It means your family is very close!
And Christmas time is HOT!
It means you grew up knowing how to make casave bread...
and hanging out with your indian friends is fun!
You do not realize they are living in poverty...
maybe because people would consider you as living in poverty as well! But you think you are rich!
It means your dad convinces you to play golf on the airstrip!
It means you were potty trained in an outhouse!
So you know how to appreciate an indoor toilet!
It means you use the river as your playground!
And swim at a very young age.
It means your best friends are indian children!
It means, at a very young age, you are the best translator for any outsider...even government officials and medical groups.
This is normal for you! The indians trust you. And , who else speaks, English-Spanish-Ye'kwana with a little bit of Sanema!
It means you help build your own house, even though a child! By weaving the palm roof...
Helping to lay the hand made adobe bricks...
You help mix the mud used for mortar and learn hard work is FUN!
It means you understand all the hard work that went into making your mud hut!
It may mean helping take care of the sick...
It means you have exotic pets...
Meet "Frutilupis" !
This toucan was a regular visitor at our house every afternoon. My husband would pop corn in the late afternoon and sit outside and share it with 'Fruitlupis', which is the Venezuelan name for Froot Loops cereal. This toucan would sit on his shoulder and share the pop corn right out of my husbands hand.
Meet "Bambi" !
Jayde would bottle feed this fawn named "Bambi". Her mother was killed by the hunters and they brought the fawn back to the village to be cared for. She was cared for until old enough to survive on her own in the jungle. Once old enough she was released.
It means you learn to make your own fun! This improvised see saw the children made lasted for weeks!
It means putting on plays for your parents!
Even musicals!
It means you are more familiar with flying in small planes than in riding in cars. Taking a taxi ride is 'exotic' and unusual to you, but flying for two hours over the jungle, landing on short grass airstrips is boring...you can sleep through that!
It means you might convince your mom into allowing you to wear a Mohawk! That way you feel like a real indian.!
It means you were home schooled.
It means Aunt Beth came to teach you algebra! Even though no one else in the village cares about your suffering!
It may mean you learn to walk on a dirt floor.
But most of all, you know it is for a good cause! Building churches!
35 comments:
I'm gonna link to this one. I don't have any of these pictures,forgot to take them, since I failed to realize that we were doing something out of the ordinary.
Finally! the out house!!! hheehehehe
Seriously now, Rita, you and your family are very brave ones. I wouldn't survive a minute on a dirt floor. In fact, I hate camping!
Cute pics, especially when the children were little. I can recognize some of their faces!!
And hey, why is that we say 'frutilupis'? my son always makes fun of that (he thinks he speaks better english than his classmates and his mom)
Thank you for a glimpse into your life. What a precious family you have and what a beautiful testament to the love of Christ. Have a great day :)
What a great post! A nice glimpse into jungle life. Loved all of the pictures. Was that a Barbie doll in Josh's pack 'n' play? My little brother was forced to play Barbie dolls with me & my sister too.
Kandice, it probably is a Barbie doll, but the baby is our youngest, Jayde. Not Josh.
What a great glimpse of Jungle life (and the life of a family of Missionaries).
Things may have been 'primitive' there, but I've always noticed this about Missionary families...they seem to be ahead of the game as far as their children being prepared for their adult lives. Serving the Lord with your very lifestyle, day in and day out is bound to do that for a person though.
It seems to me that many folks in the U.S. are too 'soft'. Spoiled, really. They sort of have an entitlement mentality when it comes to 'expecting' creature comforts, and don't have a true appreciation for or the ability to live without them.
Great pictures thanks! How is the weight watchers going?
A wonderfully, touching post!!
~Kristi
I loved sharing your life in pictures. What wonderful memories you all have.
Because of your work there will be many people in heaven that may not have heard about Jesus otherwise.
I pray God will continue to bless you and your family as you serve him.
WHAT A LIFE!!! WHAT MEMORIES!!
I am with Liz....(HI LIZ love your eye's) I would not survive in dirt don't like to camp and if I do I need a RV.or a cabin,however I am very gald and happy that you are there doing Gods work and you my friend are truly bless to be there!!
I think its harder being hear in the city where people are so into them selfs and you are trying to plant a seed for Christ!!however if it counts at all I don't care if I wear make up or not or if I am nicley dress I use to but now I have lay it down,,there are more impotant things in life.
May God richly bless you,Rita!!,marina
Great to see so many pics of Aunt Beth! Boy, your kids look so young in these pics.
ellen, I think we took more fotos while Aunt beth was with us than ever! I need for her to call me so we can get together. I seem to have misplaced her number.
wowza what a beautiful journey.thanks !
This is amazing. I just love it. I'm going to read it again with my seven year old daughter.
whaat a wonderful glimpse into your life!
Marina dear,
those are the eyes of Elizabeth Taylor!! hehehe (I wished were mine)
In my defense, my eyebrows look kinda similar :D
I really liked your pictures. I wonder if my mother in law has similar ones from raising her family in Niger and Nigeria. I'm going to ask her.
That sounds like real living to me. You and your family are blest. Boy, I must say that is one fancy outhouse.lol Ours didn't look near that good. I can still remember how I felt when we got our first indoor toliet. YEAH!!! You have a great family. connie from Texas
Thanks for showing us the pictures. They were just wonderful.
That sounds like real living to me. You and your family are blest. Boy, I must say that is one fancy outhouse.lol Ours didn't look near that good. I can still remember how I felt when we got our first indoor toliet. YEAH!!! You have a great family. connie from Texas
Thanks for showing us the pictures. They were just wonderful.
Rita... just looking at the pictures i can feel how much you love the venezuelan indians; how much you enjoyed working with them and how much you miss being there... You did and still do much more than we even venezuelan people do... Thanks for what you have done and for shearing those pictures... I really enjoyed them.
Con mucho cariño; Maria de los Angeles!
Ooh. Wow, they must be pretty close in age. It's hard enough to raise kids, much less 4 kids in the jungles of Venezuela. You're my hero.
Do you and the rest of the Jungle Huttin' family even have a clue what the term "roughing it" means? ;-)
I can somewhat, and I stress somewhat relate, the Mrs. and 3 little Joe's head on down to the middle of México, sometimes staying conditions with no running water or electricity.
You folks are on my 'must meet one day' list.
Awesome post! I was thinking of you when I was laughing so hysterically hard over BooMama's not-so-jungle-saavy post about her trip to uganda. I think you'd get a kick out of it.
Warning, empty you bladder first and do not read the post with anything in your mouth...
http://boomama.net/?p=2171
Joe gringo,
I would love to meat the Mrs. and all the little Joe's!
groovy, I read that post and it was hilarious, but...there are no truly nocturnal monkeys, except for one species in South America! That made it even funnier!
Loved these! So happy you posted them for all to see.
The Palm Roof Musical was so sweet!
I really loved seeing baby Jayde swinging from the rafters!
Your children are so very blessed, Rita! They won't ever take everything for granted the way so many Americans do. What a rich experience for them to have had. May God bless you and your family and thank you so much for sharing your wonderful pictures!
Those are super fun pictures! I would be waaay toooo scared to travel by plane
Did y'all have to get weighed before you got on? It looks like an awesome experience!
This post was so fun! Kinda makes me wish I got to groq up in the jungle!!! But then again I read your post about snakes, and I am thankful that I didn't! :O)
Whenever I read about your experiences in the Jungle I am amazed. Your pictures also give us a glimpse into what real dedication is all about. Thank you.
Oh my, I loved this one!!! I felt like I was there with you growing up in the jungle.
Hoe different your missionary life is from ours in Europe. I think I like yours better! °Ü°
Loved looking and hearing about your life..how amazing and interesting..god bless
Jennifer
Not everyone could survive or thrive in a jungle environment after growing up in middle-class America, but you and your family apparently did. The following comes through in these photos and in your writings. Accept where you are,not to continually wish one were elsewhere, try to understand the place where you are, doing the best with what you have, realize that humor can leaven a lot. Plus spiritual guidance.These are guidelines for succeeding anywhere, not just in the jungle.
BTW, most of us don't have to go that far back in the family tree to find ancestors who built their own homes. It is a skill we can revive.
Gringo, So much is attitude, isn't it? I and my children are usually surprised if people feel we did without, we had everything we needed. Right now, we are blessed to have more!
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