Fresh Perspective

After being so sick several weeks ago, I and random family members laid on the upper deck.  We used the umbrellas to shield us from the sun and from being on display to the onlookers from the road.  It was great therapy.  I must have laid there for 2 or 3 hours....so weak.  Now we are all healthy and full of energy again.  No more naps for now!   This is Don and Darron repairing our water tank on the upper deck.  These tanks are used more as back up supply in case the water gets turned off, which does happen from time to time. Don caught this Emerald Dove and gave it to Andrew to hold.  Don is very talented at anything to do with nature and surviving.  He was bird watching with Darron yesterday and said, "Oh that one is friend, he is deaf and easy to catch."  Before Don became a Christian he hunted birds and ate them.  Don is teaching my boys many, many things.  He has been a great blessing to our family.  He is ...

For days now I have been drinking in the scene out my kitchen window.  I have watched the garden transform from old plants, weeds and garbage to freshly hand plowed.  Then came the tiny seedlings of lettuce and broccoli.  They were planted in dry season.  So the farmers diligently watered with one hose, plant after plant....hour after hour.  As rainy season came, the plants flourished.  Especially after being fertilized.  While they grew and the rains came, we did not see the family of farmers much.  Then came time to harvest.  Over the past week, the family will come and pick the lettuce, wash it, drain it and then carefully bundle it in newspaper to go to the market.  This morning I had to catch images of beauty from this garden through my kitchen window.  I was tempted to ask if I could take their pictures while they worked, but I didn't want them to pose or feel self conscience.  So thanks to Darron's zoom lens.....I clicke...

In Jakarta and Bandung there have been these garbage piles.  Papua will prove to be no different. This is how Darron went church. Lake Sentani is about 10-20 minutes drive away from where we will eventually live. Girls at church. Potluck on the floor. The following pictures are of the market.  Unfortunately the market burned down shortly after Darron's visit to Papua.  So now these pictures are just history.   Fruit Bats for supper, anyone? This is how your produce is delivered to your car.  Customer service. Jan who has lived in Papua for over 20 years, loved this market and the people there.  Many lives were touched through her simple ministry to them. We move to Papua in about 5 weeks from now.  We are anxious to see where we will live and get acquainted with our new life.  The bricks are currently being made for our new home.  We should be able to move into it in about 8 months.  No Home Depot home orde...

Yesterday (Friday) I decided to face my fears.  Off I went to the market on my own.  I have always used the excuse that I needed help carrying all the produce home, so always a boy or Darron has accompanied me.  However, now I have a big cloth bag....so it made carrying bananas, melons, mangoes and veggies easier.  I felt liberated. Then it was decided that I would go to the school to get all of our test results.  I would have gone on my own, but I needed help afterwards with grocery bags and trying to catch a taxi or angkot.  Darron would stay home with the boys as Andrew was still very weak from being sick all Wednesday night.  So Aubrey and I set off. We all passed our test.  Aubrey in the lead with a strong A.  The rest of us following behind with a B. After shopping for groceries, we went to an outlet store where Ann Taylor, Gap, Esprit, and many other brand name clothes are for sale.  I had been wanting to go there for weeks, s...

The next day after the safari, we traveled about an hour over extremely poor roads to a beautiful garden.  The gardens were vast.  We did not even see half of the exhibits.  Some of the high lights were putting the boys in these big balls that were floating on about a foot of water.  They were like gerbils running around frantically.  Jacob was claustrophobic by the time his turn was over.  They were all sweating like crazy.   The two older Gallant children went with us.  I think all of the children would say that a highlight of the trip was running though the garden maze.  They had lot's of freedom and we all had fun exploring God's world.  We were refreshed by all we saw.  A missionary perk!

We rented a vehicle with a driver for around $50 per day for 2 days and headed to Bogar, about a 3 hour drive from where we are currently staying.  To get into the Safari, it costs a mere $9.00 per person and included many shows and hours upon hours of animals to observe.  Zoo's now seem a bit boring.  One could hold a tiger, dolphin, huge snakes, etc. for about $2-3.00 and take pictures all one desired. Carrots and banana's were for sale to feed the animals. Feeding the animals carrots from our car window was incredible.  I have never seen the window go up and down so fast as some of the huge horned animals approached our car.  Animal slobber was on the windows.  It was exhilarating!  We could touch these incredible creatures.  Hundreds of photo’s were shot……these are just a few of the best.  We will bore you with the rest on annual leave if you desire....: )  Better yet, come visit and we will go again to the Safari!