5/09/2011
Dinner Guests
Ituma Tobeen I have no idea how to spell it, but it means 'Good Night' in Nankina.
A while ago some friends of ours asked about the Nankina language project and how it was coming, and my wife remembered that. A few days ago some Papua New Guineans from that area were visiting a some friends that we were visiting and we found out who they were, so we invited them for dinner. Turns out, they leave on a plane tomorrow, so our meeting was timely.
From left to right meet:
Wienare - the Nankina language project leader
Tomas - a friend from the Ngaing language
Hubert - a mentor from Ngaing language who helps with Nankina.
Barbara - an Australian translator who is the ex-pat mentor for Ngaing and a friend to the Nankina group
Not knowing the history myself it turns out this was a very interesting night.
Several years ago, the Spaldings, a couple from my wife's home church worked on a translation for the Nankina people. After they left, the project went untended for a while, until Wienare got the fire to pick it back up.
Wienare is one of those guys who is really on fire for the work God has for his people.
We asked him about his people group.
3000 people - that's a large language group
His home village - Guarawon has 1200 people in it.
He has started literacy training, Bible translation, schooling, their village even has a medical centre.
The short version of his story is that he worked with the Spaldings, and attended TTC. the SAME training course I'm volunteering at right now. He learned English and how to translate and took that fire and went back to his village.
And from there, they've progressed to finishing Mark and have much of Genesis done, as well as literacy training curriculum and worship songs in their tok ples.
Ahvy - that means 'thank you very much' in their language.
One story they told was how in their village there was a cruel murdering man, who came to hear the Word of God in his own language. He had read in Tok Pisin, and heard in English the same things, but it didn't register. After he heard for the first time in his language, the fire of God went into his stomach, and he changed, and is now following God and leading the community.
It is one of many miracles God's Word has performed when people hear it in their own language.
Wienare has a lot of work ahead of him. This is a sort of stray language group that doesn't have an ex-pat translator assigned, but God put the fire and the ability in a national man, and the task is huge for him, and his wife and 5 children.... but he is excited and able.
I asked him what the needs were, and how we can pray.
He paused because the list of needs was very long, and gave us the short version
-the house they have is finally a semi-permanent house, but there is not enough room for translators to work inside and there is need for more room for literacy workshops.
-they have need of a water system, right now they go out to a rain barrel to get water
-they have need of another solar panel
-they need more workers, for the literacy work to take hold.
On top of all that, I learned many new things about Barbara as well. It took her ten years to get to Papua New Guinea. 10!!
So many people get discouraged after 2 or 3. But she kept going on... and we're thankful because she is a powerhouse of translation work. Not only does she lead her Ngaing work, but is sort of a helper for the Nankinas as well. And advocate.
The themes of the evening were:
-excitement for the miraculous work God is doing... even without an ex-pat affiliated.
-endurance and determination because the work is long
For us as support workers, it was great to get to spend time with these people, eat a good meal (that my wife prepared), and hear about what they are doing, it helps us connect what we do, to what they do.
I was glad to be able to lend a few words on technical aspects to them as well.
I can tell, only a week into it, that this month is going to be one to remember. God is showing us some neat stuff as far as directly working with translation.
Did you know that the homework assignment for TTC2 course is to translate huge parts of Genesis, and that students can't return for the third course until they've completed it!
This course is one of the kinds that gets things done.. actual translation is happening into tok ples!
God ... He will do this work without us, we are privileged to be along for the ride.
Pray for Wienare and the Nankina and their needs.
A while ago some friends of ours asked about the Nankina language project and how it was coming, and my wife remembered that. A few days ago some Papua New Guineans from that area were visiting a some friends that we were visiting and we found out who they were, so we invited them for dinner. Turns out, they leave on a plane tomorrow, so our meeting was timely.
From left to right meet:
Wienare - the Nankina language project leader
Tomas - a friend from the Ngaing language
Hubert - a mentor from Ngaing language who helps with Nankina.
Barbara - an Australian translator who is the ex-pat mentor for Ngaing and a friend to the Nankina group
Not knowing the history myself it turns out this was a very interesting night.
Several years ago, the Spaldings, a couple from my wife's home church worked on a translation for the Nankina people. After they left, the project went untended for a while, until Wienare got the fire to pick it back up.
Wienare is one of those guys who is really on fire for the work God has for his people.
We asked him about his people group.
3000 people - that's a large language group
His home village - Guarawon has 1200 people in it.
He has started literacy training, Bible translation, schooling, their village even has a medical centre.
The short version of his story is that he worked with the Spaldings, and attended TTC. the SAME training course I'm volunteering at right now. He learned English and how to translate and took that fire and went back to his village.
And from there, they've progressed to finishing Mark and have much of Genesis done, as well as literacy training curriculum and worship songs in their tok ples.
Ahvy - that means 'thank you very much' in their language.
One story they told was how in their village there was a cruel murdering man, who came to hear the Word of God in his own language. He had read in Tok Pisin, and heard in English the same things, but it didn't register. After he heard for the first time in his language, the fire of God went into his stomach, and he changed, and is now following God and leading the community.
It is one of many miracles God's Word has performed when people hear it in their own language.
Wienare has a lot of work ahead of him. This is a sort of stray language group that doesn't have an ex-pat translator assigned, but God put the fire and the ability in a national man, and the task is huge for him, and his wife and 5 children.... but he is excited and able.
I asked him what the needs were, and how we can pray.
He paused because the list of needs was very long, and gave us the short version
-the house they have is finally a semi-permanent house, but there is not enough room for translators to work inside and there is need for more room for literacy workshops.
-they have need of a water system, right now they go out to a rain barrel to get water
-they have need of another solar panel
-they need more workers, for the literacy work to take hold.
On top of all that, I learned many new things about Barbara as well. It took her ten years to get to Papua New Guinea. 10!!
So many people get discouraged after 2 or 3. But she kept going on... and we're thankful because she is a powerhouse of translation work. Not only does she lead her Ngaing work, but is sort of a helper for the Nankinas as well. And advocate.
The themes of the evening were:
-excitement for the miraculous work God is doing... even without an ex-pat affiliated.
-endurance and determination because the work is long
For us as support workers, it was great to get to spend time with these people, eat a good meal (that my wife prepared), and hear about what they are doing, it helps us connect what we do, to what they do.
I was glad to be able to lend a few words on technical aspects to them as well.
I can tell, only a week into it, that this month is going to be one to remember. God is showing us some neat stuff as far as directly working with translation.
Did you know that the homework assignment for TTC2 course is to translate huge parts of Genesis, and that students can't return for the third course until they've completed it!
This course is one of the kinds that gets things done.. actual translation is happening into tok ples!
God ... He will do this work without us, we are privileged to be along for the ride.
Pray for Wienare and the Nankina and their needs.
5/08/2011
Defining Urgent
Today two people came to ask me to get their email working.
I'm volunteering this month down at the training course where about 70 Papua New Guineans are learning anything from English to how to translate original Hebrew Scripture.
One person was an ex-pat who said 'I need my email working down here'. And she meant today, quickly, now please!! She was polite, but the urgency was there, knowing full well it works at home, but being as how this training facility is new, and it takes months to order network equipmenet like cables, and media converters and surge surpressors, we're only now bringing up the wireless for this building that 2 days ago didn't have power. Anyway, for them it was urgent.
Then I had a Papua New Guinean man ask me 'Chad can you make my email work?"
and I said 'yes, when did you last check it?'... assuming I'd hear 'yesterday at noon'.
He said 'hmmn.... well.. I haven't checked it last month.'
I didn't laugh, but inside it reminded me of the cultural definition of URGENT.
Tonight we have invited two new acquaintances to dinner, they are working in the Nankani language and we have friends back home who are interested in an update from them. We invited them for dinner at 6pm.
We are curious as to a few things:
1 - when will they arrive
2 - how many will there be
3 - do they anticipate talking all night or will they leave early?
With people of your same culture you often know what to expect. In the U.S. if you say 'we eat at 6' you expect people to show up 15 minutes prior or so... then pick up on social cues to go home .. ie.. a yawn.. etc.
With PNG you never know. You have no idea what's going to happen at any given exchange. It makes it exciting, but you have to be willing to put aside convention and invest in the relationship... so if you get wrapped up in 'I have to do this.. and this.. and this... " agenda thinking, you'll end up having a horrible experience.
As such my wife is preparing a meal that can stay warm for a while if they come late, and making more than enough should they bring friends.
It will be a good night I'm sure.
I'm volunteering this month down at the training course where about 70 Papua New Guineans are learning anything from English to how to translate original Hebrew Scripture.
One person was an ex-pat who said 'I need my email working down here'. And she meant today, quickly, now please!! She was polite, but the urgency was there, knowing full well it works at home, but being as how this training facility is new, and it takes months to order network equipmenet like cables, and media converters and surge surpressors, we're only now bringing up the wireless for this building that 2 days ago didn't have power. Anyway, for them it was urgent.
Then I had a Papua New Guinean man ask me 'Chad can you make my email work?"
and I said 'yes, when did you last check it?'... assuming I'd hear 'yesterday at noon'.
He said 'hmmn.... well.. I haven't checked it last month.'
I didn't laugh, but inside it reminded me of the cultural definition of URGENT.
Tonight we have invited two new acquaintances to dinner, they are working in the Nankani language and we have friends back home who are interested in an update from them. We invited them for dinner at 6pm.
We are curious as to a few things:
1 - when will they arrive
2 - how many will there be
3 - do they anticipate talking all night or will they leave early?
With people of your same culture you often know what to expect. In the U.S. if you say 'we eat at 6' you expect people to show up 15 minutes prior or so... then pick up on social cues to go home .. ie.. a yawn.. etc.
With PNG you never know. You have no idea what's going to happen at any given exchange. It makes it exciting, but you have to be willing to put aside convention and invest in the relationship... so if you get wrapped up in 'I have to do this.. and this.. and this... " agenda thinking, you'll end up having a horrible experience.
As such my wife is preparing a meal that can stay warm for a while if they come late, and making more than enough should they bring friends.
It will be a good night I'm sure.
5/07/2011
Mothers day
for some mother's day is about appreciating your mom, treating her with kindness.
for others, it's about getting extra opportunities to exercise motherly grace.
Today one of my children, whom shall remain nameless broke the microwave plate.
These things cost $40 bucks to replace, and will take about a month to arrive.
The microwave, even in PNG is an essential bit of life for us because the kids aren't allowed to use the gas stove on their own to heat their own lunches, and it's also much quicker.
Repair DAD to the rescue.
Superglue didn't hold it, but... I did bring 2 rolls of the 'good stuff' duct tape. You can not get good tape in country, it doesn't hold. MAsking tape, duct tape, both are rubbish here. Maybe scotch tape is okay.
SO, for those who would like to know...
cooking duct tape in a microwave appears to have no negative... no negative no negative.. no negative...no negative...no negative... side effects whatsoever.
(-;
seriously though, it didn't burn, nor give off any smellable gas, nor even heat up that much.
So I suppose, a duct tape microwave plate will keep us in reheated happiness until I can get one re-ordered from the states or find one in a leftover microwave around here.
Happy Mother's Day....
this year for Father's Day I'm hoping my kids break something I can fix with a swiss army knife and a paper clip. (-;
5/05/2011
Power Choice
this morning for the training course, I was migrating their file server, something I announced in advanced and planned for 9am.
I was in the middle of the project, ant at 8:59am someone ran in and said 'we're teaching a course and the projection won't work, can you come help?'
I had to choose between the urgent and the priority.... and decided to go help with the projection.
Well it didn't take long before I realized the projector was plugged into a UPS, and the battery was dead.
why?
because the switch enabling the outlet from the power was off (in PNG/AUS all outlets are called powerpoints and each outlet has a switch to turn on the power right above the outlet itself).
So I flicked the switch, easy fix... what? still no power.
So I went from outlet to outlet, room to room, trying to be invisible since class was still going on and whenever I moved the pngians seemed to track me with their eyes.
I finally found one powerpoint (outlet) with power, and the ups began to charge and they were up in under 3 minutes total.
Then I went back to continue the server migration.
on the way I ran into the building manager and said 'there is no power in there' he replied, 'I know we have an electrician trying to figure out why right now, but he doesn't know'.
....pause...
sorry had to swipe a horse fly out of my hair, it decided to dive bomb me and got stuck.
where was I?
oh the point about power.
No matter how much technology we employ we're still limited by the power.
power here is completely unreliable.
The only reliable power you get is if you run an inverter system of your own and regulate the voltage.
Things that simply plug into outlet, die quickly.
kitchen appliances, get burned out
electronics get surged and fried
monitors catch on fire.
the voltage and the frequency alter minute by minute and so UPS (battery back up) is a think of life here... surge supressors often give their lives up during lightning storms to save more expensive equipment.
If I had to guess I would say there are maybe 1000 surge surpressors on center,
3 dozen lightning arrestors
600 UPS's
300 power regulators
25 inverter systems (AC to DC power with battery backup)
and 2 gigantic generators to power it all when the power goes out.
we are always battling electricity.
I was in the middle of the project, ant at 8:59am someone ran in and said 'we're teaching a course and the projection won't work, can you come help?'
I had to choose between the urgent and the priority.... and decided to go help with the projection.
Well it didn't take long before I realized the projector was plugged into a UPS, and the battery was dead.
why?
because the switch enabling the outlet from the power was off (in PNG/AUS all outlets are called powerpoints and each outlet has a switch to turn on the power right above the outlet itself).
So I flicked the switch, easy fix... what? still no power.
So I went from outlet to outlet, room to room, trying to be invisible since class was still going on and whenever I moved the pngians seemed to track me with their eyes.
I finally found one powerpoint (outlet) with power, and the ups began to charge and they were up in under 3 minutes total.
Then I went back to continue the server migration.
on the way I ran into the building manager and said 'there is no power in there' he replied, 'I know we have an electrician trying to figure out why right now, but he doesn't know'.
....pause...
sorry had to swipe a horse fly out of my hair, it decided to dive bomb me and got stuck.
where was I?
oh the point about power.
No matter how much technology we employ we're still limited by the power.
power here is completely unreliable.
The only reliable power you get is if you run an inverter system of your own and regulate the voltage.
Things that simply plug into outlet, die quickly.
kitchen appliances, get burned out
electronics get surged and fried
monitors catch on fire.
the voltage and the frequency alter minute by minute and so UPS (battery back up) is a think of life here... surge supressors often give their lives up during lightning storms to save more expensive equipment.
If I had to guess I would say there are maybe 1000 surge surpressors on center,
3 dozen lightning arrestors
600 UPS's
300 power regulators
25 inverter systems (AC to DC power with battery backup)
and 2 gigantic generators to power it all when the power goes out.
we are always battling electricity.
5/04/2011
Out of my Element,... and loving it.
Yesterday I began my new assignment for this month. I have been loaned to a training course for teaching Papua New Guineans how to translate the Bible. It is a yearly course, and last year there were multiple network errors that caused the instructors many headaches. Typically they have someone with computer skills but this year's course they were short handed so we (my dept) volunteered me for 4 weeks.
There is a growing emphasis on training here. Yesterday I heard a 2 minute speech on how if this course fails, we might as well all go home because there will be no Bible translating going on in the country. I thought that a bit overly dramatic but was encouraged by the passion people have for this course.
Still, I'm not sitting at my normal desk, working on normal projects, and I am excited about this opportunity to work more directly with the process, however it's like your first day at a new job.
I'm still getting my bearings. Trying to figure out how this all works together, what their normal habits are.
I've been for a long time saying we should donate our people to each department for a week so we get an idea of how people actually use their network and computers. So this is my chance!
Today I decided to sit down with some people I didn't know at tea time and tried to talk. I was surprised at how timid I was. I'm not a timid guy, but it dawned on me... right after this moment:
Stephen, a PNG friend said, 'we are so happy you are here, very encouraging. I'm reading a book about Mother Theresa and she said that 'the smallest things done with the biggest love, make the biggest impact.' He then went on to explain to me how everyone teaching at TTC is very encouraged because it shows that they are being taken seriously.
It hit me that my presence here means more than fixing computers, it means that our department supports and is putting people behind the training effort, which is a big stamp of approval for the trainers.
It was after this moment, that I realized why I was timid.
In my office I'm seen as an expert, a good guy to come to. But here I'm amidst some of the top minds in translation and training in the country as well as side by side with the actual men and women working on bringing the Bible to their people.
THIS is where it gets real. This is where I'm amid some very intelligent and passionate people. This is a very direct application of my skills makes a big difference. And so I realize my respect for these people, and I do not fully understand their processes and do not wish to expose my ignorance without also exposing my desire to help them.
So, this month should be interesting, and stretching. I'm looking forward to getting to know the software they use a bit more and how they use their systems a bit more.
Mostly I'm excited at what God has in store for this month, because at the beginning of day 2 I can already see this is going to be a very interesting month. I've heard stories of being getting excited by training and getting addicted to it and leaving their posts for a job in training. I don't see myself going there, but I definitely understand the appeal of passing skills on in a way that teaches men to fish rather than giving them fish.
There is a growing emphasis on training here. Yesterday I heard a 2 minute speech on how if this course fails, we might as well all go home because there will be no Bible translating going on in the country. I thought that a bit overly dramatic but was encouraged by the passion people have for this course.
Still, I'm not sitting at my normal desk, working on normal projects, and I am excited about this opportunity to work more directly with the process, however it's like your first day at a new job.
I'm still getting my bearings. Trying to figure out how this all works together, what their normal habits are.
I've been for a long time saying we should donate our people to each department for a week so we get an idea of how people actually use their network and computers. So this is my chance!
Today I decided to sit down with some people I didn't know at tea time and tried to talk. I was surprised at how timid I was. I'm not a timid guy, but it dawned on me... right after this moment:
Stephen, a PNG friend said, 'we are so happy you are here, very encouraging. I'm reading a book about Mother Theresa and she said that 'the smallest things done with the biggest love, make the biggest impact.' He then went on to explain to me how everyone teaching at TTC is very encouraged because it shows that they are being taken seriously.
It hit me that my presence here means more than fixing computers, it means that our department supports and is putting people behind the training effort, which is a big stamp of approval for the trainers.
It was after this moment, that I realized why I was timid.
In my office I'm seen as an expert, a good guy to come to. But here I'm amidst some of the top minds in translation and training in the country as well as side by side with the actual men and women working on bringing the Bible to their people.
THIS is where it gets real. This is where I'm amid some very intelligent and passionate people. This is a very direct application of my skills makes a big difference. And so I realize my respect for these people, and I do not fully understand their processes and do not wish to expose my ignorance without also exposing my desire to help them.
So, this month should be interesting, and stretching. I'm looking forward to getting to know the software they use a bit more and how they use their systems a bit more.
Mostly I'm excited at what God has in store for this month, because at the beginning of day 2 I can already see this is going to be a very interesting month. I've heard stories of being getting excited by training and getting addicted to it and leaving their posts for a job in training. I don't see myself going there, but I definitely understand the appeal of passing skills on in a way that teaches men to fish rather than giving them fish.
Facing Failure
I might as well blog about this too.
The tone of this entry is not complaining... in fact a great many things are going good for us here.
We just celebrated our son's 10th birthday,
Easter was the other day,
we're very busy at work,
we received a recent care package...
life is good.
Which is why I can talk about failure without complaining or being overly negative.
Failure is something most of the volunteers (missionaries) here experience regularly.
One failure might be that while you're trying to gain acceptance in a village to begin translation work, someone in a drunken fit burns down your village home forcing you to evacuate.
That takes a huge emotional toll on a family, it's a huge setback in the progress of a translation, and in the end a lot of issues have to be dealt with before things can get back on track.
Another failure could be scheduling and planning a training class only to have little to no one arrive because of various problems (hevi's) in their villages.
This is the land of the unexpected... and everyone has to deal with failure in their own way... and recognize that often it has nothing to do with our efforts.
I would be interested in hearing how you have dealt with the disappointment of seeing your labor fall apart in front of you.
Recently I had been working on a new technology that promised to solve many networking issues here, I got very excited about it and worked very long hours on it for a period of a month.
And then, the day we put it into production, something came up very quickly that proved we'd be completely unable to use it and thus, the problem is not solved.
Today of course I felt a little bit like the wind was taken out of my sails. I was so hopeful that this would solve huge issues for everyone.
But it won't.
You know that verse that says 'count it as joy, when you face trials of many kinds?'
I do not believe we are expected to be joyful immediately.
The Bible says to mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep.
There is a time to share in suffering and failure.
First I'm very thankful that my personal inability to succeed in this is nothing in comparison to having my village house burned down.
But we do face disappointment.
And the way we have learned as a family to 'count it as joy' is simply to realize that in suffering and disappointment we aren't alone, and if we bear it well (as Job did), that it can in fact be a form of worship.
Humbling ourselves means that when our pride is wounded from failure, we turn to God to seek comfort and recognize it can only be done WITH HIM.
On the flip side, it's technology so I'm very certain we'll eventually find a solution, (we're tenacious that way)... but we go forward praying for God's help in this.
And we pray for encouragement for others who have faced even worse discouragement.
Finally,
God is good.
Today someone told me something I found very encouraging...
they said,
'well, last year at this translation course, things were hectic, there was lot of network failures and printing problems, but now things seem to just work.'
that told me that our team of computer techs did it's job in the last year... we made things better for the translation folks...
and that feels good.
We strive to continue to make things better for the translation efforts and am confident that with your prayers we'll find a solution to this big problem we've been trying to solve.
The tone of this entry is not complaining... in fact a great many things are going good for us here.
We just celebrated our son's 10th birthday,
Easter was the other day,
we're very busy at work,
we received a recent care package...
life is good.
Which is why I can talk about failure without complaining or being overly negative.
Failure is something most of the volunteers (missionaries) here experience regularly.
One failure might be that while you're trying to gain acceptance in a village to begin translation work, someone in a drunken fit burns down your village home forcing you to evacuate.
That takes a huge emotional toll on a family, it's a huge setback in the progress of a translation, and in the end a lot of issues have to be dealt with before things can get back on track.
Another failure could be scheduling and planning a training class only to have little to no one arrive because of various problems (hevi's) in their villages.
This is the land of the unexpected... and everyone has to deal with failure in their own way... and recognize that often it has nothing to do with our efforts.
I would be interested in hearing how you have dealt with the disappointment of seeing your labor fall apart in front of you.
Recently I had been working on a new technology that promised to solve many networking issues here, I got very excited about it and worked very long hours on it for a period of a month.
And then, the day we put it into production, something came up very quickly that proved we'd be completely unable to use it and thus, the problem is not solved.
Today of course I felt a little bit like the wind was taken out of my sails. I was so hopeful that this would solve huge issues for everyone.
But it won't.
You know that verse that says 'count it as joy, when you face trials of many kinds?'
I do not believe we are expected to be joyful immediately.
The Bible says to mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep.
There is a time to share in suffering and failure.
First I'm very thankful that my personal inability to succeed in this is nothing in comparison to having my village house burned down.
But we do face disappointment.
And the way we have learned as a family to 'count it as joy' is simply to realize that in suffering and disappointment we aren't alone, and if we bear it well (as Job did), that it can in fact be a form of worship.
Humbling ourselves means that when our pride is wounded from failure, we turn to God to seek comfort and recognize it can only be done WITH HIM.
On the flip side, it's technology so I'm very certain we'll eventually find a solution, (we're tenacious that way)... but we go forward praying for God's help in this.
And we pray for encouragement for others who have faced even worse discouragement.
Finally,
God is good.
Today someone told me something I found very encouraging...
they said,
'well, last year at this translation course, things were hectic, there was lot of network failures and printing problems, but now things seem to just work.'
that told me that our team of computer techs did it's job in the last year... we made things better for the translation folks...
and that feels good.
We strive to continue to make things better for the translation efforts and am confident that with your prayers we'll find a solution to this big problem we've been trying to solve.
4/30/2011
Record Player
Today's breakfast conversation between me and the kids
"and they jumped on a record player and spun around and…"
me "wait, do you know what a record player is?"
syd "yup"
calvin "yes"
me "what does it do?"
syd "it plays records"
calvin "well, you put a huge black thing like a CD on it, and then it has a needle and you put the needle in one of the… there's scratches all over the big black cd thing, and the needle stays in one of the scratches and gets closer and closer to the middle until the song or whatever is done, and then it's over."
this coming from two kids who saw a typewriter in a museum and went nuts over it.
"and they jumped on a record player and spun around and…"
me "wait, do you know what a record player is?"
syd "yup"
calvin "yes"
me "what does it do?"
syd "it plays records"
calvin "well, you put a huge black thing like a CD on it, and then it has a needle and you put the needle in one of the… there's scratches all over the big black cd thing, and the needle stays in one of the scratches and gets closer and closer to the middle until the song or whatever is done, and then it's over."
this coming from two kids who saw a typewriter in a museum and went nuts over it.
4/28/2011
All Christian Parents Should See This
I rarely do anything other than report on what we're doing here, on this blog.
Recently our church services have been playing videos of different preaching because it takes a lot of work to organize a church service every week when you have no staff dedicated to it. So occasionally a video will be shown.
I saw this sermon (you can listen or download the video)
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/let-no-one-despise-you-for-your-youth
The main GIST of the message is that parents should not give their children a heritage of believing that being a Christian is following a set of rules.
They should instead endeavor to teach their kids about a relationship with Christ.
It's a huge challenge, and if you listen/watch it may challenge your approach at parenting a bit.
I personally have inherited a wonderful heritage from my family that has taught me the value of prayer, the desire to seek a relationship with Christ, and I do not feel bound by rules and traditions although I honor them, I do not feel they define my salvation.
Many people I know have 'left the church' or 'turned away from God' because their entire understanding of Him is that He gives them rules that they don't fully like or understand.
It's a sad scenario. To lose out on the wonder that is Christ and knowing Him is a tragedy.
One of the things they say about going to the mission field is that you are confronted with things in ten years that would take most people 100 years to be confronted with and as a result your faith is forced to grow quickly.
I have become so addicted to seeing Christ move in my life and around me!! Watching Him work is incredible, and brings me closer to Him. But last night it dawned on me, that many people are losing out on that opportunity simply because they see Christianity as a religion of rules.
The true wonder of this life, is getting to know Christ just enough through our sin clouded bodies, that we want to get to know Him a LOT more later when we're untethered and unshackled in heaven!!!
Recently our church services have been playing videos of different preaching because it takes a lot of work to organize a church service every week when you have no staff dedicated to it. So occasionally a video will be shown.
I saw this sermon (you can listen or download the video)
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/let-no-one-despise-you-for-your-youth
The main GIST of the message is that parents should not give their children a heritage of believing that being a Christian is following a set of rules.
They should instead endeavor to teach their kids about a relationship with Christ.
It's a huge challenge, and if you listen/watch it may challenge your approach at parenting a bit.
I personally have inherited a wonderful heritage from my family that has taught me the value of prayer, the desire to seek a relationship with Christ, and I do not feel bound by rules and traditions although I honor them, I do not feel they define my salvation.
Many people I know have 'left the church' or 'turned away from God' because their entire understanding of Him is that He gives them rules that they don't fully like or understand.
It's a sad scenario. To lose out on the wonder that is Christ and knowing Him is a tragedy.
One of the things they say about going to the mission field is that you are confronted with things in ten years that would take most people 100 years to be confronted with and as a result your faith is forced to grow quickly.
I have become so addicted to seeing Christ move in my life and around me!! Watching Him work is incredible, and brings me closer to Him. But last night it dawned on me, that many people are losing out on that opportunity simply because they see Christianity as a religion of rules.
The true wonder of this life, is getting to know Christ just enough through our sin clouded bodies, that we want to get to know Him a LOT more later when we're untethered and unshackled in heaven!!!
4/27/2011
Stuff I learned
the photo is for fun, lots of war wreckage can be seen in these parts.
For those that are concerned that my skill level might atrophe while here, I thought it might be fun to list out all the things I have learned since January.
In 4 months I have learned the following technologies that I have NEVER seen before:
-Packeteer - how to do packet shaping - We deployed it and I became the resident 'expert' on the topic... the deployment was so successful we were able to improve our network performance by a lot.
-PPPoE - I've only heard of it until now, and now I've setup a server and tested it
-Captive Portal - the concept was familiar, but now I'm intimately informed about this... think Starbucks hotspot.
-FREERADIUS - the leading radius server out there, and now I know it very very well.
-PFSENSE - having never used this box before, I'm very familiar with it now
-VMware VSphere - I'm an admin now on a cluster and have imported many vm's and we've together migrated to an 90% virtual environment!!!
-Net Scopia - a new application for video/audio conferencing that we're testing out.
Many of these technologies are currently leading in the industry, and many of them would be necessary skills for a network technician who wanted to work for say, an Internet Service Provider.
I however have no intention of updating my resume because I enjoy working in the Lord's employ. While learning and using these things has required a lot of my grey matter lately, I have enjoyed learning new things, and wanted to inform anyone who was concerned, that my Lord is keeping me challenged, and up to date. As He always has. I owe every one of my skills and abilities to His guidance. I will boast in the Lord for taking an average mind like mine, and jamming all this stuff into it, admittedly at times, against my will. But in the end He has made me a useful person and I do very much enjoy being useful.
4/19/2011
nsswitch.conf
today I was configuring ldap authentication on freeradius for the middle A of the AAA model... anyway... I came to edit the nsswitch.conf file, something I haven't done for nearly a decade....
and this warm feeling washed over me, like a warm blanket,
and I realized ...'aaaaaah... I'm working in unix again. It feels like home.'.
total.... GEEK..... moment.
and this warm feeling washed over me, like a warm blanket,
and I realized ...'aaaaaah... I'm working in unix again. It feels like home.'.
total.... GEEK..... moment.
4/18/2011
Arnotts
been having a long few days of experimenting with Captive Portals and Ubuntu.
CoovaChilli, and more.
So.. I decided to take a 2 minute break and enjoy...
a BUSH BISCUIT.
When was the last time you had a graham cracker?
Well these Bush biscuits (biscuit is Australian for cookie), are about the size of your hand, and they're thick, and dry and sweet.
And until you've eaten them for a few months, you don't really like them.
Still it's a staple snack over here for me... and something I enjoy with hot tea at 10am and 3pm.
That's right, at work a whistle blows and everyone is free to take a 15 minute tea break.
The last one I took was a few months ago, as I typically don't stop working for TEA because I'm knee deep in some issue.
But today I took 2 minutes, and ate a bush biscuit.
em tasol.
(that's all folks).
4/15/2011
Iphone Jury Rig
My latest Jury Rig.
Cell Phone Sim Card
Trying to unlock an iphone 4 and migrate from an old (donated) iphone 2g.
The biggest problem is my iphone wouldn't' unlock… until today.
The second problem is our carrier here, doesn't make micro sims, which the iphone 4 requires.
Most people might say 'well cut it to match' but it's not that simple, Digicel uses the OLD sim cards… so here's what I did.
I live way out in the highlands where we can't get mail or …well anything quickly. So what to do when my new Gevey sim card hack came in the mail?
Well, first, I had to get a micro-sim to fit. Seeing as how mine wouldn't, I posted on the 'wanted' newsgroups and a neighbor actually had the RIGHT kind of SIM!! YES! I didn't have to wait a month to get a new one.
So I got it, and then compared it to my old AT&T micro sim and used my leathermans tool to make the cuts.
I had to make the TOP card look like the bottom card in order to make it fit into my phone. A few well placed cuts later and I did. Making sure to match up the lines of the metal portions.
I put the new micro sim into this device, the Gevey.
After going through all the steps to activate the Gevey it dawns on me that my new sim hadn't been activated or possibly was expired and I didn't know the number of it… and since my phone is not yet unlocked I couldn't make the necessary calls.
OOPS.
Now I have a microsim and no other working device to put it into to make the calls. NO ONE ELSE ON CENTER had a device that would take a microsim….
so…
I took the plastic card the original sim came in.
and cut a piece out of it
and shaped it like a regular sized sim (The top card in the top picture).
But then I cut a microsim shape out of it, very carefully so as not to cut myself or ruin the 'adaptor' I was making.
THEN, I put my homemade sim adaptor into the phone's sim cradle, and snuggled in my microsim into it.. and put it into my old phone, and made all the calls necessary to activate the card.
Then all I had to do what pop it out and pop it into my new phone.
Bingo.
Tools needed:
-1 Leatherman multi-tool
-2 phones
thankfully no bandaids.
If I were in the states, I'd have walked into the closest Tmobile store and asked for a proper micro sim, and it would have taken me 30 minutes.
this process took me a little closer to 2 hours. But I prefer to call it being resourceful.
Cell Phone Sim Card
Trying to unlock an iphone 4 and migrate from an old (donated) iphone 2g.
The biggest problem is my iphone wouldn't' unlock… until today.
The second problem is our carrier here, doesn't make micro sims, which the iphone 4 requires.
Most people might say 'well cut it to match' but it's not that simple, Digicel uses the OLD sim cards… so here's what I did.
I live way out in the highlands where we can't get mail or …well anything quickly. So what to do when my new Gevey sim card hack came in the mail?
Well, first, I had to get a micro-sim to fit. Seeing as how mine wouldn't, I posted on the 'wanted' newsgroups and a neighbor actually had the RIGHT kind of SIM!! YES! I didn't have to wait a month to get a new one.
So I got it, and then compared it to my old AT&T micro sim and used my leathermans tool to make the cuts.
I had to make the TOP card look like the bottom card in order to make it fit into my phone. A few well placed cuts later and I did. Making sure to match up the lines of the metal portions.
I put the new micro sim into this device, the Gevey.
After going through all the steps to activate the Gevey it dawns on me that my new sim hadn't been activated or possibly was expired and I didn't know the number of it… and since my phone is not yet unlocked I couldn't make the necessary calls.
OOPS.
Now I have a microsim and no other working device to put it into to make the calls. NO ONE ELSE ON CENTER had a device that would take a microsim….
so…
I took the plastic card the original sim came in.
and cut a piece out of it
and shaped it like a regular sized sim (The top card in the top picture).
But then I cut a microsim shape out of it, very carefully so as not to cut myself or ruin the 'adaptor' I was making.
THEN, I put my homemade sim adaptor into the phone's sim cradle, and snuggled in my microsim into it.. and put it into my old phone, and made all the calls necessary to activate the card.
Then all I had to do what pop it out and pop it into my new phone.
Bingo.
Tools needed:
-1 Leatherman multi-tool
-2 phones
thankfully no bandaids.
If I were in the states, I'd have walked into the closest Tmobile store and asked for a proper micro sim, and it would have taken me 30 minutes.
this process took me a little closer to 2 hours. But I prefer to call it being resourceful.
4/14/2011
33.3
2010 HIV update.. 33.3 million people living with HIV in the world.
Does that number strike a chord in anyone?
here are some PNG stats on HIV and AIDS... this is all public record.
PNG
By Dec 2009 – 28,294 reported cases of AIDS (source: New Zealand AIDS Foundation)
An estimated 1,300 people died of AIDS-related causes in 2009
Approx. 2,400 adults were newly infected in 2009 – 200 each month
Approximately 800 children were newly infected in 2009 – 67 each month
Total estimated new cases each month is 267.
Currently 0.92% of the PNG ADULT population is HIV positive (lower than previously estimated due to improved sampling of the population, especially through antenatal clinics), although this is higher in the Highlands (1.02%) and Southern (1.17%) regions.
Estimated to be about 34,100 HIV+ persons living in PNG in 2009
Approximately 3,000 children in PNG were living with HIV in 2009.
Antenatal testing has greatly increased, from 17 centres conducting the testing in 2005 to 178 in 2009.
The rate is now higher in rural than urban areas and growing fastest in rural PNG.
HIV is reported in all provinces and districts in PNG.
Generalised epidemic – that is it is in all segments of the population, not just high risk groups.
Women are infected at a younger age than the men – but of those infected half are women, half men.
Currently PNG has the highest rates of HIV and other STIs in the Pacific area and for HIV is the 4th in the Asia-Pacific region (after Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia).
Reasons for the Spread of HIV in PNG
Gender inequality and violence against women
Forced sex within and outside of marriage is common
70% of women report being beaten by their husbands.
Women will sell sex for very little – buai, entrance to a video parlour or game room, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs and money. Some girls will sell their bodies for 2-4 kina.
The favorite age of girls (based on personal discussion with many men) is 14-16 years old.
Men and women both have multiple sexual partners – often concurrent.
Polygamy is a long standing part of the culture for men
“Big man” syndrome in which men gain importance by the number of women they have, especially younger ones.
Men often work away from home in logging or mining or as drivers. In Tari, 17 of 20 truck drivers hired in August of 2010 were HIV+. Prostitution is widespread.
Routes of spread in PNG
96% sexually transmitted
Risk of HIV from one non-traumatic episode of normal intercourse is 1:500 to 1:100. (Centers for Disease Control – CDC)
This increases 10-fold with anal intercourse (which occurs in PNG between men and men, especially in prison, and also men and women) (CDC)
Also increases if there are sores from an STI on either partner or is the sex was traumatic.
Risk is a bit lower if the man is circumcised.
Risk is much, much less if condom is worn and worn properly.
High risk areas are:
Markets (all over)
Wharf areas
Church camps, including and especially youth camps
Traditional Feasts
Shows and Festivals
Sports Tournaments
Schools
“6 to 6” stops along the Highway
Discos and nightclubs
4% mother to infant
HIV infected pregnant woman transmits the virus to her unborn baby in womb or during delivery 15-30% of the time
Most transmission occurs during delivery.
Transmission rates up to 45% have been reported in areas where prolonged breast feeding is the norm.
Medication to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission is now available at birth (starting in labor) even if the mother’s CD4 blood count doesn’t qualify her for long-term antiretroviral therapy
Reduce transmission from breast milk by safe feeding:
Breast only for 6 months,
Then completely wean and feed with cup and spoon.
Bottle feeding is a killer in PNG. Bottle fed babies (even with HIV+ mothers) are more likely to die from infections they get through the bottle feeding than from HIV.
<1% via blood transfusion or contaminated needles.
Blood transfusion of HIV+ blood is about a 100% risk of infection.
But the virus is killed on contact with air so razors and other objects are not infectious for long.
Risk from a needle stick – needle has HIV+ blood in it and a person is stuck – transmission of HIV occurs in 3:1000 such incidents.
Does that number strike a chord in anyone?
here are some PNG stats on HIV and AIDS... this is all public record.
PNG
By Dec 2009 – 28,294 reported cases of AIDS (source: New Zealand AIDS Foundation)
An estimated 1,300 people died of AIDS-related causes in 2009
Approx. 2,400 adults were newly infected in 2009 – 200 each month
Approximately 800 children were newly infected in 2009 – 67 each month
Total estimated new cases each month is 267.
Currently 0.92% of the PNG ADULT population is HIV positive (lower than previously estimated due to improved sampling of the population, especially through antenatal clinics), although this is higher in the Highlands (1.02%) and Southern (1.17%) regions.
Estimated to be about 34,100 HIV+ persons living in PNG in 2009
Approximately 3,000 children in PNG were living with HIV in 2009.
Antenatal testing has greatly increased, from 17 centres conducting the testing in 2005 to 178 in 2009.
The rate is now higher in rural than urban areas and growing fastest in rural PNG.
HIV is reported in all provinces and districts in PNG.
Generalised epidemic – that is it is in all segments of the population, not just high risk groups.
Women are infected at a younger age than the men – but of those infected half are women, half men.
Currently PNG has the highest rates of HIV and other STIs in the Pacific area and for HIV is the 4th in the Asia-Pacific region (after Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia).
Reasons for the Spread of HIV in PNG
Gender inequality and violence against women
Forced sex within and outside of marriage is common
70% of women report being beaten by their husbands.
Women will sell sex for very little – buai, entrance to a video parlour or game room, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs and money. Some girls will sell their bodies for 2-4 kina.
The favorite age of girls (based on personal discussion with many men) is 14-16 years old.
Men and women both have multiple sexual partners – often concurrent.
Polygamy is a long standing part of the culture for men
“Big man” syndrome in which men gain importance by the number of women they have, especially younger ones.
Men often work away from home in logging or mining or as drivers. In Tari, 17 of 20 truck drivers hired in August of 2010 were HIV+. Prostitution is widespread.
Routes of spread in PNG
96% sexually transmitted
Risk of HIV from one non-traumatic episode of normal intercourse is 1:500 to 1:100. (Centers for Disease Control – CDC)
This increases 10-fold with anal intercourse (which occurs in PNG between men and men, especially in prison, and also men and women) (CDC)
Also increases if there are sores from an STI on either partner or is the sex was traumatic.
Risk is a bit lower if the man is circumcised.
Risk is much, much less if condom is worn and worn properly.
High risk areas are:
Markets (all over)
Wharf areas
Church camps, including and especially youth camps
Traditional Feasts
Shows and Festivals
Sports Tournaments
Schools
“6 to 6” stops along the Highway
Discos and nightclubs
4% mother to infant
HIV infected pregnant woman transmits the virus to her unborn baby in womb or during delivery 15-30% of the time
Most transmission occurs during delivery.
Transmission rates up to 45% have been reported in areas where prolonged breast feeding is the norm.
Medication to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission is now available at birth (starting in labor) even if the mother’s CD4 blood count doesn’t qualify her for long-term antiretroviral therapy
Reduce transmission from breast milk by safe feeding:
Breast only for 6 months,
Then completely wean and feed with cup and spoon.
Bottle feeding is a killer in PNG. Bottle fed babies (even with HIV+ mothers) are more likely to die from infections they get through the bottle feeding than from HIV.
<1% via blood transfusion or contaminated needles.
Blood transfusion of HIV+ blood is about a 100% risk of infection.
But the virus is killed on contact with air so razors and other objects are not infectious for long.
Risk from a needle stick – needle has HIV+ blood in it and a person is stuck – transmission of HIV occurs in 3:1000 such incidents.
Uh oh, the Sugar is Gone
Ramu, our sugar factory, has stopped making sugar.
News
Thursday 14th April, 2011
Ramu’s bitter dose
BY OSEAH PHILEMON
and SIMON ERORO
SUGAR consumers throughout Papua New Guinea stand to pay over 70 percent more for sweetness when imported sugar from Thailand arrives on the shelves of their supermarkets and trade stores within the next week.
The reason for this is failure by the Government to grant tariff relief to enable Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) to import sugar from Thailand under a relief arrangement until sugar production can resume at the Gusap factory.
RAIL general manager Jamie Graham told the Post-Courier in Lae yesterday that the company had asked the Government through Treasurer Peter O’Neill as far back as November last year for the tariff to be reduced from 70 percent to 40 percent.
The minister told this newspaper last week (see clipping) that he had given approval for a one-off partial reduction of tariff for Ramu to import sugar.
This had apparently not been followed through by government instrumentalities to have it gazetted in order for Customs to apply the lesser duty.
RAIL’s sugar production was affected by severe dry spell last year and vandals set fire to 700 hectares of the productive cane fields. When the company became aware that production was projected to drop by 7% and demand up by 15%, it made a submission to Mr O’Neill for the tariff reduction to ensure sugar consumers were not hard-hit with high prices of the sweet import.
Mr Graham said the government assured the company this would be done by January 2011but it reneged on the undertaking.
Mr Graham said late last week he was assured by the National Executive Council Secretary and the Treasury Department that Cabinet would make a decision on the matter this Monday but Cabinet did not meet as planned.
He said Thailand sugar arrived at the Lae port last week and was awaiting clearance. Yesterday morning Ramu instructed their customs agents to pay the 70 per cent tariff on the imported sugar and get it off the wharf. Ramu also had to pay for 10 days of storage and wharfage fees while awaiting clearance.
Mr Graham said the company could not let the sugar sit at the wharf while waiting for the NEC decision on tariff reduction as the costs of storage would increase significantly. He said the company imported 2000 tonnes of sugar from Thailand with another 2000 tonnes to arrive within a month’s time.
Any NEC decision now on the reduction in tariff will be “too late” and consumers will just have to wear the huge increase in the price of sugar once it arrives at the shops. “We have no choice but to pass on the increase to the consumers,” Mr Graham said.
The imported sugar was yesterday being transported to the Gusap factory where it will be tested to ensure it meets Ramu Sugar standards before being packed into the various packaging sizes and transported to wholesalers and shops to meet the outstanding orders.
Mr Graham said the actual price of the sugar on the shelf will not be determined until all the costs have been added up. For every K1000 worth of sugar, Ramu pays the government K700 (70 per cent) and this is why the price will shoot up sharply until the local sugar production returns to normal. Other costs to be factored into the price formula include wharfage, freight and repackaging.
Ramu had planned to import up to 8000 tonnes of sugar to meet the domestic PNG market in the interim. But good news is on the way.
Mr Graham said on Tuesday this week the boiler at the sugar mill was started up which is the first sign that sugar canes are about to be brought into the mill for processing.
News
Thursday 14th April, 2011
Ramu’s bitter dose
BY OSEAH PHILEMON
and SIMON ERORO
SUGAR consumers throughout Papua New Guinea stand to pay over 70 percent more for sweetness when imported sugar from Thailand arrives on the shelves of their supermarkets and trade stores within the next week.
The reason for this is failure by the Government to grant tariff relief to enable Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) to import sugar from Thailand under a relief arrangement until sugar production can resume at the Gusap factory.
RAIL general manager Jamie Graham told the Post-Courier in Lae yesterday that the company had asked the Government through Treasurer Peter O’Neill as far back as November last year for the tariff to be reduced from 70 percent to 40 percent.
The minister told this newspaper last week (see clipping) that he had given approval for a one-off partial reduction of tariff for Ramu to import sugar.
This had apparently not been followed through by government instrumentalities to have it gazetted in order for Customs to apply the lesser duty.
RAIL’s sugar production was affected by severe dry spell last year and vandals set fire to 700 hectares of the productive cane fields. When the company became aware that production was projected to drop by 7% and demand up by 15%, it made a submission to Mr O’Neill for the tariff reduction to ensure sugar consumers were not hard-hit with high prices of the sweet import.
Mr Graham said the government assured the company this would be done by January 2011but it reneged on the undertaking.
Mr Graham said late last week he was assured by the National Executive Council Secretary and the Treasury Department that Cabinet would make a decision on the matter this Monday but Cabinet did not meet as planned.
He said Thailand sugar arrived at the Lae port last week and was awaiting clearance. Yesterday morning Ramu instructed their customs agents to pay the 70 per cent tariff on the imported sugar and get it off the wharf. Ramu also had to pay for 10 days of storage and wharfage fees while awaiting clearance.
Mr Graham said the company could not let the sugar sit at the wharf while waiting for the NEC decision on tariff reduction as the costs of storage would increase significantly. He said the company imported 2000 tonnes of sugar from Thailand with another 2000 tonnes to arrive within a month’s time.
Any NEC decision now on the reduction in tariff will be “too late” and consumers will just have to wear the huge increase in the price of sugar once it arrives at the shops. “We have no choice but to pass on the increase to the consumers,” Mr Graham said.
The imported sugar was yesterday being transported to the Gusap factory where it will be tested to ensure it meets Ramu Sugar standards before being packed into the various packaging sizes and transported to wholesalers and shops to meet the outstanding orders.
Mr Graham said the actual price of the sugar on the shelf will not be determined until all the costs have been added up. For every K1000 worth of sugar, Ramu pays the government K700 (70 per cent) and this is why the price will shoot up sharply until the local sugar production returns to normal. Other costs to be factored into the price formula include wharfage, freight and repackaging.
Ramu had planned to import up to 8000 tonnes of sugar to meet the domestic PNG market in the interim. But good news is on the way.
Mr Graham said on Tuesday this week the boiler at the sugar mill was started up which is the first sign that sugar canes are about to be brought into the mill for processing.
4/13/2011
4/12/2011
ASKIM for tech
an ASKIM is a request for help.
I have a request for help for the readers of this blog.
We have a unique situation in that we are trying to find a way to authenticate all users going out over our network against a RADIUS (microsoft NPS) server.
We need to be able to either LOG their access... OR create a HOTSPOT type of environment where they pre-pay or post-pay for their usage in KB/MB NOT in time.
So far we've proven:
-pppoe server will authenticate against radius but will not log usage...
-hotspot servers like Antamedia don't log in MB they log in time.
If anyone happens to know of a solution that will log network usage in MB/KB and authenticate against radius, PLEASE let me know.
I suspect you'll be working for an ISP or some CHAIN of shops that offer paid WIFI.
it's a hail mary, but our research isn't coming up with the specific solution we need....
we're several weeks into testing out things to remove our current situation.
Currently we're running an ISA server and we want to get away from it.
thank you
I have a request for help for the readers of this blog.
We have a unique situation in that we are trying to find a way to authenticate all users going out over our network against a RADIUS (microsoft NPS) server.
We need to be able to either LOG their access... OR create a HOTSPOT type of environment where they pre-pay or post-pay for their usage in KB/MB NOT in time.
So far we've proven:
-pppoe server will authenticate against radius but will not log usage...
-hotspot servers like Antamedia don't log in MB they log in time.
If anyone happens to know of a solution that will log network usage in MB/KB and authenticate against radius, PLEASE let me know.
I suspect you'll be working for an ISP or some CHAIN of shops that offer paid WIFI.
it's a hail mary, but our research isn't coming up with the specific solution we need....
we're several weeks into testing out things to remove our current situation.
Currently we're running an ISA server and we want to get away from it.
thank you
4/11/2011
The Case of the Missing Cream
A small town, in the middle of Papua New Guinea holds a school book festival and promises that the class who wins the most points in the reading competition will have an ice cream social.
The 6th grade class was so excited that they won, and when the day for the ice cream party came.... there was no ice cream.
*dramatic music* dum dum.. DUM!!!!!!!
Who took the ice cream? Where did it go? Did it accidentally get sold? Why is there not more?
All of these questions required a Nancy Drew like investigation.
The road was out, the bridge was out, the freezer truck couldn't make the 3 hour journey into town to buy some ice cream.
But the ice cream was ordered and in stock, where did it go?
They first discovered that the ice cream was sold, as the DO NOT TOUCH, FOR 6TH GRADE BOOK FAIR!!! signs were overlooked.
But later that was found to be untrue.
Nearly a month later, while doing maintenance on the store freezer the tubs of Dairy-Free, Pseudo Ice Cream were found!
Soon the 6th graders will be rejoicing as the mystery has been solved. Just in the nick of time, as 6th grade graduation is only weeks away.
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