Chapter 47: Establishing Contact with Wycliffe/JAARS
AS TOLD BY JOHN AGERSTEN
First Encounter with Wycliffe/Jaars
I made my first contact with the Wycliffe Bible Translators when I visited the Chapra chief, Tariri, in Shoroya Cocha in 1969. It was my very first reconnaissance journey up the Morona River. I began my journey from Bagua, where we were living at the time. I reached Morona traveling as a passenger on a small trading boat from Marañon. When Tariri heard that I was a missionary, he graciously welcomed me to stay for a few days. He shared with me that he and several others from the tribe had embraced Christianity after two missionaries from Wycliffe came to their village a few years earlier to learn their language. I have elaborated on this visit in chapter 21.
One day while I was in the village, we heard a loud engine noise. A single-engine seaplane flew at a low altitude over the rooftops. It seemed everyone was familiar with the sound and the plane. They hurried along the path to the river, and I followed as quickly as I could down the narrow, muddy trail. It was quite a trek through the jungle from the village to the banks of the Morona. By the time we arrived, the plane had already landed and was moored at the riverbank. The pilot, an American, was busy unloading a considerable amount of medicine and other goods from the aircraft. It turned out that the plane belonged to JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Service), which collaborates with Wycliffe Bible Translators in their endeavors both in Peru and in several other countries. The pilot seemed surprised to encounter an unknown white man at Tariri's.
I shared a bit about myself and the reason I found myself in the jungle of the Marañon–Morona area. The pilot introduced himself as Douglas Deming and told me a little about the work he was engaged in. We chatted for a few minutes before he had to set off for his return journey to the Yarina Cocha base near Pucallpa by the Ucayali River. According to Douglas, the flight would take nearly four hours across the jungle in a southeast direction. It was a delightful meeting that provided me with new insights. I had heard some information about the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators before, and Tariri had already shared with me what they meant for their tribe.
I made my first contact with the Wycliffe Bible Translators when I visited the Chapra chief, Tariri, in Shoroya Cocha in 1969. It was my very first reconnaissance journey up the Morona River. I began my journey from Bagua, where we were living at the time. I reached Morona traveling as a passenger on a small trading boat from Marañon. When Tariri heard that I was a missionary, he graciously welcomed me to stay for a few days. He shared with me that he and several others from the tribe had embraced Christianity after two missionaries from Wycliffe came to their village a few years earlier to learn their language. I have elaborated on this visit in chapter 21.
One day while I was in the village, we heard a loud engine noise. A single-engine seaplane flew at a low altitude over the rooftops. It seemed everyone was familiar with the sound and the plane. They hurried along the path to the river, and I followed as quickly as I could down the narrow, muddy trail. It was quite a trek through the jungle from the village to the banks of the Morona. By the time we arrived, the plane had already landed and was moored at the riverbank. The pilot, an American, was busy unloading a considerable amount of medicine and other goods from the aircraft. It turned out that the plane belonged to JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Service), which collaborates with Wycliffe Bible Translators in their endeavors both in Peru and in several other countries. The pilot seemed surprised to encounter an unknown white man at Tariri's.
I shared a bit about myself and the reason I found myself in the jungle of the Marañon–Morona area. The pilot introduced himself as Douglas Deming and told me a little about the work he was engaged in. We chatted for a few minutes before he had to set off for his return journey to the Yarina Cocha base near Pucallpa by the Ucayali River. According to Douglas, the flight would take nearly four hours across the jungle in a southeast direction. It was a delightful meeting that provided me with new insights. I had heard some information about the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators before, and Tariri had already shared with me what they meant for their tribe.
A New Encounter with the JAARS Plane and Pilot
The next time I had contact with the JAARS pilot and plane was at the military outpost Barranca, situated along the Marañon River not far below Tigre Playa. It was November 1970. I was en route to Yurimaguas in a small open wooden boat, accompanied by one of the new young believers from Tigre Playa. All passing vessels, whether upstream or downstream, were required to dock at Barranca and present their identification papers. As we approached, we noticed a plane on the ground. I recognized it from my earlier experience in Morona a year and a half prior. It was a JAARS plane, and Douglas was once again the pilot. He recognized me and asked where I was headed. I replied that I was traveling to Lima to meet a new Norwegian missionary.
“Are you going to Lima in that small boat?” he inquired. I explained that I would travel to Yurimaguas, which would take two days, then catch a flight from there to the coast.
Douglas offered me a ride to Yarina Cocha, as he had room for one more passenger in the plane. He explained that I could then take a flight from Pucallpa to Lima. I gladly decided to send the boat back to Tigre Playa, relieved to avoid two days of sitting on a narrow plank under the sun and rain. Instead, I enjoyed a little over three hours flying over the jungle in a single-engine seaplane. At Wycliffe's center in Yarina, I was warmly welcomed and given the chance to stay with one of the pilot families. The following day, they would arrange a flight ticket for me, but I felt it was too expensive, so I decided to take the bus over the mountains instead. This decision would later prove regrettable. We spent nearly two days stuck in the bus, waiting to get past a major landslide on the road. In total, it resulted in three cold days spent in a drafty bus crossing the mountains. But that is a story for another time.
The next time I had contact with the JAARS pilot and plane was at the military outpost Barranca, situated along the Marañon River not far below Tigre Playa. It was November 1970. I was en route to Yurimaguas in a small open wooden boat, accompanied by one of the new young believers from Tigre Playa. All passing vessels, whether upstream or downstream, were required to dock at Barranca and present their identification papers. As we approached, we noticed a plane on the ground. I recognized it from my earlier experience in Morona a year and a half prior. It was a JAARS plane, and Douglas was once again the pilot. He recognized me and asked where I was headed. I replied that I was traveling to Lima to meet a new Norwegian missionary.
“Are you going to Lima in that small boat?” he inquired. I explained that I would travel to Yurimaguas, which would take two days, then catch a flight from there to the coast.
Douglas offered me a ride to Yarina Cocha, as he had room for one more passenger in the plane. He explained that I could then take a flight from Pucallpa to Lima. I gladly decided to send the boat back to Tigre Playa, relieved to avoid two days of sitting on a narrow plank under the sun and rain. Instead, I enjoyed a little over three hours flying over the jungle in a single-engine seaplane. At Wycliffe's center in Yarina, I was warmly welcomed and given the chance to stay with one of the pilot families. The following day, they would arrange a flight ticket for me, but I felt it was too expensive, so I decided to take the bus over the mountains instead. This decision would later prove regrettable. We spent nearly two days stuck in the bus, waiting to get past a major landslide on the road. In total, it resulted in three cold days spent in a drafty bus crossing the mountains. But that is a story for another time.
A Visit from the JAARS Plane at Tigre Playa
Our next contact with Wycliffe occurred at Tigre Playa at the very end of 1973, a year and a half after we returned for our second period in Peru. To our surprise, a single-engine seaplane landed on the river just below our house. I immediately recognized it as a Wycliffe/JAARS plane. This time, the pilot was Leo Lance, who was the chief pilot at the time. He informed us that JAARS intended to establish a center in our area, complete with a depot for aviation fuel and radio communication with their center in Yarina Cocha. As part of this, we would be provided with a communication radio operating on a fixed frequency, a small solar panel, and an antenna for the radio. This meant we would have to report the weather over the radio at 7:00 AM on weekdays. At times, we would also need to provide weather updates throughout the day if there were flights scheduled in the area. We agreed to take on this responsibility to the best of our abilities.
A couple of months after Leo Lance’s visit, we received word over the radio from Yarina that a Peruvian navy boat was on its way from Iquitos with fuel for the planes. A few days later, the large vessel docked at Tigre Playa. It had also been undertaking missions for the military outpost in Barranca. As I recall, the boat carried thirty barrels of gasoline, and a simple storage facility constructed from local materials was built for this purpose. We were, of course, pleased to have this connection with the outside world through Wycliffe. It provided many benefits for us.
In Yarina Cocha, there was a clinic staffed with American nurses and doctors. An experienced physician or nurse from the clinic would come on the radio at 8:00 AM most weekdays. They were adept at diagnosing over the radio. This service was primarily intended for their translators when they were out in the indigenous villages. However, once we established this radio contact, we were invited to utilize the same service. This proved to be a tremendous help for us in diagnosing and treating the many sick individuals who sought assistance at Tigre Playa.
Our next contact with Wycliffe occurred at Tigre Playa at the very end of 1973, a year and a half after we returned for our second period in Peru. To our surprise, a single-engine seaplane landed on the river just below our house. I immediately recognized it as a Wycliffe/JAARS plane. This time, the pilot was Leo Lance, who was the chief pilot at the time. He informed us that JAARS intended to establish a center in our area, complete with a depot for aviation fuel and radio communication with their center in Yarina Cocha. As part of this, we would be provided with a communication radio operating on a fixed frequency, a small solar panel, and an antenna for the radio. This meant we would have to report the weather over the radio at 7:00 AM on weekdays. At times, we would also need to provide weather updates throughout the day if there were flights scheduled in the area. We agreed to take on this responsibility to the best of our abilities.
A couple of months after Leo Lance’s visit, we received word over the radio from Yarina that a Peruvian navy boat was on its way from Iquitos with fuel for the planes. A few days later, the large vessel docked at Tigre Playa. It had also been undertaking missions for the military outpost in Barranca. As I recall, the boat carried thirty barrels of gasoline, and a simple storage facility constructed from local materials was built for this purpose. We were, of course, pleased to have this connection with the outside world through Wycliffe. It provided many benefits for us.
In Yarina Cocha, there was a clinic staffed with American nurses and doctors. An experienced physician or nurse from the clinic would come on the radio at 8:00 AM most weekdays. They were adept at diagnosing over the radio. This service was primarily intended for their translators when they were out in the indigenous villages. However, once we established this radio contact, we were invited to utilize the same service. This proved to be a tremendous help for us in diagnosing and treating the many sick individuals who sought assistance at Tigre Playa.
Wycliffe trained both teachers and health workers from various indigenous tribes at their base in Yarina. They were provided with an easy-to-understand and comprehensive handbook on treating the most common health issues and diseases found in the jungle when they returned to their villages. We also received several copies of this book, which became invaluable alongside other resources on common tropical diseases.
Yarina Cocha was about 530 miles from Tigre Playa in a straight line over the jungle, and it took approximately 3 hours flying in the single-engine seaplanes that landed on both large and small rivers. Occasionally, pilots had to make multiple flights between the indigenous villages in the region. They were always pleased to stay overnight with us, which made for enjoyable evenings, especially for our children, who were thrilled by these visits. There were times when they would bicker over whose turn it was to host the pilot, whether it was at our home or at the Wilhelms’.
Yarina Cocha was about 530 miles from Tigre Playa in a straight line over the jungle, and it took approximately 3 hours flying in the single-engine seaplanes that landed on both large and small rivers. Occasionally, pilots had to make multiple flights between the indigenous villages in the region. They were always pleased to stay overnight with us, which made for enjoyable evenings, especially for our children, who were thrilled by these visits. There were times when they would bicker over whose turn it was to host the pilot, whether it was at our home or at the Wilhelms’.
A Gathering at Tigre Playa for Chapra and Kandozi Indians Organized by Wycliffe
In November 1975, I wrote in a letter to mission supporters in Norway about a special gathering at Tigre Playa:
"Here at Tigre Playa, there is a lot of activity at the moment. Around 25 to 30 individuals from the Chapra and Kandozi tribes came from villages along the Morona and Pastaza rivers for an assembly arranged in collaboration with Wycliffe Bible Translator John Tuggy. He and his wife, Sheila, are working on translating the New Testament into the Kandozi language, which is spoken by both of these indigenous groups.
John Tuggy is providing Bible teaching for them in their language, while simultaneously discussing which words and expressions should be used in the translation to ensure it will be as comprehensible as possible. The atmosphere is quite lively as comments and discussions fill the church where they gather.
In November 1975, I wrote in a letter to mission supporters in Norway about a special gathering at Tigre Playa:
"Here at Tigre Playa, there is a lot of activity at the moment. Around 25 to 30 individuals from the Chapra and Kandozi tribes came from villages along the Morona and Pastaza rivers for an assembly arranged in collaboration with Wycliffe Bible Translator John Tuggy. He and his wife, Sheila, are working on translating the New Testament into the Kandozi language, which is spoken by both of these indigenous groups.
John Tuggy is providing Bible teaching for them in their language, while simultaneously discussing which words and expressions should be used in the translation to ensure it will be as comprehensible as possible. The atmosphere is quite lively as comments and discussions fill the church where they gather.
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Additionally, they are receiving practical instruction in hygiene and health, as well as in the art of maintaining and repairing engines. A few have managed to purchase "pequi" motors which have long shafts for the propellers, and it is likely that more will follow suit in time. These motors are simple to operate and ideal for the small rivers, but understanding how an engine works is necessary if they are to last for several years.
Many have traveled from various villages deep within the small tributaries and lakes. For many of them, this stay is a life-changing experience. They will have much to share when they return to their communities. The most valuable takeaway for them is the increased knowledge of God's Word and the gospel of Jesus. Just the other day, I went fishing with some of them. We used a net that I had received from a friend in the Betania congregation in Sokndal. Large schools of fish had arrived in the past few days. We rowed out onto the river and pulled in a little over 200 pounds of fine fish with the net. The fish were salted and dried, some were smoked, and a good portion was cooked and eaten the same day. We were all invited to this feast. Fish, roe, and boiled green bananas were served on banana leaves as platters. People stood or squatted as they enjoyed the fish and accompaniments with hearty appetites.” |
We invited all the participants to a pleasant gathering at our place the day before the conclusion of the course. Sweet oatmeal soup was served from bowls, following John Tuggy's advice. When we visit the indigenous villages, we are served masatto in similar bowls, as is their custom when guests arrive.
In the following years, we had extensive contact with Wycliffe, particularly with the pilots from JAARS. We were able to support each other mutually. For us, the collaboration with Wycliffe became a significant help and enrichment in many ways. Some of this we will share about in later chapters.
In the following years, we had extensive contact with Wycliffe, particularly with the pilots from JAARS. We were able to support each other mutually. For us, the collaboration with Wycliffe became a significant help and enrichment in many ways. Some of this we will share about in later chapters.
