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.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Reflections on the Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Sue writes:
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
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 ...
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 ...
Friday, December 5, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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.
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.
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