Kopal suia (Dirt and Rocks)

Dirt and Rocks

Last week Noah came bursting up onto the porch as I was putting on my shoes.  “Mom, Mom, I learned a word in Pal!” 

“Great, Noah, what is it?” 

“It’s the word for DIRT!” 

Yes, we have lots of dirt surrounding our house these days.  Right now our kids’ favorite game is to build dams out of sticks to block the “rivers” flowing down the slope between our houses.  (Have we mentioned that it rains here…a lot? J)  Our Pal friends have planted  grass and it is growing…slowly taking root and beginning to spread…but the plants look little and lost among a sea of mud!

We are thankful that the helicopter pad is rock and the Pal word for “rock” is often paired with their word for “dirt.”  As we sit on that dirt and rock and ask what various words are in the Pal language,  I’m so glad that Jesus is my precious Stone and that I, too, am a stone that is being built into something that will be used for His praise and glory because He rescued ME from darkness (1 Peter 2).   Our continual prayer as a family is that the Pal people will be among those who are rescued.  We know you are praying with us too!

A little SPACE

Nate is excited to have a place to call home now J…well, a home away from home!  He helped build a 12’ x 12’ structure  - an office - out of jungle materials along with many, many Pal men and our partner family. (He and Mason will share the office….each has a cubicle to call their very own.)  It was a great opportunity for him to learn the names and procedures of building in the Pal way.

Our culturally appropriate “thank you” for the many who have helped in this endeavor is to prepare a meal for the workers each day, so our families have been trading off preparing pots of rice, tinned meat and some of the many, many root vegetables (primarily sweet potatoes and taro, although there are more different kinds than you’ve ever seen in any organic specialty grocery store in the U.S., let me tell you!) that have been given to us.    It’s made for a very busy few weeks as a family and we are so glad to see this little structure (Pal word: “tar val suka”, lit. “house place little”) in place and completed.

Praises and Prayers:

*We are gradually settling into a routine and schedule that “covers our bases” so to speak.  We have a LOT to accomplish each day and need to walk in balance and trust the Lord when plans and schedules change unexpectedly!

*We are really enjoying life in Pal and are enjoying getting to know our new neighbors.

*We are having a lot of fun butchering the Pal language and laughing and laughing at ourselves!

Please pray:

-that we will walk with the Lord and listen for His Spirit all day long.  “If we speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, we are nothing.”

-for wisdom as we navigate so many new relationships

-for safety and health for our children

-for patient ears and tongues and diligence as we learn language

Thanks so very much,

Elizabeth for us all

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