The Two Week Mark...

Howdy to you all from our windy mountaintop home,

Settling in:

Thank you all very much for your partnership in getting us to the point where we are finally among the people with whom we hope to share God’s love. We have been so encouraged over the last weeks with the excitement on the part of the whole community to have us here. Although we are working to finish the house (just scrubbing fuzzy mold off of our walls has taken days, not to mention the major leak in the plumbing under a cabinet – providing the mold equivalent of a forest of Giant Sequoias), we often are spending 3+ hours every day with folks who are coming to our door wanting to chat or to share some garden produce with us (a real treat that where we now live in PNG is a veritable Eden for veggies and greens). 

Confusion Reigns:

Already we have spent many hours clarifying what exactly we are going to be doing here with the folks. It is incomprehensible to many of them that we are here to bring them a simple message that is of infinite value. Some wonder if we are really here to bring them ‘services’ such as schools, roads, stores, and electricity. Others wonder if we are here to take from them – by physical or magical process – their hidden wealth (imagined, such as shipping containers full of manufactured goods that are buried in the mountains, or real, such as mining for minerals).  Please be praying for wisdom as we answer each man in turn. “The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (Prov. 20:5)

Like Children:

We are really like babies rather than children here. We have limited understanding of the expectations that naturally fall on men and women in this culture. At the same time, as we continue to spend time with the people we are beginning to pick out familiar nouns and phrases. It is shocking sometimes to be able to understand the general direction of a conversation. We are so thankful for the patience and excitement of the Pal people to teach us these things.

Praying for us:

·         Multiplied time – we have set aside a limited time for finishing the house to the point where it is ready for our full time language study. Nate still has lots of work making cabinets, painting (to limit molding  - with 75 degrees and 80-90% humidity daily), and closing off various spaces (eg: little faces looking over the wall into the bathroom is not a good thing).

·         Good relationships – lots of Pal people have walked here to see us and we are here to spend time with them, but to finish the house in a timely manner we need to carefully balance our time with them for now (so that we can be free to be out with them soon).

·         Patience – there are many things that are different that life in town for us -  bucket showers, the bugs, waking up at night with the house shaking in the wind, being under constant observation, lots of mud and sawdust everywhere, etc.

·         Health – between the allergies to the mold, Montezuma* getting his digs in, and lots of cus (is it OK to say snot in a  prayer letter?) we are holding up well.

·         Supplies – With two months (or more) between supply runs, we are hoping that our supplies hold out. Right now we are rationing bleach and dish soap…

We so appreciate you our far yet near partners,

Nate for the fam.

*Not sure if Montezuma has a brother on this side of the world or if he does the dirty work himself…

Posted via email from PNG Time