Reminders

Hey kids out there! Check out our top 10 daily reminders that we no longer live in the United States of America! Compare them to where you live and go to school.

In this part of the world, outlets provide
220 volts instead of 110 volts. An adapter
is required or if an appliance operates at a
higher wattage, a converter is necessary. 

Our louvered windows work differently
than horizontal or vertical sliders, but they
do a good job keeping the mosquitoes out
and allowing the cool breezes in.

                                                                 

Rainwater runs down our roof and into our
gutters where it is piped into large
holding tanks. Due to large trees nearby,
we have a local teenager sweep off the roof
every few weeks to keep our water system working.

Everyone removes their shoes before
entering the schoolhouse and people's homes.

Where are the eggs? Oh yes! They
are on the counter. Because the eggs are
 not washed, they do not need refrigeration.

At school, our students call us Aunt Brenda
and Uncle David. In fact, everyone is an aunt
 or uncle unless they are your mom and dad!

Every night we wash ziplock storage bags
since you cannot buy them in the stores.
Everyone brings them over in their suitcases!

Our produce aisle looks a little
different than the one at Winco!

Our neighborhood convenience store has daily specials on
roasted bananas and sausages!

The most popular recess activity at our school
is climbing the huge mango trees in the front yard!

         
                             

                             
               

MK School Dedication

Brenda and I have greatly enjoyed teaching in the newly renovated MK (missionary kid) Elementary school here in Kudjip. The school floor plan includes a large central room that we use for opening, eating lunch, and whole school activities; a library area; two classrooms; and three bathrooms. The openness of the floor plan, and the many windows provides for a bright, cheery atmosphere. On September 26^th, a dedication ceremony was held at the school. Stephanie planned and emceed the ceremony. Students sang and signed Jesus Loves Me, and shared memory verses. Katherine’s delicious spice cake was enjoyed by all. Our students presented the thank you cards they had made to those adults who were on the planning team, as well as the workers who were present. Pastor Apa prayed for the school, and then individuals prayed for each student and teacher. Thanks to some very generous people in the states, our school now has a projector, 6 iPads, and new read aloud books for the primary classroom. We greatly appreciate the two work and witness teams that came all the way from Xenia, Ohio as well as the team from West Texas to work on the school. A huge thank you goes to Randy for his leadership during the project which began in mid-May. Students take great pride in their new school, and busily perform their cleaning chores at the end of each school day!

Mt. Hagen Cultural Show

Papua New Guinea is a very culturally diverse country with more than 800 different languages spoken. In a country of 8 million, people groups are often isolated from each other due to the mountainous terrain blanketed by dense jungle. The people of Papua New Guinea are a very proud, independent people. They are proud of the province they are from, the tribe they belong to, and their tok ples, or heart language. This became very apparent when we visited the staging area of the Mt. Hagen Cultural Show back in August. At the invite of our neighbors Matt and Tammy, we traveled to the soccer stadium on the outskirts of Mt. Hagen. Behind the stadium, we were able to freely walk through the staging area, talking to the participants dressed in their finest traditional regalia. Their colorful costumes were made from traditional materials such as grasses, bird of paradise wings, and cuscus fur. Materials for painting faces included charcoal mixed w/ oil, as well as the modern conveniences of white-out and lipstick. Ornate necklaces are made of shells from the coastal regions. Prior to 1933, kina, or shells were used for trading. In 1933, the country adopted the Kina, as their currency.

PNG Independence Day

Sunday September 16^th is Independence Day here in Papua New Guinea. Although there are no fireworks, people proudly celebrate their 43 years of independence by displaying their nation’s colors. Emmanuel church held its Sunday morning service on the commons at the hospital. The station has been a lively place with two days of basketball, volleyball, and Coca-Cola drinking contests. Even our school kids showed their spirit by making PNG handprints on the Friday before a three day holiday weekend.

Language Training & Cultural Experience

Stairs cut into the red earth 

Bubbles are always a big hit

School kids on the road in Ambang

A few days after arriving in PNG, we made our way to the bush village of Ambang for four days of language training and cultural experience. Traveling north of Kudjip past tea fields and coffee plantations, the road climbed into the mountains that separate the Waghi valley where we live from the more remote Jimi valley. Upon arriving in Ambang, our friends the Mason’s delivered us to the Ethnos360 (formerly known as New Tribe’s Missions-PNG) station. Levi and Robyn Lenz have lived here with their 4 children for the last 8 years working with people from the village translating the New Testament into the local Tok Ples (heart language). We were here to begin to learn Tok Pisin, the

New friends in Ambang

language that is used by all the people groups of PNG. Stephen, a patient, gentle man who lived next door to the Lenz’s, was to be one of our language helpers during our stay. Giving us a tour of his garden, Stephen pointed out the names of the bountiful plants that grew there. Soon we settled down to the business of learning the words, phrases, and correct pronunciation of Tok Pisin. Later that day we were introduced to Gabriel Mara who walked with us along the main road of the village where we were warmly greeted by many of the local people. After belo time (lunch), we enlisted the services of Daniel and Matthew, the Lenz’s sons, for a hike to the river. Down steps cut into the red earth, through gardens of tapiok, taro, and kaukau (sweet potatoes), past homes with barking dogs and kakaruks (chickens), we finally arrived at our destination. The boys played in the pools around the giant boulders and fast flowing water, while Brenda practiced her Tok Pisin with a woman washing her clothes.  Daniel and Matthew are not lacking for activity here in the bush of PNG. With a river to explore, homemade live traps to set, slingshots to use, and giant bats buzzing your outdoor hammock in the middle of the night, who needs TV!

Sunday school in the grass hut

Church service in Ambang

The clanging of the hammer on the tire rim was the call to church the next morning. After a time of singing, the kids left for Sunday school. Brenda accompanied them to the grass hut where they sang and had a Bible story about Elisha. Stephen led the service using Romans 8 translated into their Tok Ples. The service was a mix of reading, Stephen elaborating, and both men and women speaking up to exhort and encourage each other. Robyn and Levi are passionate about discipling these people, and it is obvious these people are passionate about living out God’s truth in their daily lives.

Shoes are removed before entering church

After returning to Kudjip, we began meeting each day until school began with our language helper, Sarah. We have a long ways to go in our journey of learning Tok Pisin, but our new friends are very patient, forgiving, and helpful to us!

First Days of School

Our newly renovated school house, came to life with the voices of our enthusiastic students this first full week of school. A huge thank you to the workers, work and witness team members, and parents for their tireless efforts in completing the school. Students and teachers are working together to build a community that demonstrates respect, honesty, and cooperation. Students have enjoyed using our 6 new iPads and projector provided by generous donors. Recording their observations of ecosystems, taking pictures, reading books, and practicing math facts are some of the uses of the iPads this week by our students. Unraveling human knots, designing balloon powered transportation systems, and cleaning the school each afternoon, have taught us all the importance of teamwork! We are also establishing routines and a daily schedule as we begin our math, reading, history, and science studies. Students in the states have this Monday off in observance of Labor Day, students at Kudjip have the day off so their teachers can go to town for their once a month shopping trip!

Welcome to Kudjip

After traveling for 28 hours, we were warmly welcomed to our new home at Kudjip station by our students, their parents, and other missionaries. We learned that a custom in PNG is to throw flowers to welcome someone! Sunday morning found us worshipping at the Immanuel church outside the front gate. In the afternoon, two of our students, Anna and Josiah, gave us a walking tour of the station. Anna had written a list of must see places including hospital buildings, nursing college, offices, who lives where, the school house, and the canteen. Added bonuses included side trips to see a blue emperor butterfly, huge banana spiders, the best climbing tree, the best view of the valley, the canal raceway, and the best tree to find Papuan stag beetles!

Tour guides Anna and Josiah show off their koki noses!

Best climbing tree on the station!

Banana spider

Hey kids out there, consider this!

Check out the internet for information on this fascinating creature shown below called a cuscus. The cuscus is a nocturnal, tree dwelling, marsupial found in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Northern Australia.