Fierce warriors!

We were treated to a four hour cultural thanksgiving out-door service, singing, dancing...  all the women missionaries joined in.

Martha's Virginia Reel!

Then a "mumu" feast was given in our honor by the Solomon Island group, complete with dancing and singing for us. They have the moves, the harmony.... smooth! A magnificent day.

Solomon Island group.... the "mumu" throwers!

Life as we know it now...

Friday morning here. Just finished the second class, and am not in the classroom again until Wednesday. I don't teach on Monday, and Tuesday is a half day of prayer. But I have 28 papers to grade... 2000 words each. So appreciate the break so those papers get graded. We're crossing the PNG culture in my classes... not pulling any punches!

Martha finished her editing and reading.... but not the endless cooking! Tonight we are having four single staff ladies to dinner for BBQ chicken. Yesterday our cell group came to the house. Mom did her cinnamon rolls.... they devoured them. They call us "Momma" and "Poppa" now. Might bring a couple of them home with us.

Another blanket brigade...

From teaching to preaching; Martha reading the upcoming graduates theses to endless cooking; meeting with our cell group to helping a student form a Missions Policy for 400 Baptist churches; sitting on our porch watching the sun set and listening to the sounds of PNG songster birds to listening to the hearts of these committed to Jesus, loveable people; our time here is rich. Obvious connections exist between us and these folks. Martha adopted the singles girls, found most were sleeping in their clothes for lack of covers, so we did another blanket brigade. Their gratitude is almost embarrassing.  We are acutely aware we are blessed people. Thank you for praying. Rain has fallen. Our visas were extended so we will leave here Sept. 14 for Ukarumpa, the Wycliffe Center, for one month.

Delivering blankets to a burned out village. Michael is a newly
redeemed "raskol" (PNG thug) on fire for his Lord.

Martha's Mission!

We decided that one of the most needed ministries here is getting blankets to the families of Bung, the burned out village, where the people have lost everything. Then we found that many of the students here at CLTC sleep without blankets, and at this mountain elevation, it gets cold at night. Finding blankets to purchase and delivering them has become a joyful part of our work here, and our supporters are in it with us!

Blanketing with love!

You can't manufacture this kind of connection!

Martha had five single girls at the house tonight to show them
how to bake a pineapple upside down cake.

Visa extensions came through!

Ever the student, assistant professor and CEO of Hospitality

Delivering blankets to a burned out village. Michael is a newly
redeemed "raskol" (PNG thug) on fire for his Lord.

Good News!

Our visa extensions came through! So on to Ukarumpa Sept 14th.

Off to Sigri bush village church today. Women sit on one side.,..on the dirt floor, men on slat narrow benches on the other. But fellowship in Jesus is felt and sensed though language is not understood. Remarkable!

Mickey preaching last Sunday

 

Into week three

Classes are intensifying as we learn to read the students and catch the unique dynamics of serving in PNG where cultural norms dictate…even in the church.

The Bung village violence we spoke of ended when Bung villagers rounded up a large sum of money, a small herd of pigs, and handed that over to the other village. A Bel-Kol ceremony concludes the affair, when all the elders and fighting men of both villages gather in a circle, take the chest of a freshly cooked-in-the-ground (mumu) pig, each one takes a bite as it is passed round the circle then they all open a canned coke (old times…broke sugar cane) and down it in one big guzzle. And it’s all over. So Bung can rest…at least for a while.

Martha the cook is busy. Lots of company and people in for meals. Three temporary Aussie workers Wed night, a house full of students Friday night for dinner. But we love those gatherings. 

Mick preaches at the campus church Sunday. Luke 15, the Prodigal son. They love stories. Going to preach it like a story.

A little rain has shown up. Lots of dark clouds in the late afternoon,  but nothing of relief. Some on campus a hauling water.  We’re blessed with a tank still half full.

Your prayers, notes on email, and support is our stay. Thank you all. Pray for rain!

Singing with the village church choir!

Students enjoying Martha's hospitality

Martha with Trumpet flowers

Jolt!

We had a good shaking today around 4 PM.  First a tremor, then a minute later a solid shaking where we felt the house vibrate. Don't know if there were any major quakes in this neck of the woods, but we had our rattling.

Walking to work!