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Take Courage

Brian found someone who can take an airworthiness certificate to Shell on Wednesday by land. The DAC has given approval to ferry HC-BQV out of Kuakash. I'm not sure when that will happen, but my guess is that they'll get it out late Wednesday or sometime on Thursday. Also going to Shell are leaf springs for a Landcruiser that is in the hangar. Can't move the truck 'cause it will fall off the axle. So it will be good if the springs and the certificate make it down there at the same time.

The 3 PM meeting today with the DAC didn't happen. Mike and Brian waited for two hours, and were told the DAC officials were in meetings. But, Mike and Brian did have an appointment so it sounds to me like they were being put off. We've been working on this issue for a year and we continue to pray for a resolution. Because of some circumstances which I don't feel at liberty to write about here, I was optimistic about this meeting. I continue to be hopeful, and our hope is in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

This issue is critical. If it's not settled, we won't have a pilot available for emergency calls this weekend. We average six patients per day aboard our airplanes and we've already had to turn flights down. This will make it worse. Not having a pilot available at all would be a first for us in many many years. Our MAF staff in Shell is holding a day of prayer on Wednesday.

IT in Quito

The Linux class that I'm attending went fairly well today. I'm in a week-long session on Linux firewalls and security. There's no doubt about it, I'm being challenged in this class! But, despite the fact that I'm overwhelmed with some of it, I am learning some useful things. The reason I say it went 'fairly well' is because this afternoon's lab session was quite a challenge for me, but I finally managed to work through part of it. When I started the lab, I was thinking, "There's no way!"

I was out at the MAF office for about an hour this evening with Brian. We're trying to get a machine freed up so that we can install Linux on it and use it as a content filter on the local area network there. It's been slow going getting things ready to go, but with Brian having other important things to do during the day, and me in this class, that's the way it goes.

Quito Trip

I'm up in Quito, and arrived a bit over an hour ago. I was going to bus up with HCJB missionary, Keith, but realized about 10:30 AM that there was a plane going up to Quito with room for two. I called Keith, but he was at church. Taylor had asked to launch his model rocket with me, so we quickly went ahead and did that. The launch went well, the chute opened, and then the plane descended on the Aereo Regional hangar roof. I had no time to get a ladder, as I still hadn't packed. I managed to throw my things in a bag and head out the door just in time to get on the plane with the Soria family. They had flown down Saturday for a welcome party. The MAF family in Shell had a get-together to welcome the Shaylor, Borror, and Soria families. The flight was smooth, and we were able to fly visual all the way. That was good, since Daniel still can't fly IFR in MAF planes.

So now I'm sitting in the office up here, wanting to do some work on a server, but needing to get a hold of Brian first. If I can get some of this work done now, then I'll have less to do in the evenings later this week. I'll be in Quito until Friday, as I will be attending an advanced linux networking class put on by Lightsys staff and sponsored by HCJB.

Ancient History

I missed a chance to get this photo a couple weeks ago, and I was kicking myself for not being more bold. Today I saw them again, waiting in front of the MAF hangar. I knew some of them would be here today because I saw a couple of their names on the flight schedule. So today I walked up to the group, and one by one shook hands and said good morning. Among the group of Woarani were Dayuma, Mincaye, and Dewey. I had my iBook under my arm, and explained that I wanted to show them a photo. Squeezing in next to Mincaye, I opened the laptop and showed them a picture of Nate and Rachelle Dell. The Dells are with HCJB World Radio and have spent several years doing community development work with the Waorani. Currently they are in the US, and have been for over two years, because Rachelle is battling a mysterious and debilitating illness which makes it impossible for her to live in the jungle of eastern Ecuador. At first none of them knew who was in the photo, and I kept telling them the Dells had lived in Tzapino. Finally, one of them recognized them and told me the Woarani names for Nate and Rachelle. I told them that the Dells were in the US, but hoped to return to Ecuador some day.

Charapacocha

This is from Bruce's latest update. This guy has by far the best collection of digital photos of MAF's work here in Ecuador.

My last stop of the day brought a couple of unusual sites. In the village of Charapacocha I picked up the village health promoter. Standing by was an elderly woman who also wanted to fly back to her home in town. She was all decked out complete with traditional face paint. A blowgun, leopard skin and an entourage of animals ranging from an armadillo to a toucan besides the normal food items were all in-tow. While marveling at her among all the things an unusual croaking noise was heard. Not far away was a young boy with a collection, or as I would call it, a stack-o-frogs. I was told they would be cooked, wrapped in a special leaf and placed in the fire, and eaten for dinner. I was a bit curious so I asked, and NO they don't taste like chicken, but the people think they are delicious. (As a side note: Two young boys whom I flew home earlier in the day had been hospitalized due to mistakenly eating a poisonous variety of frog.)

Kuakash Mechanic

Here's an update from John Burk, chief mechanic here, as to the status of HC-BQV out in Kuakash:

God has already answered some of your prayers. Wednesday we received word that the DAC [Department of Civil Aviation] changed their mind and authorized us to proceed with the repairs for the ferry flight. Additionally, we lacked two critical parts to install the replacement nose
gear. It looked like I would have to order those parts from the USA and try to rush them down here somehow. Therefore, the repairs would be delayed by 10 days or longer.

Some commercial companies in Shell fly the same type of aircraft as we do. They run on shoe-string budgets and frequently come to me to borrow parts. I had thought to ask around, but had little hope of finding those parts. Wednesday afternoon, a couple of fellows from one of those companies showed up asking to borrow some specialized equipment we have. I asked about the parts I needed and, to my surprise, they had them. After a bit of scrambling, we were able to pull together all we needed in order to go to the accident site Thursday. We installed the replacement nose gear, rudder tubes and pedals and the made an initial evaluation of the engine condition. I hope to go again this week to repair the damage to the wing. I will likely spend the night due to the amount of work that needs done. Please pray for wisdom to make adequate repairs and decisions that will result in a safe ferry flight. Also, please pray that the DAC will grant us permission to ferry the plane to Shell in a timely manner once the repairs are completed. If the rest of the engine tests prove to be good, I hope to have the aircraft ready for the ferry flight by the end of this week.

Here's a photo of Darryl pretending to be a nose gear. This was taken by Bruce Wied on the second trip out to Kuakash, during which time the plane was moved off of the airstrip.

Good News

I had an inkling of this over almost two weeks ago, but didn't want to say anything. But, I can now tell you that the US Embassy is working with MAF to reach a solution to our license situation. Keep praying!

This And That

Another rainy day in Shell. But then, what's new? We actually have three planes in the air, and the guys hurried out of here before things closed down. Two planes with first stops in Makuma, and the other plane on a quick out and back to Kuakash. John and Mateo went to Kuakash to work on HC-BQV, and they have a prop with them. They'll change that first, and then Chad will bring the damaged prop right back to Shell. He'll need to wait for the old prop, as to get an assembled propeller in the plane means the door needs to be off. If John and Mateo need to, they'll spend the night in Kuakash in order to get the work done that is planned. I have no idea when the plane will be ferried out. I'm sure on this trip they'll be doing some more investigating and planning as to the best way to temporarily straighten and strengthen the bent right wing. They've decided not to take it off until they get the plane back to Shell.

By the way, Bruce didn't remain overnight in Makuma. He made it back in around 5:30 PM. I usually hear the guys come in when it's late, but I was taking a short catnap before dinner, so missed that.

Our Quito base manager and our lawyer have a meeting with the US Ambassador at 10 AM today in regards to our pilot license situation. Pray.

Overnight Trip

Not a good day for a lot of rain. Dan and Chad came back sometime after noon from their flights. They had more flying to do, but decided not to go out, as the weather didn't look too good. Bruce decided to chance it, and took off. Looks like he will spend the night in Makuma, as it's past five and there are a ton of clouds all over Ecuador. He left knowing he might overnight, and I think he was actually looking forward to it. There was an HCJB work team here waiting most of the day to go to Makuma. They didn't make it out, but maybe they can tomorrow.

Prayer

Maybe you are praying for the MAF staff and our work in Ecuador. Here are some specific requests.

1. Four pilots are taking the load that could be spread among twelve pilots. Sure, they are only allowed to work 45 hours a week, but it still puts the pressure on those four guys. Pray for patience and endurance for them.

2. HC-BQV is still out in Kuakash. Pray for the head mechanic, John Burk, and others as they plan for the repair and ferry flight out of Kuakash. There is a lot of repair that needs to be done just to fly it 18 minutes back to Shell, where the rest of the repair can be done. It will take a lot of careful planning. Also, they will need to order many parts from the US to make the full repair. That means a lot of paperwork and places for errors and delays. Pray that the purchase and shipping of parts will go on without mistakes or delays.

3. We have one plane that is being put back together after a major inspection and re-painting. We have one plane on the ground indefinitely in Kuakash. That leaves four other planes to work with. This morning, when Bruce went to leave on his flight with HC-BMO, he found a problem and spent the rest of the morning troubleshooting. Meanwhile, he couldn't take HC-BXK out, since they had just starting inspecting the rudder pedal assemblies. So, pray that the four planes in Shell would run well and that when problems arise the guys can find a solution rapidly. It seems we always have one plane in an inspection. If the other planes are up and running with no problems, that is wonderful.

4. Pray that a higher authority than the civil aviation authority would make changes to laws so that we can continue flying with ex-pat pilots. At first it seems that the civil aviation authority was causing the problems, and that they could resolve the situation. Now, it seems that they have done all they can, and are saying that MAF should appeal farther up the chain of command. We are doing that, and have some good contacts in the government. Pray for a rapid resolution to this.

5. Pray for the flight scheduler, Tomas MariÒo. He is the one who has to say 'no' to people when we can't fly them. There is a lot of pressure on him at this time of reduced flying. He needs wisdom in decisions and in dealing with people.

Soria Solo

Daniel Soria and his wife have recently joined MAF. He's from Shell, and has many years of flying experience with local companies. Anita's first husband was also an MAF pilot. He was killed as a passenger riding along on a search and rescue flight in the BaÒos pass. Before any new MAF pilot flies alone, they do quite a bit of flying with an MAF instructor pilot. Recently Daniel received the approval to fly on his own, and that first flight was this past Wednesday from Quito to Shell. There was quite a crowd waiting for him, both to witness and to participate in the traditional dunking that happens after the first MAF solo flight. There had been a break in the city water line, and the work team was pouring cement, so in reality there was very little water to spare. But, Fred did manage to come up with a couple gallons, enough to 'sprinkle' Daniel. Mateo, Richard, and Patricio enjoyed watching! By the way, Richard hopes to someday become an MAF pilot.

Calacali

Monday through Wednesday of this week the students in grades 5-8 at NSMS went to the Youth World facility of El Refugio in Calacali. Each year the students go on a field trip, and this was the first time they've done something like this. Dustin was so excited about it, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Last year the students went to Quito for the field trip, and Ellyn went along. Dustin was happy that he was on his own this year, and that neither of his parents were coming along. Either he doesn't like us, or he is growing older and more confident. (I think it's the latter. For months he has been begging to go alone on the day-long bus trip to Quito to see the orthodontist! He is sure he can do it, and I think he probably could. But I'm not ready to let him try that any time soon.) He wrote:

The 5th to 8th Grade classes had a great time camping at El Refugio. It was well worth the $28.00 and the 6 hour bus ride each way. When we got there we were a bit ahead of schedule and had to play soccer, and a game shooting baskets.

Lunch was a great treat and a wonderful meal. At 1:00 PM that afternoon, we hopped on a bus and came back to Shell.

Two Wheels

How do you move a plane that is missing the nose wheel? With a rope and the help of the villagers in Kuakash. Earlier this week, on Tuesday, four of the guys went to Kuakash and moved HC-BQV off of the runway, and into a more permanent location. There is quite a bit of work to do on the plane before we can ferry it out. Then, yesterday, Curtis and John went back in to begin the work. They were able to put on a new nose gear, as well as get new rudder tubes in place. Next will come things like repairing the right wing, the stabilizer, and the prop.

Five Days In Shell

The team has had reasonable weather this week for working outside. It rained quite a bit Monday, then off and on the rest of the week. It was actually very sunny and warm on Thursday. This morning, about 7:30, it started raining. It poured quite hard until sometime after 11 AM. That was not good news, but Ron and the team pressed on. They still had half of the footings to pour for a new storage building. In the pouring rain they worked, getting drenched, and finally getting the job done. This afternoon they went to Hola Vida, for a hike and a dip under a waterfall. Tomorrw they will head up to Quito. This group of teenagers and chaperones has done an incredible amount of work in five days!

Kuakash Story

It was a week ago that the rudder pedal broke while Bruce was landing at Kuakash. He writes:

A husband and wife with their infant were on board as we took off for their destination. As I circled the airstrip I noticed that it had not rained in Kuakash, which was very good news. Kuakash, situated on the edge of a 300 foot cliff, is fairly narrow and can be very slippery when wet. My approach to landing was uneventful. The touchdown was accurate, but upon application of the brakes I entered into a very non-standard situation. I heard a crack as the right control pedal completely broke away! In disbelief I realized that I had lost both directional control and braking! With the airplane now 'safely' on the ground and traveling at 55 mph, it swerved left. I immediately let up pressure on the left pedal while quickly and abruptly stomping and forcefully pressing on the remains of the right pedal area. My hopes of doing something to help the seemingly hopeless situation resulted in the airplane almost straightening out. We continued on the airstrip surface but were now notably left of the center. No other thoughts came to mind as I wondered if there was any other action I could take to bring the aircraft under control and keep it on the airstrip. The airplane was slowing down and just as I began to think that maybe we would be OK the airplane made a slow turn to the left. We exited the airstrip 600 feet from where I first touched down, traveling at about 15 mph. The airplane lurched upward as it entered thick foliage. A snap and bump were heard, the front of the plane nosed down, and the tail began to rise. We're not going to flip, I determinedly thought! We are going too slow! The slack in our shoulder harnesses tightened, restraining us as the plane reached a 35-degree incline before settling back to earth. My passengers, particularly the woman with child, were more than anxious to exit the airplane. Thank God everyone was ok!

I pray each day for the pilots and planes. I know many of you do too. It's days like this that I am especially aware of answered prayers.

Gritty

A note from Bruce:
A while back I had a series of flights from the jungle base of Shell to the nation's capital of Quito. A volcano along the way had been intermittently expelling an ash cloud for months but the prevailing wind would always blow it away from Shell. There was a shift in the wind that caused us in Shell to experience a couple light ash dustings.

Kuakash

Much happening again here today. The team has started another day of work. When I woke this morning, it was raining a bit, and it also rained hard during the night. But, right now, the weather is good--no rain, and a nice cloud cover to keep away the hot equatorial sun. So, that's good for mixing cement and digging trenches. Right now they are pouring cement in the shop. Later, they will want to pour the driveway by the maintenance shop. Right now they are putting in the rebar.

Chad has flown out to Kuakash with Bruce, Darryl, John, and Rolland. They went to finish the accident investigation on HC-BQV's landing incident last Thursday. Rolland is from the MAF headquarters in Redlands. John is our chief mechanic, and he'll be in charge of making the necessary repairs to ferry the plane back to Shell. It's only an 18 minute flight, but there are quite a few repairs that will be needed on site before it can fliy. There's damage to the right wing, right stabilizer, prop, and nose gear.

Many Man Hours

Today we have a huge work team in Shell. The team is about forty-five people big, most of them being teenagers. They are from a supporting church of Fred and Desi Schmidt. Despite a lot of rain today, they accomplished a great amount of work. One group moved sod from hangar to the Irwin's back yard. The spot they removed the sod from will be coverd in concrete, and we'll then have better access for trucks to the back of the maintenance shop. Another group started digging trenches for the new water system on the base. The trench in front of our house was a lot of work for the guys. The way roads are built here is on a base of huge rocks. They had to dig through many of those. But, I think they had a lot of fun doing the job. Another job that was begun today was busting concrete out of the shop. Once that was done, Matt and Ben packed the earth. Later they put in a vapor barrier and some rebar. Cement should be poured tomorrow. So, the rain made it a muddy mess around here with all the digging, but we'll make it. We're just thankful this group is getting so much done so quickly.

Fender Bender

I was not able to write about this last night, as I did not want information to get out before it should. However, we had a fender bender in the jungle yesterday. Here is an excerpt from an MAF internal e-mail:
Yesterday we received word of a landing accident in Ecuador; there were no
injuries to the pilots and 3 passengers. After landing at Kuakash, about 18
minutes from Shell on the Pastasa River, the plane's rudder pedal broke off
which caused a loss of directional control and the aircraft went off the
runway hitting a tree stump which sheared off the nose gear. The right wing
hit the ground causing damage at the wing root and tip. The aircraft was
traveling 10-15 miles per hour when the pedal broke.

More later as I can share the news.

Lightning Speed

I am really enjoying this fast internet connection at this Internet Cafe in Quito. Very nice, and I better stop soon, or I am going to be spoiled.

In Quito

Up in Quito tonight with Taylor. We had a good trip up by van, even though we had an initial report that there was a strike going on and the road was blocked along the way. Whatever was going on, it was only local to the area around Shell, and we were OK. That was nice, because yesterday I was thinking how nice it was going to be to go to Quito and not have to worry about strikes. Then at 7 AM I got a call telling me there was this strike going on. At any rate, we found a new bike for Taylor, and that was a blessing. I would not have wanted to get up here and then not find anything suitable. We head down to Shell again in the morning.

Spinning Wheels

Getting close to the end of the day. I need to get something on the page now, or it won't happen today. Later this evening we have the Pinewood Derby, and then tomorrow I'm off to Quito with Taylor. It's a day off for the kids, and I'm taking Taylor up for his birthday. He hasn't been to Quito for almost a year, so it will be fun to go up, try and see a movie, and eat at McDonalds. Also, I'm hoping a can find a new bicycle for him. We brought a great bike down for him when we came to Ecuador, and he's finally outgrown it. I'm not sure what I'm going to find here. If it's good quality, it's really expensive. If it's not expensive, then it's really heavy and poorly made. Reminds me of the old Bontrager mantra: "Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick Two".

The day started off with a lot of rain again. Actually, rained most of the night too. This afternoon has been good flying weather again, so that helps us get the job done. I was able to get a few things done today also, and that's always good, as some days I feel like I'm really spinning my wheels. I ran a network cable into the runway doctor's office. She works with us as we do the air ambulance flying. I'm going to be putting a computer in her office so she can work on the billing process. That's something you can be praying about too, now that I think about it. We contract with the Ministry of Health to do the air ambulance flights. They pay us when they can for the work, and sometimes it's far and between that we receive payments. Right now they are saying they can't pay us until sometime in April. When we get into situations like this, then MAF has to float the bill, and that can stretch things at times. Pray that the payment will come in sooner rather than later.

Another thing I did today was to clear off my work bench back in the 'clean' shop. The reason for that is some work that will be done tomorrow, and into next week. The cement floor in that room is very rough, and part of it needs to be re-poured. The rough floor is very hard on the wheeled toolboxes that the mechanics move in and out of there each day. Beginning tomorrow Ron will cut the floor, and then next week, a visiting work team will do the work of breaking out the cement. There is a huge work team coming done, almost fifty people total. In addition to that cement work, they will also be involved in re-doing the water system on the base. So, I needed to move a handful of computers I'm working on, along with a monitor and keyboard. Rather not have them fill up with cement dust.

Apple Fritter

I read an Lance Armstrong interview this evening. He's heading for a TdF showdown this July. I can't wait. Turns out his favorite donut is an apple fritter. Of course, a guy that is as fit as he is doesn't eat those too often. Well, my favorite donut us an apple fritter too, and there's no way I can get those in Ecuador. But, my friend, Bob, sent me 'one' for my 40th birthday. Well, I couldn't exactly eat it--it was just a photo! (That's a network cable plugged in to the fritter--guess he thought I might somehow be able to partake that way!) He made up for it by bringing several of them to me when he came down to climb with me in December.

Buzz Like A Bee

It's raining again. That might sound a bit unusual to say for a place like Shell. After all, it rains twenty feet a year here. However, lately it's not as wet as it usually is. Last night it started raining just before midnight, and it rained well into the afternoon. It wasn't a good day for bad weather. We had some important flying to do. You know, now that I write that, it sounds wrong to me. We had some really important flying to do. We had medical emergency flights to make. We had patients to return to their homes and families. But, I must admit, there were some things that seemed important, and maybe they really that way. Jim and Norma Hedlund needed to come out of Makuma. They are heading to Quito for several days, and tonight they were guests at our MAF staff meeting. Also, there is a retired couple here, who have served with MAF for many, many years, and they were hoping to fly out to Palm Beach. By 3 PM the weather had cleared, and Dan and Chad were off. The Hedlunds came in from Makuma, and a couple of people were brought out of the jungle so they could go to the hospital. Nobody made it to Palm Beach. That's OK. There's nothing magic about Palm Beach. Many people visit the place, and I think it's very inspirational to them. But, I see Palm Beach every day, right here in Shell. I see men and women from the Waorani tribe, flying in and out of the jungle almost every day. Still flying in MAF planes, just like George, the first Waorani to fly in a plane, an MAF plane flown by Nate Saint. God's word and his love have reached a group of people who seemed unreachable. That's an inspiration to me.

Tomorrow, March 10, is our deadline to have more Ecuadorian pilots, or no new licenses. Several of the guys have licenses that will go beyond the 10th, but some of them will stop flying tomorrow. We're still working on ways to resolve the situation. Please pray with us. Does the Lord want the work of MAF to continue in the jungles of Ecuador? Or, is it time for us to re-evaluate our purpose and our ministry here? I believe that the pilots and planes of MAF can continue to have a huge impact on the local church and believers in the jungle. Back in the '50s, when Nate Saint flew over the Waorani villages, they called his Yellow Piper a bee. It's my hope and prayer that the Lord will allow the buzz of the MAF planes to be heard over the jungles for many years to come.

Serving Saturday

As many of my days do, this one started with my allergies acting up. If I can help it, I don't take anything. But, today I gave in and took some Benydryl. That made me feel much better, plus I also felt drowsy. That got me started on a good nap in the middle of the day, something I don't often do. Afterwards, I coached Taylor through his chores, and then Taylor, his friend Luke, Dustin, and I hopped on a bus and went into Puyo. Taylor and Luke wanted to buy some Airsoft BB guns, and Dustin went along for the ride. We also picked up a sheet of fine sandpaper, as we wanted to polish our Pinewood Derby car axles. Later on, I did work with both of the boys to sand the axles, and now Taylor's car is done. Dustin still needs to do some painting to finish his car.

Three of the guys flew today. The weather was bad enough yesterday that nobody flew, and a couple of them took the afternoon off, to save some time to fly today. They got quite a bit done today, and thankfully the weather was much better.

Paratroopers

Wednesday was a fun day here. Probably more fun for some than for others. For a few, it might have been a bit scary! The Army paratroopers were training, and were making jumps all morning long. Most were landing on the runway, but some had more difficult landings. I saw one who had his chute get caught in a tree--not sure if he was hanging also, as I could only see the chute. Some landed on roofs and other interesting places. They were using static lines and exiting the plane (a < a href="http://www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/c8.asp">DeHaviland Buffalo) about 1000' AGL and it didn't take them long to reach the ground. I'm just sorry that I couldn't give it a try!

Home Again

Ellyn and Dustin just arrived back from their day-trip to Quito. It's been a long day for them, as they caught the 7 AM express bus to Quito. Dustin had an appointment today to repair the bracket that broke the night of our trip to Quito during the paro.

I spent the day working on my server install/documentation. Made some progress, but not everything went as smoothly as I would have liked. Still have to work at figuring a couple difficult parts out. I'll be back at that again tomorrow.

On the issue of the pilot licenses for expatriate pilots, our program manager writes: Our March 10th deadline to meet the DAC requirement of an additional Ecuadorian pilot and mechanic is fast approaching. We are working intensely to find a solution to the license issue. Please continue fervently in your prayers for us - for a solution, direction, stamina and encouragement as well as the ability to maintain and share the hope we have in Christ through it all. We will have 4 pilots with licenses past the 10th. We will be submitting a letter in the next few days to the Ministry of Health outlining the limitations for emergency flying after March 10th if we do not receive renewals. Last year we flew 2076 patients and we expect some serious pot stirring when they realize that we won't be able to meet many of the needs of the jungle communities.

Tower View

Here's a photo from last Friday when I climbed the tower to see if I had a line-of-sight view for a wireless connection to the Kelley house.

Carry-on Luggage

I've seen some interesting things being brought in from the jungle. Some things I see over and over, as they are very common. Can you spot the chicken in this photo? The food beside the chicken are chonta nuts. They are the nut of a hardwood palm tree, and the people say they are very tasty. The package on the bench holds either smoked fish, or more likely, chicha. Chicha is a fermented drink made from masticated yucca plant. Before the indians of the jungle had plastic Coke bottles, they had banana plant leaves. You can't imagine how many uses there are for banana plant leaves! By the way, notice the comfy bench made out of re-bar.

Yesterday And Today

My day just kept getting away from me, and I kept meaning to get to this. Yesterday was a good day. Things really came together on my new server project. I began the documentation in earnest, and things went very smoothly as I tested things. That was good news, because when I left off last on that project, I was a bit frustrated with things.

The other good news was that the MAF lawn mower I use is fine. The last time I used it, I hit some cement that's part of an old driveway in the lawn. It was near the end, and even though I heard a bit of a different noise, I finished mowing. But, this past Saturday I went to use the mower, and the noise was really bad. The blade seemed fine, so I figured I'd done some internal damage to the engine. Well, after looking at it more closely yesterday, I realized that the only thing wrong was loose blade. I tightened that up and then mowed the lawn.

In the evening yesterday, we packed up our dinner and headed to the Irwin's place. They had dinner, and we shared everything, then watched American Idol. A fun evening.

Today I started off looking at Rachel's computer one more time. It's been acting up lately, and stopping and restarting on its own. This morning I changed out the power supply. I didn't have a new one, but did put one in from an old case that I had up in the attic. We'll see if that does it. Then, Reinaldo (Colombian missionary to the Waorani) came in with his computer. He said it wasn't working properly. I got it started up OK, and haven't followed through on one error that did show up. By 9 AM I was off to get water from Campamento Mangayacu. That went smoothly, and by 11:15 AM I was back at my desk again.

This afternoon I continued on the documentation of the new server setup, until I ran into a problem. I sent off some info and a question regarding that to a couple guys at MAF headquarters, so we'll see if they can shed some light. At 5 PM I went for a 12-mile ride with John, something we do most Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dave and Steve, to members of a work team from San Diego, came over for dinner. Ellyn made chili and corn bread, something our whole family enjoys. After dinner, Dave and Steve went over to the hangar with me, and we helped Dave M. unload a truck that had arrived from Quito. There was some carpet for two of the new families, water pipe (which a work team will be using in March as they re-do the base water system), and an engine for HC-BXB. This engine has been a long time coming. It was a new engine about a year ago, that was involved in a prop strike. The engine was sent back to the US to be checked out, then returned to Ecuador. I'm not sure exactly what, but at that point the guys here found a problem which they couldn't rectify, and sent the engine back to the US. It's finally back in Shell. HC-BXB has been down a long time has they've sorted out the engine issue. In the mean time, they were able to get it painted. Now, they'll be ready to finish putting it back together. It will really help to have that plane running again.

Sierra de Cutuc™

One more shot. This one from Friday afternoon. I climbed the shortwave antenna tower one more time, still thinking of ways to get a wireless signal across Shell. The weather was much clearer than the last day I cimbed up, so I wanted to see if I could get some clearer pictures. I did, and one of the ones I got was in the opposite direction, looking out towards Makuma. The house on the left is the old MAF hangar, and on the right is the old Nate Saint house. The ridge in the middle distance at the left is Penny Ridge. If you look very closely in the center of the photo, you can see the north end of the Cutucu range, forty-five miles from Shell. The GMU mission station is at Makuma, just on the other side of that range.

By the way, the Cutuc™ range was explored and named sometime in 1937-1939 by Victor Oppenheim.