Well, the week got away from me and I haven't blogged the last two days of VBS...yet.
Thursday and Friday went well with around 360 children present. It was amazing to watch all of these kids listening (most of them attentive) as our VBS leader told the Bible story of the day. It was incredible to hear them all singing about how they need to choose to road that leads to Jesus, not the road that leads to death (in Tok Pisin, of course).
The topics covered during the week were:
Will if be afraid or will I trust in God?
Will I be jealous or will I thank God for the thinks He's given me?
Will I be lazy or work hard for God?
Will I be angry or have self-control?
Will I keep on commiting sin or ask God for forgiveness?
Please pray for these chilren. Pray that the things they have heard this week will stick. Many of these children do not attend church regularly and this may have been the first time they have heard of God's love for them.
Please pray also for the many Papua New Guinean women who helped with this VBS and continue to work with these children in their villages. Pray that God would strengthen them and he would provide resources for them. Many of these women have no resources for teaching these children except a Bible and God's guidance (thankfully, these are the most important things to have.)
Thanks for the prayers.
Now that VBS is over, I am gearing up for school to start up again. This week, I've been buried in lesson planning. It is my new goal to start blogging at least once a week so that you all can get a bit more of my perspective on life here in PNG.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
VBS day three
Today was day three of our week long VBS.
Attendance today was about the same as yesterday, 383 children.
I along with some of the other leaders are beginning to fell a bit tired. Please pray for energy so that we can finish the week strong.
Pray also for the children that they will open up and share with their leaders.
Today the topic for the lesson was regarding anger and how anger can open the door and let Satan in.
Thanks for your prayers.
Attendance today was about the same as yesterday, 383 children.
I along with some of the other leaders are beginning to fell a bit tired. Please pray for energy so that we can finish the week strong.
Pray also for the children that they will open up and share with their leaders.
Today the topic for the lesson was regarding anger and how anger can open the door and let Satan in.
Thanks for your prayers.
VBS Day Two
Today was day two of a week long Tok Pisin VBS. We had about 385 kids come today. Thank God for good weather and all of the people involved in this minstry. It's amazing to see so many kids engaged in listening to the word of God! Please pray that the children will open up during our discussion time. This is the time when we can share with them one-on-one. Papua New Guinean children are very good at sitting and listening, but it is often hard to get them to open up and talk to an adult.
On another note: A long-time translator here in PNG collapsed and died in the village today. WE don't have a lot of details yet, but she and here husband have served her in PNG for many years. (I believe they are currently working on their third translation project if that gives you any idea how long they have been here.) Please pray for her husband, family, the Ukarumpa community, and the people that they have ministered to here in PNG. Many are shocked, saddened, and hurting by this news.
On another note: A long-time translator here in PNG collapsed and died in the village today. WE don't have a lot of details yet, but she and here husband have served her in PNG for many years. (I believe they are currently working on their third translation project if that gives you any idea how long they have been here.) Please pray for her husband, family, the Ukarumpa community, and the people that they have ministered to here in PNG. Many are shocked, saddened, and hurting by this news.
Monday, January 14, 2008
VBS Day one
Chad mentioned in his blog that I am helping with a Vacation Bible School this week. The VBS is geared mainly toward Papua New Guinean children, although some "whiteskin" children are attending as well.
I am excited about helping out with this minstry for a number of reasons.
First, it's a great way to minister to the children who live here on center as well as in the neighboring villages.
Second, sometimes living here seems a bit like living in a bubble. For the most part, our neighbors are all other missionaries or Papua New Guinean believers who live and work here on center. This VBS is a great chance to reach out to the greater community here in the Eastern Highlands Province. Not only do I get to talk to kids about Jesus, but I'm working alongside many Papua New Guinean women too.
Third, it's a very "hands-on" way to do what we came here to do, give the word of God to the
people of PNG.
Lastly, and probably least important, it gives me a chance to practice my Tok Pisin. I've been trying hard to learn the language and in the 10 months we've been here I feel like I've learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn.
The last time this VBS was held (2 years ago) there were close to 100 children who came. THis year we were hoping for even more.... God answered that prayer by sending close to 350 children on our first day! Wow!!!
Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of 350 children (from aged 2 to 14 or 15), I think of chaos. Believe it or not, it was an incredibly smooth morning. God really
came through made it an incredible morning!
Please pray for the rest of the week that we can really communicate God's love to these children. Pray that God would work in the lives of these children. Pray that this week will be the start of life changes for some of these children as they give their lives to Jesus Christ.
I am excited about helping out with this minstry for a number of reasons.
First, it's a great way to minister to the children who live here on center as well as in the neighboring villages.
Second, sometimes living here seems a bit like living in a bubble. For the most part, our neighbors are all other missionaries or Papua New Guinean believers who live and work here on center. This VBS is a great chance to reach out to the greater community here in the Eastern Highlands Province. Not only do I get to talk to kids about Jesus, but I'm working alongside many Papua New Guinean women too.
Third, it's a very "hands-on" way to do what we came here to do, give the word of God to the
people of PNG.
Lastly, and probably least important, it gives me a chance to practice my Tok Pisin. I've been trying hard to learn the language and in the 10 months we've been here I feel like I've learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn.
The last time this VBS was held (2 years ago) there were close to 100 children who came. THis year we were hoping for even more.... God answered that prayer by sending close to 350 children on our first day! Wow!!!
Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of 350 children (from aged 2 to 14 or 15), I think of chaos. Believe it or not, it was an incredibly smooth morning. God really
came through made it an incredible morning!
Please pray for the rest of the week that we can really communicate God's love to these children. Pray that God would work in the lives of these children. Pray that this week will be the start of life changes for some of these children as they give their lives to Jesus Christ.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A mouse in the house
For those who don't know, Chad is in Alotau, PNG on a "business trip" helping out for a few days at the regional center there . (If you look at a map of PNG, Alotau is on the very tip of the big penninsula.) So, the kids and I are on our own for a few days.
Tonight, the kids and I were sitting in the living room, minding our own business, watching a movie when out of the corner of my eye I see something scurry across the floor. At first I think it's a big cockroach so I grab Chad's big boot to squish it with. Upon closer inspection, I see that it is not a cockroach, but a mouse.
So, I turn on a couple of lights, grab the broom, open the front door, tell the kids to get on the couch and stay there, and I chase the thing around the room. First, it hides under the couch. Next, it goes behind the TV and into to box that holds the X-box controllers. Then, behind the wood stove, around behind the smaller couch, and finally it runs right out the front door.
The kids, of course, wanted me to catch it so they could keep it as a pet. I was proud of myself that I didn't freak out. I actually remained rather calm. Afterward, I called my friend Molly (I had to tell someone what happened) and the first thing she said was, "You didn't kill it? It's gonna come back. You need to get a cat." Well, we all know I'm not getting a cat!
Thanks a lot Molly! Now I'll have to be on constant lookout for mice in the house! I'm not naive enough to think there will never be mice in our house, but I'm perfectly content to never see them.
It's funny, though, I was actually a bit relieved that it was a mouse and not a cockroach. The cockroaches are disgusting. I don't like those anywhere. Mice, on the other hand, can be kinda cute, just not when they are scurrying around my house.
Tonight, the kids and I were sitting in the living room, minding our own business, watching a movie when out of the corner of my eye I see something scurry across the floor. At first I think it's a big cockroach so I grab Chad's big boot to squish it with. Upon closer inspection, I see that it is not a cockroach, but a mouse.
So, I turn on a couple of lights, grab the broom, open the front door, tell the kids to get on the couch and stay there, and I chase the thing around the room. First, it hides under the couch. Next, it goes behind the TV and into to box that holds the X-box controllers. Then, behind the wood stove, around behind the smaller couch, and finally it runs right out the front door.
The kids, of course, wanted me to catch it so they could keep it as a pet. I was proud of myself that I didn't freak out. I actually remained rather calm. Afterward, I called my friend Molly (I had to tell someone what happened) and the first thing she said was, "You didn't kill it? It's gonna come back. You need to get a cat." Well, we all know I'm not getting a cat!
Thanks a lot Molly! Now I'll have to be on constant lookout for mice in the house! I'm not naive enough to think there will never be mice in our house, but I'm perfectly content to never see them.
It's funny, though, I was actually a bit relieved that it was a mouse and not a cockroach. The cockroaches are disgusting. I don't like those anywhere. Mice, on the other hand, can be kinda cute, just not when they are scurrying around my house.
Friday, July 6, 2007
More Fresh Meat
Next week there is a week long conference happening where many directors from our organization come from around different parts of the world (about 35 people in all). A friend and I have been asked to cater lunches each day next week for the conference.
Keep in mind that most everything you cook here is from scratch. Making pizza involves making your own pizza dough, your own Italian sausage, etc. Making hamburgers involves homemade buns. Having tacos requires homemade tortillas (actually we buy these from a Papua New Guinean woman who makes them each week.) You get the idea, right?
Well, my friend and I sat down planned out the menu, made our shopping list, and off we went to the store to buy a whole lot of food. Our menu for the week includes tacos, sloppy joes, and hamburgers, all of which require ground beef (or mince as it is called here). Well, we encountered one large problem... the store is out of mince. It has been ordered, but the store truck is currently out of commission and there is no way to go pick up the order. Well, we explain to the store manager, we're making lunches for the DIRECTOR'S conference next week and we need a whole lot of mince. What can we do? The store manager assures us he will try his hardest to find a solution for us. So, we thank him and wait. A while later we are told that, since they were unable to get a truck to go pick up the meat order, they have decided to to buy a local cow and slaughter it themselves. How is that for service? I guess when you mention the directors you have a bit of pull around here. Something tells me that if I wanted a bit of mince to make burgers for my family they wouldn't have killed a cow for me!
Keep in mind that most everything you cook here is from scratch. Making pizza involves making your own pizza dough, your own Italian sausage, etc. Making hamburgers involves homemade buns. Having tacos requires homemade tortillas (actually we buy these from a Papua New Guinean woman who makes them each week.) You get the idea, right?
Well, my friend and I sat down planned out the menu, made our shopping list, and off we went to the store to buy a whole lot of food. Our menu for the week includes tacos, sloppy joes, and hamburgers, all of which require ground beef (or mince as it is called here). Well, we encountered one large problem... the store is out of mince. It has been ordered, but the store truck is currently out of commission and there is no way to go pick up the order. Well, we explain to the store manager, we're making lunches for the DIRECTOR'S conference next week and we need a whole lot of mince. What can we do? The store manager assures us he will try his hardest to find a solution for us. So, we thank him and wait. A while later we are told that, since they were unable to get a truck to go pick up the meat order, they have decided to to buy a local cow and slaughter it themselves. How is that for service? I guess when you mention the directors you have a bit of pull around here. Something tells me that if I wanted a bit of mince to make burgers for my family they wouldn't have killed a cow for me!
Warm Chickens delivered to your door
Raising chickens is one source of cash income for many of the Papua New Guineans. We can and do sometimes buy previously frozen chicken from our store here, but another popular and often preferred way to get chicken is to buy from one of the Papua New Guineans. Often times these chickens are much more tasty and tender than the ones from the store. When purchasing one of these chickens, there is usually an option to purchase a live chicken (that you can kill and clean yourself) or you can pay a bit extra to have this part done for you. I opt for letting someone else do this part for me. (The extra cost amounts to less than 1 US dollar. Well worth it if you ask me!)
So, you let someone know how many chickens you'd like and the next day, you get a nice warm chicken delivered to your door. I think I'll add this to the growing list of things I never expected to be normal everyday life.
So, you let someone know how many chickens you'd like and the next day, you get a nice warm chicken delivered to your door. I think I'll add this to the growing list of things I never expected to be normal everyday life.
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