On Thursday, March 6 we arrived in Apetina with Jon and Ria Dam. Jon is the secretary of the Board of Foundations for Farming in the Netherlands. As we flew over the river, we hoped to see rocks in the rapids so that we could bathe in the river. We succeeded! The first two days we could enjoy the nice water in the river. After that, the water rose 4 to 6 inches every day, so after two days, the current was so strong that we had to move to our rain shower in the house. This time we arrived in a clean house because Ilse had been in Apetina 3 weeks before us. So we were able to share the house. Ilse had even put hot water for coffee and fresh biscuits on the table. A warm welcome!
It was wonderful to give our friends a glimpse into our lives and those of the Wayana. We are also looking forward to training the Wayana in the sustainable farming methods offered by Foundations for Farming.
We flew in two rolls of carpet on the plane that would bring Jon and Ria back to the city.
We continue to enjoy feeling at home in different worlds. We were able to mourn with our neighbours for the loss of their one-year-old daughter. With others in the village, we were able to enjoy the new babies in the family.
Near the airstrip, a large group of people were helping to clear a field to place the solar panels for the antenna of the Trans World Radio transmitter. What a huge project! We pray that Wayana and Trio will be there to support the vision and technology of the radio work. It has so much potential. Later that week, the studio and transmitter were tested and the signal was received on a radio! The system works.

Next to the airstrip, 6 antennas have been erected to create a radio link between the Wayana villages
Due to the heavy rain, it was not possible to fly the students for the local Bible school from the various villages to Palumeu. It turned out that the school would start a week later than planned. They started on Monday, March 24th, and finished on Friday, April 4th.
Ame, Susana’s husband, also attended the school. It is good preparation for their plans to go to Winnipeg, Canada in mid-May. They hope to study English at a language school during the week. Each weekend they plan to attend a church in the North End, where many First Nations people live. They also hope to strengthen relationships with the National Evangelical Fellowship or Canada when they visit their annual conference in Regina. It is a busy programme for which they are already preparing, as well as caring for the children and parents left behind in Lawa.

Online meetings are our daily routine. Here, Marjolein meets with a team from all over the world. Now, Apetina is our hotspot.
Anneke Kempeneers, the youth worker in Lawa, sent us the following story:
The Bible school in Palumeu has finished. All the students are longing for their families. For MAF this means a few days of continuous flights to bring all the men back to the villages. Four flights in one day are planned for Lawa. It’s ambitious, but if the planes can be loaded and unloaded quickly, it can be done.
The first three flights go off without a hitch. However, there is now an hour’s delay in the schedule. This is difficult as the chance of rain increases later in the afternoon. I can already see the air changing. Pilot Johan is hoping for the best and says, “See you later” before he takes off to pick up the last men from Palumeu.
5.06 PM The telephone rings. It is a colleague from MAF who says that Johan took off from Palumeu 30 minutes ago. “How is the weather in Lawa at the moment?” I am shocked and worried. I had not expected the fourth flight so late in the afternoon. It is raining and, even worse, there is a thunderstorm. It will probably go on until sunset. As so often in the rainy season. “Lord, keep them safe!
5.39 PM MAF calls again. Johan is near Lawa. What’s the weather like now? I reply that, contrary to my expectations, the rain and thunderstorm stopped exactly two minutes ago. But the sky is heavily overcast and dark. “Do you see a hole in the clouds? Johan just needs a hole. That is all I can see. A small hole in the distance. “Lord, please let Johan see that hole too”.
It sweeps through the village like a raging fire. MAF is coming! My phone’s working again. The Wayanas are calling now. “They say the MAF is coming, but it can’t be true!” The people are stunned as they listen to the sound of the plane coming closer and closer. After the plane had landed safely, I called out to one of the people, “Good, huh? He points up and says, “Thank God. After the plane had been unloaded, I heard from Johan how exciting it was. On the way, he got caught in a thunderstorm. Would he have to return? Luckily, he was able to consult his colleague Joop on the radio, who was also on a flight (to another destination). The decision was made to continue the flight. This was not easy. Joop encouraged him on the radio. Behind his back, the four passengers were praying. The Lord kept them safe. Between the lightning. And he gave Johan enough sight to land safely.
As I lie in my hammock this evening, I think about how special this day has been. This morning, the weather was good, but the telecom tower didn’t work. This afternoon, when we really needed it, the telecom tower worked fine (usually it doesn’t work during thunderstorms). A miracle. It is also a miracle that Joop, flying his own plane, was able to coach Johan on this trip. A miracle that the storm stopped just when Johan was approaching Lawa.
Last week we arrived in the Netherlands. For the next two months, we have a full schedule. More about that in our next blog.