A Week in the Village

We made a trip out to Saidor from Monday May 12^th to Friday May 16^th. We were really excited because it was the first time that the whole family was going. I (Candace) was excited to see where Jon had been going and where the translators that I had met live. It was also exciting because we brought some other people with us as well. My brother Jason is visiting us and so he got to experience village life with us. Our good friends Evan and Sarah came with to shoot some video.

Our family with four of the Gwahatike team

On Monday we were picked up from out house at 6:00 am to fly out at around 8:00. It was such a beautiful flight, the landing especially. The airstrip is in the middle of a coconut tree plantation.

View just before landing in Saidor

Noel (one of the translators) met us at the airstrip and him and another man drove us up to Umboldi which is where we stayed.  When we got to Umboldi all of the school children were waiting for us and cheering as we drove up. It was such a nice welcome.
 

The welcome in Umboldi

Our house in Umboldi

This is the house where we stayed. The top level has 3 rooms; 2 offices for the translators and a guest room.  The bottom level is used for preschool during the week and church on Sundays.

Jon got to talk with the translators about how their programs are going, workshops that they plan on attending and possible funding options. Of course he helped with whatever computer problems they were having. He also got to talk with a new language group in the area that would like the Bible translated in their language. It was pretty exciting to hear about new language groups that would like to have their own Bible.

Jon meeting with a new language group interested in starting a translation project.
They walked 4 hrs to come talk with him

Our friends that came with us shot a lot of video. They brought 4 camera batteries and used them all up! Sarah will be putting a video together to tell the Gwahatike story and the stories of the Gwahatike men going out and starting new translation projects in neighboring language groups. It was such a blessing for them to come with us.
 

Sarah filming an interview with one of the Gwahatike team members

Jason really enjoyed being in the village too. Some of the men took him on a hike one day to see some waterfalls. Another day he helped cut open cocoa pods and helped prepare them for drying.  We had the opportunity to eat dinner with one of the translators and his wife at their house. He really enjoyed the PNG food!

Jason helping with the local community project harvesting cocoa

One thing that I was praying about before we left was that we would all stay healthy and have a good experience our first time together in the village. Sometimes it is difficult with the girls because they are not used to living that way. All of us stayed healthy. Praise the Lord! And both of the girls had a really great time. Clara participated in the preschool class. She fell in love with her teacher.  Macy really enjoyed spending time with Evan and Sarah. They have become like an uncle and aunt to her.  They also both loved having Uncle Jase around to play with!

Jason hanging out with the girls

Clara participating in one of Umboldi's classes recess

Macy really enjoyed her time in Umboldi

The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful trip. It was so beautiful in the village. The people were all very welcoming. They repeatedly asked us to come back. We are so excited for the efforts of the translators. They work so hard to give the people a Bible in their own language while continuing to look after their families.

Isaiah 45:22 – “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” 

Finally! An Update

Even though we haven’t updated our blog for a while, this doesn’t mean we haven’t wanted to.  It has definitely been a busy first quarter of this year.  We have been juggling priorities between programming work, translation program management, dental related work and family life.  We are very thankful for all of the opportunities to serve.  Please pray for wisdom in time management.

In December we enjoyed the company of Jon’s parents.  It was really nice to have them here for Christmas and Clara and Macy really enjoyed them too.  It was definitely nice to have family here for our first Christmas away from Canada.

Decorating the Christmas tree with Grandpa

Gift opening time

Jon had the opportunity to travel out to the north coast of PNG to visit the Gwahatike language teams in February.  It was a short trip of 5 days but was very productive.  Through meeting with each of the six leaders, Jon learned a lot about the needs of each of them and how we can best serve them in their important work.  We are both excited about the potential of these teams and the prospects for the future.  We are especially excited to see how God uses these men over the coming years to accomplish His purposes.

Over this past Easter weekend we had some more visitors stay with us.  Curtiss and Sandy Hartley who work with the Salvation Army in Port Moresby came for the weekend.  We enjoyed good fellowship and it was a blessing to have them over.  The girls really liked having new people to play with. J

Macy and Sandy enjoying some quality time

We now have Candace’s brother Jason visiting with us.  He arrived near the beginning of May and will stay with us until the second week of June as part of his trip around the world.  All of us are enjoying time with him as well.

The Madi Bible translation team joined us for dinner.  Afterwards we enjoyed a game of Uno followed by a showing of the movie Fireproof

Uncle Jase and Macy

We also just got back from a trip to the Gwahatike language area.  The whole family went along with Jason and some friends that work in the media department here in Ukarumpa.  More on this later.