"The rainy season started last Tuesday," said a woman on the bus this morning. Although the rainy season does not usually start for another month or so, most people here agree that it has begun. It's rained all night every night since Tuesday, and rains occasionally during the day as well.
The rain affects daily life. Line-drying clothes can be difficult. All the paths and roads become slick with mud. Church starts later than usual. Going to town becomes a much bigger adventure and challenge.
This morning three of my friends (Joy, Julie, and Sharon) and I went to Madang town. It wasn't raining when we left for the 45 minute walk down the mountain to the main road, but after we'd walked for some time (and got a ride in the back of a pickup part of the way) the rain started again.
We then stood by the road, waiting for a PMV (public motor vehicle) to stop and pick us up. After about half an hour, some Papua New Guineans flagged down an empty PMV (that had been going the opposite direction) and a mad rush to get a seat began. The four of us and two PNG ladies we had befriended all managed to squeeze to the front of the group of people and get seats. A river had flooded part of the road, so our driver waited his turn and then we traveled through the other lane where the water was shallower. When we arrived in town, we each paid our K1.50 and set off to do our shopping. (K stands for Kina, Papua New Guinea's "dollar.")
Through the rain, we went to two supermarkets, a pharmacy, a stationary store, some small department stores, the outdoor market, and a fast food place. I bought a few things for myself and helped a family who has been sick by buying them groceries.
We then found a PMV to get a ride back to the area where we live. We were prepared for the long, steep walk back up the mountain, carrying our heavy bags. However by God's grace, someone gave us a ride and we did not have to walk back up the mountain!
Going to town is always an adventure, especially in the rainy season, and today was no exception!
PRAYER REQUEST
Please keep the following important matter in your prayers...
Last weekend almost all of the children here at POC were sick with a flu-like illness. None of the adults were affected then, but that's changed recently. Over the past week, about half of the adults here have been sick. The sickness is pretty fierce and seems to spread very easily.
I've not been sick yet, but my roommate and my partner both have. Please pray for my continued good health, and pray for God to strengthen and heal those who are affected now. Pray against the spread of this awful illness.
I'll try to keep you updated on the situation as I can. Thanks for your prayers!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Wasfamili
'Was' is a Tok Pisin word that means "watch or care for." A 'wasfamili' then is a family who watches over someone, perhaps an adopted child.
Two weeks ago I met my 'wasfamili' when they came here for dinner, and this past week I went to their house.
Around 5:30 pm, one of my younger 'was' sisters Kristina came to POC to walk my partner Julie and I to their home. After twenty minutes of walking on a gravel road and then some small paths through the bush, we arrived at their home, a one-room building with woven bamboo walls and a roof made of leaves.
The whole family was there waiting for us to arrive: 'papa' Ninto, 'mama' Matah, and their children Joshua, Nelson, Nick, and Matah. Kristina was there too and another daughter Alvina arrived later because she had been off working in the garden.
We all sat on the veranda and chatted in Tok Pisin for awhile. After dark, Matah had the kids heat up the dinner she had prepared earlier, boiled sweet potatoes and greens, tinned meat, and cooking bananas prepared in coconut oil. She served this alongside the food we'd brought for them from POC, beef stew and steamed rice.
As Papua New Guineans only eat once or twice a day, they are very hungry by dinner time and the portions they eat are huge! Julie and I were both given a very large portion too, and eating slowly, we managed to eat it all.
After dinner we continued to talk about various topics, like their family, their pigs, and the way land is passed from generation to generation. The children enjoyed looking at the pictures in the Air Niugini in-flight magazine I'd brought along. Later, we all had tea and then Ninto and Matah walked us back to POC.
Building relationships with Papua New Guineans is an essential part of my ministry, and my 'wasfamili' experience will help me both to build relationships now as well as prepare for future relationships by having a better understanding of PNG life and culture.
Two weeks ago I met my 'wasfamili' when they came here for dinner, and this past week I went to their house.
Around 5:30 pm, one of my younger 'was' sisters Kristina came to POC to walk my partner Julie and I to their home. After twenty minutes of walking on a gravel road and then some small paths through the bush, we arrived at their home, a one-room building with woven bamboo walls and a roof made of leaves.
The whole family was there waiting for us to arrive: 'papa' Ninto, 'mama' Matah, and their children Joshua, Nelson, Nick, and Matah. Kristina was there too and another daughter Alvina arrived later because she had been off working in the garden.
We all sat on the veranda and chatted in Tok Pisin for awhile. After dark, Matah had the kids heat up the dinner she had prepared earlier, boiled sweet potatoes and greens, tinned meat, and cooking bananas prepared in coconut oil. She served this alongside the food we'd brought for them from POC, beef stew and steamed rice.
As Papua New Guineans only eat once or twice a day, they are very hungry by dinner time and the portions they eat are huge! Julie and I were both given a very large portion too, and eating slowly, we managed to eat it all.
After dinner we continued to talk about various topics, like their family, their pigs, and the way land is passed from generation to generation. The children enjoyed looking at the pictures in the Air Niugini in-flight magazine I'd brought along. Later, we all had tea and then Ninto and Matah walked us back to POC.
Building relationships with Papua New Guineans is an essential part of my ministry, and my 'wasfamili' experience will help me both to build relationships now as well as prepare for future relationships by having a better understanding of PNG life and culture.
Monday, September 15, 2008
POC Continues...
Written September 14, 2008
Life is very busy here at Pacific Orientation Course (POC)! I'm continuing to learn Tok Pisin, study the culture, and get more fit through hiking and swimming. Along with the usual activities, I've started some new things now in my third week...
Last Thursday night I met my 'wasfamili' (from English 'watch family,' a surrogate family for me while I'm here at POC) when they came to POC for a Papua New Guinean style dinner. My 'waspapa' and 'wasmama' are Ninto and Matah, who have six children and live nearby. This Thursday night I'm going to their house for dinner, and I look forward to getting to know them better and improving my Tok Pisin too.
This past weekend my partner Julie and I used our 'haus kuk' for cooking and eating all of our meals. We did our prep outside, cooked over an open fire, and washed our dishes outside in basins. I'm happy to report we didn't burn anything, but enjoyed stir-fry over rice one night and macaroni and cheese with local greens the next night!
For church this morning I visited a congregation in the nearby town of Madang. A few hundred people were present for the over two-hour church service. We sang songs in Tok Pisin and English and the message was in mixed Tok Pisin and English, so I understand some of it.
Papua New Guinea's Independence Day is this week - they've been an independent nation for 33 years! There are lots of festivities planned in this area. Nearby a field has become the home to a huge volleyball tournament and many songs and dramas are planned for Independence Day.
I'm enjoying POC, but there have already been some difficult times. It's a blessing to know that many people are praying for me. Please continue to pray for my spiritual life, physical health, and relationships with co-workers. Thanks!
Life is very busy here at Pacific Orientation Course (POC)! I'm continuing to learn Tok Pisin, study the culture, and get more fit through hiking and swimming. Along with the usual activities, I've started some new things now in my third week...
Last Thursday night I met my 'wasfamili' (from English 'watch family,' a surrogate family for me while I'm here at POC) when they came to POC for a Papua New Guinean style dinner. My 'waspapa' and 'wasmama' are Ninto and Matah, who have six children and live nearby. This Thursday night I'm going to their house for dinner, and I look forward to getting to know them better and improving my Tok Pisin too.
This past weekend my partner Julie and I used our 'haus kuk' for cooking and eating all of our meals. We did our prep outside, cooked over an open fire, and washed our dishes outside in basins. I'm happy to report we didn't burn anything, but enjoyed stir-fry over rice one night and macaroni and cheese with local greens the next night!
For church this morning I visited a congregation in the nearby town of Madang. A few hundred people were present for the over two-hour church service. We sang songs in Tok Pisin and English and the message was in mixed Tok Pisin and English, so I understand some of it.
Papua New Guinea's Independence Day is this week - they've been an independent nation for 33 years! There are lots of festivities planned in this area. Nearby a field has become the home to a huge volleyball tournament and many songs and dramas are planned for Independence Day.
I'm enjoying POC, but there have already been some difficult times. It's a blessing to know that many people are praying for me. Please continue to pray for my spiritual life, physical health, and relationships with co-workers. Thanks!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Haus Kuk
What do you get when you combine three women, a pile of sticks, some string, two machetes, a pocket knife, and one weekend? A haus kuk. (Say "house cook.")
A haus kuk, Tok Pisin for "a cooking house," is a small open building which Papua New Guineans use for cooking. Over the past few days, two other single ladies and I spent some time building a haus kuk for preparing and eating our meals over the next five weekends.
Our haus kuk is made from bamboo, other kinds of tree materials, and strong plastic twine with a large blue tarp for the roof. After building the main structure, we also built a picnic table and a counter with space for dish washing basins.
We didn't do it all ourselves. For some big jobs, like driving posts in the ground by hand, the director and maintenance director helped us out. We finished first and were able to help others with the tedious job of tying down their tabletops.
It was a difficult project, but we are proud of how our haus kuk turned out!
Monday, September 1, 2008
First Days of POC
Written on 29 August 2008
Pacific Orientation Course (POC) is going really well so far! There are quite a few people attending – about 25 adults and 30 children. Every morning at 6 am some of us go for a 2 km walk to see the beautiful sunrise over the ocean. After breakfast at 7 am, we have some lectures until tea time at 10 am. Testimony time and more lectures fill in the time before lunch.
After lunch everyone observes an hour of “rest time.” It’s a good time to take a nap or do some reading. Later we have either another lecture or some kind of physical activity. This afternoon we went swimming at Nagada Harbour, only a few miles from POC. I challenged myself to swim eight 200-meter laps, and I did! That’s a whole mile!
Tomorrow morning I’ll start my Tok Pisin* classes in a small group with a native speaker. I’m really looking forward to jumping right into language learning using these unconventional methods.
I’ll only be able to email home once a week, and since I’m unable to access the web, I’m emailing my mom these blog entries to post for me. So unfortunately, I’ll only be able to update my blog weekly, and won’t be able to post any pictures until December. I’m sorry about that!
Thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers!
*Tok Pisin is the most widely spoken language in Papua New Guinea
Pacific Orientation Course (POC) is going really well so far! There are quite a few people attending – about 25 adults and 30 children. Every morning at 6 am some of us go for a 2 km walk to see the beautiful sunrise over the ocean. After breakfast at 7 am, we have some lectures until tea time at 10 am. Testimony time and more lectures fill in the time before lunch.
After lunch everyone observes an hour of “rest time.” It’s a good time to take a nap or do some reading. Later we have either another lecture or some kind of physical activity. This afternoon we went swimming at Nagada Harbour, only a few miles from POC. I challenged myself to swim eight 200-meter laps, and I did! That’s a whole mile!
Tomorrow morning I’ll start my Tok Pisin* classes in a small group with a native speaker. I’m really looking forward to jumping right into language learning using these unconventional methods.
I’ll only be able to email home once a week, and since I’m unable to access the web, I’m emailing my mom these blog entries to post for me. So unfortunately, I’ll only be able to update my blog weekly, and won’t be able to post any pictures until December. I’m sorry about that!
Thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers!
*Tok Pisin is the most widely spoken language in Papua New Guinea
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