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END OF A CHAPTER

  Dear Family and Friends:   It has been a very long time since we have corresponded with you through our blog though we have had the privilege to talk and visit with many during the last few months. We apologize for the long delay of sharing an update.   Truth be told we have been as uncertain as to what we were going to do or what God had for us to do as you were. We came home from Papua New Guinea in June of 2023 with the full expectation that we would be returning to PNG in the beginning of the 2023 fall school year. Throughout our wait from June 2023 until August of 2024 we have had many delays, pauses, and uncertainty in situations which we have come to realize were God directed.   Though at the time we were frustrated, impatient and often wondered “what are we supposed to be doing?”. Initially we had issues with our visas.   We had to reapply in June of 2023, but the PNG government had electronic processing issues which resulted in delays of getting our necessary documen
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SCHOOL'S OUT

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We have arrived home after spending the past eight weeks in PNG.   Since the Missionary Kids school is out for “summer” and won’t resume until August our teaching commitment is fulfilled. It was a HUGE blessing to be part of a community where everyone was there to serve God.   Life was busy with responsibilities and duties to perform to keep the mission running smoothly.   However, the blessing that comes is knowing every missionary serving at the hospital was there to glorify God and advance His kingdom.   What a privilege to get a glimpse of what God wants everyone to live and experience. We are so grateful for being a very small part of what God is doing in PNG. The last week prior to leaving was a roller coaster of emotions: sadness to leave so many enjoyable students and their families, along with many new national friends and acquaintances, excitement about seeing our family, hopefulness that we can get beyond the Chikungunya Fever that we had our last week in PNG, uncertainty
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PNG

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Our time is winding down.  The high school has completed their 2022-2023 year and the elementary students only have one week remaining of the school year.  We have year-end testing and some fun planned for the kids before the week is completed. The most recent excitement was an end-of-school party where the students, teachers, and families were invited to another nearby town, Minj, where there was a pool party and lunch to celebrate the students’ successful year.  This also included two sad farewells for the 1 st grade teacher and the high school teacher.  Both will be leaving this June after being here over 2 years each. We recently celebrated the one high school senior, David, who graduated last Thursday.  They had a wonderful graduation party attended by all of us as well as several nationals that included speeches, reminiscing the past few years and enjoying lots of treats. He will be returning back to Figi to live with other family members as he pursues his education. His paren
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MKES (MISSIONARY KIDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL)

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  We arrived at the Kudjip Hospital station on a Thursday afternoon.  We were coming out of a 76 hour stretch with 5 hours sleep and little more that short naps during that remaining time span.  The next 8 to 10 days seemed like our heads were in a fog and we always wanted to sleep partially due to the 14 hour time difference from Michigan.  But I was in school Monday morning at 8:00 to shadow the parent who had been doing the teaching and had been eagerly looking forward to our arrival. As Monday passed and then Tuesday, I was worked into more and more of the teaching and on my own from Wednesday on.  I’m sure there are still things I don’t remember or know from those couple days of orientation.  Yet, we still have all the students, and they are learning in spite of me. Our day starts with all the students together for a half hour of devotions at 8:00.  We have a selection of songs on the computer that can be projected on the wall to sing along with.  Typically, we start with one
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THE GRAND TOUR

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We’ve had a couple requests and questions about our home here in PNG so here is a tour …. When we began preparing to come to PNG, we did not know what to anticipate for our living arrangements.  We were overwhelmed by the accommodations that we were welcomed by. So here is a narrative tour along with pictures so you can see how we are blessed! Our home is a two- bedroom duplex which is located on the south end of the station area.  We enjoy the eastern sunrise into the front of our home which is the living room, kitchen and dining room and do not enjoy the western sunset on the bedroom side of our home.  It gets very hot in the afternoon and early evening with the sunshine steaming in. Our yard is covered by a large shade tree in front, with many bushes and flowers around the house and parameter of our individual yard.  We have been blessed by a “Garden Meri” (there are House Meri’s who also do work within the house, though we haven’t had one).  Gayle had a national come to the doo
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BUSH CHURCH

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Last week we had a cool experience.  We tagged along with two of the hospital doctors and their families to a nearby bush church, Marangle Church of the Nazarene.  Dr. Ben Radcliffe and his four oldest children, Dr. Jake Morris, his wife, Genea and their six children (including the almost one year old twins in a carrier on their parents’ backs), and Bob walked just over 5 kilometers to the village of Marangle.  Gayle rode with Katherine, and her two-year-old over what amounts to a two track with a scary log bridge and joined the rest of the group at church. We passed the Kudjip Church of the Nazarene, a Lutheran Church, and a Seventh Day Adventist Church on our way to Marangle.  The trip went through some beautiful landscape with lots of interesting architecture to see.  We have been asked if we were staying in grass huts.  We are not, but we saw several on our walk.  Those huts make up a large percentage of the housing for PNG nationals.  It is amazing to see how much time and skill
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BITS AND PIECES FROM PNG

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  Greetings to everyone in the States.  We thought we would share a few things we found interesting        as we try to acclimate to our new surroundings.  Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.   The nationals are a very warm, friendly people who always greet you with a smile and hello or nod of the head. Whenever someone comes to your home they call out a greeting to announce their presence while standing about 10-15 feet from your front door.  They typically do not knock on your door. (This can be a problem for Bob if he doesn’t hear them) They do not like to call at your home unless your front door is open.  A closed door usually means the owner does not want to be disturbed or is not home.  If you are home you pretty much keep your front door open to be hospitable. Everyone immediately removes shoes upon entering your home.  So bare feet is very common. Cicadas are common every morning about 6:00 am.  T
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