Adventuring for Christand the Amazon

Louis T, Talbot and Mr. J. Russell Davis

Along the OrinocoSecond Installment in the Travel Diary of Dr.

Tuesday, March 27, 1951:Up early and off to the airport for a 7:50 A.M. flight to

Bogota, capital of Colombia. Due to bad weather plane did not come until 9:15 A.M., with a broken oil line! After it was repaired, we got away at 10:30 A.M. and had a good flight to Bogota. Rev. John Dyck of the Mennonite Brethren Mission at La Cumbre was on the plane and we enjoyed a fine visit with him. We learned more of the terrible persecution which the Catholic Church is carrying on against the Evangelicals and all liberals who are opposed to the reign of terror of the Conservative Catholic Party. When this missionary left La Cumbre the day before, the bodies of fifteen men, who had been shot, tied on the backs of horses, were being brought into town.

We were met at the Bogota field by Rev. LaVerne Rutsch- man (Biola ’41) who very kindly took us to see the sights in his car. It rained nearly all the time we were there, and at almost 9,000 feet elevation it was cold. However, this did not keep us from seeing the city, including a trip by cable car up to an old Catholic church on a sheer cliff 1,500 feet higher above the city. This building lies at the end of a steep climb, flanked by bronze statues of the stations of the cross, to which pilgrims flock on Sundays. They make the steep climb on their knees, stopping to burn candles and pray at each of the stations.

Then we came down to the city, visited the very modern buildings of the fine old Presbyterian School, called the College Americano, and enjoyed a visit with the Rev. Mr. Woods, pastor of the foreign church. He told us of the memorial service for King Gustav of Sweden which had been conducted in his church, as the Swedish Government refused to allow it to be held in a Catholic church as the hierarchy desired. The high Catholic officials of the government were obliged to come to this Protestant church to listen to the service con­ducted by an evangelical pastor. The Papal Nuncio and the President sent their regrets that they could not attend!

Wednesday, March 28th, 1951:Had breakfast in our hotel with Rev. Robert Lazaer,

Executive Secretary of the Presbyterian Mission in Colombia, and heard further confirmation of the violent opposition to all evangelical work in this country. Unless Christians pray and God works in a mighty way, it looks as if mission work in Colombia would be stopped very soon. Mr. Lazaer told us that the Papal Nuncio had just presented demands to the President that all heretical religions be banned by law in the country in order to protect the true church! He also described the fearful riots in Bogota in 1948 when the Liberal President was shot and the Conservative Catholic Party came into power. The people rose up in protest and wrecked Catholic churches and property, only to be ruthlessly shot down. Even priests in their robes fired machine guns from the church towers. Our government was informed that this incident was merely put­ting down a Communist revolt, and this report was backed up by Catholic consular officials. So we support a Catholic dic­tatorship that slaughters all opposition without mercy and brands all who rebel against them as Communists, including evangelical pastors and Christians.

About 10 A.M. we left Bogota and fiew to Barranquilla, a beautiful city on the Caribbean, where we spent the night in a hotel while awaiting the Pan-American plane which would take us to Venezuela the next morning. It was surprisinglyJUNE, 1951

The Orinoco River, ivith Cuidad Bolivar, headquarters of the Orinoco River Mission, in the distance.

cool, and we enjoyed a good swim, so our few hours’ stay in this city was a pleasant interlude in our travels.

Thursday, March 29th, 1951:After telephoning a number of missionaries, we got off at

10 A.M. for Caracas, Venezuela. We flew between snow­capped Andean peaks 19,000 ft. high, but soon came out again to the beautiful, blue Caribbean Sea, and followed the coastline across the north edge of South America.

At 1:30 P.M. we arrived at Maiguetia, the airport, about nineteen miles from Caracas. There we were met by Bill Nyman, Jr., and after the formalities of customs, health and passport inspection and a few other things, we left the coast by taxi for the beautiful, winding drive up into the mountains where Caracas is located, 3,000 feet high. Due to heavy storms, one-half of the two-way road had been washed out, so traffic was compelled to proceed down the mountain in the morning and up in the afternoon. Everything necessary for the life of this huge capital of Venezuela must be hauled by truck up this one narrow road, so you can imagine the terrific traffic jams. It is estimated that if this road were blocked, the food and other supplies in the city would last only seventy-two hours. This road is literally the lifeline of Caracas.

We then accompanied Bill to the very small, but extremely expensive, apartment the Nymans share with another man to help with expenses. There we had the joy of renewing our friendship with Marjory MacMillan Nyman, and of cour.se of having a good visit with her husband. Bill, as well as meeting the Rev. Robert Schneider of Wycliffe Bible Trans­lators.

After a good visit and a meal together, we went out to see the sights of this fantastic city founded in 1567 under the name of Santiago de Leon Caracas. Here we found modern buildings, narrow streets and an incredibly beautiful univer­sity under construction. However, the most impressive thing was the high prices! Anything American can be purchased, but everything costs three or four times more than at home. It is a mystery to us how missionaries can live on the small allowances they receive, but these “other lost sheep” must be reached, so they continue to sacrifice and do the best they can until folks at home realize that they cannot make it on the usual missionary allowances.

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Friday, March 30th, 1951:Left Caracas by taxi to beat the 11 A.M. deadline for start­

ing down the hill, and then had to wait an hour and a half in some real tropical heat before we took off by a Venezuelan plane for Cuidad Bolivar.

En route we stopped at Barcelona, where we were met by Lelia Bascom ’40, Mildred Livingstone, and Marion Alle- bach, of the Orinoco River Mission, who had come over from Puerta La Cruz to see us as we passed through. After a visit with them, we continued on to San Tome, where we were greeted by Marjorie Thompson (’40) and Ruth Battey, also of the Orinoco River Mission. Marjorie Thompson accom­panied us on the plane to Cuidad Bolivar, where we were received by a wonderful group of Christians, singing songs of welcome.

Then we were taken by Dr. Van V. Eddings (’13) and Mrs. Eddings to the compound of the Orinoco River Mission, where we were soon enjoying fellowship with Charles W. Olvey (’36 and ’37), Mary Olvey, and Florence Turner (’32). We also became acquainted with two of the very fine pilots of the Missionary Aviation Fellowship who are stationed here with their families, Jim and Betty Truxton and Hobey and Olive I.owrance, all of whom are doing a wonderful job of making surveys by air of unreached areas, as well as helping out with the missionary work in this city. After a blessed time of fellowship together around the dinner table, we discussed the opportunities and possibilities of work in this land today. Doors are open wide; there is little opposition to the gospel; and only lack of workers and funds holds back even greater results than are taking place here.

Saturday, March Slat, 1951:After spending the morning seeing the sights of this inter­

esting city, we settled down in the afternoon to make plans to see and photograph as much as possible of the work here in Venezuela during the days our schedule will allow. We con­cluded that to cover all the territory we would have to divide forces. Dr. Talbot and Dr. Eddings decided to take a trip by air to visit the other stations of the Orinoco Mission, espe­cially the Bible Institute at Las Delicias under the supervision of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tuggy. I (Mr. Davis) will go by the four-seater Piper Clipper, of the Missionary Aviation Fellow­ship, with Jim Truxton and Chuck Olvey, to Caicara, which is the Olveys’ station. There we will make arrangements for a trip to the Panara Indians, who live in the jungle between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, and whose languge is un­known, as the great majority of them have never had any contact with outside civilization and so far as can be discov­ered no one has entered their territory. Slight contacts for the gospel have been made with some of the other Indian groups in this vast region, but the aerial surveys indicate hundreds of Indian “roundhouses” in areas that have never been reached, some of which would take two months to reach by jungle trail and dugout canoe. What a challenge for young folks to join the brave few who are here now, seeking these lost ones for Christ!

Sunday, April 1st, 1951:Sunday School at Capilla por La Guen Pastor (The Chapel

of the Good Shepherd), with about 235 in attendance, followed by a service that jammed the Chapel. Dr. Talbot preached, with Dr. Eddings translating, and it was a joy to see the real appreciation of these fine Christians for our visit among them. We rushed home for a very quick dinner and then off to the airport to put Dr. Talbot and Dr. Eddings on the plane to start their trip visiting mission stations. In the evening I took the service in the Bethel Chapel, again with an over­flow crowd, and after the service was hugged by assorted large and small ladies and gentlemen, who in this typical Venezuelan fashion showed their appreciation for the service!

Monday, April 2nd, 1951:A quiet day. Dr. Talbot is visiting Cumana and Carupano

up on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, seeing the work of the Orinoco River Mission stations in those places, and enjoying a good swim on the beach there. No chance to go swimmingPage Eight

here, even though it is hot, as the rivers are all full of caripe, native fish about a foot long, with very sharp teeth with which they really bite! I spent the morning downtown in Cuidad Bolivar with Chuck Olvey, shopping for supplies to take with us on our trip into the jungle to look for unreached Indians. In the afternoon I worked with the Missionary Aviation Fel­lowship fliers, carefully weighing every item we had, so as not to exceed the carrying capacity of the little four-seater Piper Clipper in which we are to fly tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 3rd, 1951:Jim Truxton, MAF pilot, Chuck Olvey, of the Orinoco River

Mission, and I got away to an early start this morning. We were out of the airport, had the MAF plane gassed up and loaded and were in the air by 8 A.M. It was a wonderful ex­perience to fly over the rivers and jungles of this great land, and to realize that we were looking down into areas unreached by the gospel. It was a beautiful day and a very comfortable trip, made more so by the careful and efficient manner in which the MAF fliers check and handle their equipment. Our destina­tion was the little town of about 2,000 population called Cai­cara, which is the last outpost of Venezuelan civilization, with nothing lying south between it and the Amazon but hundreds of miles of mountains and jungles, in which there are living unknown thousands of Indians who have never been reached with the gospel, and whose language no one knows. What a missionary field!

Wednesday, April ith, 1951:Very hot, but dull and cloudy this morning. I hate to think

what it will be when the sun comes out! In the afternoon it cleared a little and Chuck Olvey and I went along with an Indian in a canoe to visit a lovely lagoon opening off the Orinoco, surrounded by dense jungle, into which one of the tributaries of the Orinoco flows. As we paddled silently across the waters of the lagoon, we could see the noses and eyes of about twenty-five alligators whose bodies were resting just beneath the surface of the water. They watched us with an unblinking stare until we paddled too close to them. Then they would swim away, leaving a great V-shaped wake in the still waters. The waters teemed with tropical life, as did the jungle around us. Great water dogs, with heads like dogs, but bodies and flippers like seals, played in the water, swimming up to look at us, and then diving into the water to come up at a great distance away from us. Fish of various kinds broke water all over the lagoon, porpoises played around the canoe, and overhead and on the jungle banks there were brightly-colored parrots and countless other kinds of bird life. It was an attractive place, but the heat was so terrific we were glad to return to the little open rooms of the mission station. In the evening we attended the service for the 35 or 40 Christians who form the little church in this outpost. Among this group are Christian Indians who have moved in from the

The Piper four-seater Clipper in which Dr. Talbot and Mr. Davis flew thousands of miles over jungles and rivers. MAF pilots Jim Truxton and Hobey Lowrance are shown.

THE KING'S BUSINESS

jungle to become civilized, as well as Venezuelans, who have been won from Roman Catholicism. It was a great joy to meet this warm-hearted group who know and love the Lord, and are seeking to witness for Him on the edges of the jungle.

Thursday, April 5th, 1951:Spent most of the day going around with Chuck Olvey,

doing some missionary work. We visited the homes of many of the Christians we had met the night before, and enjoyed talk­ing with them of our common bond of saving faith in Christ. We went some distance up the river in the afternoon, saw some boat-building activities, and then proceeded to the site of a very ancient Indian village dating back about 1,500 years. This site was discovered by the Olveys a few years ago and, when confirmed by archeologists, caused the revision of textbooks here which had stated that there was no evidence of Indian occupation of the Orinoco River dating prior to the last hundred years or two. The Christians wanted to make the most of opportunity, so we had another service for them in the evening, and I spoke to them again, with Chuck Olvey translating into Spanish.

Friday April 6th, 1951:Over to the airstrip with the two pilots, Jim Truxton and

Hobey Lowrance, to meet the returning MAF plane bringing Dr. Talbot. Dr. Talbot was very enthusiastic about his visit to the Las Delicias Bible Institute at Caripe, Venezuela. His report of the work they are doing is thrilling. About 36 or 40 young men and women are taking the three-year course in Bible study in preparation for full-time service to their own people. All of these students are Venezuelans, a mixture of Indian and Spanish. All have come from Roman Catholic homes and are the products, under God, of the splendid work of the Orinoco River Mission. Dr. Talbot was happily sur­prised to discover the school providing such a thorough cur­riculum. With the exception of Greek and Hebrew, it is similar to courses offered in the Bible Institute of Los An­geles, only in simpler form, of course.

In training these Venezuelan Christians for full-time Chris­tian service, assurance is given that should all foreign mis­sionary service be suspended by the government, the testimony will still go on. In other words. Dr. Eddings is planning for the future, because one does not know what the present gov­ernments of South America will do in regard to evangelical Christianity. During our stay here we ourselves have felt the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church to Protestantism. Romanism is recognizing that the evangelicals are a force with which they must reckon. Dr. Talbot had the privilege of addressing these students and holding interviews with indi­viduals regarding their personal problems. The school com­prises a campus of about five or six acres, and is in the midst of a building program that will be able to take care of a student body of about one hundred. Some of the students are spending their spare time constructing a large boat, under the direction of Edward and Alfred Tuggy, for use in evangeliz­ing the small towns all along the Orinoco River. It should be completed within a month or two.

All of the students of the Bible Institute have their prac­tical work assignments, as do our students at Biola. A number of them go to surrounding villages on bicycles, calling from house to house, presenting the gospel in testimony and leaving tracts and Gospels of John in Spanish. Mr. Tuggy and Dr. Talbot followed a few of these young men in an automobile, photographing their work as they drove along. The response of the people and the eagerness with which they listened to the gospel message, were amazing. All of the members of the household, with neighbors on either side, gathered around and listened to these young men telling the story of their con­version to Christ. The children who gathered in this im­promptu congregation were completely unclothed. As we were at a distance, taking the pictures, we were able to get the facial expressions of these people, because they did not know the camera was turned on them. Conversions numbering be­tween three and four hundred were reported last year and all were followed up, cultivated and encouraged. In this way

JUNE, I 95 I

Dr. and Mrs. Van V.

EddingsDr. Eddings is

founder and director of the Orinoco River

Mission.

the gospel testimony goes on in spite of the opposition of Romanism. The hearts of the people are hungry, and they are eager to listen to the gospel when they are away from the influence of the priests.

Dr. Talbot was fascinated at the sight of orchids growing wild. The orchid, as you know, is a parasite like the mistletoe. It attaches itself to the limb of a tree and after a year’s growth puts forth its gorgeously-colored flowers. Dr. Talbot photographed these orchids growing on trees. One plant con­tained fifteen very large blossoms, each of which would sell for at least five dollars in Los Angeles. In fact, all the flowers in the tropics, as well as the birds, are beautifully colored. This reminds us that our God is a God of beauty, who is en­deavoring to reveal this fact through nature to the people of the jungles, and to tell them in this way that He will make their lives beautiful if they will allow Him to have His way with them.

The MAP plane was checked again, and, with a full load of gas, the two pilots and I headed south to look for Indians. Previous survey trips had been taken on which the location of Indian “roundhouses” had been marked on maps, but it was necessary to check the locations again before we started out, as the Indians habitually move from place to place. After flying south for about an hour, we found several of these communal dwellings set in clearings cut from the jungle. One was singled out which we circled several times, checking the location in relation to mountain peaks and rivers, so as to enable us to locate it from the ground. As we flew low over (the house, the Indians could be seen down below, watching us. When we came close, they ran with great haste into their houses. After photographing the roundhouse from the air, and getting it thoroughly located, we marked it on the map. Then we flew back, checking the best route for us for reaching it the next day.

The roundhouse we had found was one not previously located from the air, a conical dwelling, made of grass, with the roof extending right down to the ground. There were several out-buildings around it, but this seemed to be the chief dwelling-place for the group. It was a rough trip as we were obliged to fly low around the mountain peaks to get in close to this house, so we were all thankful when we were back safe at the airstrip at Caicara, and it did not take us long to be driven to the mission house. Again we were in time for an evening service, as these Christians really wanted to get all they could while we were there. This time the two MAF pilots gave testimonies, and then Dr. Talbot brought the message. We were all glad to see one young person accept the Lord.

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Saturday, April 7th, 1951:We were up really early this morning for there was much

to do, and we wanted to be away at daybreak. Our loads had been carefully checked, but there were last-minute things to put in. We planned to return that evening, but in case that was not possible, we had to take things that would enable us to spend the night in the jungle if necessary. Our things were soon loaded into a truck, for we could go out about five miles to the airstrip on fairly good roads by truck. Then we had to head into the jungle where there was little semblance of a road of any kind. It was a clear morning and everything was lovely in the stillness of the early hours. However, it was not long until the sun was blazing down on us, and made us take every opportunity of shade that the jungle offered.

We cannot go into details about the trip to the Indian country. We reached there after about five hours, and at last discovered the roundhouse we had seen from the air. Of course it had looked larger from the ground, and as we ap­proached, no Indians were to be seen.

Soon, however, two young men appeared in the single low entrance to the roundhouse, and by their signs, we understood that they were friendly. It was disappointing to learn that all but six of the sixty who lived in this place were out on , jungle trails and would not return for several days. However, we made the best of the situation. The young men were quite willing to be photographed, but it was a different story with the women and children who peered out at us from the dark interior of the house.

One of the young men brought a blow gun and showed us how they hunt for game. Using a very thin, but sharp-pointed and poison-tipped arrow, he would place it in the gun and blow it out at the speed of a bullet. He was very accurate with it, driving it right through a woven straw basket filled with grain of some kind that was on the ground r. hundred feet away.

One of the young men was wearing bead-bands around his arms, which indicated that he was engaged to be married. Around his legs he wore bands woven from the very hair of the girl to whom he was betrothed. No chance of a mix-up there! The converted Indian who went as our guide ex­plained this interesting Indian custom to us, even though he could not talk the Indian language used by this group. After a while, we took out the gifts we had brought for them, and our lunch. As we sat around eating sandwiches, we offered some to the two young men. After smelling them all over, and taking them apart carefully, they ate them. The women and children were watching very interestedly from the entrance, so Dr. Talbot took sandwiches in his hand and went near them. After a bit of coaxing by holding out the food for them to see, he was gratified to have the older women run out and grab a sandwich, then dart back in again, like an animal. After this was eaten, all the women and children ran out in turn, snatching the food, and each time hastening back to the shelter of the house.

After giving a few presents to the men, we made signs to let them know we would like to go into the house. They led us in, the women and children crouching far back in a corner. It was so dark inside that we could see very little, but by flashlight we could make out the hammocks where they slept and other few items they used scattered around in the dark­ness. There were no clothes, as they wear nothing but very brief loin cloths. We did not know how they would react to flash pictures, but we took a few inside and they did not seem to mind. We went outside again and got out some beads. At the sight of them the women and children forgot their shyness and gathered about us, reaching out for them. Looking around, we saw woven baskets in the trees containing their food supply of smoked monkey meat. In exchange for the presents we had given them, they presented us with a smoked monkey arm and hand! We took it back to Caicara with us and photo­graphed it, hoping it did not get into the stew we ate that night!

The time had come to bid these Indians farewell, so we took our leave of them, hoping and praying that soon some­one might go to them, learn their language and tell them of Christ. We merely touched the very edge of the jungle. NoPage Ten

one knows how many thousands of these Indians live in the vast region that lies to the south. Our trip home was hotter than ever, and we were a hot, dirty and weary group when we arrived at Caicara that evening. However, we had accom­plished our desire to see and photograph some of these un­reached Indians. We pray that the pictures may lead someone to go out and join the gallant few who are trying to get to them as fast as their busy schedules will allow, and that this trip may hasten the day when these too shall hear the glad tidings of the gospel.Sunday, April 8th, 1951:

There were five of us and a lot of equipment in Caicara with only a four-seater plane with a total load capacity of 750 pounds to transport us. We decided that we would have to take two trips. So the two pilots and I fiew back to Cuidad Bolivar on Sunday and Dr. Talbot stayed for the service in Caicara, and then took advantage of the additional time there to see some of the things that I had seen but which he had missed.

We had a rough flight back to Cuidad Bolivar, where I spoke at the evening service in a crowded chapel. A P.A. system was rigged up so the overflow crowd out in the street could hear. This is really a land of opportunity! The people are longing to hear the good news of salvation. Just having come in from the Indian country, I sought to impress upon these Christians their responsibility to reach these lost ones of their own land for Christ.Monday, April 9th, 1951:

The MAF plane was off early for one more flight to Caicara to bring back Dr. Talbot and Chuck Olvey. Dr. Talbot had certainly enjoyed the sights of this interesting outpost. Once seeing a great crowd of people going into an enclosure, he followed them, and found himself in the midst of the national sport—cock fighting! Their flight to Cuidad Bolivar was rough too. They were bucking a strong head wind so high that even a climb to 9,000 feet did not bring them out of it. So they went down and took the bumps of this hot jungle air, which are really felt in a small plane. Despite these difficul­ties, they came safely into the airport here, so once again we join forces and are ready to head for Brazil. There we will be Adventuring for Christ in the Andes and the Amazon Basin. We are counting upon your daily prayers for us. Wednesday, April 11th, 1951:

Today we leave this most interesting work in Venezuela, so we had to get up early for a 6:30 take-off. We said good­bye to the Eddings, Olveys, Truxtons, Lowrances, and a host of newly-made Venezuelan Christian friends, feeling as if we had known them all of our lives, for their friendship was very warm indeed. Once again we flew from Cuidad Bolivar on the River Orinoco up to the coast and to the airport eighteen miles down the mountain from Caracas. We were delighted to meet Bill and Marjory Nyman, and found that they were en route to Panama to join the Wycliffe plane flying down to Peru. After a very busy hour of going through exit permit arrangements and other necessary travel for­malities, we were flying out over the beautiful blue Car­ibbean to the Dutch island of Curacao. What a sight of mod­ern industrial development and neat Dutch life, all blended with native and Negro life, met our eyes on this beautiful island! We enjoyed every minute of our seven-hour stay, and then regretfully said good-bye to it, when we boarded a giant Constellation Pan American Clipper to fly back over the jungles and mountains of Venezuela down to the mouth of the Amazon and our next destination, Belem, Brazil.Thursday, April 12th, 1951:

Sometime, very early in the morning, we flew over the equator, and it was at about 4 a.m. that we landed in the Belem airport, in a rainstorm the like of which was to be­come our usual companion during our stay in the Amazon Valley. We were delighted to see Rev. (’32) and Mrs. (’33) J. Keith Altig there with their two fine daughters to meet us. Customs officials did not approve of the amount of film we had with us, but after combined arguments by everyone there, finally we were allowed to take our things out. The Altigs live and work about fifteen miles out of Belem in a

THE KING'S BUSINESS

town called Icoroci, so we proceeded to their home, and from there started the busy round of seeing things of interest and taking care of necessary business matters. During the day, we had the joy of meeting Mr. (’47) and Mrs. Jim McNutt and Ed. Lawrence, Biola graduates working with the Un­evangelized Fields Mission. Despite continued rain, we left at about 9 p.m. on the UFM launch for a four-day trip on the Amazon and tributaries, to see something of the life and work on the rivers. It was a real thrill to board this launch with Messrs. Sargentson, McAllister, Herroll, McNutt and Lawrence of the UFM, as well as Mrs. Altig and Mrs. Miller of the Brethren Mission, and to start out of the black dark­ness of a rainy night up the Amazon River.Friday, April 13th, 1951:

The launch was anchored in a narrow inlet from about midnight on so the men who were our pilots could get a bit of sleep, but by 4 a.m. they were up and we were moving up one of the southern branches of the river. The whole day was spent in travel, sometimes in places so wide that we could not see across the river, and sometimes in narrow channels where we were closed in by the steaming tropical jungle. At all times we could see signs of the life of the region, in the interesting native sail boats and canoes in the river, and also when we were close enough, we could see the little huts of palm branches and thatch that were set in the edge of the jungles. The matted trees and vines of the jungle came right down to the water edge, and swarmd with bird life, even as the river swarmed with fish and por­poises of all sizes. At about 10 p.m., after an interesting day of seeing the life of this great river and of fellowship with a fine group of workers, we anchored in the mouth of a narrow river that leads up to the little town of Breves, which was our destination.Saturday, April Hth, 1951:

It was again shortly after 4 a.m. when we started moving up the tributary that would lead us to our destination, but this time we did not get very far, for after a few moments of travel, the launch was stuck fast on a mud bank. No amount of racing the motors would budge it, so everyone went overboard in the darkness and the muddy water, and after a lot of pushing we finally got the launch into deep water so we could proceed on our way. We were glad of the early morning dip and glad that we were up, for before long we were treated to the spectacle of a real tropical sunrise, made doubly beautiful as it was reflected in the still waters of that particular part of the river. By about 9 o’clock we were tied up at Breves, and visiting a real outpost of mis­sionary testimony deep in the Amazon jungle. Here we found another Biola graduate. Miss Ivy Johnson (Miss. Med. ’48) who is carrying on a very fine work, especially among the children of this out-of-the-way place. This is a station and school of the Unevangelized Fields Mission, and they have about fifty Brazilian children receiving daily training in the gospel, as well as regular school work. We spent a very enjoyable day seeing this work, fellowshipping with the workers there, and also swimming in the Amazon River. We found that while the river looked very calm from the shore, when we were in it there was a terrific current that made swimming difficult. Still it was very enjoyable after the ex­treme heat of the day. After supper and an enjoyable hour of fellowship with the missionaries, we were again on our way by launch to another station.

Sunday, April 15th, 1951:Another interesting day on the launch viewing the native

life along the river, which was much more abundant than on the previous days. Dr. Talbot “fell” into the river and was “rescued” by Ed Miller, which gave them both a chance to cool off a little bit! About 6:30, we arrived at a little thatched hut on the edge of the river named “Villa Santa Ana,” and spent the next thirty minutes going up and down the river to neighboring huts announcing a meeting over the launch’s PA system, as well as playing Gospel Recordings records in Portuguese. We then fixed up an electric light in the hut, and put the PA system in it too, with the loud speakers outside, with the power supplied from the launch.JUNE, 1951

Shortly the congregation began to arrive, crouched in dugout canoes, paddling in from huts along the river shore, for there are no roads or trails of any kind through the jungle. Some of the canoes were filled with whole families, and others had just one or two persons in them. Some were Christians who looked with eager anticipation for the mis­sionary to come for a meeting, others heard the announce­ments from the launch and just came to see what was going on. The hut was soon filled and we had the joy of speaking to them of our wonderful Lord and of what He had done for us. The meeting was such a treat for these folks that they seemed very loathe to leave, but at last their canoes slipped silently away into the night and we were left alone to spend the night on the launch.Monday, April 16th, 1951:

We spent the morning visiting some of the huts along the river where Christians lived, going in to them by canoe. We also saw the only industry of these people, a small place where they made hand-fashioned tiles; a little hut where sugar cane was made into syrup; and a spot where crude rubber was assembled for export as the Indians brought it in from the jungle by canoe. After a very interesting morning, we went on to the UFM station which is the home base of the launch, and from which this river work is carried on. This gave us another opportunity to meet the workers there and to have a fine evening of fellowship with them. Late in the evening we again boarded the launch and headed back to Belem, but this time the great river was anything but smooth. Waves sometimes reach the height of fifteen feet, which is really rough going for a small launch, and while they were not that high, still they were high enough to make the launch really pitch. Mr. McAllister was piloting the launch and told us there was no danger of capsizing unless we had to turn into the trough of the waves!Tuesday, April 17th, 1951:

We arrived back at Belem at about 6 a.m., and after breakfast at Unevangelized Fields Mission home, we were off again to visit the early morning market.

What a sight met our eyes as we arrived at the dock

River craff at Belem, Brazil

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area! As far as the eye could see, people were gathered, buying and selling. It seemed that all of Belem’s two hun­dred thousand people were down there to buy their day’s supplies of meat and vegetables and fruit. And what a va­riety of things were offered for sale! There was every kind of tropical fruit known, and some that were unknown as far as we were concerned! Everything in the food line was there, and many other things that might eventually end up as food. There were spotted deer, monkeys, toucans in brilliant hues, other tropical birds in every color of the rain­bow, besides many other things of interest, such as huge piles of cocoanuts and Brazil nuts. After we had seen and photographed much of interest, we used the PA system on the car to invite the people, and Keith Altig, Ed. Miller and we began to give out tracts. We were almost mobbed by the crowd that gathered at once with outstretched hands, plead­ing for the gospel in printed form. There was no time to stop until all of the literature was given out, and then it was difficult to persuade those who did not receive any that it was really all gone. In the afternoon we headed out into the jungle, for it was surprising to find that the jungle closed right in to the very edges of this great city, and that we did not have to walk far to be right in the midst of it. Here we saw many tropical birds, and many kinds of trop­ical animal and snake life in their native haunts. Of great interest also was watching a Brazilian climb a cocoanut palm and cut down the cocoanuts with his machete, then climb down the tree and dance around, slapping at himself to get rid of the ants that swarmed all over him while he was up the tree.Wednesday, April 18th, 1951:

Another day to be up and away to an early start. This time it was in a Catalina Flying boat, and in it we went 1,000 miles up the mighty Amazon in one great leap. It was a thrilling sight to climb up into the early morning sky and look down to see branches and channels of the Amazon stretching as far as the eye could reach. The mighty Amazon is indeed a thousand rivers and ten thousand islands! The Catalina was very noisy, so those who wished it were given cotton for their ears. The steward spoke to Dr. Talbot dur­ing the flight, but with the cotton in his ears. Dr. Talbot did not understand him, so he said, “You will have to speak English.” The steward also had cotton in his ears, so he replied, “Oh, you do not speak English.” Then, turning to me he said, “He does not speak English and I do not speak French, so will you kindly translate for me.” I was very happy to do so! We arrived at Manaus, Brazil, in the middle of the afternoon, and were very glad to be met by Miss Velma Fries (’45) and other missionaries of the Mid-Mis­sions group there. Again we had the privilege of finding a Biola graduate hard at work in the midst of great darkness in this jungle, and also to meet and have fellowship with another group of very fine missionaries. They put us right to work, as they had us speaking in their school within a few hours of our arrival, and kept it up in various places during most of our stay there.Thursday, April 19th, 1951:

After speaking to the group of very fine students in the seminary, we got away by launch for a three-hour trip down river to visit a leper colony with over six hundred of these poor unfortunates in residence. It was a beautiful trip across and down the mighty Amazon River, to a place where we saw the buildings of this leper colony on a little cliff above the river. As we looked up, we could see the faces of many of the patients who ran out to see who was coming. As we went up the path, word of our coming soon spread, and all began to crowd into the assembly hall. Of course, we could not touch anyone or anything, for all of the grounds, benches, etc., were contaminated. Words fail when we try to express our emotions as we stood talking to these hundreds of lepers, especially to the children. There were about a hundred boys ranging in age from ten to eighteen or twenty, but we only saw three girls. They all listened very attentively as the gospel was presented to them. It was a great joy to tell them of a salvation which gave assurance of perfect bodies in the glorious future. After we finishedPage Twelve

speaking, students from the seminary dealt with those who raised their hands, and reported that nine of them had ac­cepted the Lord. How we praise God for this privilege! After visiting the worst cases confined to bed in the wards, we were obliged to take our leave. It was most touching to see this great group gathered in front of the main building, calling out their farewells and asking us to hurry back for another meeting with them.Friday, April 20th, 1951:

Rain, rain, rain! All day long it poured, so there was nothing much to do but try to catch up on our letter-writing and take care of a few matters of business in the city of Manaus. We did visit the very famous opera house which was built in the days of the glory of Manaus when it was a great rubber center. In olden days whole opera troupes were brought over from Europe to give performances in this beautiful building, so out of place in the heart of the Amazon jungle. In the evening we met with the whole missionary group from the city and had a fine time of fellowship to­gether.Saturday, April 21st, 1951:

At 7:30 a.m. we were called by the airline to be at the airport at 7:45 a.m. This meant a great rush, but we were on time to wait an hour for a 9 a.m. take-off. This time we were headed on up the Amazon River for another great jump of 1,600 miles. As we went up over the city and out along the river, we could see jungle as far as the eye could reach on either side. We were right in the heart of an area of unbroken jungle larger than the whole United States. In it are thousands, or perhaps even millions, of Indians that have never been contacted for the gospel. After about an hour’s flight, the weather closed in, and the plane had to go right down and fly along the river. To be caught above the clouds and thus lose contact with the river below is dangerous. The clouds and rain became so bad that it was difficult to follow the river, so the plane turned back. An hour later, we found ourselves circling the city of Manaus again, and we were soon back with our missionary friends there. The added time in Manaus gave us an opportunity to see something of the work being done by Velma Fries (’45), and others there, as we attended a crowded outdoor children’s meeting with them. The meeting was to be held in a little school building called the “School of Humility,” but there were too many children so the flannelgraph material was moved out of doors and the meeting held outside. That evening Dr. Talbot spoke at a young people’s meeting of the church. It was thrilling to see the good time that a group of Brazilian young folks could have as they enjoyed fellowship together.Sunday, April 22nd, 1951:

This was a really early start, for we were up at 4 a.m. and to the air field by 5 a.m. for another try at flying to Iquitos, Peru. We got away at daylight, and spent ten and a half long hours before we finally reached our destination. It was an interesting trip, as we made five stops on the water en route. It is really thrilling to come down in a great flying boat, land on the river, and see the water as it rushes by and finally covers the windows in a great sheet of spray. The sensation of speed is terrific as the plane rushes through the water, both on the landing and the take-off. After one stop where we refueled, the plane was so heavy and so low in the water that two attempts at take-off were of no avail. Finally the pilot had to turn around and go downstream on a third attempt. Finally the plane pulled up out of the water and was airborne. At the airport in Iquitos, we were met by Laurada Thompson (’48 and Miss. Med. ’49) and a group of workers of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, and Don Burns and Frank Matthis of the Wycliffe Bible Translators who flew up from their jungle base in Pucallpa, Peru, to get us in a Norduyn “Norseman.” Sunday evening we visited and spoke in three churches, one of which was a native church in a little shack lighted only by two little lamps with open smoking flame. These folks really love the Lord and we had a short time of happy fellowship with them. The other two services held were in larger churches, and in each we had real joy in meeting sincere believers and joining them in their worship of our wonderful Saviour.

THE KING'S BUSINESS