Here is an insight into the culture here.
Monday - Weds you do your job, but on Thursday you begin thinking about what you're going to do on the weekend because none of the stores are open unless you drive down the road a bit.
So if you're going to cook something special, or build something special, it's planned by thursday and friday you pick up your ingredients unless you expect friday will be full of everyone else doing the same so you pick up your items on thursday.
And if you're like me, Monday is the day you get all the stuff you forgot to get ahead of time. Both K and I do a decent amount of planning ahead, but there are some weeks that simply fly by.
Last week, Kendal did the Vacation Bible School for the PNG children, and there were 384 kids! You can read it on her blog (there's a link in the menu on the side there).
I began helping with the audio team on weekends. I'm committed to 3 hours a weekend for 1 month on and one month off, setting up and running audio for church services. Now it's nothing like a big professional setup, in fact, the audio team has no budget.
But over the years through innovation and creative use of resources there are a few mics (with old cables) a few horrible monitors, and a sound board. It's been a while since I've done sound, but it'll be enjoyable to serve again in this manner. Typically we attend the Tok Pisin church which doesn't use much audio, so every other month we'll rotate between English Service and Tok Pisin service.
Right now the audio team consists of one other guy who has been doing it for a while now. And given the culture of this place it can be tiring, because you end up spending a lot of your weekend setting up and tearing down. No equipment stays up permanently because the church is also the meeting house where all events take place.
Finally, the building part.
The family is getting a bunny. Someone has one on center they no longer want, and I went with the kids to see it, and they liked it.
We decided to name it Dominoe as it has white and black spots.
I preferred Cadbury or BigWig or even Excelsior. I have yet to be successful in naming any pet Excelsior. (-;
I was able to build the cage out of all spare parts left behind in the shed from the previous owner. It may not look like a masterpiece, but it was cheap. I only had to buy wire and hardware.
Ooh we had a theft this weekend.
I mentioned the tree falling down a while back and damaging the fence?
Well the fence has been repaired, but this weekend sometime, someone dug under the already weak fence pole, and snuck into our garden and stole pumpkins and various ripe food.
In PNG culture, this is a BIG offense. In our house, it's not a huge deal. If they would have asked, we would have gladly given them. But in PNG gardens are the livelihoods of the culture and it is the equivalent of stealing someone's paycheck. Our friend and yard meri, Moni is taking it very seriously.
We lost produce. It wasn't as if they broke into a building or stole anything valuable. Then again, with our perspective, not much of our "stuff" is considered valuable or irreplaceable.
That was pretty much our weekend. Sounds exciting, and the days flew by. Still we made time for family and had a family day as usual.
The wife of a translator passed away this week. They've been here for many decades and have finished several translations (I think the number is 3). It was sudden and the center is rather saddened by her loss.
When we were first here, this couple invited us to their house for "hot cross buns". An Easter tradition with them. Later they brought us pizzas as we packed for POC thinking properly that we were busy.
We only knew them a little, but what we knew, we like a lot.
This is a sad time, but the community comes together and supports the family through prayer, listening, meals, and all manner of things.
Logistically it was difficult to get a helicopter to their village so that the body could be transported out. But the community pulled together. She was 61. She spent her life serving God, and we are inspired by her spirit and her actions.
I can think of fewer better ends than to be brought home in the midst of serving Him.
