Settling In...

It has been nearly three weeks since we have posted anything - and yes, life has been that hectic. We arrived at Lapilo (NTM's Papua New Guinea nerve center) just in time for our boys to participate in the summer VBS program for missionary kids - which was excellent as the boys had something to do in the mornings while we began to unpack (Above is a picture of Noah enjoying the 'water day' games.)
Life is so very different here than Madang - adjustments have been almost to the level of our inital transition to PNG. Here are a few things that have taken a little getting used to:

• It is COLD, I mean practically freezing here. I (Nate) have been regularly wearing two long sleeve shirts and two sweatshirts along with my polar fleece hat. I keep looking for the frost on the ground in the morning... I mean it got as low as 60 degrees F the other day. (Put this in perspective - in Madang it never - even in the rain - got below 75 and most days were 90+ with 90+% humidity) One advantage is that we have cut our shower usage down from 2 or 3 per day to one.
• It is noisy. In Madang there are 11 buildings and five vehicles on base with only one road. Here the complete staff of the school, business and finance workers, pilots and mechanics, and supply workers all reside with their families (did I mention the dorms as well?). We are also located next to the busiest road in the country - with mining traffic and coffee traffic adding to the regular bus and car traffic.
  
• It is busy. You'd think that the axiom 'many hands make light work' would apply on a base this size. It does, but the sheer volume of work still keeps many guys going for 10-14 hours as we approach school time. Not only is there a bunch of work to do, with many people around there are many more social activities as well. Several of our good friends from our time in NTM's training program are located here and we have really enjoyed catching up with them.
• We have the biggest house we have ever had. It actually is a reserve dorm, so we don't feel too bad. The personnel turn-over is 30% every year here with short-term staff heading home and long-termers going on furlough. Therefore the house you get doesn't always fit... While we are very thankful for the storage space and room for Nate to have an office (our hall is long enough for full nerf soccer), we are not looking forward to the extra time spent keeping the mansion clean.

There are plenty of other things that we would like to share with you about this place. Some photos of the school will soon be forthcoming (the one on this post shows the high school building in the background). We also hope to highlight the different tribal works that we are supporting by helping out with education this year. We are excited to see what the Lord has for us in these next months, here are a few things that you can be praying and praising him for:

• Prasie that the transition is fairly smooth - even for the kids who are adjusting to different boudaries and different playmates.
• Praise for safe travel and great friends on each end to help us make the jump.
• Pray for wisdom as we are working - there is always something else that can be done and we need to be careful so that we can do well what we commit to.
• Pray for our hearts - still working towards and thinking about tribal ministry with our friends and partners the Lockwoods, but needing to invest here as it is where God has us for now.
• Pray for connections with the students. True discipleship happens in relationship - and some of these kids are hurting for various reasons. We would like to be used to help in the healing.
• Pray for the teachers who are soon to come - several are waiting on paperwork or finances before they can come and fill the positions that they are slotted for. The principal of the high school may be teaching three or four classes for up to two months - definitely a strain on him and his family.

Thanks so very much for your partnership in bringing the gospel to tribal people in Papua New Guinea. We look forward to the day when we can again meet with you in person and give a report of what we have seen and what God has done.

Nate for the family.