All in a Day

All in a Day.  We are well into our third week in Papua.  Feeling more and more at home as the new becomes more familiar.  Today we started school.  It’s amazing the resources that were pulled together.  So never fear my “un socialized” home school children WILL excel.  The boys are thriving in this world of airplanes and grand freedom.  They did not protest too loudly at having to buckle down to some books and studying today.  We just had to take a break when a helicopter used our grass strip to do its insurance inspection.  It was awesome to see the tall grass being whipped by the propeller and its ability to hover and maneuver tricky feats close to where we sat.

 

All our “barang” (stuff) arrived from Bandung.  The way it left us is the way it came….piled high on a pick up truck.  To say that it arrived in port over Christmas holidays and New Year came and went …..it all arrived, nothing stolen, in a mere 3 weeks.  So now we have our car, BUT we cannot use it.  That news about threw me into deep culture shock, but Jan rescued me and took me shopping! ha  Better not shop again when culture shocking….that was one expensive grocery bill!!!!! Shhhhh….  Hopefully in three or four weeks we will have all the appropriate paper work to be able to legally drive our car.  Until then we are at the mercy of the Roberts and other kind friends.  We are blessed with lovely furniture, a brand new huge stainless steel fridge, etc.  Having to pinch myself to see if I am really a missionary?  But don’t worry when I squat on my potty, then I remember…(couldn’t resist writing about the squat potty!).

 

 

Last week the boys and I headed out to Bob and Jan’s lake hut with friends.  Unfortunately my IPod is not downloading the images to share with you.  The scenery was indescribable.  We had a fantastic time swimming in the lake and playing games in the hut house.  There are whole villages that live on Lake Sentani.  As I walked under the house through the long grasses, with snails and shallow slimy water to climb up into the house, I was sure a croc would appear at any moment.  They assured me repeatedly that no crocodiles had been seen for years…..  I’m still not convinced!  The boys were obliviously happy and rightly so.

 

My “Mary Poppin’s” arrived last Wednesday.  Her name is Alce.  Alce keeps this house spit spot, working 4o hours a week for us.  All her time is spent cleaning and doing laundry and dishes.  I cannot describe how quickly the houses get dirty here.  Perhaps it is the environment with the constant open windows, or maybe the heat….but whatever the case may be I work from sun-up to sun-down along with Alce.  At least now I can stop for a few hours to school the boys and the work continues.  The wind will blow soon and Alce will leave because she is just waiting for paper work to be approved so she can work as a high school teacher.  Until then I am going to try to “stop” more often and take a deep breath of thanksgiving.

Our house is coming along.  Currently they are building windows.  The brick has been laid.  Gravel poured.  Land is cleared. 

 

Each “boy” is standing in his room. : )

 

This is where my kitchen sink is going to be.

These are the building inspectors.

 

Darron preached Saturday at a large church in Sentani.  I am proud of my husbands vision and message.  The heat was sweltering.  We were treated to an Indonesian feast at a fellow believers home.  When I arrived home I promptly cut the polyester lining out of my cotton skirt.  And it occurred to me the lovely hankie that my dear friend Missy gave to me, was not for tears, but for sweat.  The boys stayed at home (a safe freedom, here) and attended church at the hanger.  There was food here, but they were thrilled when the Roberts called them over for lunch.  “Mom, we just had to eat fudge and apple salad at the Roberts.”  : )

 

The young man that I wrote about last week with the cancer in the knee was flown back into the mountains at his request.  I don’t know anymore details.

 

Today some of the local people decided they wanted to demonstrate and prevent Mr. Bob from flying.  So they brought in truck loads of dirt and big boulders, along with gravel and dumped it on the runway.  They are wanting money and land.   The land has been paid for multiple times.  It is sad and frustrating.  Certainly against our cultural ways, but it’s all in a day around here.  We are not being threatened.  Yet it is disturbing. 

 

 

Many of you have asked for our address.  P.O. Box 229, Sentani, Papua Indonesia. As my mother said, “It is a very short address for such a long way away.”   Always love to hear from you all.  Please forgive us for being slow to write and email.  Our internet time is limited. And I no longer have my one cent a minute calling plan. : (  And the phone lines sometimes have crackles and delays. But hopefully in time we will be Skype active.  Thanks for reading and praying.   Blessings!