Life is getting busy once again..

Greetings from the opposite side of the world!  Life has been busy here in Papua New Guinea.  The “newness” of being here has now completely worn off, and what I’m left with is a restless soul, searching for more meaning in my presence here.  Jenny brought this up at our last small group meeting a couple days ago and was met with chuckles and lots of “been there-done that” responses.  Seems the 5-6 months’ time-frame is about when it hits, and it seems to hit most missionaries here in PNG.  Only the most easy-going and mild-mannered souls avoid this season of the Ukarumpa missionary life.  Jenny happens to be one of those blessed few!

God continues to show me why He wants me here… we had an aviation worker fall through the top of the helicopter hanger 30’ up and land in a heap on the hard concrete floor.

 

See that skylight up there?  He fell from about 3-4 feet above that.  Ouch... seriously.

I heard it on the radio while enjoying a day off and rushed to the clinic to help stabilize him before he was flown to Cairns, Australia.  He was pretty broken, but fortunately doesn't remember the fall.

Just one week earlier I was on my way to Cairns myself with a stop in Madang, PNG to pick up a Pacific Orientation Course (POC) student who needed urgent transport to Cairns for a very serious illness.  She's now in rehab and unlikely to finish her training during this class.

 

 

Goodbye Papua New Guinea... hello once again Cairns, Australia!!

 

 

On the flight back, we had a short stop at a grassy runway to pick up some national passengers.  It was pouring rain, yet I disembarked to shoot some photos of the crowd that materialized from the bush after we landed.

 

 

Then back in the air, climbing to escape the weather.  What a beautiful country.

 

 

I haven’t been able to get back out to Norikori after showing the Jesus film due to either call duties, or torrential rainfalls (it’s the rainy season here).  One of my fellow Ukarumpa-ites who heard about my adventures is getting ready to go on furlough and has put the center’s village presentation equipment in my possession to watch until his eventual return.  So now I am responsible for several portable generators, projectors, screens, and sleeping bags (for overnight stays in villages).

Amelie is doing great and has finally announced that Ukarumpa has trumped Bryson City as her “home”.   She continues to take recorder lessons at school and meets with the music teacher frequently to get “belts” (similar to karate belts) on her recorder when she passes set milestones in her learning.  She has only three to go to reach the coveted black belt.  What a brilliant way to get the kids to take recorder lessons!  One of her friends is celebrating a birthday this weekend and is finally allowed to have sleep-overs.  Who did she choose for her first-ever?!  Amelie!  She’s feeling so privileged to have been chosen and is really looking forward to this weekend.

Elisa is doing very well in school and is growing up into a fine young lady.  It astonishes me to receive emails from the school’s library in the middle of the afternoon informing me that Elisa has been to the library and has checked out some books.  She is having two girls sleep over tomorrow night while Ami's gone.  She chose a national girl from her class named Laverty, and Piper, another of her many friends.

She is looking forward to tomorrow night’s Kid’s Movie Night because she gets to pick whatever movie she likes since Amelie and the older girls won’t be watching.  Their last movie night had a new record of 15 girls!  That's a lot of girls... what did they watch?  Atlantis.

 

Too many kids, so Daddy went to a guys-only movie night.

Jenny is still as gorgeous as ever.  I swear that PNG is making her look younger every day!  Her cooking skills are now up to restaurant-quality and I’m starting to feel the need to leave a tip on the table when dinner ends!  I've gotten smart over the last couple weeks.  When the girls make mistakes worthy of punishment, they get a day's worth of doing dishes.  Less for me, more for them!

Jenny continues working hard in the clinic and is seen here caring for a man who I later shot xrays of to discover a terrible pneumonia.  Good catch Jenny!!

 

 

As for me, the clinic manager has discovered my talent for repairing things, so I was asked to repair a pair of nonfunctional IV infusion machines.  I was able to fix one, but the other seems destined for supply parts.

 

 

Work on the national side of the clinic can be very rough and is always busy...

 

I pray the weather allows me to get back out to Norikori this weekend... but Jenny's on call again.  We've yet to work out a good schedule so I can leave the center on the weekends that she's on call without having to hire a baby-sitter.  Anyone want to come baby-sit?!

Check back in another 1-2 weeks for more Papua New Guinea news!!!

The Jesus Film in NoriKori village

Yesterday’s trip out to Norikori was phenomenal.  Jenny was on call, but one of our coworkers was willing to take her call while we were gone so she could join us.  Our team consisted of my friend Steve, his wife Debbie, Amelie, Elisa, Jenny, and myself.  We were able to procure a portable generator and with a borrowed truck loaded with equipment, we were off to Norikori!  Photo courtesy of Elisa..

 

We got stuck in the mud only once on the trail to Norikori, but with a little help from the truck's 4-wheel-drive and a few men who showed up out of nowhere, we were unstuck and arrived at our destination minutes later.

 

We unloaded our equipment into their haus lotu (church) and began setting up.

 

 

 

After the local church worker prayed over our meeting, we started The Jesus Film.  Initially we counted about 75 people, but they continued pouring in as the portable generator outside generated noise as well as 220V power and the noise drew people walking by on the trail over to the church to see what was going on.

 

 

Twice we had to stop the movie as people here behave similarly to those in the States, they all sat in the back.  Eventually there was no room for more to come into the church so we'd have everyone move up front making room for more to enter, then resume the film.  By the time we were finished, we had counted over 140 people!  Praise God for answering your/our prayers.

 

There was a group of people that sat outside on the grass watching the film through the doorway and didn’t seem to want to come in, but when the film got to the crucifixion and the raising up of Christ, they all crowded around the doorway for a better look.

 

The girls got hungry during the film, and as we fed them, a little boy came to us, so we shared our bread with him.

 

 

 

After the film ended, I made my way to the front of the church and gave a (brief) sermon in Tok Pisin.  All during the movie I prayed over and over for God to give me the right words to say that the people needed to hear, and to keep the “me” out of the talk.  His instructions were brief, simply tell them the message and that’s exactly what I did.  I explained that what they had just seen was not just a movie… it was true.  All of it was true.

 

 

I further explained that when Jesus ascended to heaven, He went there to prepare houses for us to live in when we get there.  I expounded that we are all born, we live, then we die.  From the youngest to the oldest we will all die.  During our lifetime we have to make a choice whether to believe in God and choose to follow His son Jesus, or make a choice not to believe/follow Him.

Those who choose to follow God will go from here to heaven where we inherit a place built by Jesus which we get to enjoy forever.  Then, I showed them what life would be like for those who choose not to believe.  I pulled out a spray can of a Prep spray (used to degrease parts prior to painting) and using a lighter, I ignited the spray spewing a rather large cloud of fire which I continued for about 4 seconds to get the point across.  I told them that those who don’t make it to heaven will be “cooked” by this fire forever without any hope of relief.  I suppose in the states you can’t do this without breaking multiple fire codes!

 

Tok Pisin is a rather simple language and there are many words in English that simply don’t exist in Tok Pisin.  I asked as best I could who among them was going to choose to believe in God and asked them to raise their hand.  Virtually every hand in the room went up, starting with my wonderfully supportive wife.

After this, I told them that God loves them so much that He sends people here to learn from them and serve them.  I explained that in the States, as a doctor, I had accumulated no small amount of wealth.  I thought this would make me happy, but it did not.  When God asked me to get rid of the wealth and follow Him here to PNG to serve them, THEN I found true happiness.  They wanted to see what kind of wealth I had left behind, so I showed them the photos of our “cargo”.  Photos of the 1969 Dodge Charger, the 1966 Mustang convertible, the 42’ diesel Fleetwood RV, the Yamaha 23' jet boat, the Honda Valkyrie motorcycle, the Polaris four-wheeler, the Dodge Viper truck, my ex-baby the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8, and finally our home in Bryson City.  I pray that these images had the effect of showing them God’s and our love for them and didn’t come across as proud.

 

After finishing our presentation, I felt in my heart what I suspect Pastors in the states feel when they finish, a questioning whether or not it made a difference.  God quickly told me that this questioning was pointless.  I had done what was asked of me, and the Hold Spirit was going to do what He had prepared to do.

We answered a few questions, then packed up our gear and walked down to the truck.  To our surprise we found one of the rear tires flat.  This was unexpected and somewhat alarming as we were already behind schedule to get back to Ukarumpa before the sun was too low in the sky.  The truck had a jack, but no tool to work it.  As men scrambled to find a way to make it work, it began to rain despite an abundance of blue sky (with clouds) and sunshine.  Then God blessed us with the most appropriate and beautiful rainbow that I’d seen since arriving here.

 

 

 

It was as if He was telling us that He’s got this, “Remember My promises!”  Sure enough, we quickly had the new tire on, and the drive back to Ukarumpa was uneventful with the exception of the passenger seat-back breaking during the trip down the bumpy trail. (Sorry Dr. Jeff for breaking your truck!!)

Today will be spent washing our borrowed truck, repairing the tire, and (God-willing) getting the seat welded so it won’t break again.

Thank you everyone for your many prayers which helped make this trip such a success.  I believe only when we get to heaven will we fully realize the difference we make in the lives of those we touch.  Remember that you may be the only “Christ” that people you meet may ever know, so treat each encounter as if a soul depends on it!

Next weekend, I'll try to collect feedback and see if the film made a lasting impression.  We were told when we left we can come back anytime... so I think we will!

 

 

 

 

 

Hiring of help..

Time to harvest a few avocados from our tree.  It gets pretty thin up top, so this is a job for Elisa the small and light!  She bravely climbed the tree, right up until she was stopped by a spider web.  Amelie to the rescue!!  She taught Elisa to break off a small stick, wrap up the web, then toss the stick which is exactly what she did.  Now we have some avocados waiting to ripen.


The amount of work to maintain the yard is exhausting, so after discussing for some time, we decided to hire the yard-meri (lady) who used to maintain the yard before we bought the house.  Yesterday they showed up for the third time looking for work, so we hired them.  She and her husband worked from 8-noon for 26 kina.  That is about 10 dollars for the two for the entire morning!  This is the approved wage per hour per person for work done on the center.  They walk for about 2 hours to get here, then work very hard to earn that wage.  That is more than they were paid by the last owners, but not as much as I feel they deserve.  To pay them more would make others who work on center and earn the approved rate upset, so we are told not to pay more.  What would YOU do?  We have decided to provide their snack and lunch meal too.

Today Jenny and I put our names on the waiting list to have electric solar panels installed on our roof.  Our neighbor across the road just had a system installed on his roof and now even on cloudy days makes double the electricity he actually uses.  The center buys back the excess electricity produced and gives them a check.  Though the initial investment is quite high and will use up virtually all our remaining money, after 4-5 years, the savings will have paid for the system.  From then on, we will no longer have to pay for the expensive electricity, but will also get a check monthly for the excess we produce and pour back into the grid.  Providing we stay for at least 5 years this is a very smart decision.  There are 20 families ahead of us on the waiting list so we are not sure exactly when we will get the solar panels installed.

Jenny keeps busy working mornings in the clinic and managing our house in the afternoons.  Today she is taking the girls to play with a friend, then going over to help a single lady missionary pack up for her time doing translation work at the village.  Tomorrow night, she has invited to dinner (yum, home-made lasagna and mint ice-cream) a couple returning from their 1 year furlough. And, she just came back from doing the shopping for the week from the local store.

That's it for now.  God bless.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

The year 2014 saw so many changes for our family, we can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2015.

Christmas here in Papua New Guinea was wonderful as we got to spend it with the Nie family.  They've been staying with us since we got back from our Pacific Orientation Course in November, and just left to bring back their ship to do maritime transportation for Wycliffe missionaries.

This is Jim, he's one of my best friends here on the other side of the world.  It was sad to see him go..

On Christmas, we baked up several batches of Christmas cookies (a Nie tradition).  Their cookies looked much more professional than ours, but they all taste the same, delicious!

We got so many Christmas cards from Lifeway Community Church, our sending church, we were able to decorate our front door!

My biking excursions off center continue.  I couldn't go last weekend because I was on call for the clinic, and despite threatening weather, God gave me the go ahead to head out today.  I came across a PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) stuck in the mud trying to climb a hill.  After several unsuccessful attempts to free it, I taught them how to stand on the back of the truck and bounce up and down to temporarily improve traction.  It worked and the truck was freed.

Further down the road I came across a little 6yo boy who rides his little bike with a flat tire.  I tried to fill it with air, but it has a puncture, so I vowed to try and locate a new 16" tube and will bring this and the necessary tools to replace it next weekend, God permitting.  I made two new friends in the village of Norikori.  One is a man about my age named David, and the other is a younger man named Mike who sports some awesome looking dreadlocks!  Sorry I didn't get their photo, but both invited me to their home next weekend to sit and talk.  Finally I was back in the village of Abola.  These people came running out into the road when they recognized me and completely surrounded my bike.  This time I was able to explain to them (in Tok Pisin) how God called us from our old lives in Bryson City, to come and serve and learn from them.  They were delighted and all were quiet when I talked to them.

A few days ago, our family went to a mumu which is a feast which is cooked underground over rocks heated in a fire, then covered with banana leaves.  This was set up by both the Ukarumpa directors and the village leaders of the nearby village of Kwina.  It was a wonderful first step to help promote peace in the valley we live in.

Can anyone guess what is on the banner behind the men?

Tomorrow night, I'll be hosting my first ever Men's Movie Night.  I hope to sneak in a short discussion session to debate anything that is weighing on someone's heart.

Jenny is still working very hard each day cooking new and improved masterpieces like homemade ice-cream complete with mint and crushed Oreos. This week we have been off from clinic duties since the clinic is closed, so Jenny has had a bit more time to bake banana and zucchini bread and fresh tortillas. It warms my heart to also see her reading God's majestic Word.

Elisa is looking as wonderful as ever, and Amelie has finally announced that she is having more fun here than she had in Bryson City.  This is due primarily to the fact that there are plenty of girls her age in our neighborhood to play with.

 

Can anyone explain to me how one can get so dirty playing tennis?!

Well, I'm missing family night, so that is all for tonight.  Please check back often for updates on our lives.  We try to post a notice on Facebook when we add new blogs.

Until then, enjoy the new year and look for God in everything you see and hear!  He just might be calling you.  Jenny and I are still amazed that He considered us worthy to be called into His service.  Please continue your prayers for our health and safety, we truly appreciate your prayer coverage!!

Goodbye 2014

I rode the 33km bike loop again yesterday.  The last time was a couple weeks ago.  First stop was a small village (I can't remember the name) just outside a local coffee plantation.

About an hour later I reached the village of Norikori and talked to my new friend, Junior.  I was heartbroken to discover that he and his family had prepared a meal for me last weekend, but I failed to show up.  I explained to him that with the down-pour of rain, and lightning, I just wasn't brave enough to tackle the trail.  I think he understood.  Now I've got his phone number (yes he has a mobile phone!) and told him I'll call him next weekend when I'm on my way so he knows when to expect me.  Junior is the handsome guy in the red shirt.  Can you pick out the other three adults in this group?

The next village that I ride past is the friendly village of Abola (like Ebola, only not!).  These are about the nicest people I've run across in PNG.  There's usually 50-100 just sitting on a hillside waving and shouting when I ride up, and I usually stop to chat with them.  This time I took some photos.  Another new friend named Kairo (pronounced Cairo like the Egyptian city) also wanted to buy my bike.  I told him that it was not for sale, but he persisted and asked if I could sell it to him when I leave PNG.  I thought for a moment, than told him I'd do him one better and would give him the bike for free when I leave, but warned him that I plan to be here for 12 years if God so blesses me.  He smiled and said he would gladly wait.  He's in the back row on the right side, wearing a red shirt, and holding up his index finger.

You might have noticed the shorter gentleman wearing the yellow Mickey Mouse ears hat?!  Well, I mentioned that I liked his hat, then one thing led to another and...

On a different note, today (I think) we opened our last shipping box!  Woo hoo!!!  We're now fully moved into our new house, messy though it may be.

Amelie and Elisa had their class Christmas presentation at the International School.  Go figure, the battery in the camera died after only 4 photos (bad Daddy) and the spare battery was no where to be found in the bag (BAD Daddy).  I only got photos of Ami, but used the dead camera to "take photos" of Elisa anyways.  She was smiling and seemed so proud...  Don't tell her!!

Jenny went back to playing Floor Hockey (Floorball) on Thursday nights.  She's really awesome, and looks good at it too!!  How good is she?!  Well, Ukarumpa had their biannual floor hockey tournament this past Saturday, and Jenny's team (comprised of four people) won.  She now has her name proudly engraved on the Ukarumpa Floor Hockey trophy!

Thank you so much to all of you who helped us to get here, and to those who are helping us to stay here.  We are your ambassadors here in Papua New Guinea and are working hard to reach out and form relationships with those we've come to serve.  Thank you God for calling us and sending us.