Last time I posted regarding 3 of the 6 treasures that bring me great joy. You can read that post here. I consider it a huge honor to be able to travel down the river system of the Amazonas. I have met many fine people that live along side the riverbanks and experienced their rich culture. I hope you enjoy! Below I describe 3 more Amazon treasures that bring me great joy. All the pictures are from our personal journeys and experiences.
Caiman or Jacaré in Portuguese
Imagine with me for a second… You board a small 12 foot aluminum boat and travel 25-30 minutes into the pitch dark night. As you feel the cool waters of the Amazon River splash your face, you are filled with adventure and the thoughts of the unknown are racing through your head. You turn your head back and see the disappearing lights of the big boat you have been calling home. Ahead in the distance you see…..absolutely nothing. The stars are dancing in the night sky above, but directly ahead of you is only blackness. Your senses are heightened to the maximum. Your ears are so alert you can hear your heart pounding against your chest plate. You hear the jungle as the small boat you are in coasts to a slow drift and the sounds of the night amplify. It is very eerie and your world becomes unpredictable and like nothing you have ever experienced before. Let the games begin! You turn on your spotlight and the beam of light pierces through the darkness as you roam the riverbanks for what seems to be a search for red marbles. You are now Caiman spotting and you are about ready to jump out of your skin. When the light makes contact with the eyes of the caiman it temporarily puts the gator into a stage of paralysis. They are mesmerized, so to speak– lulled by the light in the darkness. You then coast slowly to the caiman without ever letting the light leave the eyes. Swiftly grab the reptile with a noose around his snout/mouth and sling him in the boat. What a rush! A true treasure!
Connections
Treasure number five is what I thrive on. Meeting new people, hearing their stories and experiencing community with people I would have never imagined meeting. Doing life with others in a foreign land, who speak and communicate completely different than me and have so much to offer. I gave a water filter to this young man and his family as a gift. He was so honored he wanted to repay me with a bag of Jaca (Jackfruit). The Jaca is an interesting fruit. The flavor is comparable to a combination of apple, pineapple, mango and banana. It can weigh up to 40Kilograms (88 lbs)!! This young man is community leader in his village. He gave me a tour of his grounds. He was so proud and such a leader. Even in the jungle you can just sense the gifts that are abundantly and divinely placed in people. I place high value on every person I meet.
Souls
This is the greatest treasure of all. People coming into relationship with Jesus Christ. Not with religion–but Jesus Christ. The other 5 treasures pale in comparison to the reason I do what I do. I have been baptized in love for people that do not know my Savior. I love the way Jesus explains the Kingdom in the 13th chapter of Matthew:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
This is how I have decided to live my life. One treasure discovered is not enough– I know the harvest is ripe and ready and I want the entire field! Yes, souls is the real treasure and the passion of my heart. It is my DNA. And I know it pleases my Father.
When it comes to the Cause–I am all in.
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What will you do today to Go All In?