As I await my final flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Miami International, it’s hard to believe only two days have passed since I used a very different means of transportation to travel the rivers of Suriname’s interior.

With rainwater soaking my hair and thick droplets falling from my chin, I sat in the front seat of an Aukan canoe, crossing the Tapanahony River. My camera bag was nestled safely under the canopy of my poncho as the rain continued to fall. The Aukaners living along the Tapanahony say it’s been at least eighteen years since they’ve seen the river rise this high, and many have been forced to leave their homes as a result. The waters that are the lifeline of the Aukan people have suddenly caused widespread damage to Aukan homes and villages.

As we crossed the river in the pouring rain just a few days ago, I looked up to see a small grouping of Aukan canoes circling the center of the river. After a six-day mourning period, this group of Aukaners had just returned from burying the body of a fellow villager. In order to warn off the evil spirits of the dead, the Aukaners commonly circle the river in an attempt to scare away the spirits. Theirs is a culture of fear, and apart from Christ, they are without hope. But God is at work among the Aukan people. The Aukaners of Suriname are hearing the truth of God’s Word on a daily basis through the work of Radio Paakati: the first radio station of the Aukan people. And as the flood waters rise, causing entire villages to evacuate, Radio Paakati is bringing messages of aid and hope to flood victims.