What an amazing week - seven days spent in the Rupununi region of Guyana, at the feet of the Kanuku mountains, in the town of Lethem.
At the other end of the country, Lethem is officially in the interior of the country, on the border of Guyana and Brazil. You can get there by bus (average of 14 hours) or a plane (1.5 hours). Originally planning to go on the bus, but being denied due to overcrowding, five of us took the more expensive option of the plane. Myself, Luke and Laura (from New Amsterdam) and a Guyanese couple travelled across the country on a little 14 seater plane.
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| Our lil plane |
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| Close enough to touch! |
We were a little jealous of the others in the bus, traversing through the savannah and forest on the ground, but were still blessed with a birds-eye view of the landscape. I was surprised by how much was savannah and was hoping to see herds of animals but to no avail. The lil plane didnt really go that high, so as we passed through the mountain ranges, we were eye-level with the summits, blanketed by the dense rainforest. Once we had arrived, and at the end of the week's journey, we were glad that we had not taken the option of the bus. Although it was supposed to be a 14 hour journey, both ways the group had a 24-hour trip. They were stopped by break-downs, missing ferries and trees across the roads. Although they were all terribly upbeat about it and made use of the delays to preach, we could see the bags under their eyes, the crick in their necks and their hunger for a bed. Although twice the price, the plane was definitely the best option!
So, we left on the Friday and reached Lethem in the midday. A wander around the town showed us that Lethem was not going to be the mecca of joy and excitement. A small town that is a bit like Milton-Keynes, it is very functional as a border town and not really much there. The main attraction of Lethem is definitely the surrounding villages and communities of Amerindians. Friday was just there to get settled and check in with people and get ready for the next day... What follows is a blow by blow diary of what we did. I could be more eloquent with my tales, but am really tired! Look at the photos if there is too much writing.
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| Jordan - Hampstead boy - good example to all |
Saturday saw us all walking to the next village - St. Ignaecious - to the site of the Special Assembly Day to be held on Sunday. The structure is called a 'benab' and is a traditional meeting place for villages. It is when the village council would meet, where meat would be shared and judgements made. What an amazing place for an assembly. Expecting around 250-300, we helped clean it up, lay out chairs, make general repairs and tried to cover over the pagan signs and symbols covering the place. It was a chance to meet some of the locals and learn some names and faces.
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| Such a cool venue |
After about 5 hours of work, someone suggested driving out to some waterfalls - yes please! So, we cram into my congregation's bus, who had driven down, and head off into nowhere, with a 14 year old at the helm. He navigated us through scrub land and forest with no discernible tracks for over half an hour, with big holes in the road and lined by massive ant hills. Eventually, after turning back three times, all having to get off to traverse a rickety-looking bridge and feeling thoroughly beat up from the journey, we arrived at some beautiful waterfalls at the foot of the mountains. Truly a sight for sore eyes and a welcome relax and time for play.
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| My cong having fun |
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| Luke and Laura - Like somehow pulling off a flat stomach! |
Sunday was the day of the assembly and we were very excited. Luke and I had been asked to do the only demonstration on the programme and we were both very nervous, not knowing the audience and all. We realised how 'English' we speak when talking to each other, rather than the Creole accents we usually push. As we set off, it started to rain, so I managed to thumb-a-lift from a passing Chinese man - nice! We were amongst the first to arrive and thus were there to see people arriving in trucks and tractors from the far away villages. They mostly wore casual clothes for the two hour or so journey, so as to preserve their meeting clothes. The assembly was honestly one of the best I can remember. It might have been due to the fact I didnt have to interpret, or the venue, or the intimacy of there only being 260-odd there, I dont know, I just know I loved it. There were three baptised, and we got to watch them get baptised in the nearby river. I have always seen pics of Africa and other places where this is done and felt so honoured to see this for real.
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| This brother was sent ahead to check for pirahna!!! |
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| The walk to the baptism - I tried to start off some singing, but didnt happen :( |
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| People arriving from the villages |
After the assembly, we all went for food. They have something down there that they call 'roasts'. It is basically BBQ - but you get a skewer filled with meat for less than a quid! Luke and I devoured the cumulative poundage of a few animals and still hungered for more. It set the theme of our dining experiences - perhaps it is the origin of the Atkins diet of something, but I felt near to getting meat sweats.
Monday we had the massive privilege of going preaching in some of the villages. We hired a mini-bus for the day (really expensive) and a driver (insane) and set off for an adventure. Prior to leaving, we had a pep-talk from an experienced brother about the culture of the Amerindians and some of the customs that should be respected. It was very different to the way we preach normally to the Indian and black people - humility was paramount. They are very proud people (in a good way) and obviously due to colonialism, are very funny about a bus load of white people turning up and spreading like locusts. Nevertheless, we had some lovely experiences and discussions and it felt natural, not at all as sensitive as they led us to believe. We managed to visit two villages, one of which had not been preached to apparently for two years. As you enter a village, the first thing is to seek out the chief or 'Tushou' and ask his permission to enter the village. In many, they love the witnesses, in others have never heard of us and in a rare few, are controlled by the Catholic churches and therefore deny entry. Thankfully, the two we visited were lovely and immediately welcoming. 256 magazines later, 66 bible teach books and a shed load of invitations placed (both english and a local language Makushi), we were completely spent. The people were so hospitable and welcoming and really hungry for the truth. We managed to arrange studies for those who travel out to Lethem once a month, left phone numbers for those who cannot and can study on the phone and email addresses for those who access the internet at an NGO library. All of us felt so blessed and privileged to have represented Jehovah to these people and we were all buzzing for days after.
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| So appreciative! |
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| Michelle - Gilead graduate - doing a presentation to a school |
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| They loved it |
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| Makushi translation of the invitation |
Tuesday we took the day off and took a trip to Brazil. I needed to go out of the country to re-enter and get a new stamp for three months, but all of us felt 'why not' when Brazil was literally 15 mins away. Luke, Laura, the Guyanese couple from the plane and myself crossed over with a local brother who spoke Portuguese as a guide. Although the Guyanese immigration hate us, the upside of being British was that we dont have to pay for a visa to Brazil, whilst the Americans do. So, it was really easy for us. Talk about a culture-shock - just an hour away was a real metropolis and a proper city - Boa Vista. We shopped around and looked like freaks, yelping whenever we saw nice bread, jams, cheese... I dont know: everything that we cant get in Guyana. We grabbed some wine and some goodies and then headed off for another meat fest at a restaurant.
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| Food glorious Food |
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| A huge iguana!!! |
Wednesday was a day in, preparing for the meeting. Jordan (Aussie but from Hampstead congregation, London, like me) is an elder and has been here for 4 years. He invited Luke, Laura and myself to join him to attend a meeting about 40 minutes away for an isolated group. Lethem cong has only two elders currently, yet each week, they send out an elder to conduct the meeting in Moca Moca by himself, to feed the 15-20 publishers they have there. He asked me to do a talk on the school and for Luke to do the highlights. As we were lazing around, preparing, I got a call from Jordan saying he had got bitten by a spider and couldnt put any weight on his foot. So, he asked for Luke and I to care for the whole meeting!!! What a privilege. We drove out with Samantha (english, been in Guyana for 3 years and Lethem for 2 months) and her friend from Trinidad who was visiting and man... BEAUTIFUL. They had built the little hall themselves and was essentially a hut. Luke conducted the study and the school, I did the highlights, and the number three talk, and then Luke and I did a Service Meeting item each. It was amazing to do those talks, with just 11 locals in attendance. What a privilege. Luke and I were just beaming all night - it meant a lot to both of us, and the locals were so appreciative as without Jordan, there would have been no brothers to conduct anything.
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| Kingdom Hall in the middle of nowhere |
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| Lil old me being allowed to do talks :) |
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| Cleaning out the lizard poop before the meeting |
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| Last minute changes to the talks before the meeting under a mango tree |
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| The sound system - Samantha's mobile phone and some speakers |
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| As always - the kids are amazing |
Thursday was a down day where we slept in and saw off some of my cong who were visiting (the others had left by now). Lunch with Jordan and some other need greaters, and then the meeting again with Lethem cong. This cong is a bit bigger, but only has two elders at present and one servant. The servant is due to go back to England soon, as is one of the elders... so soon they will be in real need - Jehovah will care for them as He always does. I was asked to do the number 3 talk again, this time to an audience of about 35. After, meat again!!!
Friday we packed and again took the easy flight back to town and to Berbice. A real culture shock to return to civilisation and black people and the different accents. Although we think of where we live as 'Guyana', I guess where we had just been is the real Guyana. Most of the country is savannah and rainforest and the Amerindians are the original inhabitants. The coast is the only area with the racial mix we are used to and much of the rich culture of Guyana has been lost to these ones. The Dutch and the British claimed the coast and drove the natives into the interior, so I guess there is a lot more to see of the country than the coasts I have visited.
I really cannot explain what an amazing week this has been - in sensory terms (the beauty, the mountains, the animals, the hawks, the sunsets, the colours), in spiritual terms (preaching in isolated villages, to those who have not been met for 2 years, to those whose first language is Makushi, being privileged to help out with the meetings, seeing ones at the assembly who travelled in the back of trucks for hours just to be there) and in learning about Guyana (different foods, words and ways of the Amerindians). You might gain a glimpse through my uncouth words, through the pictures, but really, the only way is to see it yourself. Guyana is in massive need - on the front line heading in the unknown villages, and on the back line, strengthening the 'spiritually-young' brothers and sisters and training them to study, preach and teach. If you can spare any time at all, think about making a visit!
