Gwahatike Video

We have recently had a video produced that tells the story of the Gwahatike Bible translation project.

Check it out here:

There's a 4 Year Old Ladybug in Our House!

Clara turned 4 this past weekend. She was so excited for a couple of weeks leading up to her birthday. We planned a birthday party for her. She loved helping us get ready for the party. 4 little girls came over to celebrate her birthday. We played games, ate cupcakes and made some necklaces. Then we sent them home with candy!

Clara couldn't wait for the girls to come!

Playing games outside.

The day of Clara's real birthday she woke up really early, walked into our bedroom and asked if she could look at her presents. We told her the night before that when she woke up there would be presents on the table. She was spoiled with gifts that we had brought with us, gifts from Nana and Papa, and we are still waiting on a package from Grandma and Grandpa. 

We are so thankful for our big girl. As she gets older we have many joys and trials. The Lord uses the girls to teach us everyday! Thank you Lord for entrusting them into our care. 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly

 lights,who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

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.

Birds of PNG - Part II

During our village stay in Bongu, I had the opportunity to add two new birds to my list.  Both of these birds hung around the village throughout the day.  They were even bold enough to go into people's houses and steal food.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Blyth's Hornbill

Blyth's Hornbill

Okay, these aren't birds.  But aren't they cute?

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