Ustupu Island + Covid-19 | Cacique & Saila Chief's Quarantine Order

Dule Masi

Question: How is the Coronavirus affecting the island of Ustupu and the San Blas Zone?
Elder Doxey: It has been interesting. We are currently under an “island quarantine” as directed by the local Caciques & Saila Chiefs. What this means is that they do not allow anyone to come to the island or to leave the island. They do not allow us to proselyte either.

We are only allowed to visit members, and stay in our hut or branch building and study. The local Caciques & Saila Chiefs have also shut down all the little airstrips on the bigger islands to prevent tourists from bringing Coronavirus here.

Question: Can you deliver food to the other islands if needed? 
Elder Doxey: No. Not right now.

Question: What happens if the other islands (your Districts) start to run out of food? 
Elder Doxey: The locals will run out before we run out (because Elder Richins and I just stocked up the islands with food). If this island quarantine lasts that long, I’m sure the local Caciques & Saila Chiefs will make a decision for the village, which will probably enable us to make food arrangements for other islands.

Airstrips are closed because of Covid-19

Question: Are you talking to Pres. Garrett and the office about all this? 
Elder Doxey: Definitely. A lot. I need to go soon so I can talk to him today.

Question: How are the local branch members on Ustupu handling it? And, why do your hands look purple? 
Elder Doxey: They are handling it the best they know how, and relates to why my hands are purple. They have a deep belief in what they think is an anti-viral/anti-bacterial medicinal fruit they find in the forest. This fruit is plentiful there.

Kuna's Exotic Purple Hand Sanitizer

I don’t know what the fruit is, other than it is pretty exotic and very natural. The local Kunas go into the forest, get this fruit, mash it up into a greenish clear pulp. Then, the adults put it all over their hands (that is why my hands are purple right now), and spread it all over little kids bodies. After about 5 minutes, it turns dark purple or black.

Question: So, you have a lot of time (like, all of your time) with church members at the moment. What are you doing with them? 

Elder Doxey: Well, what is on their minds is preparation, preparation, preparation for the Covid-19 virus to be here. They are gathering that fruit from the forest, but they are also looking at the economic impact of not having anyone from Colombia coming by to purchase their coconuts and plantains…and no tourists coming out to buy their Molas. Those two sources of income represent about 80% of the need to sustain life.

Elder Richins enticing our new parrot friend

They are concerned about food, but grateful plants grow very quickly here. So, Elder Richins and I went with some church members into an area of the forest to clear land, and plant a lot of Guineo.

With a Church Member in the Forest, Clearing Land, Getting Ready to Plant Guineo

Clearing the land was a lot of work!

Burning Our Pile of Deadwood

We hacked down a lot of deadwood out with our machetes, burned piles of the deadwood, and planted a lot of Guineo.

You Don't Just Go to HomeDepot for Your Guineo Starts ... Think Local

The goal...a bumper crop of fast growing Guineo (like a sweet plantain, but better)

They do not plan to sell the Guineo (although they could get a good price for it) … just grow it to feed the village if that time comes. They are very concerned about losing that 80% of what sustains them out here.

We Even Brought Back Some Deadwood to Burn Later!

Question: With a bit of a slowdown with proselyting, what else are you seeing around you?
Elder Doxey: Not much. I did see a guy walking around with a 2 foot high parrot he caught in the forest. That thing is probably worth thousands, but he just caught it in the woods. Ha Ha. Missionary work wise, we’re creating a new game-plan right now.

Caught in the nearby forest

Question: Are you open to suggestions? 
Elder Doxey: Yes. Dad: One idea that may be effective while you are in this situation is to think, “If Elder Richins and I were transferred from here, what could be the lasting impact of us being here?” For example, imagine if by the time you leave, each of your active branch members had a “Why I Believe in the Restoration” document that you and Elder Richins helped them with. This squares with what President Nelson is asking us to do.

You could come up with a series of 10 questions that help them articulate “Why I Believe”, and even write it down for them as you interview them. (This way you are maintaining your oral and written Spanish or Dule Gaya) and also leaving them with a valuable document and reminder to keep in a water proof baggie in their huts.

Maybe one day those would make it to their Family Search wall if the opportunity is there. Imagine a testimony meeting where people who have them get up and read them! You and Elder Richins will leave one day, but those will artifacts of why grandpa and grandma believe, why dad and mom believe, etc. are very powerful. Elder Doxey: Sounds good. We’ll try it.

Question: Any thing else? 
Elder Doxey: One more thing, which is both good and bad. Before the island quarantine started, Elder Richins and I were able to go over to Ailigandi island finally (where Grandpa Call taught Chief Iguandipipi, and where his good church member friend Aurelio Munoz lived).

Visiting Ailigandi, where Grandpa Call Taught Chief Iguandipipi

 I asked the boat captain if he knew of Aurelio Munoz, and he knew him! (That was the good part!). The bad part is that the boat captain said Aurelio died a while back, but the new Saila Chief on Ailigandi island is his brother. We were planning to go talk to him, but this island quarantine has us locked down (that is the bad news), and we cannot go back right now.

 Love to all. Gotta go so I can call Pte. Garrett.

Elder Doxey