Quickly I believe in Dupade
Jĩrique yangureta Dupade Oroné
I didn’t follow in my father’s path:
You have heard all about how I lived long ago and that I quickly put my faith in Dupade. Soon after hearing about Dupade I wanted to believe in him and to become a believer. I didn’t look for my father’s counsel, or the ways of my people, and I didn’t fear the things that they feared.
My father said about me: “He’ll die early if he doesn’t conform to our ways.”
But I didn’t pay attention to what he said at all, nor take his counsel. I was sure I wanted to follow Dupade.
I was never attracted to some of the ways of the cojñone:
I am thankful to Dupade that as soon as I left the jungle I encountered the missionaries, and never was influenced by Bolivian people and did not learn their ways. Some of the Ayoreos imitated the people and began drinking strong drink, that we call yote pioi (fire water). I’m so thankful that I never experience that in our village, and instead, we heard the truth from the missionaries who told us: “Jesus is coming back. Dupade is sending his Son to earth, the one that was killed by the people on earth. He’s going to return,” they told us, “and he is going to take us with him to heaven.”
Very soon I be believed in Dupade because of their teachings:
They explained that Dupade’s Son was coming back, and it was what they told about his return that made me eager to believe in Dupade, but I still was not a cojñoi, nor did I understand all their teachings. But I wanted, though I still didn’t know much, to make Dupade the one I believed in. I quickly began talking to Dupade about myself. Then it was that the missionaries began to talk to me often about Dupade, and they would tell me: “He will save you.”
But I didn’t stop doing ugly things:
I knew that the things I did were ugly, but I went on doing them; I sinned. I didn’t stop the things I was doing. I did ugly things. I had been doing them for a long time. I was consumed with doing the ugly things I liked to do; I disapproved of myself to Dupade.
I kept on doing ugly things but now I was aware of what I was doing:
I lived like this for about nine years, before I finally began to take control of myself. I began to take care of myself after the missionaries came. And when I would do ugly things, I understood that I was sinning.
I’m so thankful to Dupade that by this time I had learned some of words of the cojñone, and that I could listen and understand what they taught. They said: “When a person mixes sins with his prayers to Dupade, the one he believes in, Dupade won’t help him.”
And that is really when I started thinking and making decisions – and it wasn’t until about nine years I first believed that things really fell into place and I made Dupade the one I trusted, and I began look for ways to please him.
Dupade made my mouth so that I could teach my fellow ayoréos about Dupade’s Word:
I am so thankful to Dupade that now I also teach cojñone. But I also look for ways to teach, and I say: “Dupade made me and he made my mouth. And he made my mouth so that I might teach my fellow ayoréos about his Word.”
I thank Dupade that I didn’t look to my fellow ayoreos for they didn’t know anything about Dupade, nor did I seek the counsel of the cojñone. On my own I kept searching to know Dupade. I didn’t know what he wanted me to do. I still was struggling to control my sinful habits, and I talked to Dupade about this. I kept talking to him at that time, and soon he didn’t seem so far away. I still remember praying to him in my garden.
I was sad as I went to my garden:
I was all alone in my garden plot out in the jungle, and I was very worried. I was concerned about my countrymen, for there were no Ayoré persons who knew anything about Dupade’s ways to tell us about them, and that is when I thought about Dupade and prayed to him in my garden.
I said: “Dupade, look for a teacher for me, someone to teach me about Dupade’s ways so that I might learn about them and teach my countrymen about them.”
Just a few days after I prayed in my garden, their writings arrived:
Afterwards, just a few days after my prayer some writings arrived. They came from Tumi Chucua. Their writings came to the missionary who was with our people and they said: “The missionary leaders here in the Beni are teaching the indigenous people, people of the jungle like the Ayoreos. If you want to, you may send Oroné also to be taught.” And when they told me about it, I immediately remembered my prayer, and I knew it was the answer to that prayer.
I told Dupade that I was ready, if he wanted me to serve him:
And then I prayed to Dupade again and I said: “It is probably because of my prayer that I have been called to serve you. Even if it’s at the end of the world, I think I’ll go. Or if that school is at the end of the world, I still want to go to know even a little of your ways, I want to know things, I want to know how to read and write.”
This is really what I wanted. It was a long way off, but I was so thankful that Dupade was sending me there and so I left.
It must have been Dupade’s will for me to serve him from the beginning.
I am so thankful to you, my friends, who are firm in Dupade’s Word here in Puesto Paz. I am so thankful that Timoteo is preaching Dupade’s Word here, and that I have learned a little that I can teach to my countrymen when I return.
I’m sure that it was Dupade’s will for me to teach my people from the very beginning. I am so thankful that it was Dupade that helped me and really answered my prayers.
Some of you Ayoré people in your villages are also looking for what Dupade wants you to do. You know that it is Dupade who helps us. There is more I could say about this, but there’s not much time left so I will stop now. This is all.
Key:
Dupade – Dios
Cojñoi – Person not of the Ayoré Tribe
Cojñone – People not of the Ayoré Tribe
Yote pioi – Fire water, alcoholic beverage
Ayoré – Person of the Ayoré Tribe
Ayoreos – People of the Ayoré Tribe
Oroné – Puesto Paz – 1976.
Transcribed by: Paul Wyma.
Translated to English by: Maxine Morarie.
