Yahweh’s Canoe is a series of raw, unpolished stories from life in the jungle of Wabuku—moments that hit hard, linger, or changed the way we see things. Some are heavy, some are strange, and some are full of hope.
It’s not a highlight reel. It’s the real stuff: the people, the tension, the beauty, the mistakes, and the quiet shocks that come with following Yahweh into places few people will ever see.
I followed a bamboo bass line under a house and ended up recording the village’s songs. Same four chords, every Friday night, until one of them took off and the next village paddled up to answer it.
/ and /
I opened a free tattoo shop in the jungle with a kit someone else was throwing away. First request: a shield and two arrows. Last request: I still can’t say out loud.
3 Oct 2026
The Return of the Witchdoctor Part 1 / and / Part 2
The Witchdoctor returned in a new role with redoubled influence over the Wabuku people. This time, the damage was much worse. I wrestled with my responsibility to the village, to my family.
16 Sept 2026
Death and Ashes / and / Big Swamp Puppy
Content Warning: This first story contains a dark elements about infidelity in marriage, the death of a child, and depression. May not be suitable for children. Parents, please listen first before sitting down with your kids. Buuut, the second half is just about a large crocodile. They'll like that one, perchance.
16 Sept 2026
Aysik Hears a Spirit / and / The Checkers Tournament
I caught a vivid glimpse of the fear at the bedrock of Wabuku's worldview. And then for one day, the social structure of Wabuku was flipped on its head because of a Checkers tournament.
23 Mar 2026
My Wife Has An Evil Spirit / and / Self-Sabotage
How would you respond if someone said, "My wife has an evil spirit, can you come help?" Feeling ill-equipped for the task, I went anyway. And, keeping ill-equipped as the theme, listen as I dealt with a fishhook buried deep in a child's foot.
23 Mar 2026
The Hunt of the Crocodile / and / The Re-hunt of the Crocodile
Join me on my first and second successful crocodile hunts. Two hunts. Two locations. Same crocodiles.
23 Mar 2026
The Mangled Hand / and / The Bald Angel
I was ill-equipped to care for a woman with a severely injured hand. But if the best camera is the one you have (as they say), then perhaps the best doctor is the same. Thankfully, a bald angel would descend from the sky in rescue.
23 Mar 2026
Fish Bones and Fatherhood / and / Fettuccine and Family
These stories raised a difficult question: As a husband and father, what sacrifices can I make that aren't also sacrifices for my family? A fish bone and noodle challenged my resolve to continue church planting in the village.
23 Mar 2026
Welcome to Jurassic Park
Disclaimer: For any would-be missionary church planters, this story is descriptive and not prescriptive. This was a risky move that I can't recommend, though I will defend the principle behind it. If you're listening to find fault in my tactics out here, look no further. You've arrived at the correct episode.
I've endeavored to not over-edit what I share, neither the stories that one could call victories, nor the stories that reveal my lapses in wisdom and/or caution. And while this one ended well, it was perhaps only so by God's mercy.
23 Mar 2026
The Snake I Couldn't Kill / and / The ArachnaDemon
In Wabuku, the creepy-crawlies are always a-lurking, a danger from which I'm happy to protect my family. Usually. But sometimes wisdom dictates following Brave Sir Robin:
"When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled ..."
23 Mar 2026
The Black Lake / and / Seeing the White Skin Man
I was allowed to join our neighbors on a trip to another village. It was a trip I would only attempt once. But a special treat awaited me when we finally conquered the black lake.
2 Jan 2026
Witchdoctor Extortion
One night, three witch doctors came to my house and demanded money in exchange for leaving us alone. They warned that if we didn’t pay, they would use black magic to block our supplies and turn the village against us, forcing us out. What followed was a direct confrontation—between sorcery, fear, and social power on one side, and the Creator God on the other—where it would become clear whose power would prevail.
26 Dec 2025
Hanging Rope Seance / and / The Botched Ritual
After Arabmat died, the elders performed a seance to determine who caused his death. At night, a burning log was hung from a rope through the floor of a house while the village gathered outside. The dead man’s spirit was called on to reveal the guilty person by breaking the rope when a name was spoken. One by one, the names of the men in the village were called, with the belief that when the rope failed, responsibility had been exposed.
/ and /
After a woman died in childbirth, the seance ritual was performed again to determine who was responsible. This time, I watched from inside the house. When the rope broke during a name they didn’t want to accept, the ritual was simply restarted. What followed raised a deeper question about the true power behind the rituals.
19 Dec 2025
Do I Tell Him He is Dying? / and / Who Killed My Brother?
A doctor said Arabmat was going to die. In this place, knowing that—and saying it—can get you blamed for causing it. It meant deciding whether to tell a dying man what was coming, knowing there was no clear or safe right choice.
/ and /
After Arabmat died, there was a meeting to decide who was responsible. His brother Boni stood in front of me, shouting, with a bow and arrow pointed my way. I was injured, barely able to walk, and ended up hiding inside a house until I could slip away. He says it was a misunderstanding, but in that moment, I didn't think I'd be getting a chance to tell anyone this story.
13 Dec 2025
The Branded Bandit / and / The Spirits Take a Life
We caught the burglar red-handed. But our choices were then to destroy his reputation or leave our families vulnerable. Not great options.
And secondly, are isolated people groups happily living in harmony with themselves and with nature, just wishing to be left alone? This story forever changed how we answer that question.
Content Warning: This episode contains a story involving the death of a baby in the context of ancestral traditions. It may be difficult for some listeners.
23 Nov 2025
The Old Woman and the Pig's Blood / and / Catch and Regret
When is it better not to model Jesus' compassion? When is it better not to pray? These two stories may be examples. Perhaps there are moments it's better to watch than to get involved. It's a lesson I had to learn many times here in Wabuku.
22 Nov 2025
Love Potion / and / Killing the Church
In this episode I share the story of unknowingly participating in a ritual to make someone fall in love. Then, I share the story of my first significant decision as a tribal church planter, to end the church that met in our village.
22 Nov 2025
The Spirit in the Storm / and / Which Ancestor Spirit Are You?
In this episode, I share two stories from early days in Wabuku that still sit in the back of my mind. The first is about a thunderstorm that rolled over Markus' house, and the way he protected himself against it. The second is Dowo trying to discern which of their reincarnated dead ancestors I was. Both conversations shed valuable light on their world. And both situations raise more questions than answers.
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