Archive for the '08-August-2008' Category
We had a great Sunday School with the high schoolers. They enjoyed the pancakes that Kirsten made. We had a few visitors, too. After the A.M. service two high school boys came forward and got saved! We were very happy about that!
The high schoolers sang two specials today – a boys group and a girls group. They sounded fantastic! Kirsten said that it almost brought tears to her eyes listening to them. One of the songs was a tok ples (the wiru tribe language) song that one of the girls wrote. Their voices harmonize with each other beautifully!
We had an interesting time this evening during the service. Partway through my message I heard a loud buzzing sound. The bees that live under the platform (and normally enter and exit through a hole in the siding outside) decided to join us! Suddenly a swarm of bees came pouring out of the hole in the steps! We all cautiously watched them. A few minutes later they all poured back through the hole and disappeared! It was a strange sight. I have no idea what made them leave their nest and I have no idea what made them go back to it! Kirsten had a hard time controlling her laughter when a bee flew into my ear and caused me to momentarily lose control of my limbs. It was quite startling!
From Kirsten:
Before Chad came back today we had some visitors, returning to Hagen from the Apenda meeting, Petros and Rachel. Petros is a business man in Hagen who is also an excellent preacher and is often a special speaker in meetings. He is not a pastor but he has started several churches in Hagen Dennis and Dee have known them for years and were sad that they weren’t able to spend any time with them since they couldn’t go to the meeting. When they got here I made them waffles, since we had just finished breakfast. They really liked waffles (they had never had them before)! Dennis and Dee gave them a tour of the property. At the chicken house Dee said that we would probably keep the remaining chickens for eggs, rather than eat them as we have the others. Rachel said “those are meat chickens, they won’t lay eggs”. Dee said that yes, they are meat chickens, but they will lay eggs when they are old enough. But Rachel could not be convinced of that. Dee asked her where the chicks come from then, if their mothers didn’t lay eggs. Rachel’s response, “from the factory in Lae!”
From Chad:
I got back from the Apenda meeting today. I was hoping to get back before Petros and Rachel left, since I was wanting to spend more time with them as Petros and I only got a little bit of time to fellowship during the week. However, Kirsten said that I just missed them.
Petros and I shared the preaching slots throughout the week. He preached the evening evangelistic services. I preached and taught to the pastors and pastors’ wives in the morning. Rachel also taught a class for the ladies each day. There were many spiritual battles throughout the week. However, God still came and blessed the preaching of His Word. Petros did an excellent job preaching and about 10 people got saved throughout the week.
Amber was able to lead a young girl to the Lord today! (her first in New Guinea) She was very excited! Her name is Viana and she is the daughter of a business man in Pangia who is a former council member. They are 7th Day Adventists. Viana said that she would like to come to church tomorrow with us. So, we hope that her parents allow her to come. It is very difficult here, as in any country, to break religious ties.
There was a small earthquake today. Very small. Only mom, dad and Kirsten felt it. Kirsten has been waiting anxiously to feel one so she was very excited to finally have one hit. The kids were disappointed that they hadn’t felt it, but they were all playing and moving around too much.
Chad made it back today to pick up the kids. He tried and tried to call yesterday, but said he just couldn’t get service. He wasn’t able to make it back here yesterday and wanted me to tell the kids so they wouldn’t be waiting around. I felt bad for the kids who waited around but when they heard about the phone and why Chad couldn’t get word to them they just said “That’s okay, that’s how it is in PNG!” So, they had no problem with it. They were excited to be able to go back with him today. He was only here for about an hour – long enough to get a bite of lunch and swap the 10-seater for the Dinah. He said that the meeting is going well and some people have gotten saved. It was such a short visit, though. I’m sure we’ll hear more about it when he comes back tomorrow.
This morning Trevor found a large spider on the porch so, of course, we had to capture it so we could study it. We got out the encyclopedia and figured out what kind it is. We figure it is a type of wolf spider, based on the diagrams we looked at. A tarantula has fangs that point back towards its body, but a wolf spider has fangs that point towards each other. Also, the eyes are larger than a tarantula. It helps that it is big enough that we can see all these things easily on it. I’ve never noticed the eyes on a smaller spider before. But, then again, you can’t tell what something looks like after you’ve smashed it and that’s the only way I normally look at spiders!
It was pretty windy and rainy again tonight, so I am praying that there are no more problems with the tent in Apenda.
The kids so enjoyed yesterday’s service that they begged me to be allowed to do another one. Derrick chose the hymns right after school so he would be ready. Trevor prepared his text (Revelations 22:12-16 – I think he likes Revelations!). We had our service and sang heartily! I hadn’t realized how much I missed singing hymns in English until last night and tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed singing the songs that I know by heart. We’ll have to do it more often! Trevor did an excellent job with his sermon. His heart was fully in it and he preached with fervor!
Chad was supposed to come back this afternoon to pick up the high school kids to take back to Apenda tonight. The kids waited around all afternoon, but finally left at 6pm. I tried to call Chad but he must not have service. The kids are supposed to go today and come back with him Saturday (it is fortnight Friday, so school gets out Thursday around noon so that the teachers can all get a ride on the PMV into Mendi to pick up their paychecks on Friday). They are planning on singing some specials from the songs that we’ve been working on.
Since Pastor Sam is with Chad in Apenda there was no one to preach tonight for church. We headed over, but the door was locked. So, we came back home and had our own service. Derrick was the song leader (waving his hand like he sees song leaders do). He did a fine job leading us! Then Trevor gave us a short message. His text was Revelations 20:11-15. He talked about our commandment to win souls and how if we do our job then hell won’t be as full. If we don’t do our job then it will be fuller. It was very convicting!
There was a lot lightning tonight so the kids and I took a blanket outside so we could lie out on the grass and watch it. We had only been out there a couple of minutes when the rain came and we had to grab our blanket and run back inside! On the way back in we saw the biggest lightning of the night. As Trevor said, “It made it look like it was daylight everywhere!”
The power’s off so I just read to the kids by candlelight until bedtime. It was a nice, relaxing time together.
Chad left this morning for the Apenda meeting.
Dee and I had a good RI class today. It’s getting pretty fun to watch the kids beforehand! They are all supposed to line up by religion. I heard the headmaster talking to the kids and he was saying “Are you all Baptists? I don’t think you are all Baptists! You need to all get in your line! If there are teachers that don’t come, THEN you can change your line. But you all need to be in the right line!” But, nobody moved. Then he called each group’s name and the kids started to go to their respective classes. When he called out “Baptists!” there was a stampede! Dee and I were sitting on the grass outside the classroom. We had to get up and move because we were afraid of being trampled. Kids that were walking to other classes started running to ours when he called our group. It was a fight to get into the classroom. It is absolutely amazing! We can really only pack about 150 kids in that classroom. Whoever doesn’t fit tries to stand at the doorway and the windows. Whoever can’t fit from there goes to their “proper” classroom. I’m glad all the kids want to come to ours. We try to give them the plan of salvation every week, after the story. We want to make sure that all of the kids know HOW to get saved, whenever they are ready to do so.
Chad came back this evening. There was a pretty big windstorm. Here, in Pangia, we had a huge wind, too, and I was wondering how it was affecting the Apenda meeting, since they are meeting in a huge tent. Well, I guess it affected it greatly! The whole tent was picked up by a big wind and collapsed, while everyone was in it! Chad said that it was complete chaos afterwards. The women were crying and everyone was very upset. They got it folded back up and set aside. He’ll go back in the morning and get it all set up again and start the meeting again. Since men were going to be sleeping in the tent, and women in the church (as well as people scattered throughout the village huts) it was easier to come back. He brought all of the Pangia people back with him and they all are going to sleep on the station tonight. He said he saw one child who had cut his foot, but not badly. He also saw a woman who had a week old baby in her bilum (they make a special woven bilum, in which the baby sleeps, that is hung from their heads and rests upon their backs). She grabbed the bilum and her baby fell out. She didn’t notice, but another woman did and that woman came and scooped up the baby and ran out of the tent area. As far as I know those 2 things were the worst of it (besides everyone being so scared!). Thank the Lord that no one was hurt!
Today was quite the busy day! We had a lot of kids in the high school Sunday School class. Kirsten hadn’t quite made enough food, so everyone got a bite. She was going off the numbers from last week (fortnight Friday, so most kids go back to their village for the longer weekend). She promised them that she would do better next week!
I preached the A.M. service (on the 10 lepers) and Kirsten and Vero took Junior Church. Mom usually does Junior Church, but she’s still feeling under the weather so Kirsten took it over for her this week. She said that she tried to teach them “Heads up 7-up”, but couldn’t get them to quit peeking! Maybe they’ll get the hang of it, eventually! The high school kids stayed for 2 hours after church and practiced their songs. They sound great!
John, from the lands office, came by today and we discussed the additional land. He was a bit annoyed that we had only asked for about ½ of what he was wanting to give us. He was very adamant about us taking the whole chunk of land behind the current property. So, dad and I will work on revamping our request. Although the land is basically given at no cost it will cost about 5-6000k to have a land surveyor brought in from Hagen or Mendi to mark the boundaries so that the boundaries can be identified and the title written.
We had to do a little “operation” on Amber tonight. She’s had a bit of an infected toe (this toe does that periodically). It had been getting worse rather than better. When I looked at it tonight I realized it was an ingrown nail and the infection now inside was pushing some of the “meat” out onto the nail. So we laid her on the table and while mom and Kirsten held her hands (and her leg to keep it still) I took a razor blade (sterilized first, of course!) and took care of it. I could tell it really hurt a lot and tried to be as quick and efficient as possible. Afterward, she said it already hurt less than it did before I did the cutting. But, she also said she hopes she never has to do that again! So, do I!
Dad and I, Henry, Benny, and Daniel worked today on continuing to pour the pillars for dad’s house. After working with them Monday and yesterday morning they were able to pour 12 more pillars today with only intermittent instruction and direction from me. We are about ½ way done with the pillars now and hope to start putting up the posts and beams after the Apenda meeting. These three men have been working well and have had a teachable spirit. It’s really beginning to show in their work. Daniel and Henry can both read a tape measure (at least to the quarter inch or centimeter, depending on what we are doing). They, along with Pastor Sam, will be the main workers as we build dad’s house.
This evening we had Pastor Sam and his wife, Vero, and kids Eunice (14), Timothy (12), Boaz (6), and Paul (3), along with Junie (Steven’s wife, although he wasn’t there) and one of their 2 boys, Isaac (8) over to the cookhouse for a barbecue (these ages are just guesses on our part – no one really knows how old they are here). Pastor Sam killed 2 chickens that we barbecued, Junie brought a big load of sweet potatoes, we dug up one of our big taro plants, and added some greens and pumpkin leaves (cooked like spinach with ginger and green onions). Kirsten made a banana cake, with frosting. We all sat around in the cookhouse as Sam and I fried taro and bananas on one side of the barbecue with the chicken grilling on the other side. It was a good time of fellowship and the kids, especially Pastor Sam’s kids, really enjoyed the banana cake. Paul dove right into his huge piece by eating the frosting right off the top. Of course, more was on his face than actually in his mouth! We all got a good laugh and he just kept shoving it in. This is the first time that most of them have had anything like cake so it was a neat experience for them.
Dad and I, Pastor Sam, and Mark took the loaded Dinah (the pastors, kau kau, rice, the big tent – I think it’s 80′x120′ – the generator, lights, and other misc. things needed) to Apenda. It’s only about a 1 ½ hour drive. Dad and I will go back Monday morning to finish setting up the lights and the generator. The pastors and some of the young men from Palipini will set up the tent tomorrow.
On the way back, we picked up everyone heading towards Pangia in order to get some weight into the back of the truck so that we would have traction going up one particular hill just outside of the village Mele. We only got about 15 passengers, which seemed unusual. The first attempt at this hill was unsuccessful. But, after I had all of the folks go to the back of the truck we were able to make it up on the second try. The rest of the way Mark talked about how good God has been to him these last couple of months (since he’s gotten saved) and how much God has been changing his life. What Mark is most excited about is how different his home is. He and his wife, Betty, are no longer “courting” each other in village court. But rather, are growing closer together and to God at the same time. This is a very significant change in the life of a Wiru man because a wife is still considered a possession.