Day 8

June 4^th

Has it really been 8 days already!? It seems as though I just got here, and already we are leaving Shell tomorrow. We are sad to go, but so so happy for all the memories and adventures that we have had this last week.

Well today was a busy day. After a long day of touring yesterday, I was aching to get my hands dirty again and get a nice sweat in the humid Amazon one more time. Well that was just what the doctor ordered. Ron, the repairman for Alas de Socorro needed our help today laying some concrete next to the hangar. Me and the three other dudes got to work mixing the sand, rock, water, and cement and then wheelbarreling it over to the place where we poured it and made a real nice concrete strip, if I do say so myself. We even wrote our names in our work at the end of the day (sorry, someone else took the picture and so I won’t get it for a little bit.) Funny story happened during this. So we were using an automatic mixer to mix the concrete. We had these large bins that we would fill with rock and sand to pour into the mixer. These carriers are designed to be lifted by two people using the handles on either side. Well, I was stationed at the mixer the whole day and so was in charge of how much of each went into the mixer so that the consistency was just right. Then the other guys would fill their wheelbarrows with the mixed concrete and tote it off to where we were laying it. Well it was a good ways off, and so I would be left for about 4 or 5 minutes until they came back. Well about half-way into this, I decided that I wasn’t going to waste any more of these down times. Instead of waiting for the guys to come back and help me pour the bins into the mixer, I told myself, “I’m strong enough to lift one of those myself.” And so I did. This was tough work. The bins were probably 60 or more pounds and they weren’t easy to get your arms around. But I managed. This went on for about three or so loads. Until…. One of the bins was a little low and I wasn’t able to get my arms around it jus right. I remembered back to my {wonderful} PE training in college, where my prof always stressed, “Lift with your legs, not your back.” So I decided that I would get under this one and really man it up. Well, my legs were already in a pretty tight position and the bin was real heavy. I tried once and couldn’t quite get it up all the way. I set it down, and this time sucked in some air, and lifted with all my might POPPPP! I had succeeded in lifting the bin and heaved it into the mixer, but to my great agony and dismay, as I looked back I realized that I had split my shorts along the seam all the way down my back side……oh brother…so much for Mr. Macho. It made for a funny and embarrassing rest of the day, but I fortunately had brought some boardshorts and so slipped into those very stealthily and so not too many people saw me…..haha Another great story from the mission field.

But the day is not over, and the stories are not through just yet. Brian, our group leader, loaded us all into the van after lunch and told us we were going off to see another waterfall. We had known beforehand and so had brought our bathing suits. (Hence my previous salvation) lol. So we drove for about two hours on this road basically in the middle of the jungle until we turned. I thought we were there, but actually we now had another half hour of driving on a dirt road until we got to a trail head. Seems as though we were going to be hoofing it. We then got our bathing suits on and towels in tow, set off on the jungle trail. It was so incredibly awesome to hike along the trail. The trail paralleled a river for most of the way, but when everyone was quiet, all you could hear was the rushing of the water, and the squaks of the birds overhead. And even the occasional “other sound” which must have been some other animal deep in the bush. It was so neat to walk along and look up to see the sunlight just peeking through the canopy overhead. Everything was moss covered and looked just like any movie you have seen, except for the machete toting trail guide. Of this we were remiss. Oh well, maybe next time.

But anyways, after about 30 minutes of hiking we came upon a beautiful waterfall peeking out from among the trees. We raced across the log bridge until we were at the base of the falls where we found a small pool right under the water fall. It was a good 70 foot drop and a gorgeous waterfall to be sure. Well after a few pictures, we decided to brave the cold waters and swim in the pool. 

The water was crystal clear and it was so incredibly cool to swim right under where the water was pounding down overhead. As you passed under the falls, it felt like a bag of concrete was instantly dropped on you and you sunk deeper into the water, but if you kept swimming you could make it out to the other side. Then you could sit on a little beach behind the falls and look up and see the water cascading down in front of you. It was truly an amazing experience, and one which I will not soon forget. Everyday that I spend down here, I am reminded time and time again just how awesome and creative our God is. Each plant is wonderfully crafted and serves a distinct purpose and plan. And together they form a beautiful scene known as the rain forest. The majesty of it all will take your breath away. What a wonderful last day in Shell. It has been such an amazing trip. And tomorrow we begin our journey back….