Lae Botanical Gardens

Jeff writes:

Last Monday we received a personally guided tour of the Lae Botanical Gardens. These gardens contain plant specimens from all over PNG.

Oliver was our knowledgeable tour guide. You can see him in the photo as he and Sue are looking at a Lae landmark, an old Australian air force DC-3.

He patiently answered our many questions regarding the plants we were enjoying. This country is truly blessed with many wonderful plant species. It must be a botanist's dream!

For all you amateur botanists out there we have included this photo to see if anyone can identify the flower.

Of course the bugs are super-sized here too. Take a look at this millipede sunning himself (herself?) on a stair. We saw at least three this size on our tour.

What struck me as I took everything in is the creative nature of our God. He is infinitely resourceful. He just didn't make one kind of tree, or flower, or shrub. No, He made thousands.

Each of us have been made in His image, but in many respects we too enjoy the diversity and creativity of our Master's hand. So today, enjoy yourself, as a unique and wonderfully made man, woman, boy or girl creatively shaped by the Master Artist. Give thanks to Him, for indeed you have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

Evangelical Church Visit

Sue says:

How nice it was to be welcomed to Steven and Michael's Evangelical Church last Sunday. Jeff spoke about the kingdom of God. You can see that we met a number of new friends. Church buildings usually have big open windows (or even no outer walls) to let cool breezes blow through. This congregation chose to locate in a settlement. There is plenty of need for the believers there to be shining the light of Christ's love each day.

A Missions History Make-up

Sue says:
Several of the students from the History of Missions class are joining me for a make-up session today. Christ's mission, the Great Commission, the examples in the book of Acts and highlights of missionary biography up through the 1700s--we'll see if we can cover all these in one mega-session.

Cholera

Jeff writes:

Cholera.

When you see this word, what do you think of, a deadly disease of days gone by? Yes, for most of you who are reading this blog, cholera is a thing of the past, the stuff of novels and of history, but here in PNG it is a present reality.

Lae has just come through an epidemic, but the capital city of Port Moresby is currently reporting 477 cases and an additional 113 from the surrounding area.

The main causes of cholera are poor sanitation and bad drinking water. These conditions exist in the squatter settlements which surround all of PNG’s major cities. The disease is fully preventable, and if caught in time, there is a cure.

We are grateful that our drinking water comes from a mountain stream, which feeds our part of Lae’s water system. However, other parts of the city rely on water pumped from wells. Due to Lae’s frequent power outages, the pumps cannot keep up with demand, so people must resort to other water sources. That is when cholera strikes.

So next time you take a drink of water, thank the Lord for it, and remember to pray for those who do not have that privilege.

A Respite on a Hot Afternoon

Sue says:

What's a missionary do on a hot Saturday afternoon? Glad you asked. Today we sat in the shade of a big okarina tree and ate our lunch with two guys from the technical university in Lae. Steven, left, and his brother Michael are the sons of two workers at the Banz campus of CLTC (the one in the highlands).

It was interesting just to sit as still as possible because of the heat and to hear about the guys' studies. Steven is studying mechanical engineering and Michael, electrical engineering. Those are tough studies, and we thought a little more home-cooked food might give them a few more hours of brain power.

They also helped to start a new church in a settlement near the university. They and others sold silk-screened T-shirts and food to raise funds to buy property to meet on. They have been meeting a couple of years at the same site now. They are making a difference in the lives of students and people living in sad conditions at the settlement too.

PNG needs bright students like these to lead it into the future. There are lots of decisions that this country's people will need to make, and we are happy to see students like these preparing themselves well to be leaders.

First Assessments Being Made

Sue says:

It's the third week of class now. Time to see what the students have taken in from the lectures. Jeff had his students hand in an outline of Ephesians. I gave the missions history students a quiz.

It's surprising here in Lae that my students write better than they speak in class. From the discussions we've had so far, I was fearful to see the quiz. It's good to see that more was being taken in than I thought. Actually, for first quizzes, the class average was very good.

We are thankful that the Lord is helping us adjust to the hot weather by sending a cooler, rainy day every so often. Today is one of the cooler ones, 85 degrees (29 C). That we can take.

Also the enrollments are up. Jeff's classroom is stuffed. Extra students sit on benches without desks with 21 in there. My class is up to eight. In my smaller room that is full enough.

Kulau: the New Sports Drink

Jeff writes:

I am running here in Lae in the early morning to get in shape for a September hike on the Kakoda Trail.

As you know it is hot and humid here. The morning temperature is in the 80's, and it is the most bearable time to get out. Staying hydrated is important, and I think I have discovered the perfect sports drink - KULAU!

Kulau is water from an unripe coconut. According to an article I read in the Washington Post the other day, I discovered that it is becoming the sports drink du jeur for American athletes. A single serving is low in calories and very high in potassium plus electrolytes.

The great thing about drinking it here is it comes in its own easy-opening coconut. Use a trusty bush knife (machete) and remove the outer shell by cutting a round hole in it. Carefully puncture the inner shell, and voila coconut water.

Sue is holding one we just pulled from the fridge. This coconut held a liter of thirst-quenching goodness. The best part is the price. While a can of coke costs a dollar here, these babies run 40 cents a pop for three times the amount of soft drink. Great deal eh?

Missionaries have to be careful of their budgets you know, so the Lord provides many ways to do so and stay healthy at the same time.

God is good. Isn't He?

What a Difference Honesty Makes

Sue says:

This week in Port Moresby, the capital of the country in which we work, a march was held to urge the national legislators to uphold honesty in government. It is highly unusual for the general population here to get riled up enough to hold a march. But the topic of honesty affects people daily.

The march on the capital concerned a proposed amendment to the constitution. I believe the amendment would do away with the ombudsman commission that looks into malfeasance by elected officials. The party in power supports this amendment. The marchers were urging officials to keep the commission.



This picture shows how people in Lae, the second largest city in PNG, are affected by lack of honesty. It is a jarring experience to drive on any road in this place because they haven't been maintained in years. Last week the governor of Morobe, this province, announced that 21,000,000 kina (about US $8,000,000) that had been budgeted for the roads has disappeared. No explanation. No search for the funds. The people just suffer. Such examples are rife at all levels of government.

Please pray that honesty would make a comeback in this nation. It would make an enormous difference to the whole population.

Jeff Speaks at Men's Mission Fundraiser

Sue says:

On the week-end Jeff led a devotion at a fundraiser for a local men's outreach. At the end of May a group will be sent to a church-plant that is having a hard time in a rural area. The event raised good support for the effort.

Thanks to those who prayed for our class sizes to grow. I will have another student in my missions class tonight and Jeff hears six more will join his Bible interpretation class. We feel like we are full now. The Lord has supplied well.

Jeff's Computer Class Begins

Jeff writes:

Classes at the Lae center began last week. Sue is teaching the History of Missions to four men. Jeff is teaching exegetical skills by studying Ephesians. He is also teaching a computer class.

There are seven students in the class. We only had room for six, but one student, who did not make the first class, traveled 20 km to get to class, so he is using the librarian's computer. Not one student had ever used a computer before, but they are learning quickly.

I found out when we started to teach them how to type that one student could not use his left hand. Please pray for him and me as we try to help him gain proficiency as a one-handed touch typist.

Pray for us as we suffer through "blackouts" (power outages). They are frequent here in Lae. We do have a generator, but it is so loud that being heard is a problem when we teach.