Apipé Island... It's a Different World

"All aboard" for Apipé Island

  

Felipe entertains kids aboard the boat

Little jewels enjoying Felipe

Playing peek-a-boo with Michelle

Islanders check out the blonde attraction as we wait for our taxi at the dock

Taxi is loaded and ready to head for Pastor Vilma's home and her church.

Michelle meets Pastora Vilma Machay aboard the taxi.  Vilma lost her husband about the same time as my Frances passed away in 2010.  They worked together for 22 years on this island struggling against opposition and witchcraft.  But God came through for them and gave then great success.

Delicious home-made food

Lunch outside in the patio

The new church building:
Christian Center "The Good Shepherd"

It was a beautiful day for winter and with the girls we took a walk around the area and found a large plant of poinsettias with butterflies flitting around.  I happened to capture a butterfly and a bee working together.

My sleeping quarters was the old church building on a cot.  The girls stayed in the house with Pastora Vilma.

Service started promptly at 7 PM.  Pastora Vilma was so proud of her "quartet".  Their only musical instruments were her "Bombo drum" and tamborines, but I believe their worship was joined in heaven by a choir of angels with classy celestial musical instruments. 

All the seats in the church were full on this Wednesday night, July 4th.

Felicia Echevarria introduced my granddaughter, Michelle.

Michelle sang acapello in Spanish and English and it sounded better to my ears than with a fancy keyboard.

The kids enjoyed petting Perfume and everyone roared with laughter at Felipe's attempt at a Bible story.

The response at the altar was 100%.

The night was filled with the strange howls of the monkeys.  I got up once in the night to go to the bathroom which was in another building and saw a monkey scampering across the patio. 

Thursday the ladies took the taxi back to dock in a driving rain storm.  The girls waited at the dock as I tramped back and forth several times through the mud to and from the Coast Guard station.  They had promised us that they would take us back to the mainline, but were missing the vehicle that was to pick us up in a restricted area at the dam.  We were trapped in pouring rain and were told we would have to wait until the next day.  Fortunately Sister Vilma had rain gear to loan us.

Then the miracle happened.  A lady consul, a woman of authority, with a kind heart happened to be at the little Naval Station and heard the discussion.  She contacted someone else of authority and soon we were in an open Coast Guard boat with all our instruments and gear getting drenched as we crossed to the mainland. 

All was well and we reached Posadas City in time for our next service that evening.  And wait till you see my next post... What a service it was!

Ralph