Fresh Perspective

I still receive many questions about food.  With four growing young lads.  One taller than me and the other only a 1/4 of an inch away from such status, much food is consumed in our household.  There is vast unlimited supply of fresh fruit and veggies.  Many I have never seen before and will rarely if ever use (for some are very bitter or strong or have no taste).  Most of it is relatively inexpensive or comparative to US prices.  The pineapples and papayas are outstanding.  It is hard for us to find fresh lettuce, so that is a treat when it is available.  Also grapes are extremely expensive, I have not bought them yet. There is much less imported food in Papua then in Bandung.  So olives are over $3.00 a can.  1 Kg of oats is over $3.00, along with whole wheat flour.  Anything canned you really have to think twice before buying because it is no bargain.  We can get butter, tofu, peanuts, olive/canola oil, etc.  I still p...

Not sure how the discussion came about.  If I remember right, I made a comment and all the guys had some little jabbing comment.  Then they all laughed in boyhood commodore.  That is when the conversation turned and the discovery was declared that I live with one hundred male nails.  Silly boys! Well I am so happy to declare that my one hundred male nail guys are all thriving.  Darron loves the challenge of his job.  He just overflows with stories and thoughts every time he walks through the door.  I have to wave at him to follow me around the house while he talks….so that I can keep the food and household stuff moving!  I really do think he is doing his dream job right now.  He has always loved to travel, loves encouraging and listening to pastors, loves evangelism and is passionate about teaching it and seeing others put it into motion. Aubrey is just becoming a young man before my eyes and is just eager to absorb anything and everything ...

Today I  was pleased to receive a call from one of the Indonesian pilots asking if I would be willing to go with the ladies to pray for a lady who has advanced breast cancer.  This is one of my main passions, so I was thrilled to be invited. We were able to walk to the ladies house from the aviation property.  As her story unfolded I was deeply saddened at what her fears resulted in.  Seven years ago after her last son was born she found a small lump in her breast.  Fear kept her from having surgery.  She lifted her shirt unabashed to show us 4 visiting ladies the aggression of the disease.  Open wounds, hard/swollen/hot/disfigured tissue. No dressings, no medicines.  Just to look made one wince in pain.  It would take no medical trained person to be able to diagnose the seriousness of her situation.  As she coughed and was breathing so shallow, I had no doubt that the cancer was also attacking her lungs. Sometimes in America I have wi...

It was just another ordinary Wednesday in Papua.  I had my day slated out.  Home school, swim, grocery shop, and pick up Darron at the airport (all errands to be done in my illegal non registered car- now that is another blog).  The children and I were eating our yummy breakfast.  Everyone had just given me their toast order.  “Yea, I’ll have three more piece.”  “I want two more, Mom.”  “I’m still hungry, give me three more, please.” When the phone rang. It was Eric.  “Ehh, Ruth are you expecting a crate? One is beside my house right now”  Oh wow…  So much for preplanning and ordinary days.  Suddenly, no one was hungry anymore.  We gobbled up the last few bites on our plates and ran over to the old airplane hanger.  Where the seal on the crate from America was being broken.  The dead bolt cut off.  Then in the matter of less than an hour all of our goods from America were unloaded, after being packed and in tran...

  The family decided to join Darron at church on Lake Sentani.  It sounded like an enjoyable outing.  We drove our car illegally to the boat dock (still don’t have all the official papers) only to realize that we were at the wrong dock and would have to drive through the center of town with our unregistered car.  So off we bounced, jolted, dogged potholes and motorcycles, people, animals, vendors, and at last arrived at the correct boat dock unnoticed by the police.  There the pastor and his family, along with boat owners were awaiting us.  Lake Sentani is an incredible feast to the eyes of these amazing hills that flow into the water.  Pictures just don’t capture the vast beauty.   One of the many villages on the lake.  The only way to get to these homes is by boat.  The people eat lots of fish.  Do their laundry in the lake.  It is their sewer and their bath, also. We arrived to the church just as they were finishing t...

It was church morning and the telephone rang with the message declaring that all area churches would be closed and that a funeral that was planned for the next day, would need to take place today.  Due to body decay.  They don’t have the ability to embalm here, like in the states.   So as thousands of mourners made there way to the funeral including my husband (it was for a man that none of us knew)…..the boys, I, and the Stumps headed to the local waterfall in search for some peace and refreshment.   The boys and Darron had hiked there on Andrew’s birthday and I had heard glowing reports.  After trudging up through jungle for about 45 minutes, we came upon the refreshing water.  It was crystal clear and so very cool.  I had not planned to get wet, but eased in, despite all my clothes.  The boys had a wonderful time drinking in nature, refreshing themselves, sharing dreams of surviving in the wilderness, clambering over huge boulders, jumpi...