We Survived POC!

Going into our POC (Pacific Orientation Course) experience, we did not know quite what to expect.  We had heard that it was a challenging time for most students.  Many people said they would not want to do it again and so we had a certain amount of apprehension going in.  We had decided to go into the experience with an open mind and take every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow.

We arrived back in Ukarumpa on 19 November and have settled into a new home here.  As we look back on our time at POC, we would not trade it for anything.  It was definitely a challenging time but the rewards were well worth it.  The course included learning the local trade language Tok Pisin, studying the history and geography of Papua New Guinea, studying the Melanesian culture and learning more about SIL and how they work in PNG.

The course also included a time of cultural immersion where we were sent to a remote village to live for 5 weeks.  This time was definitely the most challenging part of the course.  While living in our village of Bongu, we did not have electricity, plumbing, easy water sources or an easy way to cook our food.  We had to leave our electronic devices at home, haul our water from a "nearby" stream, wash in that same stream and cook all of our food over an open fire.  Although this time was the most challenging, it was also the most rewarding,  We have many close friends now in Bongu and we hope to return periodically as time and schedules allow.

Here are a few pictures of our stay in Bongu.

Clara enjoying Sunday school in the village of Bongu

Clara and her friend Cassandra.  "Jesus loves the little children of the world."

Out on a hike visiting a neighboring village's market with one of our friends

A typical market of Papua New Guinea.  The items for sale are dominated by vegetables from gardens and buai (a commonly chewed nut)

Our watch family that was assigned to look after us while we stayed in Bongu.  They were very gracious hosts and we had many good discussions with them.  They were clearly follower's of Christ.

Our family posing from the veranda of our house.  It wasn't a huge house but served us well.

It rained most days in Bongu because it is rainy season now.  Macy enjoyed these times playing in the mud.

In honor of us and as a farewell ceremony, the village of Bongu held a traditional dance for us.  We were invited and strongly encouraged to participate.  (Note Jon in the top left corner)

Candace also participated in the traditional dance that lasted for a couple hours.  Traditionally the women join in after it has begun and walk slowly around the group of men.  It was quite an experience to say the least!

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

POC

We are halfway through our 14 week Pacific Orientation Course in Madang. Our time has been spent learning the language and culture and meeting lots of new friends.
Our family has accomplished a lot of new things while we are here. Both Jon and I have swam a mile. We have accomplished many hikes including a 3 day hike with 2 village overnights. Macy has started walking. Clara has learned how to pray in Tok Pisin. Most importantly we are constantly learning how awesome our God is and to rely fully on Him for all things.

Please pray for us as we are getting ready to stay in a village for 5 weeks. The purpose of the village part of POC is to experience how Papua New Guineans live everyday, learn more Tok Pisin and develop relationships with the people. We are really excited and a little bit nervous but we know that the Lord will protect and guide us in this adventure! If you would like to see where we will be located for our village stay, check out this link to Google: Click here

The village is called Songum and a picture of our house and wasfameli is below.  Wasfameli translates to watch family and is a term used to describe the family that will look after us during our village visit.

Digging our liklik haus (toilet) in Songum

Our house in Songum

Wasmama in Songum

Waspapa in Songum

After a church service at Nobnob church

Getting some much needed help building our haus kuk

Cleaning up after dinner in our haus kuk

Jon trying to climb a coconut tree to get some Kulau

The Nobnob church.  POC is in the Nobnob language area.

Macy napping on the beach

Some leisure time spent at a nearby resort, Jais Aben

Enjoying a meal in our Haus Kuk

The POC campus

View of the skies over Madang province

Villages where POC students are allocated.  We are in the Eastern most village, Songum

Clara turned 3!

We are a little late posting about the girls’ birthdays.

On June 1^st Clara turned 3. If you ask her how old she is she might still say 2. Hopefully she will remember she is 3 by the time her next birthday comes! We had a really nice day celebrating. All the grandparents got to wish Clara a happy birthday over skype! In the morning we had a little birthday party for her at the park with some of her friends. We had snacks and the most important food – cupcakes! In the evening we went to a play put on by the grade 12 students’ parents. 

Macy turned 1!

Macy turned 1 on July 6^th! We cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. She is still a petite little girl so we still call her our little baby! She is cruising around furniture and once in a while will stand on her own. She is not too daring so we do not think she will walk for a while yet. She is a real mommy’s girl and does not like to be far away from mom. She does however love to be with our Haus Meri who we call Mama. Mama treats Macy and Clara like her grandchildren! 

Surprise Mail

We go to the mail almost every day. Sometimes Jon and I both go on the same day. Most days we open the mail box only to find a housing bill or an empty box. But this week we were surprised with 2 packages! Jon came home with a birthday package from my parents – DROPIES! I am not allowed to eat them without his permission though. The second packages was a really big package from our home church. It had lots of nice cards, pictures, letters and some gifts for us and the girls. Thank you so much to all who sent us the package! And we are still waiting for a birthday package from Jon’s parents. Jon’s birthday is on August 14^th which is the day we start POC.

Birds of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has over 850 officially recognized languages.  Practically speaking, there are 100's more when you consider dialects and other features of language that make a language unique.

To find a similar count in another realm of research you could look at bird species in Papua New Guinea.  According to Wikipedia, there are 781 species of birds in PNG.  If you look at other sources, the numbers go above 800.  I have been able to find about 25 at this point living in and around Ukarumpa.  Here are some pictures (sorry, no Bird of Paradise pictures yet).

Sacred Kingfisher

Pacific Swallow

Long-Tailed Shrike

Grey Shrikethrush

Ornate Honeyeater

Ornate Honeyeater

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Luke 12:6-7

Dental Hygiene in Papua New Guinea!

I have recently started working one half day per week at the dental clinic here in Ukarumpa. Jon stays home with Macy and is able to get some work done from our home computer while she naps. Clara visits the daycare and is loving making lots of new friends.

There are two Dentists from South Korea that work in the clinic as well. We see clients from Wycliffe but also from other organizations. I work Friday mornings but when the girls get older I hope to work more often. I would love to work on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are called Valley Days because Papua New Guineans come from the valley nearby to get dental work done.

Obviously I am cleaning teeth, but I am also training a Papua New Guinean lady to learn how to be a dental assistant. We have made a deal. I will teach her how to be an assistant and she will help me with my Tok Pisin. We also have another assistant/ lab technician who has been working in the clinic for many years. He also did not go to school to receive any professional training but was trained at our clinic. He and one of the dentists just made a full set of dentures for a Papua New Guinean. That was the first time we have done that in our clinic. The only way it was done before was to get it made in the States which would cost a lot of money and so most Papua New Guineans and ex-pats could not afford them.

Our dental receptionist is also a Papua New Guinean women. I asked her the other day how long it takes her to get to work. She walks for 45 min to an hour to get to Ukarumpa! Then at the end of the day another hour to get home. By the time she gets home it is almost dark.

There are many differences working in a PNG dental clinic. The best difference is that all of my clients are Christ followers and I get to hear their stories of how they came to serve in PNG!

 (Cheesy picture of me in the clinic! Oh and I am the only one in the dental/medical clinic that wears scrubs. Most people laugh at me but I don't want what's in people's mouths to go on my other clothes! )

(Front entrance into the clinic)

"Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, 

in the company of the upright, in the congregation." 

Psalm 111:1