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Women use  these simple rafts, of logs tied together.  They wash clothes, pounding them on the flat board. As they make their way to the river’s edge, they pick a green plant from the bean family that grows along the trail,and use it to  clean and whiten the clothes. Sometimes they soap the clothes and spread them out on the bank of the river in the hot sunshine, thus helping to draw out the dirt before rinsing in the water.  Wash day for the women is a social event as well.  This is part of the story to be in our future book about the Amazon and Brazil.

The Bible says.”“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.  Isaiah 1:18

Wash day for the women as they gather at the river.

Elevated garden on the Amazon

Vegetables in the jungles were few and far between.  It is true that things grow well there, but the things we wanted just were not there.  We learned to eat what the locals grew and they were delicious.  But insects and even animals were natural enemies of a healthy garden.  So I devised a system to elevate the garden and grow the vegetable up in the air.  Our main crop was collard greens (or kale).  How great it was to have these fresh vegetables for our meals.  This is a segment of the forthcoming article in the book we are writing.

The Bible says:  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Rita was one of the happiest persons we knew.  She was a lovely Christian lady who never allowed circumstances to get her down.  One  day coming from the interior to the capitol city of Natal, the only place available was on the motor cover inside the bus.  She sat there for 4 hours singing.  This was literally a  ”hot seat” but it didn’t matter. Everything was okay, always with Rita.  What a great lesson she was for all of us. Her story and others, are in an upcoming book of stories we are writing about our years in Brazil.

Rita, the happy lady

Normal Cashew tree

The Cashew tree is perhaps one of the most unusual trees on earth. The one pictured here is a normal tree.  The one below it is the largest in the world. You can see that it covers huge amounts of land.  The cashew fruit is delicious and it is the only fruit I am aware of where the nut is on the outside of the fruit. I call it the fruit with the built in handle.  This huge tree near where we lived in brazil covers some 90,000 square feet.  That is a lot of tree.  And it bears over 2 tons of fruit in season. Many people are very fond of the cashew nut (the “handle” of this fruit) This story along with many others will appear in my upcoming book on our experiences in Brazil.

Aerial view of the largest cashew tree in the world

PBY Catalina

This amazing plane was in many ways the lifeline of the Amazon.  People could commute relatively quickly (compared to slow river travel) for business and medical purposes.  When one considers the work involved in getting adequate supplies of aviation fuel to this town 2,000 miles upriver, it is an awesome undertaking.  Probably few thought of the months of preparation necessary for each flight up this great river.  Because it was amphibian, it landed at many towns along the river bringing mail supplies and passengers to their destinations.  Those who have traveled in this plane know the ear splitting sound at takeoff and “landing” on the water.  The cotton provided for the ears was a welcomed  item.

Ship with many food surprises on the Amazon

We lived 2,000 miles up the Amazon River.  This ship periodically came up the river all the way to Iquitos, Peru, where our daughter Joy was born.  Our fellow workers would make the long trip by boat and plane to where the ship was docked, and go aboard and purchase any number of delightful things.  Frozen turkeys, bread, frozen milk, all sorts of desserts and many other things were among the things they would bring back in Styrofoam boxes for a feast that would follow.  Often this would take place close to Thanksgiving so you can imagine the wonderful meal we enjoyed.  We would tell our Brazilian friends who live distant up the Great River, that the frozen food section of this ship was probably larger than their entire house.  They would be amazed at such stories.  We believe this ship came from England bringing supplies to Peru.

Notice the safety rails - beware piranhas

Believer’s baptism practiced on the banks of the Amazon River.  At these church services, many of the townsfolk attended also to witness what was going on.  Persons who have personally received Jesus Christ as Savior are baptized as a public demonstration of their faith in the Lord.  It is a very meaningful service for those who participate and the witnesses who view it.  In the photo a believer is carefully making his way down the steps that were previously embedded in the mud floor.  The side rails give stability and the one baptizing has a back rest as a security so he can perform the baptism.  In other words in case the piranhas get interested, it was wise to have a quick escape planned.

"Cowboy" in front of our home in Benjamin Constant

We were always amazed at the cleverness of the folks in our little town. How practical to use a cow, when a donkey was not available for the service he performed of delivering goods to people’s homes. You can see part of our house in the background and also the wonderful jambu tree which provided delicious apple-like fruit in season.  This and more stories are all part of an upcoming book to be published later. We will keep you informed with small excerpts while we wait.

Beautiful Lake Bomfim - Northeast Brazil

This lake was the retreat center for many people. Private homes encircle the edge of this marvelous place. The Berean Seminary of Natal had many retreats here and the churches used it often. We believe the water was medicinal. The delightful breeze, white sandy beaches and superb weather makes it a very favorable site.

This story and many others will appear in an upcoming book I am writing about our years in Brazil.

Stay tuned for more.