Melanesian Christmas

Jeff writes:

Our son Jonathan suggested that we send him some Christmas photos from our celebration here in PNG, so here they are.

We begin by wishing all of you a Merry Christmas. At this time of year we miss you more than ever. However, God comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to offer His comfort to others. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

Yesterday, these men in the picture distributed Christmas presents - live chickens for a special feast. We had a choice between a big live tough bird or a smaller, more tender, frozen one. Guess what we chose?

Sue likes to bring Christmas cheer indoors. Yesterday, these dahlias were cut from our flower garden just outside our kitchen window.













We have a locally-crafted manger scene. The animals and figures are burned into bamboo by a red-hot piece of coconut husk. You should be able to recognize a shepherd, two sheep, a donkey and a cow, Mary, Jesus in the manger, Joseph, and the three wise men.

The entire scene is back lit by our Christ candle. We wait to light it Christmas morning to celebrate our Savior's birth.




We had a request to show all of you what our weather was like on Christmas day. This photo was taken from our front porch. It rained hard all last night so the morning was foggy. However, at about 9:00 a.m. the fog lifted. The mountains in the background are still hidden by clouds. In the foreground our neighbor's garden is in view complete with their banana trees. They put a sack over the banana bunch to help it ripen and to keep the flying foxes (fruit bats) from eating them.













Sue is modeling her "elf hat." She received this as a special gift at our Christmas Eve service. It lasted from 7:30 to midnight. Our principal gave these out as special incentives to get people to stick around for the whole thing. First, he presented hats to all the kids, then at another break the moms, and then (I assume) the dads. However, by that time we were both dead tired (I had preached twice that day.) We went home at 11:00 in a pouring rain. Needless to say I did not get my matching "elf hat." (If some of you are worried about our principal handing out "elf hats," he didn't. I just call them that. They were actually give aways from our vet Te Awamutu Veterinary Services. Each one has its name boldly stitched on it.) Notice that Sue is wearing hers inside out.

Sue took this shot to make you all feel envious of our perpetual spring-like weather. Of course, the drawback to it is it doesn't feel like Christmas. It got up to around 80 today.













Our principal Ezekiel started our Christmas morning service off by reading good wishes and Christmas greetings from our friends throughout the world. People really took care to create a festive holiday atmosphere in our auditorium. The poinsettias in the flower basket were picked right here on campus.









What would Christmas be without a special story for the children? Don, who is a great mate of mine from Australia, entertains the kids. Don and his wife Heather are SIL missionaries doing Bible translation work for a neighboring people group. Don is an all-around guy, who helps with all kinds of "fix-it" projects including our computer network. His wife Heather planned the worship time for our service. We enjoyed hearing the Christmas story and singing lots of familiar carols though some of the tunes were different from what we were used to singing.


The kids did a Christmas drama. I especially liked the eight-legged camel which carried the wise men to Bethlehem. Four kids got under bed sheets to bear the three wise men. One stood up at the head, and the other three bent over and held on to on to one another with each one carrying a wise man on his back. We all laughed a lot. Here they are singing their final song.









Our principal Ezekiel preached the Christmas sermon. He spoke about the two sides of Christmas. He said just like both sides of a bank note tell a person that it is genuine, the Christmas story too has another side to it which makes it true - Christ's death on the cross. The baby in the manger without the cross is not the true gospel, and neither is the cross without the Incarnation.








After the service we dedicated a new 15-seater college van to the glory of God. This van was part of a bequest from a supporter of the CLTC. This person made it possible for us to buy two vans and to pay off our remaining debt on our Port Moresby campus. We had a lot to be thankful for today.

After church Sue and I headed home to our own private celebration. She made lots of good food. We got to take a nap. We opened presents; had some cheese and crackers; ate apple pie. (Yum!); and watched the Nativity Story.

Well I have been working on this entry for a couple of hours now. (Our Internet is very slow, and Blogger has not been very cooperative.) I am going to head to bed. God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

Communication

Communication is funny. It seems that it's taken 34 years for me to really listen to what special baked goods Jeff wants me to make for Advent/Christmas. OK, maybe I'm hard of listening. I'm glad I finally got it right. He likes sweet rolls with a buttery, sticky sauce for them. Here's what this year's sweet rolls look like.
Yeah, some rose better than others, but Jeff feels heard.

Solved Baby Adoption Conundrum

Jeff writes:

It has been quite some time since I posed the conundrum of what to do with the baby I was offered to adopt. (Click here to see our post on October 4.)

This turned out to be a triam tasol. The father, who offered me his child for adoption, was trying to see if I would be interested in the hopes that I would raise it and more importantly pay for its education.

Missionaries and other ex-patriots have been offered children like this before. The scheme works like this. The ex-pat does decide to adopt the child. It is easier to do this informally ... no paper work and no bureaucrats! In fact the child's relatives encourage this. The ex-pat raises and educates the child. When the original family gets wind of this, the following happens. The child's parents or their relatives come to demand that the now well-educated child be given back. Of course, the ex-pat refuses to do so, but now he or she knows that the family can no longer stay in PNG. However, the government won't let the family leave. Why? The child is not legally theirs. Child goes back to tribe. Tribe wins. Child and family loses.

How did I learn this? I consulted with the Dean of Students, who is a good Melanesian friend. He also told me that abortion is illegal in this country. (Infanticide is practiced, but it is rare.) Second, he said that if the mother did abort or kill the baby her tribe would be extremely angry as children are seen here as a sign of wealth.

I still had the problem of how to say "no thanks" to my friend without harming our relationship. Again the Dean came through by offering this Melanesian way to decline such a "generous" offer. I did follow his advice, and it worked.

This is what I eventually did.

I had not seen my friend in quite some time, but last week he came by my office to give me back his key to our weight room. I had been rehearsing my speech for some months, so I was ready. I told him that I was honored by his request. However, the government's adoption process is a long and a costly one. In addition, CLTC policy allows new employees to bring their already-adopted children to the college, but to adopt a child while living at the college is not permitted. I told him this, and I hoped that he and I could still be friends. He agreed and that was that. Finished!

We still have a lot to learn so keep us in your prayers.

NEW Protozoan Diet!

Jeff writes:

I think I have discovered a new diet. It really works. You can eat all you want and still not gain weight. It is all natural. No dietary supplements or drugs are necessary. It is the new Wunderdiet!

I call it the Protozoan Diet. Just fill up your stomach and small intestines with all these little critters and bingo the pounds just melt away! Imagine billions of guests at your dinner table. Eat all the ice cream you want. Cake no worries! Forget diet coke; go for the real thing. Eat real sugar. Enjoy real fat. Super-size at will. Feel REALLY satisfied. Do you like chocolate? Good have some more! There are plenty of mouths to feed.

Side effects you ask? Well yes ... there may be some burning in your gut generally accompanied by prodigious amounts of gas, but think of all the fabulous fatty food you can consume. Think of all the pounds you can lose. No pain no gain. Right?

To be truthful I can't say I really recommend this as I am trying to get rid of my "guests." So far I have tried twice to do them in, but you know what? They just won't go. So yesterday I went to Kudjip Hospital to get some REALLY STRONG antibiotics. Hope they work, but then again ...

Early Christmas Present

This may sound vain, but I was so happy recently to find a beautician who can cut my hair! We have lived here almost three years now. A couple friends passing through have been willing to help me out on occasion. A couple commercial haircutters have botched the job.

Now I've finally found a gal in Hagen who does good work and charges a reasonable price. What a relief a simple thing can be.

Another Campus Robbery

Our finance manager and his family were held hostage Saturday night while robbers went to fetch college cash. It's disturbing that these robbers had a lot of inside knowledge about our campus and the habits of our security guards. Though the family was not physically hurt, a hostage situation is psychologically upsetting.

Please pray for those who are preying upon our campus to be found out. There is also the continuing trial of a campus employee accused of helping plan a robbery of campus funds in Hagen and an unsolved robbery of our campus store and a stolen campus vehicle which is unrecovered. Ask God to bring about His justice in these situations.

Reflections on the Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Sue writes:

One of our favorite Christmas stories is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Again this year we read it aloud for advent. And God is stretching us as He did the congregation in the story.

With the missionary who has discipled M gone, Jeff is the chief contact with this village leader of the Bung Bible study. M is such a sincere guy. He has great wisdom for a new believer. He also has lots of ups and downs.

Last night Jeff was showering about 9. I heard a little knock on our door. I ignored it. It came again. Since I was expecting a neighbor to come by to say good-bye before she left for Christmas, I opened it. It was M, with his wife D and their sleeping son.

The day before, a 3-year-old child had died in Bung village. The father was from Bung. The mother from Bunem Wo, just next door. The father’s clan (M’s clan) had never paid bride-price to the mother’s clan. So the mother’s clan seized its opportunity to renew demands for money. They have kept the father’s clan from burying the child’s body until some money is paid. The mother’s clan reinforced their claim by cutting down some banana trees belonging to the father’s clan. And saying they would start burning houses and ruining whole gardens if the money doesn’t arrive today.

M and D are part of the clan that has to pay up. They wanted us to give them some money. I thought Jeff was wise is saying he would give some money, but M and D need to do a service for us. They gladly agreed. We prayed about the situation together, and the couple was visibly relieved.

As they were walking out at 10, M brought up another problem he has. I was at my wit’s end. I just wanted them to get going. But Jeff listened a bit and said he’d consult with another missionary about the problem.

Then they did head out into the night. They had to walk a half-hour through the dark tea plantation to the place the wake was going on for the child.

What a gulf there is between us, kind of like the church in Best Christmas Pageant and the Herdmans. Like the church in the story, I have a lot to learn about really caring about others and seeing what difference the Christ Child in the manger makes today.

Like Gladys in the story said, "Hey! Unto you a Child is born!"

It should shake up our world.

Double Whammy Tsunami Power Surge

Last night Sue and I were relaxing watching a video after a long day in Mt. Hagen buying supplies and driving others around to procure their necessities. All of a sudden were heard a loud noise, a pop, and then our borrowed DVD player began belching white smoke.

When the dust had settled, we had lost our borrowed TV too, and every surge protector (including the one protecting the DVD player and TV) in the house save one. It was connected to our refrigerator. It and our microwave were the only appliances to survive.

Apparently two major power surges struck within milliseconds of each other. The first one disabled our surge protection systems, and the second overwhelmed them to affect the appliances or computers they were designed to protect. When I arrived at work today, the damage was total. We lost nearly every UPS on campus. A UPS is supposed to protect from this kind of a surge. When we checked the UPS's protection fuses, some had been blown apart. We tried to replace the old fuses with new ones, and when we did, they too failed. At last count we have lost 56 UPS systems, many monitors, most of our printers, and some computers. Thankfully our copy machines seemed to have made it through. Other people lost appliances in their houses like refrigerators, microwaves, TVs, nearly anything that was plugged into an outlet.

Today we were able to restore most of our key communications and give life to some of our most important departments (such as payroll), but our total recovery will take months. We praise the Lord that no one was hurt and that the students are away on break. With this catastrophe we will undoubtedly spend many long hours working our way out.

Pray for us as we try to find replacements for everything that was damaged, and pray for those who lost personal items. We are hoping that we can cover the loss either via the college's insurance policy or that PNG Power will compensate us. Only time will tell.

As they say about PNG, "Expect the Unexpected." And as we say God is good all the time. All the time ...

Baking for Rock Star

Yesterday was Rock Star's second birthday. He is the son of Michael, who leads the youth Bible study in Bung village. Rock Star's mother, Doris, is a vibrant Christian woman. Her implicit trust in the Lord is an inspiration. She talks about the Lord in a natural way wherever she goes.

Doris came over to bake a banana cake for Rock Star's birthday yesterday. As we were baking, she told me more of her testimony. While the cake baked, she helped me plant tapiok (from which we derive tapioca) and strawberries. She also told me more about tu-minit kumu, a green and yellow leaf that grows on low bushes and can be cooked in two minutes.

I wrote out the banana cake recipe for Doris. When she bakes it at home, she will use a drum oven, made from an oil drum, heated underneath by an open fire.

Doris told me that some of the established ministries in their village are jealous about the Bible study that is going on. Some folks are saying that the (Bible study) group is circulating Moslem teaching, which is absolutely without ground. The studiers welcome people from all denominations and they urge them to continue in any church they are already a part of. (Most of them have no church ties at all.) Please pray with us that no divisions among denominations will deter these Bible studiers from growing deeper in their faith.

The relationships that are growing with these villagers are so eye-opening about the way most of the people of this country live. We thank God for these people and insights.

Jesus Film Showing

The Lord answered our prayers about the showing of the Jesus Film.

The venue was the "mess hall" of a local high school, one of the few places with electricity near Bung village. The electricity was out for about 20 minutes as the villagers were gathering to watch the film. After some introductory remarks, it came on and stayed on for the entire showing. (By contrast the power flickered on and off numerous times during Monday and Wednesday evenings.)

About 150 people, men and women of all ages and lots of children, were in attendance at the film. Afterwards several people got up to say they appreciate the interdenominational Bible studies going on in the village.

We had expected some to come forward in response to the message of who Jesus is, but we trust God is continuing to work in the villagers despite what we expect.

Heart-Felt Call for Prayer

Sue writes:

If you look back at the post called, "Great Day to be a Missionary" you will gather some background for this post. Jeff is working with a group of 70 or more young villagers who claim to have an interest in becoming Christians. About 30 of them have completed a workbook about the basics of the faith. They are memorizing Scripture from the lessons.

Someone comes from the group every day with some new idea the group wants to act on. The thing is, the idea usually involves us giving them something for them to use. We don't mind giving them things, but we sometimes wonder if some of them are just greedy and the claim to faith is just a way to "get things."

Jeff has asked God to give him contacts "outside the fence," so we want to follow God's leading. We are asking Melanesians and other missionaries for insight into this situation. Jeff is trying to orient the new IT manager, field constant requests for his time, serve on a curriculum review committee, update course notes for next term, and fulfill the other things his job entails. Still, he wants to follow God's leading. Please pray for Jeff to see what God wants.

Tonight we are scheduled to show the youth group the Jesus Film in Tok Pisin. It clearly presents who God is, His overtures of love toward people, who Jesus is and what He did to provide salvation for people.

The group came up with the idea of holding a ceremony of conversion before the film. Working with them in Tok Pisin, we are not absolutely clear what their motivation is for this ceremony. Please pray for Jeff to have wisdom as he deals with the youth.

He also asks for prayer that God's Spirit would be working in the lives of those who watch the film and that PNG Power would supply the power we need to show the film.

In 2 Corinthians 1:10-11 Paul wrote about his missionary quandaries. Though we are not experiencing the physical threats he was, we identify with the pressure he felt as he said:

On [God] we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Graduation!

Sue writes:

Graduation at CLTC is the high point of the year. Joyous families and friends joined the college community last week-end to celebrate the students' accomplishments. This year 36 graduates finished in five different programs.

A group of mostly Solomon Islanders led us in with dancing and lively music.













This group is several men who received Bachelor of Theology degrees. They each wrote a satisfactory 9000-word English thesis which described a theological problem their denomination is facing and
suggested a biblical solution. Their wives received certificates for a Pidgin Bible course. They will be church or Bible college leaders.






Three students earned diplomas in missions. They hope to go out to foreign mission service. The idea of Papua New Guineans going out as missionaries is revolutionary in some national churches.









The gowned students here received diplomas in theology. They are prepared to be church leaders or religious instruction teachers in high schools. The other two students will be women's and children's leaders in churches.

We pray God's blessing on our graduates as they go out to minister on the larger and smaller islands of PNG, the Solomon Islands and other places God leads them. Please pray their lives will make a difference to those around them.

Faculty Appreciation Night

The graduating students this year started a new tradition. They scheduled one night for all the students to invite all the faculty and outgoing staff to a big dinner. They killed, plucked, cut up and mumued (cooked over hot stones) over 100 chickens along with sausages, kaukau (sweet potatoes), cooking bananas and ferns with other greens. Too, they brought rice while faculty members brought cakes. There was so much food that it was brought in in wheelbarrows. Then the tablecloths were spread with banana leaves and the cooked food placed on the leaves.

The students also prepared flower arrangements that they placed in vases made from banana tree trunks. They involved their children in stringing a live flower necklace for each honored guest. They came up with so many tablecloths that we were amazed. They arranged for music to be played, and one student sang a song he wrote in praise of God. It was an enjoyable time to fellowship with students, their spouses and their children around the tables at the end of the year. We appreciated the efforts that were evident in that memorable evening.

Happy Day!

Sue writes:

It's a day we've long looked forward to. Today the new IT manager, Jonathan Zureo, should arrive!

He seems well-qualified, eager, and honest. We couldn't be happier. With him coming at the end of our college year, Jeff should have some time to orient him soon too.

Many thanks to you who have prayed for this position to be filled. It seems God has supplied a perfect match to the IT needs here on campus. Please pray for his success in his new position!

Great Day to be a Missionary

Jeff writes:

Today was one of those days when it is great to be a missionary! A team of us from the college left at 6:30 a.m. to walk to a "Youth Bible Study" at Michael's house in Bunum Wo. Michael and I hiked Mt. Wilhelm together. He is the one God has really gotten a hold of and is doing a remarkable work in his life. In the past he used to lead a rascal (criminal) gang in this area. He used to supply his mates with steam (fermented pineapple liquor) and marijuana. In days gone by he led them in a life of crime. Now he wants to lead them to the Lord. This study meets out-of-doors at his home, and although we met early today (Sunday) there were over 50 people there, most of whom had never darkened the door of a church. The Spirit of the Lord is moving, and our prayer as missionaries is to try to let the Lord lead. Our desire is to see nationals carry the ministry forward. We epecially want to make this Michael's ministry, which we want to support using local church leaders and students and staff workers from the CLTC. Please pray that this study will continue to grow and that many of these wonderful people will come to know the Lord.

IT Manager Interviews!

Sue writes:

Good news! There are two qualified candidates for CLTC IT manager coming for interviews this week.

Jeff has been diligent to sift through several applications, and he is glad there are two candidates which seem to meet the college's criteria. The candidates' references has given positive reports. On the telephone, the candidates sounded promising. Now it is time to meet them in person.

Please pray Jeff and other interviewers will be able to detect any unreliability or inconsistencies in stories the candidates tell. It would give the college community a boost to have this new employee be an honest worker who is able to teach others.

Saturday, Bread Day

Sue writes:

Saturday is a day to do different things. This Saturday Jeff dealt with how to accurately present spiritual bread. I labored to make physical bread. I'll tell you about these things.

Jeff was invited to preach at an Assemblies of God church on Sunday. Two students at our college are part of that village congregation. It is being torn apart by quarreling, so the students asked Jeff to speak on Christian unity. He has been praying and asking God to show him what Jesus, the Bread of Life, wants this church to know about Himself and life in Him. We would appreciate your prayers for the Holy Spirit to unite this congregation.

While Jeff was working with spiritual bread, I have been kneading physical bread. Saturday is my day to make sure we have the food we need for the next week.

I start by seeing what our garden has ready for me to harvest. This week it was green beans, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, green onions and cabbage. Then I go to the open-air market outside our college gate. It was a joy to find pineapple, bananas, cucumbers, lettuce, and papayas there this week. Besides the usual sun, the extra rain that's starting to come has brought several new garden foods to maturity.

Those home-grown treasures have to be processed somehow. While my bread was rising, I chopped or grated the cabbage, carrots, celery leaves (Celery here grows lots of leaves and thin stalks.) and the greens of the onions into a coleslaw for tomorrow. The green beans and whites of the onions I cooked for lunch today. The lettuce will make a nice bed for some tomatoes, cucumbers and cold CLTC chicken breasts for dinner, and my bread will taste good along with it. Papaya is a nice finisher.

It's satisfying to work with the materials the Lord provides for us. Whether it's physical or spiritual bread we work with, we know all good things come from our generous God. We ask His blessing on our labor:

And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And do confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

Absentee Voting and Updates

Sue writes:

We were recently delighted to receive our absentee ballots for the upcoming national election in the mail here. We have marked our the ballots, and I tried to send them off this morning. Someone had stolen the stamps from the college secretary, so I gave money to a person who was going into town to buy stamps for me tomorrow and to mail the ballots from Hagen. We are doing our best to take part in this election.

The photo shows Jeff with his absentee ballot. He's still very much alive after his malaria, but he has lost about 20 pounds since we came back here. I think he looks really great slim. He was getting even more fit after our return to the college by running in the early mornings. It seems that vivax mosquitoes feed at dawn, so we think he got malaria from running by the river where the mosquitoes live. He is getting his energy back after malaria. We're thankful for folks' prayers and concern.

In other news, the CLTC employee who was charged with robbery of college funds has been bailed from prison. Bail requirements are that the person cannot leave our province or be in the presence of other witnesses for the trial. The trial is set for 10 November.

There is no more news about our carjacked van or the robbers who kidnapped our college store manager.

Some good news is that the long-awaited Mundhenks, who also serve with Pioneers, arrived on campus this week. They are getting settled to be ready to serve in the college year that begins in February.

More Ups and Downs

Sue says:

The retreat turned out excellently! Thanks for your prayers. The principal was an outstanding speaker. The hike to the falls and swimming in the cool water was a male-bonding time. The students gave testimonies of praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to them in their time here. AND the food was delicious. A memorable combination.

We have been concerned that Jeff has been feeling poorly the last five days or so. When the chills and fever hit last night then again twelve hours later, we were alerted. He has malaria! Our campus clinic nurse was kind enough to come see him and bring him the best meds available. He should make a turnaround in twelve hours. He asks for prayer for perseverence through his aches. He says they are worse than with flu, and pain relievers aren't helping.

On another up note, the college employee was released from prison to return to campus. The trial is scheduled for ten days from now, which is earlier than had been expected.

The Best of Times; the Worst of Times

Sue writes:

It challenging to sort through all the good and bad that has befallen our community this week. I'll briefly list the events.

Our college employee at last was granted bail. The employee has not yet been released from prison.

The manager of the college grocery store was kidnapped from the yard of his house as he was coming home from work. He was held at knife point, bound, and his key to the store taken. The robbers then took the money that was in the store. The employee was shaken, but otherwise unhurt.

The house of the Nazarene minister in Bunem Wo, one of the two villages that border the college, was burned down today. His two-year-old child died in the house. A collection is being taken up to help the pastor and his family out some.

Prices at the markets are going up. A huge, ripe, juicy pineapple now costs $2 US (!). As I bought the fresh produce for the graduate retreat for this week-end, it was a good thing a local woman came along to help me. She looked out for the way I held my money (so it would not be accessible to anyone else). She also knew how to pick ripe cooking bananas and alternative markets at which we could comparison shop. We were able to make all our purchases for within a dollar of the estimated cost.

Several student wives are cooking for the men on (on-campus) retreat this week-end. They and the principal's wife are busy marinating beef and baking lemon cake for the guys for tonight. Tomorrow I will go over and show the wives how to bake banana bread.

Jeff and another faculty man are in charge of the retreat. They are well prepared with the college principal speaking about leadership qualities, a couple action movies, a hike to a nearby waterfall, and tasty food.

Please join us in prayer that God would use the retreat this week-end to encourage and refresh the men who are ready to graduate and go out as ministers. Also ask God to show us how to continue to meet the needs of our neighbors with tragedies in their lives. We really appreciate you who pray and our God who supplies answers.

Third Week of Fourth Term Activities

Sue writes:

It's already Wednesday here. While carrying on with our courses, we are also putting in work on the Graduating Men's Retreat which takes place on the week-end.

Jeff is leading it up. He's working on the schedule with the students and a co-worker. He has lined up the principal to speak and chosen a movie or two to watch with the guys. A hike is planned for Saturday afternoon. Communion together Sunday morning.

I am learning lots of new things about how to cook for the 25 people who will be attending.

First, there was a discussion about whether to get meat birds (young chickens) which can be roasted or the older breeder birds which need to be mumued to tenderize them. The workers solved that one for us. They chose to bring us breeders. Live ones. The student wives killed and plucked them for us. I didn't look. But I will need to take four of the dressed ones up to our our house when we walk up tonight. The fridge in the college meeting hall doesn't work. Who knows what we'll do with the retreat refrigerated items for the week-end.

Then I had to arrange transportation to the open-air market in Banz for fresh food. At first I was told I had to go at 7 am Friday when a bus was taking someone to the airport in Hagen. But I have an 11:30 class to teach, and that vehicle wouldn't come back by then. So the college will allow two student wives and I to ride in Friday afternoon. The Highlands wives will come with me. They know how to choose good cooking bananas. And they don't have qualms about asking the vendors to lower their prices if they are too high.

We are having lots of papers to mark and a going away dinner for a short-termer who has helped us out. Please pray that we will rest in the Lord for our strength and that as glitches pop up we will see our service as an offering to Him.

Updates

Sue writes:

We had a surprise about the case of the CLTC employee awaiting trial for conspiracy in a robbery of CLTC funds. The hearing which has been postponed again and again over the last two months is just a bail hearing! We thought all along it was the actual trial. The bail hearing is still pending. Please pray for the employee to receive the basics (food, water, clean air, a place to sleep) that are necessary and for the CLTC community to live in peace together about this matter.

After two months our washer has been returned to us in working order. We are grateful.

Another child died in Sigri village this week. This one a seven-year-old boy. I don't know many details except that he was well one day, felt weak at breakfast the next day, and he died at our college clinic while being examined. We grieve with the family.

Our classes continue going well. I look forward to tomorrow's missions class in which several students are scheduled to tell oral biographies of famous early missionaries. Our first quiz is slated for Tuesday.

We are enjoying delicious green beans from our garden, and new calves are being born each day now just over the garden fence. I counted three mamas with new babies today. The calves are so cute and clumsy when they first walk around a couple hours after birth. They seem as though a flea bites them so they take a leap in response. They sometimes are able to frolic around friskily, but other times they land in odd positions on the hill and they have difficulty knowing which way to move next. So amusing to watch!

Pair O' Grafs' Paragraphs: October 2008

We just sent out our latest edition of Pair O' Grafs' Paragraphs via email yesterday, but if you did not receive one, you may have a look at our October 2008 prayer letter by clicking on this link Pair O' Grafs' Paragraphs.

Missionary Conundrum

Jeff writes:

How would you like to be a missionary for a day?

Last week I had a national friend come by to ask me whether I would adopt his unborn child. He and I have gotten to know each other because we both lift weights. He is a championship body builder, and when I found that out, I asked him to develop a workout program for me.

Mutual giving forms the basis of a Melanesian relationship, so since he helped me with my training, he came to me with his adoption request; but it has a catch.

He told me that his wife wants to abort the child. They already have two kids, but with school fees and all the other expenses of raising a child, she really felt they could not afford another. Abortion is illegal and unsafe in PNG, so there is a real danger that both mother and child could die. Hence, he wants to find another alternative.

We are still working this one through, but I thought it would be interesting for you to reflect on the situation. So, what would you do if he had come to you?

Mt. Wilhelm

Jeff writes:

I have been away from blogging mainly because the start of a new term is filled with activities. My Wilhelm climb took from Friday (19 Sept.) to my return on (Tuesday 23 Sept.), which meant that I lost three work days out of an already shortened break time between terms. Hence, I was pretty busy getting my church history and Ephesians class notes in order to be printed and bound for the start of term.

Wilhelm has two stories to it. The most obvious one is we hiked to the top of the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea. At 4509 meters (14,793 feet) it is higher than Mt. Whitney in California. It was a difficult scramble to the top as it rained for three hours prior to our midnight departure. I slipped and slid my way up and back down. By the time I reached the top at dawn my pants were soaked and muddy, and my feet were a mess. It actually took me more time to go down than to go up. I fell constantly in the mud. This is a tribute to my lack of knowledge on how to walk on a PNG track and to the fact that fatigue set in. Nevertheless, with the aid of my companions and their encouragement we all made it back.

The other part of the story is I got to spend a lot of time with M. M. is a former rascal or outlaw, who has recently come to Christ. He and his buddy, who was our guide to the top of the mountain, used to practice their trade together. We heard many stories of their escapades. They used to hide out up here from the police. By His grace the Lord really has gotten a hold on M.'s life. He has left his gang, and now is absorbing as much of Christianity as fast as he can. His is a life transformed.

M. was my shadow down the mountain. He stuck with me every step of the way. He picked me up when I fell down. He showed me how to walk the treacherous trails, where to put my feet, and what to avoid. Because I stopped often to collect my strength, we had times to speak of our Lord, His love for us, and what He is like. M. had lots of questions, which is unusual for a Papua New Guinean, about his new-found faith. M. and I turned our walk down into a personal retreat time with our God. Though I was in pain, the joy of the Lord was indeed our strength. This testimony of a truly transformed life along with the beauty of the mountain, bore witness to the grandeur and grace of our God!

As the preachers like to say, "God is good all the time. All the time God is good!"

Girl in Sigri Village Dies

Sue writes:

Kids everywhere are full of life, aren't they. So, it's especially distressing when a little, innocent one dies. That happened again last week in Sigri, a village next to CLTC.

It is the second time since we have been here that a child has died for a reason that was not obvious. And the second time talk of sorcery has started circulating.

When talk of sorcery starts, the conversation will at some point get around to compensation claims and possibly taking physical revenge against the sorcerer. The father of the girl who died put that talk to rest this time.

At the funeral of his daughter, the father said, "Our girl's body is dead, but her spirit is with the Lord. We will not listen to any talk about sorcery. We will not seek compensation. We will feed all those who have come to be with us today (as opposed to shunning the person who was said to have performed sorcery to kill the girl)."

This talk of forgiveness and trust in God rather than seeking revenge is rare even among Christians here in PNG. We rejoice in the faith exhibited, yet we grieve for the family which has lost its child in the here and now. Please pray God will comfort the family and use their example of faith to inspire others.

First Day of Fourth Term!

Sue says:

The fourth and final term of the 2008 college year at Christian Leaders' Training College opened Monday. That means we lecturers ran around making sure there were enough chairs and desks in our classrooms. Jeff will use powerpoint slides this term for his Church History class, so he had to hunt up the proper plugs and other equipment.

Besides Church History, Jeff is also teaching computer skills, preaching and an Ephesians class in which he instructs the students in inductive Bible study to prepare for their own teaching. His class notes for Church History still need to be bound.

I am teaching History of Missions. Like Jeff's history class, mine will try to speed through a couple centuries of developments. I'm enthused about my class because we will talk about different people groups, some famous missionaries, and the way God has been reaching out to mankind in graciousness for the last 2000 years. All my sixteen students are already interested in missions, and they are asking God where He would like to use them in spreading the Good News of His kingdom.

Graduation takes place at the time of Thanksgiving in the US. Thesis students (doing a fifth year of study) are working hard to finish their big writing projects, and excitement is in the air as students anticipate concluding their studies.

Please pray that we all will be growing in our relationships with God and each other in this term.

Updates

Thanks for your prayers for us. We are trying to get to the point where we can print out our students' notebooks today so the binder has time to bind them before fourth term classes start Monday. Jeff is preparing two notebooks, and I am working on one.

In another area, the CLTC employee who is awaiting trial has been suffering asthma attacks. She has been taken to the hospital twice because the other inmates smoke and she has trouble breathing the smoky air. The guards have allowed her to sit in and sleep in the reception area so she has purer air to breathe. Please pray for her improved health, and that a just trial will be held 29 September as (re)scheduled.

The last update is on our washing machine. Our CLTC delivery truck transported it safely to Kainantu (a four-hour drive away) and technicians picked it up and took it to Ukarumpa (another half-hour drive). The technicians say the trouble was with the transmission. If all goes well, the delivery truck will bring the washer back next Wednesday. We are so glad our neighbors have allowed us to use their loaner in the meantime.

Back Home Sore and Safe Pictures to Follow

Jeff writes:

We made it back yesterday from Keglsugl, which is the village below Mt. Wilhelm. My feet are a wreck, but I am glad to be home. I will post some pictures later. God had some other plans for my trip other than climbing that mountain that I will also like to comment on. Thanks for your prayers.

Mt. Wilhelm Update

Thanks for your prayers. God gave all four guys the strength to get to the top of the 15,000 foot mountain Sunday. Two guys arrived back at CLTC yesterday (Monday) bringing news about the other two.

Jeff and a national guy are still on their way back. Jeff said he needed to rest up some more before completing the walk down the mountain. He and his friend stayed another night at a wayside lodge and plan to PMV (public motor vehicle) back today. Please pray that Jeff will have the strength to complete the walk down. He isn't injured, the high altitude and soreness and his shoes slipping are just a challenge.

Updates

This picture is of some fruit and vegetables that were recently given to us as thanks for helping some needy national friends. May they be a reminder of our thanks to you who pray for and give toward our ministry. Your giving enables us to give to others. God is eager to make Himself known to all people, and your prayer for us is an important part of God's name being given the honor it deserves here in PNG.

Thanks to you who prayed for our relations with the College Council which met recently. I'm not sure the strain of the workload is sufficiently understood by the Council, but we did have a friendly working relationship.

The saga of the ransomed van continues. Someone is holding the van. The college doesn't want to pay ransom.

The story of the broken washing machine continues too. The people whom we helped and who offered us the pictured goodies have loaned us their old machine while ours gets fixed.

The college employee accused of complicity in robbing college money was supposed to appear in court last week. I haven't heard any news about what happened there, but there is joyful news about her ministry in the prison. Large numbers of women are listening to her witness to them, and they want Tok Pisin Bibles. People from the college are gathering them to send.

Jeff and his team must have climbed Mt. Wilhelm today. The plan was for the four guys to take it easy back at the lake camp the rest of today after coming half-way down. They should return tomorrow.

This week as I was preparing for a History of Missions class, I was struck by Isaiah 45:22:
"Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other."
He is the one true God. He wants all people to know of His kind intentions and His provisions for relationship with Himself.

On His Way!

Sue says:

Jeff left yesterday to climb Mt. Wilhelm, the highest peak in PNG. He's traveling with another missionary and two national guys. The nationals have been quite helpful in arranging transportation, since they know other guys who drive PMVs (public motor vehicles).

Friday at seven in the morning, the first PMV had pulled up in our driveway to pick Jeff up. (We had no idea how a PMV was admitted by the college guards!) When the group got to Kundiawa, Eastern Highlands, another driver met them. The second one is from Chimbu, the province where the mountain is located. He drove them to a lake on the mountain with huts for climbers to sleep in.

Saturday, the guys are taking it easy at the higher elevation. Tomorrow morning, they will be awakened by a guide at 2, so they can ascend to the 15,000 peak before dawn. If the morning is clear, those at the top should be able to see to the northern coast of the country!

Can't wait to hear the stories from this trip!

Thanksgiving Sunday 2008

Jeff writes:

Last Sunday the CLTC community celebrated our thanksgiving to the Lord for all that He has done for us this past year. The students really did a fine job presenting their offerings of garden produce. This year's offerings will go to the inmates at Baisu Prison. As you recall one of our employees (we believe) has been wrongly imprisoned there while pending her second trial. So this food will help her and the other inmates enjoy a special meal.

This year the students marched/danced in by church group. We have students here from over 20 different denominations. This first group is from the United Church, and they are predominantly from the island of Bougainville. These are some of the darkest-skinned people on the planet.

Can you see the offerings this group of Baptist students are bringing? They are carrying huge cabbages on their shoulders plus other produce in their bilums (string bags).

These offerings are truly from the heart. This is our dry season, and the people here call it taim bilong hangri (the hungry time) because their gardens do not produce well. The students do get a basic ration of food from the college plus a fortnightly allowance, but they depend on their gardens to provide variety and to add to their diet.


This young lady is part of our Pentecostal student group. She is wearing coastal dress while she dances.














The men as well as the women danced. Notice that the men dance with the men and the ladies dance with the ladies. This group of Solomon Islanders really stole the show! Here the men are enjoying themselves. It looks like they are really having a good time.










These are the Solomon Island ladies. This group of students belong to the South Seas Evangelical Church.














After presenting their offerings, like an island Pied Piper, this student leads his group out of the service.















This young lady is wearing the dress of one of the tribes close to the CLTC. She also happens to be in my Introduction to Computers class. Of course in class, she wears western clothing, but underneath I must remember that her worldview is anything but western. Pray that Sue and I would continue to grow in our knowledge of the customs and cultures of our students so we can continue to relate God's timeless and cross-cultural truths to these wonderful folk.

Petrus Released!

Sue says:

Praise the Lord! Petrus was released unharmed this afternoon. He called CLTC from the Christian bookshop in Hagen to report his freedom and to ask for a ride back to campus.

He had also been instructed by his captors to report that the college van is being held for ransom. Please continue to pray for our management team and security force to bring this episode to a peaceful conclusion in such a way that the carjacking does not continue.

PRAYER ALERT!

Sue writes:

Please join us in prayer concerning a hijacking of a CLTC employee in a college van. Three CLTC folks were driving in a van to Hagen this afternoon when they met a road block. Two people were pushed out of the van by the hijackers. Petrus was forced to stay inside the van as it was driven away by six guys who jumped in.

Please ask the Lord to protect Petrus and allow him to be returned unharmed. Pray that his wife and children would be comforted as they wait for news. Pray also for our CLTC leaders as they make decisions as events develop.

Caught in the Criminal Justice System

Sue writes:

A matter about a robbery of a CLTC vehicle has been dragging on since before we came back in July. A college driver and another employee were transporting a finance department employee to Hagen to deposit a large amount of cash and checks at the bank. The vehicle arrived in town before the bank opened. In the few minutes between the arrival and the bank opening, a raskol made off with the large deposit.

The finance employee was arrested. It seems the police didn't have enough evidence against the employee, because the case was thrown out by the judge. A new charge has been lodged, though, and the case is dragging on.

The female employee is now housed in Baisu Prison near Hagen. Folks from campus go often to visit her and bring food and other items she needs. It may be another couple weeks before the case comes before the judge again.

Here is the verse God gave me to share with the woman when a group of us visited her Sunday.

...the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
He rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him!
Isaiah 30:18

Please join us in praying that the Lord will bring about justice in this case and will show compassion to those who are waiting for Him.

Ministry Weekend at the AOG Church

Jeff writes ...

One of the ways we reach out to the local community around us is to participate in a ministry weekend.

Sue and I work with a cell group with six guys in it, and our group has been assigned an Assemblies of God (AOG) church. These men have been meeting with the church for the entire year, but last weekend was my first time to take part. (Sue's back was hurting from a rough ride to Mt. Hagen the day before so she stayed home to rest.) These ministry opportunities are real answers to prayer because of the connections they bring and the opportunities they offer for us to get to know the culture better.

The photo at the right shows some of the guys as we walked down a muddy road toward a Nazarene church which was close by. We had to turn back shortly after reaching the church because there had been trouble in the village.



The trouble had started over an election dispute. Apparently the candidate a clan within the tribe was supporting for a local council position lost, and so they took out their anger on the winning candidate's clan. We turned back because a group of people were burning something alongside the road ahead.

Can you see the chopped tree in this picture? The disgruntled clan members came through this area with bush knives and chopped banana and other trees. As far as I could see no houses were burnt down.


Trouble can come up quickly here, but just as quickly it can die down. We were told that the village planned a bel kol or peace ceremony for the following Wednesday after our visit. Hopefully the ceremony took place.

The house at the right is a fairly large Highlands home. Can you spot the little girl? How about the wash hanging out to dry?







I snuck up on these boys and took this photo with a telephoto lens. They were all busily engaged in pushing rocks through the mud and making car noises. These mangi (kids), like children everywhere, are incredibly inventive in their play. You can see why our Lord loved children so!










This is our ministry team warming up for the church service with a private time of worship. This was a really special time for all of us as different individuals led in singing and in prayer. The five are (from right to left): Abel, Daniel, Justin, Mathias and Michael.

One of our members, whose name is August, did not come to our service. Instead he was at a Nazarene youth revival at Kudjip. He led music there and later reported that over a 1,000 people came and that many were converted or had rededicated their lives to the Lord.

When our service began, Mathias led the congregation in worship. Michael played the guitar as well, and Abel contributed his enthusiam.

As cell-group advisors, we encourage our students to lead the ministry weekends. Michael, who is our cell-group leader, asked me to preach, but I declined. It is good that I did because these guys really came alive during the service. During cell-group time they are a reserved bunch, but during this worship time they really brought us all into a wonderful experience with the Lord!


It was Abel's turn to preach. He did a good job. One of the things I like about him is his smile. When he preached, he smiled constantly! It was infectious. Also Abel has only had a sixth-grade education. However, since leaving school he worked as a welder, and then he helped a SIL (Wycliffe) missionary translate the Bible into his tok ples (tribal language). Abel is still shy about his English, but that did not hinder his ability to preach in tok pisin. It is great to watch your students perform so well.




At the left is Pasta James. He met us on our way up to the church. I only got to speak with him briefly, so I hope that at our next visit, which will not be until October, we will be able to sit down and stori (talk) some more.

He did encourage his congregation to seek peace with the other disgruntled clan members. He was also instrumental in setting up the bel kol ceremony.






This is our farewell photo with the team and the AOG church congregation. This is one of the prettiest little churches I have been to in PNG. Perhaps you can spot me. I am the guy wearing the hat.

Needy People, Generous Team

Sue writes ...

So many times we see people in PNG who are suffering. We are thankful that we are able to help out some of them through the generous giving of our support team. Let me tell you who we have been able to help in just the seven weeks we have been back in-country.

We were able to clear the debts of a family whose baby was born with Down's Syndrome. The family had done all they medically could do for their daughter Jane. The Lord took Jane home to Himself in January. The family was deeply grieved to lose Jane. They were also assured they would see her with the Lord, and grateful they could clear their debts to the college and their tribal members who had loaned them money.

A student whom we know well and who has several children has been short on food money a couple times. We have given him small amounts of cash to tide him over until the next kaukau distribution. We also have students for evening meals to make sure they are eating well. (There is no food service on campus. Every student or household of students cooks for their own needs.)

A family's house was burned down by a relative who was angry at them for not supporting his candidate for local elections. Many of the family's other relatives said they should take revenge. The family has five children, and the husband's mother is fighting cancer. The couple has witnessed to their tribe, saying Jesus' way is not to take one's own revenge. We gave them the encouragement of some money to rebuild and assurances of our prayers.

A woman came to me with a small problem patch on her neck. She said the problem was grile. I wasn't familiar with the problem, and I asked her if she had talked to the clinic nurse. The nurse had said grile is ringworm, a fungal infection, and the clinic was out of the medication the woman needed. I looked in my supply of medications. I had an herbal remedy for skin fungus. The woman is trying it.

One of our co-workers is a widow with two school-aged children. When I was wondering what to do with some skirts that are used but still wearable, I thought of this woman's daughter. The mother thanked me heartily for "helping to give her daughter a feeling of a security within the community around her."

A student and his wife who are serving their year's internship, the third of their four years, are running a large AWANA club for a church in Goroka. The leaders decided to provide a meal for kids before the meeting, and they are inviting street kids to attend. They are gaining lots of new clubbers who are growing in their faith. The parents of several of these kids has renewed their faith and begun attending church. The church was running out of funds for the growing food bill, so we contributed toward the meals the church is providing.

Different needs, but each one keenly felt by those who have them. Part of our the money that our team provides is earmarked for such situations. We give thanks to our financial team who has helped to ease some of the suffering that we have seen around us.

Last Three Weeks of Term

Sue says:

The pace of a term seems to move to fast forward during the last three weeks. This one is true to form.

We enjoyed having three single guys from our student cell group to dinner one night this week. It is always fascinating to hear more of the nationals' personal stories. Before he came here, one of the guys had helped a Korean man translate the Psalms and New Testament into the student's village language. (There are over 800 separate languages in PNG alone.) . Another guy has a successful youth ministry going at Kudjip, the Nazarene village near us. The third student has lived in Port Moresby, the PNG capital, so he was used to city life.

There are more assignments to grade at the end of term, and we want to be certain we clear up any questions students have about the topics we are covering. Jeff is having some outstanding discussions with his students on the work of the Holy Spirit presently. As our student body includes a wide range of denominations, you can imagine the varying positions held.

More fuel for prayer: A 2006 CLTC graduate, Hedwig, and a small team plan to visit a village near them where a charismatic cult has taken root. The cultic group has burned their Bibles and taken up some other strange practices, saying they don't need the Bible, only the Holy Spirit to guide them. Please pray the team will be able to relate to the cult members and to explain Christian practice in a way that makes sense to the cult members.

On top of the usual added responsibilities at the end of term, this term also has about a dozen outsiders coming in for meetings right now. One group will evaluate our academic program to prepare the college for accreditation with a South Pacific organization. The other group is our oversight board. We faculty (and the rest of the college community) are asked to host these visitors for meals, and both board meetings will mean changing some faculty assignments. Pray that we faculty members will be gracious to our visitors and allow the Lord to strengthen us for added tasks.

Building a Bush House

Jeff writes ...

One of our students, Matthias Koim, is a pastor in our area. We have gotten to know Matthias and his family well. I have had several opportunities to preach in his church at Warala. I told him that one of my goals for this term is to get off of the CLTC campus and spend more time in the villages learning more about their customs. When he heard that he told me that he was in the process of finishing his house, and he asked me if I wanted to see what he was up to. Of course, I was interested, and this photographic essay is the result. Hope you enjoy it.

These photos depict the finishing of the interior of his house. In the States we use a material called sheet rock to finish our inside walls. In Matthias' home he will weave his walls from a material called pitpit. Pitpit is a cane-like grass which grows along the Waghi River. The pitpit is cut, bundled and carried to the job site where the house will be constructed. This photo shows some pitpit laying on the ground waiting to be processed.








Matthias' mother is flattening the pitpit with a large stick. Once flattened the pitpit is ready to be woven into wall material. Like mothers everywhere she is multi-tasking. This little boy was content to sleep on her lap while she was working.












These three are in the process of weaving the pitpit wall or blain (pronounced as "bline"). The man on the left is Matthias' father.

They can weave different decorative patterns into the wall. The woven wall stretched out behind them for about 7 meters. When finished they roll it up for transport or to sell. The individual wall sections can be cut to measure.

Matthias' father was one of the first to settle in this area. He cleared the land and marked it by planting a tree to indicate his ownership. He said the process they use to identify their land is the same that the Israelites did, but instead of using stones, they plant hedges made of a red-, green- and white-leafed plant called tanget.



This picture shows a closer view of the weaving process.
















Matthias (on the right) and his friend Michael are carrying a cut piece of blain through the front door to install in one of the rooms of his house. Note that the outside walls of the house are made from hand-split wood planks. The roof consists of around 1,500 tightly wrapped bundles of kunai grass. They are woven into place on top of the roof rafters and cross members. The grass roof provides shelter against the torrential rains of the Highland's wet season. Special woods are used for the framing and for the flooring. Certain trees are more resistant to insects, and their wood is used wherever the house comes into contact with the ground.

Matthias has also cut holes into the walls where he will install his store-bought louvered glass windows. Other than nails these are the only non-natural materials in the entire house. To keep things dry he has built his house off of the ground. He will use the pitpit blain for flooring as well. It is laid over the floor joists.

Matthias and Michael are getting ready to hang the pitpit blain on a wall of Matthias' study. The house has a central area surrounded by four small rooms. Cooking will be done outdoors in another small shelter, and there is no indoor plumbing. Matthias will build a liklik haus or latrine for his family to use.











This photo shows the house located in the midst of Matthias' garden. When his wife Jennifer needs some fresh vegetables or fruit for dinner, she doesn't go to the refrigerator to get them. Instead with her garden at her front door, she merely steps outside and harvests the meal.

During our "summer" break, which takes place over Christmas (Think about it.) Matthias wants to begin construction of his new church building. I told him that I would like to help, so if it works out, look for a blog article about it in the coming months.