Fresh Perspective

Priority of the day was to get new tires.  Yeah!!!!  Our  Indonesian friends from aviation decided not only to help with translation of buying the tires, but to also raise our vehicle back to normal height.  The previous owner had lowered it, causing the suspension to be extremely hard and unpleasant to all pothole excursions of which there are many. So without a car for the day, I was feeling slightly panicky.  What to do with 6 children???  I had a medical meeting to attend at 1p.m. and I wanted to burn off energy with the children at the pool.  Again, our Indonesian neighbors helped and entrusted their van to me.  The kids were all delighted when I backed up, because it showed on video what was  behind the vehicle.  Because of this great technology, the children asked me if I would back all the way into town! Wendy kept the 6 children entertained as I attended the medical meeting.  Which was composed of 1 doctor, 1 nurse practi...

By the fourth day of Camp Papua everyone is feeling pretty comfortable.  No more worries about offending each other: honest feelings are shared and jokes get a bit more truthful.  So the staff (mainly myself/ sometimes Darron), start praying more!!!!  Giving more pointed direction and wondering if offering Camp Papua to all blog readers is an extremely over zealous thought.  Fortunately, the children settled down to board games and the morning passes by quickly. The afternoon staff (same as the morning staff) were on the fence about going to the Lake House or not.  The beach loving children were loudly vocal that they wanted to return to the beach, not the “boring” lake.  So at last the “staff” agreed that the beach is where we would go. We have known that the tires needed replacing on our illegal car, however, it was difficult to just getting around to doing it.  So it was no surprise when thirty minutes from our home (15 minutes from the beach) a m...

It is hard to top a great beach day, with Camp Papua activities.  However, there is always something to be learned from each day. Tuesday morning, was to be a learning morning.  We were working for our Cultural Cooking Honor.  Stephanie was kind to ask one of her friends from the mountains to show and prepare food for us, native style.  The menu was unripe bananas fresh from the tree, sweet potatoes, and roots.  Along w onions, salt, and hot pepper.  I think that face shows how Jacob felt about the food.   Now I feel proud (not really).     I loved watching Oben work with the fire and food.  He was so comfortable and confident. Everyone tried the food except Nathaniel.  It reminded me of the Philippines.  Stephanie was in her element.  She said as a teen, she ate like this every Sunday with her girl friends.   This afternoon was homeschool art class and pool time.  Tonight was sardines in the dark...

Our first official camp is well underway.  The camp cook and camp counselor always seems two steps behind hungry kids (all the same person, me), but they are not starving.  So far we have been to the pool and soccer at the international school.  There Elijah was the talk of the men as he displayed great control and ability with the ball.  Monday found us at the beach despite cloudy rainy skies.  The waves were powerful and the children were addicted to catching wave after wave.  The only time they were out of the water, was when we called them out to eat and to go home.  Oh yes and one other time, when Uncle John spotted small sharks about 2 feet in length. We rented a little shelter for $10 for the day.  It was a great platform off the sand and shelter from the occasional splattering raindrops.  It came complete with lots of chickens to catch any scraps of food and 2 sleepy dogs.     The ride home was memorable as we ended...

The land/airstrip problems continue.  Tensions build as the days click by with no flying taking place.  With grateful hearts we have some hope this week as a lawyer is aggressively dealing with the local police and problem makers. However, we know that many of the local people want the airstrip gone to build stores and housing developments.  They don’t understand the value of the airstrip to the mountain people and the life line it is to them.  So the fear is that they will retaliate.  I was a bit taken back when Jan mentioned to me that I should have escape/flight bags packed, “just in case”.  The more I pondered it, the more fretful I became.  What does one pack in these bags?  It’s not a pleasant thought of having to flee.  So while at water aerobics I brought up the discussion of bags.  All 5 missionary ladies there assured me that this is normal.  “Better to be prepared and ready, then not prepared and not ready".  “Just...

    Our new home is coming along.  We are continually amazed at how every part is truly made “on site”.  From the bricks, to the cement needed, to the rafters, to the windows, to the septic tank.  Unbelievable.  The crew live on site.  Staying in a small house, close to our new home. Meanwhile, we are quite settled in our temporary home.  I told Darron that I don’t even think about squatting anymore or cold dip baths.  The little guys belly ache about the cold water being “thrown on them”.  “How can you torture us like that?” squeals Nathaniel giggling the whole time.  No matter how hot of a day, that dowse of cold water on my back still make my eyes dilate a few centimeters.  Needless to say, I do keep admiring my American toilet and bathtub that are awaiting installation.    Currently, they are making grooves in all the bricks for all our electric outlets.  The rafters are up and they are awaiting the m...

In less then 24 hours after it’s arrival, the word had spread.  You can only imagine the excitement of all the children as they learned of this new item on which they could play.  And so on that second afternoon over 15 children shyly approach our yard, wanting a turn.  The soccer ball was abandoned.  Let the jumping begin on our trampoline. Every afternoon the trampoline draws a group of children.  I enjoy their chitter chatter.  I also like that the children are coming to our yard.  They no longer feel uncomfortable.  The soccer games have resumed.  Yet now, if soccer was not the favored activity (mainly for the girls) they stay behind to jump.      Can you call sharing your trampoline “ministry”?    In part, I think we can.  But that leads only to another question.  What really is our ministry?  Darron travels everywhere with lists of goals and aspirations.  Meanwhile the children and...

Since the early days of our marriage Darron and I have chuckled at how we convince each other of a needed item to purchase.  The wording that brought us the most pleasure was/is “it’s a good investment”.  So a iron, a vacuum, a bathroom remodel, a camera, a violin were all “good investments”.  I’m sure there were some that were not so fruitful.  I remember my first birthday present from Darron after we were married was a camping stove.  My romantic first year of marriage did not think that was a “good investment”.  However, to Darron’s credit we women are quite complicated.  Because years later after our 3rd son was born (the day before my birthday), that present was a scale.  I have loved my scale!  What a great investment!!!! : ) SOOOO….when Aubrey’s computer was stolen in Bandung, we were a little unsure how we should go about helping replace it.  After a long patient wait and Uncle Mike’s earnest help in getting part of the money fo...

It has been fun from time to time to check the stats of my blog. Over 12,000 articles have been read. Thank you! You could be reading or doing so many different things. So I am honored. Today I am pecking in this message on my faithful IPod with one finger. The sad news is Darron's mother board on his laptop has died and my laptop died this last week. So unfortunately and regretfully my posting will be reduced drastically. Writing has been such an outlet for me, so I am praying that there will be some solution. Positive news is Andrew is now the proud owner of two eclectic parrots. In the states they cost over $1,000 a piece. He bought them both for under $70. They are incredibly beautiful, both adults so hopefully they will breed and we can raise a baby and share some two. Also we will be back in the states in 3 months! So if nothing else I will catch up with most of you then and hopefully get a new laptop! ;) Please keep praying and keep checking if there is a...

  We are so blessed to have frequent reprieves in the daily grind of home school.  Also nice to have distractions when Darron is gone.  So our hearts are so thankful to the Roberts for opening up their hearts and home to us.  Also to the Stump family for always being willing to hang out with us on Saturdays.  This Saturday, after church, we all headed to Jan and Bob’s lake house.  I have written about the lake house before, so I won’t go into great rambling detail about it.  However, this time I was sure to grab Darron’s nice camera and shoot away.  Thought you would enjoy the images caught.  It is just a shelter of a home with no electricity or plumbing, but it sure makes for a lovely outing.  The boys enjoyed swimming, playing games, and we all enjoyed yummy food and fellowship.  The scenery is indescribable.  The camera does no justice to it at all.  So you will just have to come and see…… Zac (Robert’s grandson...

Clutch to floor.  Foot on brake.  Gears in neutral.  Key in ignition.  Good, now ease out clutch and foot on accelerator.  The wall, the wall.  Stop. Stop.  Pant, pant.  Run fingers through hair.  Why I am teaching my 13 year old how to drive?  Ok, no time for deep meditation.  Yes, you may restart the car and turn the wheel sharp to get us out of this tight spot.  Good.  No you can’t go driving through the airstrip, let’s just get home.  Pushing invisible pedals on passenger side.  Car comes to abrupt stall/stop in front of our home.  Then the profound words from my first born, “The driver can sense when the passengers are nervous, and thus he himself becomes nervous.”   Well put, I thought.  Was it only last week that we picked Darron up from the wicked flight (where one has to fly all night from Jakarta)?  What is one suppose to do that day other then try to keep awake and go to bed at a ...

Politics have never been my forte.  If the conversation turns to politics I might as well take a nap or leave the room because I will not add anything to the conversation or my brain.  It’s sad, but I just don’t understand or appreciate the games played in these circles.  So if my mind spun in America, here it is just plain confused.  Obviously my observations are new, having only lived in Papua for 9 weeks.  However, I feel to share with you these observations… Perhaps 4 or 5 weeks ago our older boys were out playing sardines in the dark on a Saturday night.  They came running into the house to share that they had witnessed a drunk man on a motorcycle get hit by a minivan (public transportation), outside the aviation fence.  The minivan driver fled.  You can only imagine the vivid accounts our boys shared with us.  Later the drunk man died.  Yesterday the “brothers” or “tribe” of the drunk man decided to retaliate.  So they came (...