For the Grandparents…

…who helped make their grandkids’ Christmas dreams come true.

Merry Christmas!

This Advent we meditated on the characteristics of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6. It can be easy to overlook what a great gift God has given us in Jesus during the hustle and bustle of the season. But being surrounded by so many that have yet to hear about and receive this gift reminds us of how lost we would be without our Savior. May you also experience afresh God’s greatest gift to mankind this Christmas.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas!

“A child will be born to us.  A son will be given to us.  He will rule over us.  And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God.  He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.  The authority of his rule will continue to grow.  The peace he brings will never end.”

Isaiah 9:6-7a (NIrV)

Rejoice, Rejoice

Claire and Isaiah’s Sunday School classes have been practicing Christmas songs for a performance during our Sunday morning service.  Isaiah was adamant about NOT singing in front of the church.  We convinced him to give it a try during the Saturday morning rehearsal.  After the rehearsal he decided he’d be OK to sing JUST THIS TIME in front of church.  So Grandma & Grandpa, Grammy & Papa watch and enjoy this “one-time” performance by your grandson here in PNG.  Claire is there too but she’s already looking forward to next year.  <smile>

Coffee Run

Post by Jon--

Coffee beans play a large part in the economy of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.  The climate is well suited for growing superior coffee, but the terrain and lack of roads make it difficult for growers to get their beans to market.  When time permits, we help local coffee growers by flying their crop from the “bush” to the local towns.  And not too long ago, I had the privilege of going on one of these “coffee runs”.

“Remote” only begins to explain the location of the Sindeni, the airstrip where we were headed. The mountains around our mission center are big, but benign compared to the terrain we were flying around.  The pilot had to maneuver around thick cloud cover, while simultaneously flying through several breathtaking mountain ravines.  Suddenly the airstrip was in sight, although it hardly resembles any airstrip back home.  (You can just see it as the light yellow spot in the center of the photo above.)  After confirming that the runway was clear, we completed the approach and landed.

Piles of white sacks waited for us at the edge of the airstrip.  Each bag of beans weighed around 150 pounds and we filled the plane to within its safety parameters.  After securing our cargo, we closed the hatch and departed the mountain airstrip.  The smiles on those we left behind conveyed their relief to have the beans on their way to market.

There are very few aircraft in the world capable of going into such an airstrip and carrying out as much weight as the Kodiak aircraft we fly.  We thank the Lord for providing us with a aircraft that allow us to not only serve Bible translation, but also help sustain the livelihood of the local people.

Hula Hoop Exhibition

Twenty-four hula hoops lay in tidy rows on the pavement.  Each hula hoop encircled an eager first-grader waiting for the PE teacher to blow his whistle.  Parents crowded around the edge of the pavement waiting for the exhibition to begin.

On the end of one row, Isaiah, nervously chewed on his knuckles.  Lots of people were watching and he didn’t want to be the first one to drop his hoop.  Once he had kept it going for 15 seconds, but his was still one of the first to touch the ground.  Maybe if he tried putting one foot in front of the other that would help him rock better.

At the teacher’s command, Isaiah picked up his green hula hoop and held it in both hands.  “Tweeeet” went the teacher’s whistle and 24 hula hoops began spinning.  Shortly thereafter the first ring hit the pavement, then another and another.  But Isaiah’s hoop kept right on spinning.

The teacher called out, “One minute!” but Isaiah’s plastic ring kept its orbit.  He heard the teacher yell “Two minutes!” and still he kept that hoop flying.  Isaiah couldn’t keep the grin off his face.  He was doing it!  And just when he checked to see if anyone saw how well he was doing, the ring slipped down over his knee and fell to the ground.  Never mind…he had figured it out!

National Anthem

O arise all you sons of this land.

Let us sing of our joy to be free,

Praising God and rejoicing to be,

Papua New Guinea.

 

Shout our name from the mountains to seas.

Papua New Guinea.

Let us raise our voices and proclaim

Papua New Guinea.

 

Now give thanks to the good Lord above.

For His kindness, His wisdom and love,

For this land of our fathers so free,

Papua New Guinea.

 

Shout again for the whole world to hear,

Papua New Guinea.

We’re independent and we’re free,

Papua New Guinea.