Tomorrow is Connor’s 10th birthday so we had a little birthday party for him here. His favorite present was one that Kirsten’s parents sent to him – a rock tumbler. He is so excited about it! He had made one on his own, with a metal baking powder can, but it just didn’t seem to do much. He is always finding rocks and proclaiming “this is quartz!” Or “this is feldspar!” Kirsten is constantly pulling rocks out of his pockets at laundry time. He really wants to be a geologist, a truck driver, or a missionary! Kirsten made his favorite for dinner – spaghetti!
Wes and Matt Keenan arrived in Pangia today. They will both spend the weekend with us (Bro. Keenan is an assistant pastor in PA). Unfortunately, we welcomed them with our seemingly standard “sorry there’s no power!” This is what we do with our trash. We don’t have local garbage pickup, so we burn it every couple of days.
We finished milling all the boards for the window frames. Slowly, but surely! Both dad, and Bro. Kay, are having computer issues. So, I also spent some time working on those. I think we’ve gotten them all tuned up now! This is a picture from Sunday morning, while the house was still smoldering.
We finished planing all the boards for the window frames for the Bible School building. We’ll continue working on that. I’d like to see that finished before we leave. We had a youth activity this evening. The kids had a good time and we had 2 visitors.
I’m just welding in the workshop here. I got some good work done and have been working with Joseph, teaching him more skills.
Kirsten’s brother, Brian, is getting married next month. We had assumed we would miss this great event. But, after much prayer we accepted the airline tickets that were given to us so that we can be there with the family. We’ll be leaving March 1st. We’ll leave the US again on May 7th. We’ll spend one week in Brisbane, Australia, checking out the printing ministry there (they’ve done a lot for PNG). I’m hoping to get some good information and some contacts for supplies (shipping from Australia should be cheaper than from the States). We are torn about going. One part of us is excited about seeing our family and friends for 2 months, but we are struggling with leaving the work! But, we know it will be good because God has given us peace about accepting the tickets. We will use the time in the States to get information for the printing ministry, get some more supplies for it, and, hopefully, have a few meetings to try to raise some support for the printing ministry. It has grown so much, since we arrived, that it would be a good thing to do since we have the opportunity. So we are doing what we can to prepare.
Youth Sunday School went well. We are doing our competition now and the kids are motivated! Bro. Kay preached the morning service for church. These are poinsettias. They grow in nice, large bushes and are very beautiful when they turn red.
We had a nice relaxing Saturday. It’s been a very busy couple of weeks (with sickness splashed in there for everyone) so it was a good thing.
We made up letters, copied maps and made copies of all necessary documents and put together some packets for Mr. Ta’a to take back and turn in. Mr. Ta’a is in the middle, between Pastor Sam and I. We sent him on the later pmv (bus) with everything we put together.
We picked up Brian Ta’a and came home. We stopped at this bridge because we got 2 flat tires. We got one changed and just had to drive on the other one (it was the 2 back driver side tires that went flat). Mom and dad had dinner ready for all of us when we returned and we gleaned more good information from Mr. Ta’a.
