for 3:40 to do a small service.
It started at 4:50.
We all gave our testimony and then I preached - only had to do 10 minutes so I shortened it and it seemed to go ok. It highlighted some areas of improvement which is always good.
Dinner was fried patacones and fish - some opted out of the fish but I decided to go for the full Bonyic experience, warts and all - to be fair it was quite nice as well so I´m glad I had it.
After dinner (and waiting for ages for the girls to get ready, as per usual) we went to the river for a quick wash.
Probably due to being so close to a big body of water, there are tons of flying biting things here which are a constant presence when walking around and even more so when sitting down, for instance now when I´m making notes in my journal.
I´m being bitten all over, mainly on hands and legs but they don´t seem to be fussy. I dread to think what the night will be like - probably best not to know. My mosquito net will be put to the test, that´s for sure.
Need an early night, busy week ahead.
JG
So today we moved to our new location for the week, Bonyic, still in the Bocas del Toro province.
Got up at 7 for a quick shower then breakfast. Only had 5 hours sleep as I returned from uploading last week´s blogs at 2am.
Spent the morning packing and saying some goodbyes.
Also ate loads of bread from the shop as we have no idea what the portions will be like this week.
They sell some delicious Guava and Pineapple juice which I had an emotional last carton of - my fourth pint in two days.
The bus was due at 11. This was pushed back to 11:30, then 12.
It came at quarter past 12.
So off we went in a tightly packed minibus - luckily the windows opened which avoided a mega sweatfest.
We had half an hour´s ride to a bridge where we then got in a 4x4. The bridge area is called ´La Silencia´ and is so unbelievable tranquil, just a river flowing through with forests lining the banks on either side.
Beautiful.
We thought the next journey would be 1 or 2 hours but after twenty minutes of a windy and very rocky offroad route, we arrived.
The community is all in and around grass and trees and bushes. Almost all the houses are wooden and many are on stilts, presumably to defend against flooding.
First impressions were that it was very isolated and basic.
It is also about a minute down a little track from the river we saw at La Silencia - apparently this is where we´ll be washing ourselves and our clothes for the week.
Interesting concept. It looks very picturesque though.
But the Pastor showed us the house we´ll be living in and it´s ok. Girls are on the top floor and we´ve got the ground floor .- this would usually be a positive except each day we have to put all our stuff upstairs and lock the door otherwise locals may pop in and steal it. This makes each morning annoying.
One surprise is that our toilet is a normal white toilet with flush and everything!
Water seems to be in decent supply here so they even have a basic shower.
As a further bonus, the girls have surplus mattresses from their comfy beds (we sleep on a floor) so we don´t have to sleep on roll-out mattresses.
It´s really a lot better than expected.
Lunch came at 3 and was soup containing yam and chicken with rice to stir in. We also had a juice made from local lemon-type things which was lovely.
We were told to get to the church for 3:40 to do a small service.
It started at 4:50.
We all gave our testimony and then I preached - only had to do 10 minutes so I shortened it and it seemed to go ok. It highlighted some areas of improvement which is always good.
Dinner was fried patacones and fish - some opted out of the fish but I decided to go for the full Bonyic experience, warts and all - to be fair it was quite nice as well so I´m glad I had it.
After dinner (and waiting for ages for the girls to get ready, as per usual) we went to the river for a quick wash.
Probably due to being so close to a big body of water, there are tons of flying biting things here which are a constant presence when walking around and even more so when sitting down, for instance now when I´m making notes in my journal.
I´m being bitten all over, mainly on hands and legs but they don´t seem to be fussy. I dread to think what the night will be like - probably best not to know. My mosquito net will be put to the test, that´s for sure.
Need an early night, busy week ahead.
JG
Sunday, 6 March 2011
#32 - Up and away again
06/03/2011
Started the day with the usual shower followed by breakfast at 7:30.
We went to a youth service a short drive away at 9- our team had a short 20 minute section so luckily there wasn't time to do the drama in which I was due to play the lead.
It was great to see such young kids singing and playing in the band, and there was so much energy in the room the whole time.
Baltin then came on as a clown and was brilliant.
We went straight to lunch afterwards which was chicken and rice - standard and delicious.
I spent the afternoon washing some clothes - unfortunately I added way too much powder and so even after a manic effort to rinse the suds out of everything I couldn't quite.
Oops.
We then came downstairs for dinner at 5:30 and once again it arrived at 6:45.
At least they're consistent with the timing.
Our section of the service was just a drama and Jarett's testimony - I had a minor role in the drama.
I also played guitar alongside a guy I'd briefly made friends with at one of the services.
The service was the main weekly one and was a lot more accessible than the midweek ones, loud musical accompaniment being one major reason.
After the service, we were mobbed by people wanting to shake our hands and take pictures with us - I have so many, mostly with people I didn't even meet throughout the week.
But there are some people we have gotten close to so it was a wrench to say goodbye - Baltin, Oriel (who I played guitar with), Felix the pastor and more.
This week has taught me a lot.
More importantly, it started on a low and has ended on a high.
When I got here and for large portions of the time I have spent here, I complained at the lack of facilities and running water and punctuality etc.
But throughout the days here, things like that had drifted into insignificance.
Because despite not being as pampered as us in the West, these guys are so happy even when sharing a tiny house in a dirty neighbourhood.
It's so humbling to see these people with very little wealth giving generously to collections at the church and worshipping God with such energy and passion.
They don't have much compared to us but what they have they love and cherish - family, community. They are content with what they have - how many of us can say that?
So even though this week's posts may seem largely complaints, that was mainly due to fatigue and being ill.
Because I have come to enjoy my time here and will miss it.
It has been a real eye-opener and a week full of experiences I can take away.
From what Albin has said, the destination we travel to tomorrow is very different.
It's right into the mountains and very very basic apparently, so don't expect any new posts for anything up to two weeks.
But there we are. Sorry for hitting you with a week's posts at once but you're now up to date.
I am largely enioying myself and learning lots and with a new positive and motivated outlook, this week should be both interesting and enjoyable.
I just need to shake off this illness.
By the way I'm posting this at 1am the morning we leave - I hope you appreciate my commitment A guy I've never met called Luiz just came
and asked if I was ok as he saw my by the roadside accessing the free wi-fi - shows what nice guys these people are.
Until who knows when, goodbye.
JG
Started the day with the usual shower followed by breakfast at 7:30.
We went to a youth service a short drive away at 9- our team had a short 20 minute section so luckily there wasn't time to do the drama in which I was due to play the lead.
It was great to see such young kids singing and playing in the band, and there was so much energy in the room the whole time.
Baltin then came on as a clown and was brilliant.
We went straight to lunch afterwards which was chicken and rice - standard and delicious.
I spent the afternoon washing some clothes - unfortunately I added way too much powder and so even after a manic effort to rinse the suds out of everything I couldn't quite.
Oops.
We then came downstairs for dinner at 5:30 and once again it arrived at 6:45.
At least they're consistent with the timing.
Our section of the service was just a drama and Jarett's testimony - I had a minor role in the drama.
I also played guitar alongside a guy I'd briefly made friends with at one of the services.
The service was the main weekly one and was a lot more accessible than the midweek ones, loud musical accompaniment being one major reason.
After the service, we were mobbed by people wanting to shake our hands and take pictures with us - I have so many, mostly with people I didn't even meet throughout the week.
But there are some people we have gotten close to so it was a wrench to say goodbye - Baltin, Oriel (who I played guitar with), Felix the pastor and more.
This week has taught me a lot.
More importantly, it started on a low and has ended on a high.
When I got here and for large portions of the time I have spent here, I complained at the lack of facilities and running water and punctuality etc.
But throughout the days here, things like that had drifted into insignificance.
Because despite not being as pampered as us in the West, these guys are so happy even when sharing a tiny house in a dirty neighbourhood.
It's so humbling to see these people with very little wealth giving generously to collections at the church and worshipping God with such energy and passion.
They don't have much compared to us but what they have they love and cherish - family, community. They are content with what they have - how many of us can say that?
So even though this week's posts may seem largely complaints, that was mainly due to fatigue and being ill.
Because I have come to enjoy my time here and will miss it.
It has been a real eye-opener and a week full of experiences I can take away.
From what Albin has said, the destination we travel to tomorrow is very different.
It's right into the mountains and very very basic apparently, so don't expect any new posts for anything up to two weeks.
But there we are. Sorry for hitting you with a week's posts at once but you're now up to date.
I am largely enioying myself and learning lots and with a new positive and motivated outlook, this week should be both interesting and enjoyable.
I just need to shake off this illness.
By the way I'm posting this at 1am the morning we leave - I hope you appreciate my commitment A guy I've never met called Luiz just came
and asked if I was ok as he saw my by the roadside accessing the free wi-fi - shows what nice guys these people are.
Until who knows when, goodbye.
JG
#31 - Down and up
05/03/2011 (posted 06/03/2011)
Woke up feeling slightly rested but still with a throbbing headache.
Shower was refreshing and breakfast was nice but more sleep would have been appreciated - I was up at 6:30 for a shower as per usual.
I'm thinking that it must be drinking the local water that's making me ill - we've been served juice at some houses which must be mixed with tap water.
Because my stomach really isn't happy.
Andy led devotions and we were in an area that is fully exposed to the sun for an hour and a quarter which didn't help matters.
When we came back we went through stuff for tonight - I just wanted to rest by this point so I didn't particularly love the practise.
Except for one bit - we undertook the challenge of learning a new drama in half a day and the practise went really well.
The music we're using is Everything by Lifehouse - there's a different drama done to the same music on YouTube, look it up if you haven't seen it already, it's powerful stuff.
Our drama shows a Jailkeeper who tempts people to sin and locks them in jail one by one - then Jesus comes along and opens the jail and some come running towards Him but others reject Him and stay in the dark.
Lunch wasn't a great experience for many reasons.
Firstly, I was nodding off the whole time and just wanted to sleep.
Secondly, it was uncomfortably hot both inside and outside.
Thirdly, it was soup which is nice in of itself but is one of the worst things to have on a hot day - I was sweating profusely afterwards.
Fourthly, it contained beef still on the bone. I don't really care for meat off the bone anyway - why bother when you can get it in fillets - and it was very fatty and gristly also.
But we came back to the church and I had a two hour nap and was LOADS better.
I still had bouts of feeling sick but the two hours seemed like ten. When I woke up we all finished preparing for tonight and it seemed to be going well.
Baltin shaved me and cut my hair - it looks so bad.
I asked him for quite short but a little longer on top, and he delivered a pudding bowl with rough edges.
It looks like I've done it myself. In the dark. Upside down. With my right hand.
But the service went well anyway - Jarett and I did a skit called 'Cool and creamy' where we came on dressed ridiulously and singing 'Cool and creamy, I like the cool and creamy'.
The idea is to then spray shaving foam in each other in random places, but the closest to shaving foam we could get hold of was mayonnaise.
It stank awfully but it went down a treat with the audience.
The other highlight was the eating competition - us lads rigged it so that Jess had to partake in the Spam round, and her face was an absolute picture when she realised.
However it was less funny when Andy, the MC, decided she'd had enough and called me up to replace her.
I had a couple of mouthfuls but it was vile uncooked - fried and maybe I'd have gone for it.
Fair play to the guy who finished the whole tin.
Finished the day feeling equally sick but less tired and with a weight off my shoulders now that the evening service had been delivered as I was in charge of organising it.
Think I need to drink more water (bottled) and maybe I'll get over this sickness.
JG
Woke up feeling slightly rested but still with a throbbing headache.
Shower was refreshing and breakfast was nice but more sleep would have been appreciated - I was up at 6:30 for a shower as per usual.
I'm thinking that it must be drinking the local water that's making me ill - we've been served juice at some houses which must be mixed with tap water.
Because my stomach really isn't happy.
Andy led devotions and we were in an area that is fully exposed to the sun for an hour and a quarter which didn't help matters.
When we came back we went through stuff for tonight - I just wanted to rest by this point so I didn't particularly love the practise.
Except for one bit - we undertook the challenge of learning a new drama in half a day and the practise went really well.
The music we're using is Everything by Lifehouse - there's a different drama done to the same music on YouTube, look it up if you haven't seen it already, it's powerful stuff.
Our drama shows a Jailkeeper who tempts people to sin and locks them in jail one by one - then Jesus comes along and opens the jail and some come running towards Him but others reject Him and stay in the dark.
Lunch wasn't a great experience for many reasons.
Firstly, I was nodding off the whole time and just wanted to sleep.
Secondly, it was uncomfortably hot both inside and outside.
Thirdly, it was soup which is nice in of itself but is one of the worst things to have on a hot day - I was sweating profusely afterwards.
Fourthly, it contained beef still on the bone. I don't really care for meat off the bone anyway - why bother when you can get it in fillets - and it was very fatty and gristly also.
But we came back to the church and I had a two hour nap and was LOADS better.
I still had bouts of feeling sick but the two hours seemed like ten. When I woke up we all finished preparing for tonight and it seemed to be going well.
Baltin shaved me and cut my hair - it looks so bad.
I asked him for quite short but a little longer on top, and he delivered a pudding bowl with rough edges.
It looks like I've done it myself. In the dark. Upside down. With my right hand.
But the service went well anyway - Jarett and I did a skit called 'Cool and creamy' where we came on dressed ridiulously and singing 'Cool and creamy, I like the cool and creamy'.
The idea is to then spray shaving foam in each other in random places, but the closest to shaving foam we could get hold of was mayonnaise.
It stank awfully but it went down a treat with the audience.
The other highlight was the eating competition - us lads rigged it so that Jess had to partake in the Spam round, and her face was an absolute picture when she realised.
However it was less funny when Andy, the MC, decided she'd had enough and called me up to replace her.
I had a couple of mouthfuls but it was vile uncooked - fried and maybe I'd have gone for it.
Fair play to the guy who finished the whole tin.
Finished the day feeling equally sick but less tired and with a weight off my shoulders now that the evening service had been delivered as I was in charge of organising it.
Think I need to drink more water (bottled) and maybe I'll get over this sickness.
JG
#30 - All too much
04/03/2011 (posted 06/06/2011)
Free morning but still had breakfast at 7:30 which was tough.
Used shampoo and soap for the first time in a few days which felt good - I've learned how to wash effectively with the bucket system.
Breakfast was patacones and some eggy stuff - can't get enough of these fried plantanes, they are like little potato wedges.
Delicious.
We had another free morning which was welcome and went to the girls house for group devotions to save them the walk - the other guys weren't feeling as chivalrous as me but I insisted. Not too much of an inconvenience for us and it saved them some hassle so what's the problem?
The pastor of this church is such a cool guy. He has a quasi-Jamaican accent and walks round saying 'What's's up man' to people all the time. He also took a motorbike for a spin earlier just for the craic (one of Jonny's Irish expressions).
Lunch featured a banana for dessert. I have no intention of unnecessarily breaking my 15 year sabbatical so managed to pretend I was full and 'take it to eat later' - I gave it to Jonny when we got home.
Beverley (the host of the girls) offered to take us into town if we needed to get anything - I was short on cash so took up the offer. She said she'd get here at 2 but the the girls arrived at quarter past saying she'd jumped in the shower at 2! Typical Panamanian timing once again.
We eventually went and trudged round for an hour and half looking for stuff for the girls mainly - all I needed was some cash!
Speaking of which, the lack of queue system here is infuriating. I can be about to buy something and people walk all around me putting stuff on the counter holding their money ready.
How rude! It just confuses matters and is very inefficient as well as letting certain crafty individuals jump far ahead of their place.
We got a taxi home. The taxis are interesting here - they pick you up but then cruise round beeping their horn trying to find more clients which I thought was pretty rude, especially as we were in a rush.
After the shopping, I felt absolutely dead.
My legs ached, I felt lothargic and sicky.
In my notebook I wrote the following:
"I miss home, don't enjoy a lot of the work we do, find it mentally and physically stressful" as well as more emotional stuff.
But it was time to head out again - we went to a deprived area called Finca 11 which was a punishing 30 minute walk away which wasn't what I needed, especially while wearing trousers.
When we arrived, the family were sat in a circle listening to a car CD player. One of them was shaking a baby in a hammock but so violently that it can't have been healthy.
I MC'd the evening service - it was at this house and I delivered a steady and efficient yet unspectacular performance.
The atmosphere was very lively as it's a Pentecostal Church so there's lots of freedom of expression. I threw in a few 'The Holy Spirit is in this room' and loud 'Amen!'s to please them.
There was a big block of music at the start and then we came on and did our bit.
When we finished, I was on a high and stayed playing with the kids. I did some of the funny faces that my little cousins James and Robert like.
But when we left, I was parched so bought some Guava and Pineapple juice which absolutely hit the spot.
However when I got back to the church, the tiredness really hit me and I was on a massive downer.
I had to finish planning tomorrow's 2 hour service with Andy which was an absolute mission and also plan devotions for tomorrow morning.
I felt dehydrated, tired, achey and ill - without going into details my stomach has been very upset on many occasions throughout the day.
I had a bit of a cry about missing my family and friends.
But I prayed with Andy and I realized that I need a completely new attitude to this trip.
Even if I don't enjoy the activities or feel tired or whatever, I'm here as a Christian and doing work for God should be my first priority.
I need a long sleep - I have 7 hours.
Somehow I need to find some strength.
JG
Free morning but still had breakfast at 7:30 which was tough.
Used shampoo and soap for the first time in a few days which felt good - I've learned how to wash effectively with the bucket system.
Breakfast was patacones and some eggy stuff - can't get enough of these fried plantanes, they are like little potato wedges.
Delicious.
We had another free morning which was welcome and went to the girls house for group devotions to save them the walk - the other guys weren't feeling as chivalrous as me but I insisted. Not too much of an inconvenience for us and it saved them some hassle so what's the problem?
The pastor of this church is such a cool guy. He has a quasi-Jamaican accent and walks round saying 'What's's up man' to people all the time. He also took a motorbike for a spin earlier just for the craic (one of Jonny's Irish expressions).
Lunch featured a banana for dessert. I have no intention of unnecessarily breaking my 15 year sabbatical so managed to pretend I was full and 'take it to eat later' - I gave it to Jonny when we got home.
Beverley (the host of the girls) offered to take us into town if we needed to get anything - I was short on cash so took up the offer. She said she'd get here at 2 but the the girls arrived at quarter past saying she'd jumped in the shower at 2! Typical Panamanian timing once again.
We eventually went and trudged round for an hour and half looking for stuff for the girls mainly - all I needed was some cash!
Speaking of which, the lack of queue system here is infuriating. I can be about to buy something and people walk all around me putting stuff on the counter holding their money ready.
How rude! It just confuses matters and is very inefficient as well as letting certain crafty individuals jump far ahead of their place.
We got a taxi home. The taxis are interesting here - they pick you up but then cruise round beeping their horn trying to find more clients which I thought was pretty rude, especially as we were in a rush.
After the shopping, I felt absolutely dead.
My legs ached, I felt lothargic and sicky.
In my notebook I wrote the following:
"I miss home, don't enjoy a lot of the work we do, find it mentally and physically stressful" as well as more emotional stuff.
But it was time to head out again - we went to a deprived area called Finca 11 which was a punishing 30 minute walk away which wasn't what I needed, especially while wearing trousers.
When we arrived, the family were sat in a circle listening to a car CD player. One of them was shaking a baby in a hammock but so violently that it can't have been healthy.
I MC'd the evening service - it was at this house and I delivered a steady and efficient yet unspectacular performance.
The atmosphere was very lively as it's a Pentecostal Church so there's lots of freedom of expression. I threw in a few 'The Holy Spirit is in this room' and loud 'Amen!'s to please them.
There was a big block of music at the start and then we came on and did our bit.
When we finished, I was on a high and stayed playing with the kids. I did some of the funny faces that my little cousins James and Robert like.
But when we left, I was parched so bought some Guava and Pineapple juice which absolutely hit the spot.
However when I got back to the church, the tiredness really hit me and I was on a massive downer.
I had to finish planning tomorrow's 2 hour service with Andy which was an absolute mission and also plan devotions for tomorrow morning.
I felt dehydrated, tired, achey and ill - without going into details my stomach has been very upset on many occasions throughout the day.
I had a bit of a cry about missing my family and friends.
But I prayed with Andy and I realized that I need a completely new attitude to this trip.
Even if I don't enjoy the activities or feel tired or whatever, I'm here as a Christian and doing work for God should be my first priority.
I need a long sleep - I have 7 hours.
Somehow I need to find some strength.
JG
#29 - Busy busy
03/03/2011 (posted 06/03/2011)
Woke up and just about managed to unstick my sweaty back from my mattress. Walked downstairs for a 'shower' which was refreshing but I'm only removing the surface layer of sweat/dirt each time.
By the way I'm writing these blog entries as notes in Jarett's iPod and at the end of the week will go to a wi-fi hotspot to post them all at once so if there are any spelling errors, it's due to the tiny touch keyboard on here.
Went to the same house for breakfast - they send one of their kids to pick us up and walk with us each day which is nice. It was once again a delicious but small portion with weird tea.
The morning was once again spent working in a school. Upon arrival, we were told we had to give three programmes - we had only prepared for one, so we hastily threw together a shorter programme and did it. However after the first run through it transpired we didn't have time to do it twice more so we just did it one more time.
I was the lead role in a drama in which the first scene is teengers at a party - we usually mimic drinking, smoking and occasionally snorting or injecting but we had to tone it down for 5/6 year olds so I played a rock guitarist instead of a drug abuser. It's more difficult than you might think to leap around playing air guitar for 45 seconds so I jumped on some chairs and headbanged viciously. It was extremely hot doing this indoors on a warm day. But I got through it.
When we left the school there was a guy selling snowcones - he had a massive block of ice which he scraped and put the shavings into a paper cone and then poured a pineapple purée on top. It was lush and only cost $0.30.
Went to the same house as yesterday for lunch. Devan was on fine form once again - I was drifting off for an afternoon nap in their reclining chair when he hit my legs with a plastic sword and suddenly I was roped into playing with him after being mere seconds away from blissful sleep.
I spent about an hour in the afternoon hand-washing some clothes for the first time ever. I don't think I washed them very well but at least they've had a bit of a rinse.
We then went round the local community (thankfully with no hike to get there this time) handing out leaflets and inviting people to the service tonight. It was a good chance to practises my Spanish but I'd rather have not had to traipse around in the blazing heat.
My Spanish is coming along a little and my phrasebook is brilliant - I occasionally hit our various hosts with questions or statements such as 'How much is a kilo of cheese?', 'Shave it all off!' or 'Why is the museum closed?'.
Spending a couple of days here has further shown me how spoiled we are in the West.
For instance running water is scarce here after midday, yet how often do we leave the taps running etc.?
We had a BEAUTIFUL dinner of fried patacones and fried doughy stuff (ombliana perhaps?) - delicious. And there was plenty of it which is a rare experience here.
It was then the evening service - the church we're with is Pentecostal so very lively with lots of shouting out and loud talking and clapping. This, combined with the lack of air-conditioning and whilst wearing trousers, leads to a lot of sweat.
Jonny gave his sermon then our team sang a couple of songs and then it finished.
Me and Andy stayed up for a bit chatting with Baltin (a young guy from the church who is helping our team while we are here) and a guy who is the son of one of our previous hosts.
We taught them many things including that Germany are bitter at the UK because we won the war.
Don't have anything planned until 4 tomorrow as the schools have the day off - this would potentially be a welcome opportunity for more sleep except we have breakfast at 7:30am as ever.
The mosquito net seems to be working but I can feel something on my leg. Maybe it's one of the lads.
Still haven't shaved.
JG
Woke up and just about managed to unstick my sweaty back from my mattress. Walked downstairs for a 'shower' which was refreshing but I'm only removing the surface layer of sweat/dirt each time.
By the way I'm writing these blog entries as notes in Jarett's iPod and at the end of the week will go to a wi-fi hotspot to post them all at once so if there are any spelling errors, it's due to the tiny touch keyboard on here.
Went to the same house for breakfast - they send one of their kids to pick us up and walk with us each day which is nice. It was once again a delicious but small portion with weird tea.
The morning was once again spent working in a school. Upon arrival, we were told we had to give three programmes - we had only prepared for one, so we hastily threw together a shorter programme and did it. However after the first run through it transpired we didn't have time to do it twice more so we just did it one more time.
I was the lead role in a drama in which the first scene is teengers at a party - we usually mimic drinking, smoking and occasionally snorting or injecting but we had to tone it down for 5/6 year olds so I played a rock guitarist instead of a drug abuser. It's more difficult than you might think to leap around playing air guitar for 45 seconds so I jumped on some chairs and headbanged viciously. It was extremely hot doing this indoors on a warm day. But I got through it.
When we left the school there was a guy selling snowcones - he had a massive block of ice which he scraped and put the shavings into a paper cone and then poured a pineapple purée on top. It was lush and only cost $0.30.
Went to the same house as yesterday for lunch. Devan was on fine form once again - I was drifting off for an afternoon nap in their reclining chair when he hit my legs with a plastic sword and suddenly I was roped into playing with him after being mere seconds away from blissful sleep.
I spent about an hour in the afternoon hand-washing some clothes for the first time ever. I don't think I washed them very well but at least they've had a bit of a rinse.
We then went round the local community (thankfully with no hike to get there this time) handing out leaflets and inviting people to the service tonight. It was a good chance to practises my Spanish but I'd rather have not had to traipse around in the blazing heat.
My Spanish is coming along a little and my phrasebook is brilliant - I occasionally hit our various hosts with questions or statements such as 'How much is a kilo of cheese?', 'Shave it all off!' or 'Why is the museum closed?'.
Spending a couple of days here has further shown me how spoiled we are in the West.
For instance running water is scarce here after midday, yet how often do we leave the taps running etc.?
We had a BEAUTIFUL dinner of fried patacones and fried doughy stuff (ombliana perhaps?) - delicious. And there was plenty of it which is a rare experience here.
It was then the evening service - the church we're with is Pentecostal so very lively with lots of shouting out and loud talking and clapping. This, combined with the lack of air-conditioning and whilst wearing trousers, leads to a lot of sweat.
Jonny gave his sermon then our team sang a couple of songs and then it finished.
Me and Andy stayed up for a bit chatting with Baltin (a young guy from the church who is helping our team while we are here) and a guy who is the son of one of our previous hosts.
We taught them many things including that Germany are bitter at the UK because we won the war.
Don't have anything planned until 4 tomorrow as the schools have the day off - this would potentially be a welcome opportunity for more sleep except we have breakfast at 7:30am as ever.
The mosquito net seems to be working but I can feel something on my leg. Maybe it's one of the lads.
Still haven't shaved.
JG
#28 - Things can only get better
02/03/2011 (posted 06/03/2011)
So I tried to begin the day with an open mind despite yesterday's mishaps. This outlook was put to the test straight away when I was woken up by a menagerie of animals - dogs barking, birds twittering and goodness knows what else chorused together which was nice of them. The dogs bark particularly aggressively here as all they are kept for is to be a guard dog, so they're chained up all day.
I went downstairs for a shower which consisted of pouring a bucket of water on my head, which was actually very refreshing and got rid of the stench I accumulated through travelling and sweating yesterday.
We then went to a local's house for breakfast which was the same as last night's dinner - fried patacones and fried processed meat. It was actually nice, maybe I'm developing a passion for Spam and its derivatives.
Apparently each day we go to this house for breakfast,
someone else's for lunch and the church for dinner.
In terms of work, this week's is a packed schedule - school programme each morning then we spend the afternoon inviting people to an evening service which we then lead.
I led group devotions which finished BANG on time at 8:30, and this gave us time to practise a drama. We then went to a local school.
Didn't realise we'd be walking to the school and accordingly didn't put any sunblock on - it was unbearably hot. All the girls except Jess got driven there, not that I'm bitter.
We had a half-hour slot in which we sang songs, did a drama and I told a story. However our programme finished with ample time left so we had to entertain the kids for ages which we did by giving high-fives, taking pictures and playing with an inflatable globe.
We then ALL walked back and as soon as we got to our room, shirts and shorts were off - it was just too hot. My armpits are sticky and there's constantly sweat in my brow but I'm trying to ignore it. It'll be mostly annoying in the evening services where we have to wear trousers.
We then went to someone's house for steak, rice, onions and plantanes which look like bananas.
I haven't had a banana for about 15 years so I ate it quickly with onion to mask the taste and washed it down straight away with juice.
They have an awesome 3 year old called Devan who has ridiculous amounts of energy - we left Jonny to play with him which worked well until he threw a ball at me just as I was nodding off to sleep in a comfy chair.
In the afternoon, we went to a poor neighbourhood called Finca 43 where we handed out leaflets and invited people to an event this evening at a member of the congregation's house.
We ended up walking to and from Finca 43 about five times in total as we had to come back for dinner and then back out again and stuff - the hot weather made this experience not so great.
We had a service planned for the evening which ended up being almost completely rewritten to suit a younger audience. Afterwards we were giving high fives and piggybacks and playing with the kids and it was a real wrench to leave knowing that we could have done so much good if we'd have stayed.
In other news, I haven't shaved for quite a while and am getting a full-on beard.
It's tough getting to sleep here - the open window means that all outside noise pollutes the room, and it's also very hot and humid.
On top of this, some Panamanian chavs are blaring music our of a powerful speaker - at least they're considerate enough to know that the music of choice for most people in this neighbourhood at 11pm is reggae.
But I shall attempt to sleep now.
JG
So I tried to begin the day with an open mind despite yesterday's mishaps. This outlook was put to the test straight away when I was woken up by a menagerie of animals - dogs barking, birds twittering and goodness knows what else chorused together which was nice of them. The dogs bark particularly aggressively here as all they are kept for is to be a guard dog, so they're chained up all day.
I went downstairs for a shower which consisted of pouring a bucket of water on my head, which was actually very refreshing and got rid of the stench I accumulated through travelling and sweating yesterday.
We then went to a local's house for breakfast which was the same as last night's dinner - fried patacones and fried processed meat. It was actually nice, maybe I'm developing a passion for Spam and its derivatives.
Apparently each day we go to this house for breakfast,
someone else's for lunch and the church for dinner.
In terms of work, this week's is a packed schedule - school programme each morning then we spend the afternoon inviting people to an evening service which we then lead.
I led group devotions which finished BANG on time at 8:30, and this gave us time to practise a drama. We then went to a local school.
Didn't realise we'd be walking to the school and accordingly didn't put any sunblock on - it was unbearably hot. All the girls except Jess got driven there, not that I'm bitter.
We had a half-hour slot in which we sang songs, did a drama and I told a story. However our programme finished with ample time left so we had to entertain the kids for ages which we did by giving high-fives, taking pictures and playing with an inflatable globe.
We then ALL walked back and as soon as we got to our room, shirts and shorts were off - it was just too hot. My armpits are sticky and there's constantly sweat in my brow but I'm trying to ignore it. It'll be mostly annoying in the evening services where we have to wear trousers.
We then went to someone's house for steak, rice, onions and plantanes which look like bananas.
I haven't had a banana for about 15 years so I ate it quickly with onion to mask the taste and washed it down straight away with juice.
They have an awesome 3 year old called Devan who has ridiculous amounts of energy - we left Jonny to play with him which worked well until he threw a ball at me just as I was nodding off to sleep in a comfy chair.
In the afternoon, we went to a poor neighbourhood called Finca 43 where we handed out leaflets and invited people to an event this evening at a member of the congregation's house.
We ended up walking to and from Finca 43 about five times in total as we had to come back for dinner and then back out again and stuff - the hot weather made this experience not so great.
We had a service planned for the evening which ended up being almost completely rewritten to suit a younger audience. Afterwards we were giving high fives and piggybacks and playing with the kids and it was a real wrench to leave knowing that we could have done so much good if we'd have stayed.
In other news, I haven't shaved for quite a while and am getting a full-on beard.
It's tough getting to sleep here - the open window means that all outside noise pollutes the room, and it's also very hot and humid.
On top of this, some Panamanian chavs are blaring music our of a powerful speaker - at least they're considerate enough to know that the music of choice for most people in this neighbourhood at 11pm is reggae.
But I shall attempt to sleep now.
JG
#27 - Ching Changuinola
01/03/2011 (posted 06/03/2011)
We woke at 5am with just enough time for a quick cold shower and some breakfast which consisted of coffee, fruit bread, toast, frosties and a slice of Andy's birthday cake. We then left in the dark to get our first bus of the day to David.
What we were transported in would be best described as a large minibus. I drew the short straw and got a seat with a completely unnecessary lump in the area where leg room should be. This meant that I, a 6"1 guy, spent an hour and a half in the foetal position slowly wasting away the ligaments in my knees. I still somehow managed to get to sleep though so swings and roundabouts.
Boarded another bus in David to Changuinola in the province of Bocas del Toro, our location for the next 6 days. The journey was less than comfortable - the seats are designed for Panamanians (who are on the whole a good deal smaller than Westerners) so I was constantly pressed against the poor little guy next to me.
Things descended into a farce when we picked up loads of schoolchildren who flooded the bus to the point where one girl's arse was pressed against my arm for 20 minutes. To make matters worse it was torrentially raining for almost the entire journey so all new boarders were wet and smelly. I always think wet people smell like green Peperamis.
I read a lot of my Spanish phrasebook on the journey, though skipped certain sections including 'relationships' and 'sex' which included such commonplace and handy phrases as 'easy tiger' and 'it helps to have a sense of humour'.
The journey itself was a windy route deep into the mountains with sharp inclines and copious hairpin bends, which are interesting when you throw torrential rain and an overflowing bus into the equation. The scenery was beautiful but covered in mist for large parts.
Just when I thought the last leg of the journey would be relaxing and comfortable, a woman who I can only describe as incredibly rotund boarded and chose to sit next to me which was nice of her, particulary bearing in mind what I said earlier about the seat sizes.
And when she went, of all people a midget sat next to me - you can't write this stuff.
I felt sick from all the travelling, though it could have been the 5am cake.
But eventually we got there and checked into our four-star luxury hotel.
Or rather a half-finished room above a church containing simply a stack of chairs.
We went to someone's house for lunch - chicken and rice, what else?
We then returned to our room to the news that there was no water, hot or cold.
Felt sticky so fancied a shower, but couldn't.
Thight about washing some clothes, but couldn't.
So we all got out inflatable mattresses our and had a snooze.
We then spent some of the afternoon finishing our sermons as an one of us could be asked to give ours at any time from now on. Mine's about the Parable of the Lost Coin, Luke 15:8-10, and I finally brought it to a close which was a relief.
We then got a fine example of Panamanian timekeeping when we went downstairs for dinner at 5:30.
It arrived at 6:45.
Apparently there was a mix up but it came eventually and was fried patacones and would you believe it, Spam! We had to share five portions between nine of us which wasn't paricularly what I wanted to hear after having waited for over an hour.
The evening service, amid various blackouts due to electricity problems, wasn't too enjoyable. It consisted of a woman at the front singing songs to no accompaniment which the audience knew the words to but we obviously didn't. We waited politely and occasionally clapped along to the beat. Andy then gave his sermon.
Afterwards we went to the supermarket to consolidate our pitiful dinner with biscuits and then retired to our room above the church.
Two of the windows have mosquito traps but one doesn't, which largely defeats the point of the other two in my opinion. The floor is covered in dust/chalk which sticks to any item of clothing or skin that touches it.
As first impressions go the lack of water, electricity, food, punctuality and involvement in the service didn't give Iglesia Nazareno the best one but tomorrow is a new day so I'll approach it with an open mind.
Off to put my mosquito net up.
JG
We woke at 5am with just enough time for a quick cold shower and some breakfast which consisted of coffee, fruit bread, toast, frosties and a slice of Andy's birthday cake. We then left in the dark to get our first bus of the day to David.
What we were transported in would be best described as a large minibus. I drew the short straw and got a seat with a completely unnecessary lump in the area where leg room should be. This meant that I, a 6"1 guy, spent an hour and a half in the foetal position slowly wasting away the ligaments in my knees. I still somehow managed to get to sleep though so swings and roundabouts.
Boarded another bus in David to Changuinola in the province of Bocas del Toro, our location for the next 6 days. The journey was less than comfortable - the seats are designed for Panamanians (who are on the whole a good deal smaller than Westerners) so I was constantly pressed against the poor little guy next to me.
Things descended into a farce when we picked up loads of schoolchildren who flooded the bus to the point where one girl's arse was pressed against my arm for 20 minutes. To make matters worse it was torrentially raining for almost the entire journey so all new boarders were wet and smelly. I always think wet people smell like green Peperamis.
I read a lot of my Spanish phrasebook on the journey, though skipped certain sections including 'relationships' and 'sex' which included such commonplace and handy phrases as 'easy tiger' and 'it helps to have a sense of humour'.
The journey itself was a windy route deep into the mountains with sharp inclines and copious hairpin bends, which are interesting when you throw torrential rain and an overflowing bus into the equation. The scenery was beautiful but covered in mist for large parts.
Just when I thought the last leg of the journey would be relaxing and comfortable, a woman who I can only describe as incredibly rotund boarded and chose to sit next to me which was nice of her, particulary bearing in mind what I said earlier about the seat sizes.
And when she went, of all people a midget sat next to me - you can't write this stuff.
I felt sick from all the travelling, though it could have been the 5am cake.
But eventually we got there and checked into our four-star luxury hotel.
Or rather a half-finished room above a church containing simply a stack of chairs.
We went to someone's house for lunch - chicken and rice, what else?
We then returned to our room to the news that there was no water, hot or cold.
Felt sticky so fancied a shower, but couldn't.
Thight about washing some clothes, but couldn't.
So we all got out inflatable mattresses our and had a snooze.
We then spent some of the afternoon finishing our sermons as an one of us could be asked to give ours at any time from now on. Mine's about the Parable of the Lost Coin, Luke 15:8-10, and I finally brought it to a close which was a relief.
We then got a fine example of Panamanian timekeeping when we went downstairs for dinner at 5:30.
It arrived at 6:45.
Apparently there was a mix up but it came eventually and was fried patacones and would you believe it, Spam! We had to share five portions between nine of us which wasn't paricularly what I wanted to hear after having waited for over an hour.
The evening service, amid various blackouts due to electricity problems, wasn't too enjoyable. It consisted of a woman at the front singing songs to no accompaniment which the audience knew the words to but we obviously didn't. We waited politely and occasionally clapped along to the beat. Andy then gave his sermon.
Afterwards we went to the supermarket to consolidate our pitiful dinner with biscuits and then retired to our room above the church.
Two of the windows have mosquito traps but one doesn't, which largely defeats the point of the other two in my opinion. The floor is covered in dust/chalk which sticks to any item of clothing or skin that touches it.
As first impressions go the lack of water, electricity, food, punctuality and involvement in the service didn't give Iglesia Nazareno the best one but tomorrow is a new day so I'll approach it with an open mind.
Off to put my mosquito net up.
JG
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