Fresh Perspective

Since third or fourth grade I have been reading mission books.  I LOVE a good story, but especially a TRUE story.  When things start happening in our lives, like I think belongs in one of those books, I shake my head in wonder.  And wide eyed anticipation.  And sometimes fear.  I mean we are almost to the year two thousand and twenty.  And my husband posts yesterday on Facebook that hundreds of tribal men are lining the road with bows and arrows, spears, machetes, and axes (near Heberima, a 45 minute commercial flight and a 20 minute motorcycle ride from our city).  They are painted in tribal war readiness and have pigs teeth piercing the septum of their noses.  What!!!?!   How was your husband’s day on the job?  We received some “red flags” on Sabbath afternoon when texts started coming into Darron’s phone from Papua students from that area (that are studying here in town).  Warning Darron to be careful when travelling.  ...

I’ve decided to choose random photos that fascinate me and depict different aspects of life and culture here. Take this blood stain on my side of the bed.  It’s small and near my shoulders or head.  What does it represent?  Hmmm???  Bed bugs?  Nope.  Mosquitos….yes.  We are blessed.  We have screens on our windows.  Most Papua people do not. Yet random mosquitos still enter our home.  Every time I see blood like this I wonder when I will get malaria next.  Even though we live in a country with a high prevalence of malaria, we have rarely had it.  Our diet, our resources, our knowledge and our prevention all contribute to this fact.  Blessed.  Reminded by blood in the bed. Beetle nut juice .   On the road, and the pavement where people walk.  More offensively when it’s on my car.  The juice is most fascinating when it is being spit out of people’s mouths.  A bright red spew of juice, that still cat...