Tropical jungle life isn't easy
Daily life in a tropical jungle. Lourens Laureti says he is still dumbfounded by some of its realities.
Upon recently returning to their home village after a brief absence to attend a translation workshop, the Laureti family discovered cockroaches had feasted on their office supplies, consuming paper, glue and envelopes. And these busy critters didn’t stop in the office. They consumed the aluminum packets in the kitchen containing things like tomato paste and soup. In addition, Lourens writes that spiders had moved in to every corner, giving a whole new meaning to the words “web design.”
It got Lourens to thinking about some of the unique components of their tropical jungle life. He writes, since the humidity is pretty much guaranteed at 100 percent, clothing is always wet as soon as you put it on—either with sweat or rain.
Instead of hearing car horns and televisions blaring, they hear dogs barking, roosters crowing and unhappy pigs squealing above the loud chirping and droning of insects. In addition, Lourens says there is the constant sound of “people fighting, shouting, singing, chopping wood and working around their houses.”
A hot and sticky climate affects the body in various ways. Lourens writes that sand flies do itchy, red skin damage to arms and legs and there are various rashes and skin fungi to contend with.
But their recent homecoming was most notable to the Lauretis not for any of these inconvenient features of tropical jungle life. Because, in spite of the adjustments, coming home to their Mengen village was a very joyous experience. “The transition back to village (life) has grown to be very special, for we truly love our friends in the village. … Our friends are always delighted to see us and the believers always have some exciting stories to tell us about God’s faithfulness,” Lourens shares.
He adds, “Suddenly the roaches and climate and sounds don’t seem like a problem at all.”
Pray for the Laureti family and for other missionary families who cheerfully adjust to village life in remote tropical jungle places. Pray for the ongoing ministry of the Lauretis to the Mengen people. And pray for God’s grace to grow and mature His church gathered from every tribe and tongue and people and nation—those He has loved and redeemed by the work of His Son.