Save Ottumwa Post August 28, 2024

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•••••AUGUST 28, 2024•••••

Eagle Eyes My wife has incredible vision and the ability to observe things most people would overlook if they were able to see them. This comes in very handy in several situations.

She is able to spot a morel mushroom from a moving vehicle where I can not see it standing on top of it. She can see a buck deer hiding behind a brush pile where I only see a bunch of branches.

With a cooler and wetter than normal August, we have had an abundance of wild things to forage this year, especially mushrooms. Every trip we make into the timber, we find edible, inedible, and questionable mushrooms, mostly spotted by my wife. I am not an expert at identifying wild mushrooms but am confident enough in several varieties of to pick and eat them.

Last week while riding the trails in the woods my wife spotted a cluster of small brown mushrooms in the middle of path. She stopped and I picked a small group of them just in case they were delicious.

With proper identity, we could go back and harvest the whole group.

(Outdoors cont’d on pg 2)

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ognize several edible When cooked, it has a Back at the kinds. I glanced to the texture like fried chicken, hence its name, other side of the trail house, I went online chicken of the woods. and saw what she to check them out.

It has a mild “mushmeant. Even I would I belong to several have seen this one if I roomy” flavor, similar mushroom identity had not been looking to a portabella. We groups that provide enjoyed our freshly mostly good informa- on the other side of tion. There are always the trail. On top of an foraged snack.

Knowing those jokers that state old tree stump perhaps three feet off the there are new and the obvious that a path was a nice fresh different things to forperson can eat any mushroom once. This chicken of the woods, age in the timber, my wife’s is not very eagle helpful as I eyes would like have to survive become my culieven nary exmore periences. acute After much and I am research, learnI decided ing from to take a her to be pass on the more oblittle brown servant. mushThere rooms. Acare cording to the experts, many types of mushabout a foot in diamit was either a delicious mushroom with eter. It is easily identi- rooms as well as other berries and fruits that fiable as the top surmany uses or a very similar looking mush- face is a bright, almost we have not been utilizing to their fullest room that would make fluorescent orange potential. a person sick for days and the underside is bright yellow. I jumped and possibly cause liver failure. I decided out and picked about half of it, more than not to take the risk. enough for a meal for Yesterthe two of us. It was day, on another trip soft and pliable and through the woods, completely bug free. my wife suddenly We immediately headstopped the Ranger ed for home where I and said, “There is a good one!” She does brushed off a small amount of dirt, sliced it not know the names of all the mushrooms up and fried it in butter but has begun to rec- with a little garlic salt.

AUGUST 28, 2024

(Outdoors cont’d from pg 1)

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The captors asked them what they would like to have to Captivity help pass the time.

Would they like a pocket Curt Swarm, Empty Nest knife for whittling? Roy thought this was a When 82-year old Roy Libby and his wife Karla strange thing to ask a prisoner, but decided of Mt. Pleasant hear of hostages being taken, it to ask for a Bible and something to write on. brings back memories They were furnished and emotions that hit home. Three-and-a-half with two Gideon New Testament Bibles, with years ago, on January Psalms and Proverbs, 3, 1989, Roy and his fellow missionary asso- a hymnal and a deciate, Richard Grover, were taken hostage by a group of guerrilla fighters near Cali, Colombia, at their annual church association conference.

The insurgents appeared out of a sugarcane field disguised as Army soldiers, but their ragtag appearance votional, plus a small made them suspicious. pad of paper. Roy wrote in tiny print short The guerrilla fighters said they were there to “daily prayers” revealprotect the missionaries ing events in such a way that it wouldn’t from fighting that was incriminate the soldiers. going to occur nearby.

During their 68 days of Soon, it was revealed captivity, Roy and Dick that they wanted Roy and Dick to accompany read through the New them for the purpose of Testament six-and-abringing back a commu- half times, and Psalms nique. Since the church five times. They read a Proverb a day. It was congregation of more than 100 was unarmed, their mental and spiritual there was no alternative food. On two school notebooks Roy wrote 76 but to accompany the devotionals in Spanish. soldiers.

(In training for missionAll-in-all, compared to savage brutal- ary work, they had been ity that hostages can be taught Spanish.) Never were guns pointed subject to today, Roy directly at them, and at and Dick were treated times guns were even well. It was more of a spiritual retreat for them, stacked within easy reach of the captives. but traumatic for their Roy and Dick prayed for families. Their wives didn’t know if their hus- God’s Will to be done.

They were moved twenbands were being tortured, or why they were ty times in the foothills of the rugged Andes taken, or if they would mountains of Colombia. be released.

68 Days in

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Each farmhouse, or simple shelter would be the stopping place for this band of nine or ten.

Sometimes these stopping places had been abandoned and other times were inhabited by families.

Although they never witnessed nor were subject to violence or brutality, it was always just under the surface. At one farmhouse where they were held, the previous owner had a son murdered when the father refused to let his son be taken by the guerrilla group.

Most of the dozen or so combatants were of the 15 – 20year age, with little more than a second-grade education. Their prize possession was their weapon.

Roy and Dick were given the best places to sleep, which could be a single or double bed, a dirt or board floor, or (Empty Nest cont’d on pg 4)

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AUGUST 28, 2024

(Empty Nest cont’d from pg 3)

and Dick were released without demands nor concrete. Every meal monetary exchange.

Are you a new or expecting parent, or was provided to them The kidnappers stated, recently had a little one? Join us for a free first. On the first Satur- “We had been informed baby fair to learn how to be better prepared day evening in captivity, that you were members for your best adventure yet! Take a tour of the beautiful boutique-inspired Family the owner of the house of the CIA or DEA and Birthing Center, learn about resources had returned with a sack it was our responsibilavailable to you, and ask questions to our of small bread rolls. He ity to put you on trial. medical team. No registration required. gave everyone a roll.

It was discovered that Roy and Dick saved one there was not enough of these rolls so that evidence to convict or they could have holy acquit you.” They decommunion the followmanded that Colombia ing Sunday morning. stop extraditing Drug The second in King Pins to the US for command of the guerprosecution. rilla group, Orlando, Both Roy and had a girlfriend, Jenny.

Dick’s families had been Orlando asked Roy and moved to Quito, the cap- 100th anniversary of Dick what they were ital of Ecuador. Roy and the church’s mission in reading. Dick without Dick flew to Quito where Colombia. One of Roy’s reservation said, “We’re they were reunited with captors came forward reading from the book their families. Their and asked for forgiveof Thessalonians, where families were so relieved ness. And Roy was told we are told that our sav- to see them. Both men that Orlando had found ior, Jesus Christ, after enjoyed a much-needed Jesus Christ.

He was crucified, rose vacation and spent time The Lord works in from the dead and then sharing the stories of mysterious ways. ascended into heaven.

God’s grace during their We are expecting Him captivity. They returned to return for his believto missionary work, Roy ers. That could hapas Director of Ethnic pen any day, and if it Ministries with a Baptist does, you won’t be able Association in Oregon to find us.” That very for 25 years, and Dick to night there was a radio teach in Ecuador. Roy broadcast in Spanish and Karla have been entitled, “The Day the married 61 years. The Lord Came Back.” Ortwo families continue to lando and Jenny came be in contact. into Roy and Dick’s Twenty years room and listened to the following his kidnapRay’s broadcast. ping, Roy and Karla Longbranch Homemade 1/2 lb. Tenderloins On Sunday, went back to Colom& Hamburgers March 12, 1989, Roy bia to celebrate the Drakesville, IA • 722-3355

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