Sunday October 7, 2007 Praise and Worship

We started our day by attending church here on campus. The worship team led in music both in English and Pidgen. Patrick preached today using Psalm 19 as the core of his sermon. God's direction is clear if we will just turn to The Bible for guidance.

After church we came back to the house and picked up the dishes we had prepared for the potluck to be held with other missionaries in the area. This was held at Kudjip Hospital. They have a pavilion down the road from the hospital near the housing for the missionaries, where everyone gathered for the meal. We met the Drs. and several wives and after eating we presented them with 9 boxes of medical supplies. (See picture) The supplies were much appreciated and they assured us they would be able to use them.

Following the meal we all gathered in the hospital chapel...a separate building. Here we sang hymns, read scripture, had a time to voice praises and then one of the Drs. who had just returned from furlow and who had spoken to many churches while on furlow shared with the group his presentation coupled with a slide show. The presentation gave us a great overview of this hospital and the services they provide. (110 beds with 4000 admissions yearly and they see 40,0000 a year in the outpatient department. ) We were so glad to be there for this presentation.

After returning to CLTC Jan and I visited one of the ladies on campus who had a new baby. The family lives in a very small house with their now 4 children and it would take more time than I have here to describe the living quarters. Later Jan asked me if I was in culture shock and I told her if I had to live like that I would be but we come back from that to a clean house. This afternoon we ended our day with a beautiful rainbow!

A great day complete with more new experiences!

Mary and Jim

Saturday at CLTC and Beyond

Our day started early when we met Jan to go to the produce market. As we walked to the CLTC gate we passed the lady with the bananas on her head and knowing her Jan asked her if we could take a picture of her and she agreed.

Just outside was the market place. Women were lined up on the ground with their produce that was for sale spread out before them on paper, blankets or cloth of some sort. I bought some tomatoes, a pineapple, onions, peanuts and some kaukau (sweet potato.) In fact we may eat sweet potatoes for a while! Quite an experience and Jan said this was nothing compared to the one we will go to next w/e in Mt Hagen.

Patrick had arranged to use one of the college vans and go to a nearby village which is home to one of the students, Mark and his wife, Margaret, who rode with us. His family did not know we were coming. We have a lot of pictures but unfortunately we cannot send them all. In the picture above I was giving Mark's mother a hug. She sat down on the ground and kept holding her hands up to shake our hands. She was severely crippled and very bent over but oh so sweet! I will let you read Duff's description of our trip into this village:

We left the CLTC compound by van and traveled about 7 or 8 miles by a road being prepared for paving, averaging about 15 miles per hour. We passed through tea and coffee plantations, and a village marketplace. We turned off the main(?) road to go to Mark's village on a narrow, very rutted trail, crossing a bridge/grate (prayerfully!!) on the way. When we arrived in the village, several children and adults greeted us heartily. They were in various states of dress or none at all, and several of the children had very runny noses! As we left the van, Mark's mother gave us a hug around our legs, and the adults gave us all a handshake, so most of the older children followed suit. We were then given a tour of the village, including their church, and were allowed into one of the homes to take pictures. The housing was mostly hut-like, one room, made of woven sides and thatched roofs. Inside the house, one corner was the kitchen area with fire in an open pit, one corner to eat, and the other two corners were sleeping areas.

The area was neatly landscaped, with flowers and gardens all around. They actually had two community outlets of running water that was piped in from a stream in a nearby mountain. We met one of Mark's relatives who had served in the Papua New Guinea legislature, and another older man who was the local magistrate. Some of the male adults were working on a foundation to build a new, larger church building. The children had marked off an area for a hop-scotch like game, upon which I showed a little of my youthful prowess! They laughed!

The village is located several hundred feet higher than CLTC and has a wonderful vista over the valley, and the surrounding mountains are a contrasting relief. Mother nature is a good handy woman.

As we left on our return journey, they waved good-by, and we were thankful for what we have, but at the same time somewhat envious of the simple, low-key environment we briefly entered. Sweet, family oriented, caring!

Mary's day has been busy......3 loads of clothes....takes me back a few years hanging them out to dry. But we got them all in before the afternoon thunderstorm which cut our walking tour of the campus short. I also baked 2 banana breads, and have a loaf of bread ready to go into the oven. Dinner today was leftovers, but a tasty concoction! :):) I have sorted, reboxed and labeled medical supplies and we will deliver 9 boxes to the hospital tomorrow when we go for a pot luck lunch there with Patrick and Jan's friends at Kudjip. The rest will be taken when we can get more boxes.

Check previous blogs for pictures which have been added...... and we will add more as we can.

Our Best to All.........

Mary and Jim

I managed to wash 3 loads of clothes today hang them out and get them in before the rain came!

Friday, October 5, 2007 Life is good!

It is Friday evening…..the end of our fourth day here. We have met wonderful people; staff and nationals. Life is complicated in that it takes more time to do things but then that is not all bad…We walk, of course, every where we go here on campus. That is definitely good! We are still boiling water for drinking, brushing our teeth and making tea and coffee……..well not for coffee…hopefully it is hot enough to kill everything! No bad results yet!
Today was the 4th class I taught. The supervisor of the wives pulled all the wives out of my class and after starting with 13 I ended the week with 6. However, I am really enjoying those 6. They ask questions and share with me how things were treated in their village. Like cutting to let blood out if one had a headache, or if a person’s legs were swollen. Well there are lots of examples!! If they don’t understand a word they ask and I’m always asking them if they do understand…….with their help I think I’m getting the info over to them.

This afternoon I spent time in the campus clinic. It is hard not to impose health care standards from the US on this culture. I perceived this nurse as lazy because I did not see her as busy and yet there were many things in the clinic that could have been cleaner and neater. I dove in and started cleaning and throwing things out! I also observed while she interviewed and examined patients. It seems she treats the symptoms (pain meds, etc) but what about the reason for the symptoms? I question how much patient education she usually does…. I will admit that it was my first observation and only for a couple of hours.

Monday I will accompany the other clinic nurse to a nearby village (30 min. away by foot) for an immunization clinic. We will leave about 8 am and be back at 2-3pm ………. he said there will be no bathroom there…..so I guess no coffee that morning! I will try to take many pictures.

Today Duff was mainly working on setting up a new (used) server using the Linux platform in order for the school to have more email capability. In addition the elementary school had a new computer that had not been set up right and he spent some time working on that….probably finishing that on Monday.

Tomorrow morning we will meet Patrick and Jan to go to the CLTC produce market…meeting at 7:15 and walking to the market which is held right outside the gate of the campus.

Hope all is well with each of you. Thank you for your prayers…we have much to be thankful for…. our safety and as yet no gastric issues!!
Mary and Jim

October 4, 2007 from Papua, New Guinea

October 4, 2007 from Papua, New Guinea

Jim’s impressions after 3 days: As we approached our landing on 1 October, I noted how lush green and thick the growth on the ground and mountains, how high the mountains rose, green to the top, and lack of movement of vehicles on the roads. Our missionary friends met us at the airport entrance and took charge of gathering luggage, as there was a large group of locals hanging at the fence and doors, seeming both curious and looking for opportunities to ‘help’ (possibly steal) anything unattended. We made the transition safely, and began the hour long journey to the college. As we departed the airport area, we passed a large pile of rubbish and garbage in a lot about a block away, with people just hanging out, talking, sitting around, or walking slowly with no specific destination in mind. This was the scene all the way to the college. My first thought was abject poverty, but they didn’t look hungry, so I was a little confused.

We arrived at the college to enter a veritable oasis amid the previous chaos. Relatively modern buildings, landscaped grounds, and people moving around purposely was the scene. As noted earlier we were deposited in a house with reasonably modern amenities, so we have not suffered more than some small lifestyle changes, mainly watching what we eat and boiling the water before consumption.

Reading the history of the college, working and talking with the staff, and meeting some of the students, I have gained a little understanding of the culture of the Melanesian people. What I perceived as poverty was more a way of life, as food is plentiful, and most of their basic needs are met. The culture is mostly tribal/agrarian, and they believe that all wealth comes from their ancestors, therefore one only should provide for basic needs. If a person becomes ambitious and begins to produce more than his family can use, the rest of the community will take their perceived ‘share’, so there is no incentive to achieve or excel. Sort of reminds me of some attitudes back home!

I am working on computers and giving staff some basic instructions on software, mostly just trying to make using the equipment more efficient. Pretty old by our standards, as the average age of the computers is 5 + years, so current software can overload easily.

I look forward to getting outside the college and visiting a village or two. The people seem to be mostly kind and gentle, but the encroachment of modern society has helped create a ‘rascal’ group who rob and steal, so traveling can be somewhat hazardous. Hopefully we will miss that kind of intrusion.

Until later,

Jim & Mary

Class and a trip to the hospital

Today is Wednesday, October 3, 2007. Today when I went to class I found out that 5 of my 13 students had dropped out and they sent word it was because they had already had a first aid course from someone else who had been here. Apparently the supervisor for the wives of the students had not investigated but had just signed them up. This is not all bad because it seems the 8 that were left speak better English. We covered Airway Obstruction today and the Heimlich maneuver. They did a great job when I had them practice on each other.

The class is from 10:30-11:30 and then I walk back to the house and at 12:30 everyone goes home for lunch until 2 pm.

Today at 1:30 I accompanied Patrick to the hospital, mainly to meet some people and get a tour. Patrick was having minor surgery to have a couple of skin cancers removed from his shoulders. The surgeon was so incredible. To be able to function in the environment I observed is a gift. He could multitask better than anyone!!

The hospital is a total mess! They are beginning a building right next door and they sure need it! While we were sitting in the Dr’s office waiting for him to take a look at Patrick there was a older patient and her daughter squatting on the floor in the same office. The Dr. stopped and told the daughter “Mamma needs surgery, it will be 145 Kina, have her here next Thursday morning at 7:30 and you will come right in, no wait” And if I am correct he told her to bring 2 blood donors. Now this is major surgery… A Kina =.30 US ….so it was going to cost this lady about $50.00 for whatever he was going to do.

Right in the middle of doing Patrick’s surgery (I was sitting in the OR room) a new Dr. (who is volunteering for 2 years) came in to ask his advice about a man she had just examined. So he stopped and consulted with her. Then he asked the OR assistant if there was a fan they could turn. The windows were open. When they finally figured out how to turn the fan on it blew the surgical drape off and he had to instruct them how to turn the direction of the fan…..of course several times he had to have the light adjusted! The next patient he was going to see was a woman whose hand needed draining due to a pig bite.

Jan told me this Dr had won a national award for his years of service. He first came to PNG in 1978 as a resident and then came back and stayed, raising 6 kids here. One son is in medical school in the states.

On Sunday we will meet other staff at the hospital, when we go there for a pot luck lunch. Tomorrow I will go to the clinic here at the school and meet the nurse and determine how I can help there.

Duff meanwhile is busy assisting the IT department and working one on one with different staff members who need help with their computers. I think he is enjoying what he is doing as much as I am!

By the way…cooking on a small gas stove in another person’s kitchen is a challenge! However I just took banana bread out of the oven and it turned out pretty good!! Bananas are plentiful here

Again emails are welcome. We read them even if we haven’t had the ability to send replies on a consistent basis….Duff is working on solving that problem. I guess I will sign off for now. Duff says he will write a blog of his own soon! Hope you all are well.

Mary and Jim

Christian Leaders' Training College (CLTC)

It is Tuesday evening October 2, 2007. Today we started our work at the college.
Since I did not have time to write anything but a short note last night I will recall Monday.

We caught a 6:45 a m flight from Cairns to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (hereafter PNG). We flew Airlines PNG and were surprised that our luggage was not over the weight limit; however, he just marked the duffle bags as Heavy and sent them on. We arrived in Port Moresby about 9 am after having breakfast (ham and cheese sandwich, yogurt, juice and coffee) served to us on this little 2 engine prop plane. After arriving we presented our paperwork and passports/ visas, found a luggage cart, collected all our bags and made our way to the customs lady. She asked if we had anything to declare and we told her about candy and a camera we were bringing to a missionary family. She told us we could go on (paying nothing.) We then went outside and walked to the Domestic terminal quickly….there were men hanging about everywhere with no apparent purpose (some on ell phones.) After getting in the terminal we stood in line to check our bags with Air Niugini to come to Mt Hagen. Again……they did not send us to the Excess Baggage counter as we thought they would. Many people were sitting about this large room on the floor. We knew our flight was not due to leave until 3:15 pm and for a few minutes we thought we would be sitting on the floor until then. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could go ahead in the Departure Lounge………a large room with about 200 seats…our time was spent on the computer, reading and talking with people we met. We were about 30 minutes late leaving ………. (After a false alarm where we were sent out to the plane but could not board because the flight attendant had not arrived yet, so we were sent back into the terminal) Once boarding the plane we got to our seats to discover that the air conditioning had been running and condensation was dripping from the vents above the seats and down the walls….Duff’s seat was very wet and the flight attendant just handed him a couple of paper towels……fortunately I had a large ziplock bag which we used as a barrier for him to sit on……..however for the hour long flight he had a Chinese torture with the drip, drip, drip on his left ear!! Very interesting!!
We arrived late but were greeted by Patrick and Karis who quickly wisked me to the van where Jan, Kristin and Benjamin were waiting along with another couple from the college and a security guard. They had brought him with them into Mt Hagen as they must guard their shopping items …they can’t leave them in the car/van to go to another store.
After piling everything in the van we made an hour long trip on a pot hole infested mostly paved road except in areas which had been washed away by the river in flash floods, and the last 4-5 miles it seemed. Along the way we viewed many people walking along the road or gathered in groups doing?? We observed much trash and debris everywhere. However, this is a beautiful mountainous, tropical region with banana trees, coffee trees and tea fields along the road.

We arrived about dark last night and it began raining just as we began to unload our luggage. The campus is quite large…after we see more we will give a description.

We are staying in a good size house………we have 3 bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and bath (3 room bath with a toilet sink and shower all in a different room.) We thought we would have a bucket shower like Jan does but we have a regular shower……..however they said the washing machine takes 2 hours to fill up……..we’ll see.
Jan and Patrick had us for dinner last night and tonight however she took me to the college grocery store today…..another interesting experience. Choice of meat was ground beef and chicken. (Kinda’ like you might find in our freezer at home) …. Jan had mixed some milk for us (powdered) and bought groceries for us in Mt Hagen so we are off to a good start and tomorrow I will begin cooking.
I taught my first (First Aid) class today of 13 women who all have a different level of understanding English. I hope I wasn’t beyond them and I also hope I did not insult any of them. It was interesting, they were very sweet and a couple actually stopped me to ask a question or make a comment.
Jim met all the staff he will be working with while here and got his schedule from Patrick. He will be busy!!
More tomorrow………..our best to all!

We are here!!!!

We will write later, but just wanted everyone to know that we arrived safely and it was an interesting day to say the least!
Thank God the flight from Port Moresby did not get cancelled.
Mary & Jim