The Luther League's Lenten concert - A Trip to Parika - Fruit Trees

Our week has been interesting - travel to a new place - finding interesting fruit trees; Pomelo, Pomegranate, PawPaw - Banana Trees (the last two in our yards)

This beautiful bloom is the beginnings of the Pomelo fruit - with the next green fruit (yellow when ripe) is the giant grapefruit like fruit.

The Bloom and tree of the Pomegranate tree

The rains that have been falling these last three days have filled the trench in our yard - the Kokers will be operating 'flood watch' if this keeps up - oh well...for sure its better than snow!


http://picasaweb.google.com/pitpat2/ForBLOG
Photos taken at Parika - trench cleaning - Luther League Lenten Concert - Fruit Trees... Rexy.


Wakenaam is an island of about 17 square miles at the mouth of the Essequibo River of Guyana. It was settled at one time by the Dutch; the name Wakenaam is Dutch meaning "looking for a name". Its economy is based on agriculture. The island, like most other islands in the Essequibo River in Guyana, is characterized by lavish greeneries, breeze from the Atlantic and open space.
Jack was invited to preach at our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Campbellville, where we had resided in 2004-5. It was a great experience as we were able to renew friendships with so many people.
After the service Ray and Shamila Seebarran offered us to accompany them and their children on a trip to Wakenaam Island. Wakenaam Island was the original home of Shamila.
The wharf on the Essequibo River is in the town of Parika which is about a forty minute drive from Georgetown. To get there you have to cross the Demerera River over the longest pontoon bridge in the world.
Our mode of transportation on the Essequibo River is a flat bottomed 20 passenger wooden boat with a bow that rises at least five feet, and is propelled at eyeball stretching speed by a 200HP outboard. Believe me, the ride is not smooth. The on-shore breeze is brisk and blowing against an outgoing rip tide creating waves that seem to roll at you like logs. The impact of the hi-speed boat and water is jarring!
The boat ride takes about forty minutes where we remove our life jackets and clamber aboard a minibus that takes us across the island to our destination: a rice estate owned and operated by Shamila’s brother-in-law and her sister.
We are graciously fed and given a tour of the rice processing plant, while enjoying the on-shore breeze from the ocean which laps on the beach across the road.
We take a motorized tour of the island which (after reading chats on the computer) has become a great place to retire. The island is flat and interspersed with jungle and fields of rice.
We depart with gifts of Pomelo fruit that they call grapefruit and is the size of a soccer ball.
The pomelo, (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis), is a citrus fruit native to South East Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick spongy rind. It is the largest citrus fruit, ranging from the size of an extra-large grapefruit to the diameter of a basketball,[1] and usually weighing between 1 and 2 kg. Other names for pomelo include pummelo, pommelo, Chinese grapefruit, Lusho Fruit, jabong, pompelmous,[2] and shaddock.[3]
Home by six - very happily exhausted -

Thanks for a great day Shamila, Ray and children Dustin, Shane, Alana & Raymond.

Other news:
.. When we were here in 2004-5 we had great difficulties in receiving a work permit, but we applied within a week of arriving here and after 2½ months received notification that the process was in motion. We then spent three hours waiting to acquire a necessary Tax Number (TIN#), wherein we were directed to GPO (Post Office) and the office of Guyana Revenue. Forms were received and notification of the requirement of photocopying and on and on... We started with Tin# early Monday morning - to finally have the official stamp in our passport at 4PM on Thursday after much walking and patience. We are thankful.

.. The trench which runs through our yard was cleaned out last week by a crew of about 20 city workers. All trenches surrounding also received a dig out, thanks to a government grant. The swill that came out of these trenches was a little appalling.

.. Our group of about 10 Luther Leaguers in Calvary Lutheran presented all area churches and Youth with a Lenten Concert on March 28th. Singing, dancing, poems/readings and skits - the main skit was on the pitfalls of HIV/Aids, to live a safe and moral life should be every youth's goal. Of course Sister Elocia had many different goodies: pizza, sweets, crispy plaintain and more to sell as a fundraiser. A good time for all.

.. A new addition for ours & Henry Boyle's church home - little Rexy. We walked to the GSPCA on Monday morning to check out the possibility of adopting a puppy - NO puppies. We returned on Tuesday morning with Henry, too early - a wait of 40 minutes when lo and behold a couple carrying a box with three 2 month old puppies. A mixed typical Guyanese breed is what our friend Dick says. Will he be big like a Doberman !!??or just the 'mighty' little guy he is all ready - friendly and spunky!

This Sunday is 'The Passion of Our Lord' - as we journey through Jerusalem with Jesus with Palms waving - we will then enter the most Holy of Holy Week for our parishioners here in Calvary. A service on Holy Wednesday - Maundy Thursday and the most reverent of all Good Friday with their three hours service commencing at 12 noon.

We understand the church will be decorated with the Frangapani blossoms from our tree along with all the newly washed floral decorations on Easter Sunday - Christ will indeed rise from the cross!

I still have to buy my kites to fly high over the seawall on Sunday afternoon - we may visit Redeemer in the afternoon for their Easter celebrations with curry and fun.

Hosanna to God in the highest! ... Jack & Val