June 13, 2022
Dear Praying Friends, This finds us back in the village. Thank you all so much for your prayers for us. God certainly heard and answered. We had a wonderful drive down with good friends to Orlando, then, our flight to Panama and from there, on to Venezuela went without a single hitch. The next day, we had to run up to the capital city to try and do some paper work for one of my brothers and brother in laws. They needed to renew their resident visas. Sad to say, with this paper work, we did have trouble. We are still trying to figure out what they are going to have to do to get their resident Visas re-issued. The fact that there is no longer diplomatic relations between our two countries is making it really hard. Prayers appreciated for both my brother Steve and brother in law, Gerald.
Our flight into the jungle had originally been scheduled for Sunday but we were informed it had been changed to Monday. However, Saturday night at 9:30 we were informed that the flight was back on for Sunday so we scrambled to get the truck to drive all our stuff the 2 hours needed to get to the airport where our flight was leaving from. Thankfully, the truck driver, happy for the business, assured us he would be there first light on Sunday morning. We loaded him up with all the stuff we had, including some of my sister’s boxes, some new outboards we had shipped down from the USA for our outreach ministry and the Torches and we were ready. As we were leaving Caracas it started to pour rain, never a good sign when planning a flight down here. Keila and I both looked at the rain and consoled each other by saying, well, even if we have to get in a hotel in Maracay, we will already be close to the airport. It kept raining.
There is strong security to get into the airport and initially we were not allowed to pass. We called the man who was in charge of the flight and within 15 min we had an escort into the flight line and it was still raining. It briefly quit and we quickly unloaded the cargo into a small warehouse on the flight line and waiting for the weather to clear. We have plenty of time still, I told Keila. But then we heard it was even raining harder in Puerto Ayacucho. The pilots had told us they hoped to be in the air by at least 2 PM, since it was only about 12 by then, we were still optimistic we were going to make that time. However, 2 PM came and went and it was still raining at both our takeoff and destination airports. By this time, we knew we were only going to go as far as Puerto Ayacucho and would try to continue the flight Monday morning. Around 3 pm it did quit raining enough for them to start loading the plane and while it did start raining again, the cargo was dry on the plane, for the most part.
4:30 the report from Puerto Ayacucho was that it was no longer raining and while still very overcast, the sun was trying to shine through. The actual words were, “there is a small hole right over the airport…” So by 4:40 we were in the air heading to Puerto Ayacucho. We flew through rain the entire 1:40 min flight and were happy to see the rain stop while we were about 15 min out of Puerto Ayacucho. Nice flight.
We were told to be back to the airport by 7 the next morning. It rained hard all night long! But by 7 we were at the airport. Since the plane was already still loaded, we were taxing out by 7:30 and heading into the jungle. Beautiful flight above the clouds but they were thick below us. Looking out the window at the solid carpet of clouds, I remembered a song we had been taught by a Kenyon missionary at the missions conference at Restoration Church a few weeks before. While not wanting to quote all the words, and yes, you are right, I don’t remember all the words, but the part I was happy to remember was, “Who has the final say, Jehovah has the final say! …He makes a way where there is no way…” and so, realizing that includes clouds and short muddy airstrips, I just enjoyed the rest of the flight. God did make a way, the clouds parted above the village and while we slipped around a bit on landing in the soft rain soaked airstrip, we had a wonderful flight and wonderful landing and we are here! Thanks so much for your prayers! Our God always makes a way!
We are happy and honored to be your partners up here with the Yanomamö.
Michael and Keila
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