I am re-reading Juliane Koepcke's "When I Fell from the Sky". In December 1971, the plane on which she and her mother were travelling flew into a thunderstorm and went down in the Amazon jungle. Juliane fell two miles from the sky still strapped to her plane seat. She not only survived the crash, but, injured as she was, she managed to survive for 11 days, walking, swimming and crawling till she came across a loggers' hut.
She was the only survivor. So had she not managed to make it back I doubt that the remains of that plane and its passengers would ever have been found. It had been so swallowed up by the vast Amazon that days and days of intensive searching had found nothing. During her trek Juliane heard the search planes going over, and knew they could not see her. But she was able to tell the authorities her escape route and that led them back to the wreckage.
It is an extraordinary story. She is an amazing person. And I do recommend it. She starts with the moment of the crash, but then goes back to tell of her life (which explains how she survived in the Amazon) and then returns to the moment when, as the book quotes Werner Herzog, "the plane left her" and the terrible sound of the falling plane is replaced by the sound of the wind rushing past her ears as the jungle swirls up toward her.
I selectively read about the crash and the way she got herself out of the jungle, and then went back and read about her life.
It is well worth a read. Though maybe not just before you are about to fly off on holiday.
I wanted to quote this from the book as a warning about "the world", the current system of things on the earth. Juliane says: "It's not long before the story of my rescue fills the newspapers all over the world in the most unbelievable variety of versions. The wildest is the myth that I built a raft for myself out of branches and leaves, and floated down the Rio Shebonya on it.... Once its out there, hundreds of journalists copy this account. Even today you can still read it in newspapers or on the internet. I've received letters about it, mainly from rational minded children like the first graders from Warner-Robins in the United States who were eager to know how I managed to build a raft without any tools. And why didn't my ranch of leaves and branches sink?"
Of course she never made such a raft! How could she have, and why wouldn't it have sunk? Also you can see, if you read her account, what a hindrance it would have been to her - even if she could have made it.
This harmonises with the the Biblical warning that the whole world, the current system of things on the earth, is ruled by Satan. And Jesus himself called Satan "the father of the lie". Even when there is no apparent need to lie - her story is dramatic enough - it seems a lie is required - a bit more sensationalism in this case. And how easily the lie is promulgated.
I did a rare bit of entertaining on Wednesday. Jen came over for lunch - veggie soup, and marmalade muffins. And then I got together with a sibling in the congregation- via old fashioned horse drawn email and phone - and we rehearsed our part in the Ministry School on Thursday.
It was an afternoon of phone calls really. My Flower Estate friend rang to thank me for the cards I sent and we had a long chat, then Jen rang to tell me how her afternoon went, and to say how much she enjoyed the marmalade muffins (she took 2 with her). They are from a reliable Cranks recipe I have been making for years and years, and they have never let me down yet.
And I householdered in the Ministry School. I think our part went OK.
This was our brief:
Initial Call: (5 min.) Begin with the sample conversation. Then offer the Enjoy Life Forever! brochure, and introduce (but do not play) the video Why Study the Bible? (th study 6)
The Scripture we were using was James 1:13: "When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone."
Jehovah wants to help us, not to punish or to hurt us. He is inviting every one of us to come back to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment