Sunrise | Regular Hike to Ukupa | Ice Cream! | Service

Hi Family,

First,  I could not resist taking a few pictures of a sunrise the other day ...

Good morning ... cayuco already on the water for an early catch of the day.

Cayuco ready for higher tide

The Kuna people have it really good when it comes to sunrises

Anticipation ...

How can anyone say there is no Creator?

My early morning shower and shave happens here...water straight from river to spigot

I only have a few minutes today, so this will have to do. Elder Navas needs to use the connection here in our branch, and only one of us can be on it at a time. I have like 5 minutes.

We have to make the most of daylight hours. When it gets dark, everyone's day is pretty much over. I am going to use my time on the connection to upload pictures and let those do the talking.  If you can get the pictures, and find anything interesting just ask me about it.

Walking down the coast to work with people in the Ukupa part of our Area (with our red roofed Irgandi Branch in top left). 

The river we walk through on the way to Ukupa Island.

Question: What do you do to serve people every week?

We do anything anyone needs help with. It might be gathering wood poles/logs or preparing some kind of food (like taking the shells and legs off of a mountain of shrimp they are preparing for dinner) or teaching them / talking with them in any way we can.

A Kuna family's catch of the day ... all ready to peel

Many hands make light work

A baby monkey ready to help out with the shrimp...little guy needs food too!

Elder Navas haulin' wood like an ox

Because of the language barrier (our Dule Gaya language skills are not like our Spanish skills), a lot of what we do in terms of service is physical help that is needed.

The craziest thing happened today on Ukupa Island. Somehow, someone was able to transport ice cream from the mainland and carry it in a container of some kind all the way from the nearest freezer (which has to be in Panama City??).

Behold ... ice cream in San Blas!

Then it had to have come in their transport through the jungle to the coast, then in their boat all the way out to Ukupa. Having ice cream may not seem like a big deal, but here it is a rare sight because there is no refrigeration or freezers out here. We are so remote, and it was so rare I had to take a picture of it!

This little girl was loving the ice cream!

Question: How often do you go to the Ukupa island part of your Area?

This week we went to Ukupa four times. It takes a solid hour each way if we hike fast. So, that's 8 of our working hours each week, hiking as fast as we can to get there.

A cool little octopus near the trail to Ukupa

My pictures probably make it look like we're just on the beach all the time walking--but the reality is that walking on the beach is the only way to get from point A to point B if you don't have a cayuco...which we don't of course.

A little jelly along the trail to the other side of our area ... Ukupa

Dad...I also am careful to not just have my camera out all the time like a tourist. It's in my bag and if I see someone or something I need to remember, I get it out.

Question: How do you arrange appointments?
It's not like we can call anyone here in Irgandi, or out there on Ukupa and tell them we are coming ... you just tell people "We'll come back in a couple days" and then show up. You kind of have to guess when people will be home or know their routine. 

Like I've said before, it is an hour hike down the beach and wading through a wide river to get out to the bridge that goes out to Ukupa. It's important to spread our efforts between where we live (Irgandi) and the other part of our area (Ukupa Island).  We are working with some good people right now.

Question: Do you ever see any other missionaries from other islands?

Not often. We do have a Zone Conference coming up. I think it will be in Carti Tupile, which is pretty far away.

Question: What are people doing during the day?

The Kunas I know seem to be super industrious from a young age.

Tic-Tac-Toe in the Sand

They are always fishing, hunting, gathering coconuts, sewing, teaching, playing games, doing traditional things they have been doing for 1000s of years.

It's warm here

Everyone is doing something. To teach them, (even though many are already church members) you just have to jump into whatever they are doing, right alongside them. They are not going to just stop, sit there and listen to you---that is a bit counterproductive for them--they have responsibilities. 

For example, as we were walking to Ukupa there was a dad in his cayuco paddling by, looking for coconuts to harvest on shore.

'Lil paddler gathering coconut husks with his brother

At the same time, there were young Kuna boys (maybe his sons?) in their own cayuco going around looking for coconut husks and loading up their own cayuco with them. Looked fun. 

I have to assume they gather and use those fiber old husks for all kinds of things.  If they are rotten-ish, they're usually used as fire starter once they dry out.

Nightly sweating, on our way back to Irgandi from Ukupa

Almost home to Irgandi ... with an amazing sunset of course

We're working with some very good people. I completely realize what a privilege it is to be here on a mission. Gotta go. I'm good.

Much love,

Elder Doxey