They could not be taken in their snares.
Alma 55:31
In October of 1993, when we were living in Guam, I took Trevor on a 10 year old adventure. We flew down to Denpasar, Bali,Indonesia where we climbed the volcano, Gunung Agung. We then flew from Denpasar to Surabaya, Java, Indonesia on our way to Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia. In Makassar, we boarded our transport that took us north on a 10 hour journey to Torajaland in central Sulawesi. After a day of preparation for our raft trip, we boarded a 1966 vintage Land Rover and headed for the Sadan River.
The road from Toraja to the Sadan River was extremely rugged. The Land Rover rattled from every part. The driver told us that when a part broke, it had to be made in a machine shop because of the remoteness. I took the next photo from the front seat of the Land Rover. We had to cross some very primitive looking bridges. They would make us get out of the vehicle in case it went over the side. Some were much wider and deeper than the photo.
We finally arrived at a spot about a mile above the river where we unloaded the raft and supplies. Our guides paid locals to carry the loads down to the river.
In this photo you can see Trevor in the center with the blue shirt and green hat. The raft carriers are at the center top. We finally arrived at the river with lots of locals kids there to see the American boy with blond hair and blue eyes.
By this time it was getting late in the day so we headed to our hut where we would be spending the night and readied for dinner. Our guides paid local women to cook our dinner. They caught a wild chicken out in the jungle and cooked it up for us.
After dinner, we settled in for the night in our jungle bungalow. Late in the night I could hear someone way out in the jungle playing a bamboo flute. It was eerie but beautiful.
In the morning we got up early and headed down the river. Over the next couple of days we had a great time and some neat experiences. In some areas the river was very rough. In others it was calm. One experience was when we decided to stop in at a local village. As we drifted up to the bank I saw a wild bird fly in to a small tree and get caught in a snare. Immediately a small girl came running down out of the jungle and took the bird out of the snare. In the next photo you can see the girl with the bird in her right hand.
It was fabulous the way that young girl caught that bird. In Boy Scouts I experimented with snares and never caught anything. I was amazed at the skill the young girl showed in catching the bird. That night, I told our guide about the girl and the snare. He wandered off into the jungle and then returned in a few minutes with the materials to build a snare. Within minutes he had constructed a working snare.
The bird and the snare remind me of Proverbs 7:23. . . . . as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knowing not that it is for his life.
In Alma 12:6, we read about what Alma said about the lying and craftiness of Zeezrom. . . . . . . . And behold, I say unto you all that this was a snare of the adversary, which he had laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.
Always remember that snares are constructed to be hard to see so that they will nurture a false sense of security. The snare is baited to attract animals to it. The adversary uses this same process. He uses subtle craftiness to attract us into the snare until we are caught and then lose our ability to be in control of our lives. Alcohol, tobacco, pornography, and drug addictions are a good example.
Remember the story about the African Frogs, who, when the water in the pan that they are soaking in is turned up slow enough, will never realize that they are being cooked. If the water temperature changes quick enough, they will get uncomfortable and jump out of the pan. But if turned up subtly, they will allow themselves to be COOKED ALIVE!
May we always be observant to the subtle snares of the adversary and not be easily caught like the little bird along the banks of the Sadan River by the cute little Indonesian girl is my prayer. . . . .
A rough section along the Sadan River. Notice the guides black hat blowing off of his head as we head down a rough section of the river.
A final photo with our guides and some odd guy wearing a blue hard helmet as we leave the river. Trevor is wet because he jumped into the river the final few hundred yards of our river run. The guide with the yellow shirt was Joseph, and the other was Enos. Torajaland's religion was Pagan Christian. They believe in Christ but also in their ancient pagan ways. Thanks Trevor for the raft trip of a life time and the chance to enjoy His wonders of the deep.
This is the company that we rafted with in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
This is a report of our trip by Trevor. He was 10 years old.
Right click for easier reading.
