Page 106 - Introduction to New Jerusalem Evangelism

Then, without our notice, the next new problem would have awaited us at the
riverport. As the consequence of the very late departure from the nearest village our
team arrived finally at the riverport at 17.00 o’clock local time. The port was totally
empty, no boat, no canoe and no people. It was just like any other spot of the bank of
the river crossing the forest. Where were the Sota motorcyclists who were planned to
meet us at the port? Had they not arrived yet? Or had they already arrived but then
left the port after waiting so many hours? Nobody knew what had happened due to
no information and we still stayed in the no-cellphone-signal area. Meanwhile the
Wandouw people who escorted us to the port and the speed boat had already gone
and disappeared from our sights. We were at our own, yes, solitary and alone! At the
side of the river and the jungle in the evening time with the glooming darkness started
to haunt us. Again, another critical decision had to be made: the team, the NJE and
Sota groups would walk crossing the jungle on foot because no other choice was
available. We prayed and strengthened our hearts, Ebenhaezer!
At 17.30 the jungle-crossing journey was finally started. The more or less 30-km
distance in a jungle at night might be done in 6-7 hours by means of ‘on foot’. No map
was available, so we had to rely on the guidance of 2-3 people from Sota’s church who
had some experiences to cross the jungle. Most of the routes were narrow walking
paths with scattered holes full of water along the paths. The team had only 3 flashlights
so that the team was divided into 3 groups i.e. each group of 5-6 people. There were
in total 16-17 people i.e. 4 people of evangelists-and-pastors from Jakarta, Manado
and Merauke, 5 people of the family members of the Sota pastor and 7-8 people from
the Sota church’s members excluding the motorcycle team. Some parts of the routes
were natural bridges and each of them was made of one tree stem falling across a
small river. The tree-stem bridges could be slippery if one walked on it. So an extra
care had to be exercised. Moreover, the nature seemed to be unfriendly to us at that
night.

2017: Trip back to Sota, Indonesia – Crossing the only civilized semi-permanent bridge in the forest.

105