Jungle taking over our house

The ferns are growing against the house, one of the poles supporting the roof is almost rotted through, the cement behind the house is full of holes and termites are climbing the outside walls. The situation of our house in Sinimburu has quite deteriorated in the last few years.

As a family, we lived with the Korowai people in Sinimburu from 2004 to 2018. When we returned to the Netherlands, the plan was for me to travel to the Korowai several times a year to continue with the Bible translation work. That did not work out due to organizational and personal circumstances, so our house stood empty for all these years. We had asked Paulus, a reliable man from the village, to look after our house. Now and then he would cut the grass and sweep the floor. However, the owner of the land on which the house was built did not agree with this and he pressured Paulus to give him the house key. Paulus refused, but as a result he could no longer do his work in and around the house, and the jungle gradually began to take over.

We quickly realized that owning a house in the middle of the jungle while we were living on the other side of the world, is far from ideal. So we started looking for someone who could take over our house. However, this was easier said than done. But now, after years of approaching different people, we finally succeeded. We transferred the ownership of our house to Kambuop Weremba, the District Chief of Yaniruma, with the consent of the landowners and the other residents of Sinimburu village. Kambuop Weremba is from the village of Kouh, where I also grew up, and he has good plans for the house. He wants to use it as a guest house/training center and he already appointed someone to start repairs on the house.

We are very happy that we could transfer responsibility of our house in Sinimburu to a new owner who has good plans for it. That's one less thing to worry about.

Together with the District Chief of Yaniruma, who also grew up in Kouh.