Today in Lae

Some Time in Cairns

2012-01-29T14:52:00.006+10:00

For some of you, it's been a while since you've heard from us. We feel we have a pretty good excuse, though. We were busy having a much needed holiday in Cairns, Australia! Cairns is not far from PNG--only a 1.5 hour flight from Port Moresby--and it is a beautiful place to visit! For us, it was made even more beautiful by the church group there. Ian was privileged to preach a couple of times and we all enjoyed the love and hospitality shown us by the members. The congregation never fails to show us much love and hospitality--making us feel welcome, having us over for dinner, babysitting our children, showing us some spectacular sights, and so on!

Here we are, taking in some of the beauty of the Tablelands of Cairns.

The tree behind us is surrounded by a vine that looks like a curtain,

aptly called the curtain fig.

This fine gentleman, and even finer fisherman,

took Ian and Jonathan out on the reef for a day.

They enjoyed pulling in lots of reef fish, but all too small to keep.

No fish for dinner, that night!

Jono's Catch of the Day

Good friends Aliesha and Karlyn...

we stayed in the flat at Matt and Claire Byl's place

and our children just loved playing with Aliesha and Shakira!

The weather was very nice, so we swam heaps!

We also visited the zoo.

The Roos were very unnaturally friendly!

True to his name, this guy wasn't shy about strutting his stuff!

And this guy, my dear husband, celebrated his 38th birthday while there!

It was a great holiday, refreshing and relaxing...but now we're glad to be home again into the swing of things here!

A Very Blessed Christmas to You

2011-12-25T20:26:00.002+10:00

Wishing you much joy as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,

our Saviour,

our Prince of Peace,

our Mighty God,

and the Only One Who brings hope and healing and true love into our lives!

Couldn't quite get it together for a family shot this year,

but here is one of the kids at least.

We really want to say thank you as well, for all the support and prayers, comments and cards this past year. It all means a lot to us and it's very encouraging that you would take the time to think of us and keep up with our Days in Lae.

Thank you and may God continue to bless and keep you, also in the new year.

Welcome to the Family

2011-12-24T14:04:00.004+10:00

Last Sunday was a joyous day as we welcomed some sisters into our church family. Grace Binabe and Jennifer Samson professed their faith in Christ and then also became members of our church, and two little girls were baptized as well. It is always a joy to witness this and we pray that these women and girls will faithfully serve the Lord for the rest of their lives! The only sad part of the day was that the husbands, although they were there, did not make the same commitment. We pray for the Spirit to move them and that they will also publicly confess Christ as Lord and Saviour and commit to being faithful members of our church.

This is Ian baptizing Martha as her mother and aunt stand behind her.

Here's Grace and Jenny with the pidgin Bibles they received from the church,

and also Martha with her baptism certificate.

Her sister, Angela, was also baptized

but I wasn't able to pin her down to join the photo.

That same Sunday, we also officially welcomed Pastor Tim and Francine (and Avigail) into our church family. Here they are, with front row seats, enjoying the various performances put on to welcome them (mostly songs). It is already a blessing to have them with us.

Some of the youth singing their welcome song.

And of course there was food...

and time to 'story' together...

and here's Karlyn, relaxing and enjoying PNG kaikai!

What a beautiful day it was!

Meet Little Agnes

2011-12-22T20:27:00.002+10:00

We praise and thank God that the little baby who fell from the hospital bed at birth seems to be doing well. She came home from the hospital two days ago, and does not seem to have any lasting effects from the fall.

Here she is with her mom, Annie and big sister, Christina.

Baby Agnes

On the political scene, it looks like they've decided who our Prime Minister is, which is probably a good thing. The Governor-General changed his mind and decided to reinstate the 'popular illegitimate one', who I guess is now legit. Hopefully this is the end of the tug-of-war.

Prayers Needed for a Little One

2011-12-15T19:51:00.003+10:00

A couple from our church was blessed with a baby girl yesterday, however, when the mother was giving birth at the public hospital, there were no nurses present with her (and they do not allow the husbands in) and when the baby came out, she slipped off the bed and fell into a bucket that was on the floor. Unbelievable, isn't it? And yet somehow it does not surprise us.

We do not know the extent of the injuries to the little one, although she is crying a lot as if in pain and had quite a high temperature today. We ask you to please pray that there will be no serious, permanent injuries from this fall.

Please also pray for the parents, Jerry and Annie. About 2.5 years ago, they already lost their second child who was stillborn at birth.

We cling to the promises of our Good Shepherd:

"He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11

The Earth Quakes

2011-12-14T15:59:00.005+10:00

We just felt a 7.3 magnitude earthquake here in PNG. All is ok in Lae, since it was 89 km south-west of here, although there was a lot of shaking and things falling off shelves, and we ran out of the house, just in case. We're not sure yet how those are doing who were nearer to the epi-centre.

This earthquake hit also at a time of political upheaval as on Tuesday a Supreme Court decision reinstated Sir Michael Somare as Prime Minister, even though 109 MPs refused to drop their support for Peter O'Neill, who was voted in by parliament on August 2, 2011 (because Somare had been away in Singapore for many months for serious medical treatment). Somare is urging police to remain neutral and do their utmost to maintain peace, law and order. In effect, we really have two Prime Ministers right now, one supported by Parliament and the other by a Supreme Court decision.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging...

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Psalm 46

God's children

2011-12-12T16:32:00.003+10:00

It really is safe to say that things are stable again here in Lae. We're thankful for that! We also hope that the tribes involved can move on and let the government deal with the larger issues of law and order. We would like to keep things moving with our blog too, and so it's time to update you on a few other things that have also been happening in our ministry and family these past few weeks.

First of all, we'd like to share that we had a very special Sunday a few weeks ago where two of God's children were baptized. It is always beautiful to be reminded of God's promises to the children of believers and we do pray that both of these children will respond to these promises as they get older and come to confess Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord!

And here they are:

This is Martha with her son, Tobias.

And Monica, with her daughter, Nadia (my namesake!).

Our Heavenly Father's faithful love for these precious children is even more beautiful considering that their earthly fathers are not really involved in their lives right now. A sad reality, and also one that brings heartache to the mothers. Please also pray for them that they will have all they need to raise their children to know the Lord!

That's all for now, please check again soon for another update.

Life Goes On, But...

2011-11-20T13:09:00.005+10:00

It's been just over 2 weeks since the unrest began in Lae and at first glance it would seem that things have basically gotten back to normal. There are no longer thousands of armed young men roaming the streets of Lae preparing for a fight! We're thankful for that, but when you look a little closer, you soon realize that the situation remains volatile and still needs much prayer.

Our children had a full week of school, but the public schools have all remained closed. Even the hospital's services have been affected and it is only open for emergency situations. This past week, some of the businesses made the decision to evacuate their ex-pat employees to Australia. But I think the worst of it all is the rumours that continue to fly around which cause greater uncertainty and evoke fear in the hearts of many Papua New Guineans. Such as, the rumours of fights happening in different areas; of counterfeit police officers arresting people and later killing them; of doctors and nurses not properly caring for patients and letting them die if they are from the other tribal group; and of witchcraft and what they call "nature-men" who are gathering their young men together and wielding the powers of darkness against their enemies.

The thing about rumours is that it's often difficult to discern whether they're true or not. In the case of the rumours of black magic, however, it is apparent that there is a very real spiritual battle going on here (Ephesians 6:12). Although PNG is a "Christian nation", there are many who still bend the knee to Satan and take part in traditional ancestor worship. We were not surprised then to have it confirmed that the leader of the large group of rioters who started all of this, was one of these so-called "nature-men". In what became a deadly deception, he believed he was invincible and that his black magic would protect him from the bullets of the police officers. Our neighbour is a member of the police task force and was involved in setting up the barricade to try to keep the large group from coming back into the city two weeks ago and wreaking more havoc. As the leader continued to bring the crowd past the police barricade, it became apparent that they would have to shoot him down if they wanted to get the crowd under control. And that is what they did. It is so sad that he, and so many others, could be so deceived. Still the situation could've been that much worse if the police had not succeeded. Praise and thanks be to God for using them to keep it under control. He most definitely is , our Mighty Fortress, and He will win the battle!

And so we do ask you to keep praying, always being thankful for your faithfulness in prayer...

for all those who have been and are still being affected by this tribal warfare (those who have lost loved ones and their homes; those still living in fear).
for those who are being deceived by the father of lies, that the TRUTH of the Gospel may illuminate the darkness in their lives.

Getting There

2011-11-09T05:29:00.005+10:00

On the morning of Day 7, it seems safe to say that things are really settling down. They did not need to declare a State of Emergency and so the army has not been sent in to restore order. Schools and businesses reopened yesterday, although probably only about half the children and employees were there. Many still stayed home out of fear, and public transportation was not fully operational yet. Hopefully, another day of peace will help to put the schools, businesses and public transport back into full swing again, albeit with tighter security.

Yesterday, 3000 Morobeans gathered to present a letter addressed to our Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. In it they stated that they will agree to stop fighting if certain conditions are met, the most significant one being the call to maintain law and order at the major bus stops and main areas in town. And certainly this seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back and started the unrest---when the Morobeans felt they needed to take the law into their own hands to deal with the crimes being committed in these areas by, supposedly, the youth from the highlands.

If any good has come out of this whole ordeal, it is that the government has been forced to take action and it certainly seems it has been negligent. One of the newspapers reported that the Morobe Provincial Law and Order Committee set up many years ago to monitor law and order trends in the city hasn't met for the last three years! Now the government has appointed an assembly law and order committee to look into ethnic tension in the city. Here's hoping they will take their task very seriously! They also stated that there will be more police presence at the major bus stops in town.

Lessons have been learned, eyes have been opened, solutions to the problems will be sought, but this has all come at a great cost. The official report is that six are dead. We're sure many more have been injured. Many houses have been burnt down and a large number of innocent families have again been displaced. And possibly, the tension between the two groups is even higher.

That's when you realize again the great need for prayer. We need to pray for this city -the youth, the leaders, but no less the parents and grandparents and children. For at bottom the issue is one of the heart. Theft, rape, murder, rioting, uncontrolled anger, disrespect, lying and corruption are all indicators that the heart of 'man' is desperately evil...continually. That heart needs to be purged and cleansed, atoned for by the precious blood of our Saviour, the Prince of Peace. We will soon enter the time of advent, we pray that the people of Lae will understand what that means.

There is one who has come to redeem, to set free, to bring peace and reconcile us to God carrying our sin and guilt and shame on the cross so that in Him and only in Him we can know true Peace! That is the kind of peace that will last forever!

Day 5

2011-11-07T20:02:00.004+10:00

Thank you everyone for your support and prayers! It's amazing to know that people all over the world are praying for Lae. And your prayers are needed! We know this is more than just a physical struggle, and that there is also a very real battle going on in the spiritual world. The Prince of darkness will do what he can to keep the hatred and fighting and killing happening and to try to break up the unity within the body of Christ. He may try, but Christ will keep His flock together, and protect His own!

Last night around 9:00pm, we got a frantic call from the families living on the church property saying that there was panic again in the settlement, with people running everywhere, saying that the Morobeans were coming to fight, but they weren't sure which way they were coming from. They were very afraid. Ian asked if they wanted him to come pick them up, but they didn't want to risk him coming over there either. In the end, they turned the lights off so as not to attract attention to themselves, and they prayed. After that, in the midst of the chaos, they felt the peace that passes understanding. And the Morobeans never did come. We think that the increased police presence (recruits were sent in from Port Moresby and the Highlands) held them off at the back of the settlement.

Today, was almost a normal day. Stores and businesses reopened; people seemingly went about their lives as they normally do. We were able to re-stock our fridge and cupboards. Jonathan and Karlyn had a fun day off of school swimming in the pool and playing with the other kids in the compound. However, there was another reality check, in a certain area outside of the city, we heard that the fighting continued and that there have been more deaths. It's difficult to know what's really happening and what are just rumours and certainly the Father of lies loves to twist the truth to put fear in the hearts of many. A friend called this morning to say that she heard from more than one source that the town water had been intentionally contaminated and that we shouldn't touch it. This put us into a bit of a tailspin, especially since I was in the middle of doing the dishes and laundry. We were very skeptical that this could occur, but then again nothing really surprises us anymore and many people were saying it was true. In the end, it wasn't, thankfully, but this just added to the stress of the whole situation.

Tomorrow, school will reopen again and we hope we will be that much closer to a peaceful resolution. Please keep praying--not only that the fighting will stop, but also that God will use this to bring people to Himself!

We also want to praise God for His care and protection over our coworkers, Tim and Francine Sikkema, this past weekend. As they are in the middle of cultural training, they're living in a village for 5 weeks--and are about 2 hours from town and the nearest doctor. Tim ate some grubs and had a toxic reaction to them--and even went in and out of consciousness a few times until his village papa told him to eat some charcoal. This worked quickly to help absorb the toxins in his stomach and stop the effects of the allergic reaction. It was a very frightening experience for them, and we're thankful that the Lord spared his life. And he is doing much better today! Their village papa has sent out a "decree" that no one in the village is allowed to give him anything unusual to eat--looks like it's just kaukau (sweet potato) and kumu (greens) from here on in!

Unrest in Lae--Day 4

2011-11-06T18:36:00.003+10:00

When we woke up this morning, we weren't sure if it would be safe enough to worship at our church, but a couple phone calls to the members there and we decided it should be ok. The benches were a little emptier than usual as many stayed home because of the uncertainty. Smaller in number, but still we offered worship and praise up to the Lord and a message on Ephesians 6:18 was very fitting during this time of unrest. ("And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."). We do need to be fervent in prayer as reports of injuries and deaths continue and the crowds are massing for payback.

Those living at our church witnessed much pain and at times feared for their own lives when they met up with the crowds yesterday. One couple shared that they were walking along the road when a father and son came running towards them and basically fell into their arms, just shaking with fear. They had just escaped from their burning house. Another family fled their home and slept on the floor of the church, fed and looked after by the members who were still there. Others spoke of being up all night, watching and waiting, wondering what would happen.

The situation remains tense and uncertain. There are rumours that the Morobeans will try to present another petition to the Governor tomorrow. Police patrols are around town and also along the outskirts. It looks like the military will also be deployed. But even as we say all this, we know that the Lord is in control. Nothing will happen outside of His will. So thankful for that.

Things Have Gotten a Little Chaotic

2011-11-05T05:56:00.003+10:00

6:00am

The headline on the front page of the newspaper yesterday read, "Lae in Chaos" and certainly things have been a bit crazy around here the last few days.

As is most often the case, the chaos is a result of a clash between two tribal groups--this time two very large groups--the people from this province of Morobe and those from the Highlands. "More than a thousand Morobean youths had decided to take the law into their own hands to bring back peace", the paper read. Except they were trying to bring peace with bushknives, sticks and rocks, in their hands. While this large group was waiting outside government offices to be addressed by the governor, a fire broke out at a shop near the main market and hundreds rushed to the burning building, hoping to loot whatever they could. As the police came to restore order to that part of the city, others took advantage and tried to begin looting shops at another area in town. It really was chaotic.

This resulted in many shops, businesses and schools being closed. Our children's schools are already closed on Monday too. Later in the day yesterday we saw large groups of men and even boys, still carrying knives and sticks and rocks, walking past our gate and apparently heading out to an area further out of town to fight.

It's too early to tell what's happening today, but definitely we will be more careful when we go out---we have no choice as we do need some groceries to get us through the weekend. We will be careful but we do not worry about being targeted as this issue is really between the two groups and we are very noticeably not part of either of them! Although there is the chance of unknowingly getting caught in the middle of something. And that uncertainty makes the situation a bit worrisome...But we are in the Lord's hands--there's no better place to be!

8:00am

All the shops are closed. There will be no buying groceries today. We can make the food in our house stretch for a couple days, but our PNG friends who typically buy what they need for the day everyday will find it more difficult. Thankfully, quite a few of them have gardens, but still the situation will get desperate quite quickly.

Throughout the day, we make and receive phone calls--our friends and church members are all ok so far, but there is fighting in a few areas around the outskirts of town. Everyone is very tense and it is uncertain what will happen. It is confirmed that the police have already shot and killed 2 of the Morobeans. Rumour has it that there have been other deaths as well.

3:00pm

Ian receives a call from the families living on our church property asking if he can pick up the women and children and bring them to a safer place. Our church is situated on the edge of one of the largest settlements and as Ian drives up, he witnesses hundreds of women and children carrying as many of their earthly belongings as possible and fleeing the settlement. Where they will all go, we have no idea. But the Morobeans have been burning down homes of the Highlanders at the back of the settlement already and the worry is that a big fight will come up in that settlement.

Please pray with us for PEACE.

Airplane Crash

2011-10-15T14:21:00.003+10:00

Our country is in shock over an airplane crash that left 28 dead and only four survivors. It was an "Airlines PNG flight"one of the two major airlines in PNG, and the plane was flying from Lae to Madang. Those who saw it go down say there was smoke coming from the engines. The plane crash-landed and then exploded. It seems many survived the crash, only to be burned alive. Such a horrific tragedy, and people all over the country are in mourning. The big question on everyone's minds is, WHY? Why did this happen? Engine failure? Faulty fuel? Bad weather?

We have flown with this airline many times, and we were actually on the first leg of this exact flight just a couple weeks ago, as it's a Port Moresby--Lae--Madang route. It forces us to pause and consider that it could've happened to us.

It's a good reminder that this life is short, so short. Our days are numbered and only the Lord knows when it will be our last.

Please join us in prayer for those who have lost loved ones.

Mark and Liz in Lae

2011-10-13T19:01:00.005+10:00

Our family enjoyed the company of Mark and Liz Mulder last week. Here they are on a visit to the Rainforest Habitat in Lae. Mark is the new chairman of our Mission Board and so we're glad they got to experience some of PNG's sights, sounds and smells--and get a real taste for what it's like to live and work here.

Our kids had a lot of fun with them too!

Karlyn and Mark: keeping cool in the pool.

Caleb is usually shy with strangers,

but thanks to Liz' gentle nature, he took to her right away.

For those of you who may not know Mark and Liz,

they have an amazing story of God's care and protection over Mark

when 95% of his body was burned in an accident 19 years ago.

Medically speaking, he shouldn't have lived, but God had other plans!

Their lives are such a powerful example of God's grace

and we're thankful that they were willing to share their story at our church,

and also with some of our other friends here in Lae.

Thanks again for coming, Mark and Liz!

Living at the RCBC

2011-10-12T19:59:00.005+10:00

Last month, we spent 3 weeks living at the Reformed Churches Bible College (RCBC) outside of Port Moresby--home to about a dozen students and their families and also 3 missionary families (the Versteegs, VanderHeides and Doumas--from New Zealand). The highlight of the trip for our family was spending time with Wayne and Cheronne VanderHeide and family. Even though our kids were supposed to be on their school holidays, they still joined in on the homeschooling with the VanderHeides! It was crazy at times with all 7 kids in one classroom--there were occasional shouting matches, some tears and maybe even a few punches thrown here and there! But still a lot of learning took place (also because of their great teacher!) and they also had a ton (heaps:)) of fun.

A rare moment: the 5 year olds and 2 year olds

all sitting down at the table together!!

Cameron and Karlyn: BIG smiles as they do their work.

Jonathan and Bryce: Working out math equations together!

Will these homemade boats float?!

Two cheeky 2 year olds!

Even the chickens are friendly at the Bible College--

friendly enough to supply us with fresh eggs everyday too!

These are some of the men studying at the Bible College.

It was such a joy for Ian to teach them,

and he would be happy to do it again sometime.

There was also a women's conference that took place at a village about 4 hours from Moresby. Cheronne and Wayne were the main speakers. They taught on Proverbs 31--the wife of noble character.

Ten women flew over from Lae to attend the conference. They all worked hard to save the money to get to Moresby, also with the additional help from the Women's Bible Studies in Australia, for which they were extremely thankful. The conference was such a blessing to them. They are still talking about what they learned and how they were impacted by the weekend. In the photo, they're wearing traditional 'meriblouses' in the colours of their province. Although I was not able to go to the conference, they did still buy me a meriblouse just like theirs since I am now a "meri Morobe' too, they say (that is, a woman from the Morobe province)!

Back to the Bible College where our 3 are hanging out,

being silly and enjoying the go-cart.

Ian also had the opportunity to preach in 3 of the churches.

Here he is preaching in a settlement called East Boroko, for the first time.

It was a good opportunity to meet the people there and worship with them.

There is never a dull moment at the Bible College.

This was part of a Games Carnival that was organized one afternoon.

And here we are at the end of our time in Port Moresby,

so thankful for the times we had at the Bible College,

but also ready to return home to Lae.

The work at the Bible College is pivotal to the future of our churches in PNG, and it was an amazing privilege to be part of it, even just for 3 weeks. We continue to pray for the Lord's richest blessings on all of the students and staff. May He build up strong and faithful leaders in our churches. May faith grow and mature and may more people also come to faith in the Lord Jesus!

Our Girl is Five!

2011-09-03T20:37:00.004+10:00

Here she is, our 5 year old girl! Ready for school and looking pretty proud wearing her new shirt and birthday girl badge from Grandma and Grandpa! Last year Karlyn ended up with chicken pox on her birthday so she didn't have a party at all. This year we invited all the girls from her class to come for a "Princess Party". Thankfully, a few good friends helped me out in getting everything ready.

Here's Odessa and I getting the pink castle cake ready.

I've been so blessed with creative friends.

This is Vinisha and Rhonda creating a castle out of an old fridge box.

Karlyn and Rhonda's daughter Thais posing in front of the castle.

The Princesses all decorated their own crowns.

There were a few princes hanging around too!

All the princesses took turns posing on the throne for a royal photo shoot.

"Happy Birthday to Karlyn!"

I was pretty happy with how the cake turned out.

There was even a gluten-free layer for Ian and me!

Karlyn and her friends had a lot of fun that morning and we were so thankful to be able to celebrate the five years God has given our daughter.

May she grow up to be a faithful daughter of the King!

Introducing RCMP Officer, Jonathan Wildeboer

2011-08-31T20:43:00.003+10:00

Look out, rascals! Officer Jonathan's on the beat!

Well, actually this was his costume for Book Character Day. All items except for a few gold buttons were found right here in Lae at second-hand stores! Special thanks to a good friend who helped put it together by sewing the details on the shirt and pants. And thanks to the Huizingas for sending over those buttons from Cairns!

Beautiful Madang

2011-08-31T20:34:00.003+10:00

Our family recently took a trip to a town 5 hours up the coast called Madang. That is where our new co-workers are doing their cultural training and so we as a family went to bring them there and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy a couple days in Beautiful Madang.

Searching for sea creatures and sea shells!

Enjoying the beautiful grounds at Madang Resort.

The pool was great fun too.

And here's Francine, Tim and Avigail, when we dropped them off at their Pacific Orientation Course. They look pretty happy to be there, don't they? We look forward to hearing more about their adventures when they return to Lae in November. May our Lord keep them safe and healthy as they go through their training including 5 weeks of village living.

Piglet and Speedy Join the Family

2011-08-14T22:22:00.004+10:00

It seems it was inevitable that when living in Papua New GUINEA, we would eventually acquire some GUINEA pigs for pets. So, here's Ian on his day 'off' getting their little home ready.

Thankfully he had help from our friend, Raymond.

And from Jono, of course!

Jono's guinea pig was originally named Blackie but soon after arriving earned herself the name "Speedy". We were just thankful we were able to catch her again. Jono had learned the hard way not to let her run loose outside!!!

And here is Karlyn with Piglet, who is much more docile than her sister Speedy and content to hang out in Karlyn's arms. They are a good match.

I never thought I would say this about rodents, but they are really cute and are great pets for kids. Definitely recommended!

Our Little Man Turns 2!

2011-08-14T22:11:00.003+10:00

On Monday, August 8th, we celebrated Caleb! He is 2 years old already! He wasn't too sure about the birthday cake though...took one look at it and said, "yuck" and then was afraid of the candles and kept saying, "ow, ow"!

But one taste and he decided it was edible!

We also celebrated with his 2 friends, Jakin and Tiana who also turned 2 (on the 6th and the 9th). It was pretty special to celebrate with the 3 of them together.

We praise and thank God for our little man Caleb and pray that he will grow up to know and love His Saviour Jesus Christ.

Blessings from Canada

2011-08-14T21:41:00.004+10:00

It all began with getting the house ready. Since dust piles up fast here there was plenty to do before its new occupants---Tim and Francine and Avigail---arrived. They would be living in Andrew and Natalie's old unit in the same compound as us. Thankfully, I didn't have to do it all on my own. A group of women from church came to help out and after a morning of hard work, the place was ready to welcome them.

Here's Mary...dancing with the broom.

And Viviana...with the mop!

It was a tiring morning...and what better place for a nap than a tire swing!?

Here are Francine, Avigail and Tim---finally back in Lae, after many, many months of preparation and planning and anticipation. This is at a bbq at a friend's house last weekend.

And this little sweetheart has worked her way into all of our hearts already.

We were also blessed with a visit from some other Canadians last weekend--Arjan and Inge DeVisser. They made the trip over here after spending time in Western Australia.

We had a lot of fun with them, and also appreciated their input, wise counsel, encouragement and enthusiasm for what the Lord is doing here in the work we're involved with.

They were only here a short time, but we kept them busy. Arjan spoke at the youth group meeting and after church about the power and affect that sorcery has on many Christians in South Africa and shared stories from their time there. Many people here could relate to what he was sharing and we pray that it will help any of them who need to break the stronghold that witchcraft and sorcery still has on their lives. Inge also spoke at our teacher training class and inspired the teachers in many different areas of Christian education.

Oh, and we also kept her busy reading stories to Caleb...

It was a wonderful weekend together. Short, but sweet, as they say. And now they are already back in Canada. It seems hard to believe that they were even here in some ways, but we have the photos and fond memories to prove it!

And Tim and Francine and Avigail are also leaving us again soon. Tomorrow we will drive with them to a town called Madang, which is a 5 hour drive away (assuming the road is ok and we're praying it will be). They will stay there for the next 3 months and attend a cultural and language training course run by SIL/Wycliffe Bible Translators. We attended the same course when we arrived in 2005 and it is very challenging but also invaluable in terms of learning to live and work in PNG. Please pray for them as they go!

Buzz Cut!

2011-07-27T13:24:00.003+10:00

One thing we tried to do while in Cairns was to get this little man's hair cut. As you can see, he really needed it cut...he was looking a little too pretty! But he screamed and struggled when we tried to put him in the barber chair, even though Daddy went first to show him how it's done. So when we got home, we borrowed clippers from a friend, strapped him in his high chair with a lollipop (which really wasn't a good idea because it quickly got covered in hair which he then started to gag on!). He was not impressed, but with me holding down his arms and Ian working quickly with the clippers, the job got done.

And here's Caleb's new look!

Everyone says he looks even more like his big brother now!

Our Holiday in Cairns

2011-07-27T12:53:00.005+10:00

We were blessed to spend a holiday in Cairns, Australia earlier this month. Some friends lent us their camping equipment so we camped out here at Crystal Cascades Holiday Park---"where the rainforest meets the park", they say! It was a beautiful spot.

We could not believe it but the temperatures were quite cool at night--went down to 12C, which really shouldn't feel cold for Canadians but obviously we've acclimatized to Lae! We had to wear layers and snuggle up under the covers. Still, Caleb would wake up in the middle of the night with his little hands and nose freezing cold!

Here's Jonathan in front of our camper trailer one morning.

Can you tell she loves her daddy?

Even though it was cool at night, we still had warm, sunny days

to enjoy the "Lagoon" in downtown Cairns.

(Yes, the shirt is true---Caleb loves his daddy too!)

Brother and Sister enjoying Trinity Beach.

Australian beaches are so beautiful!

Although we didn't swim for fear of crocs and jellyfish!

Of course, we hung out at Muddy's Playground.

Jono loved climbing to the top of the spider web.

And climbing trees!

We enjoyed many nice walks at different parks--

something we can't do here in Lae.

This little waterway amused Caleb for a long time!

We also enjoyed great fellowship with the Reformed church group in Cairns, and were blessed in many different ways by them having us over, lending us warm clothes, etc. Jonathan and Karlyn also loved going over to Shakira and Aliesha Byl's house to play whenever they could!

All in all, we were really thankful to be able to holiday in Cairns. We came back feeling refreshed and ready to take up our tasks again. Praise be to God.

And next week we're looking forward to finally welcoming our new co-workers, Tim and Francine, and Avigail Sikkema to Lae next week! They will be here for 2 weeks and then will travel 5 hours up the coast for their 14-week language and cultural training. It will be great to see them again and we're sure they will be glad to finally get to PNG.

All Done

2011-06-27T14:40:00.002+10:00

The job is done and now Mark and Tim have already moved on from here--Mark back to Perth and Tim to spend one more week at the Bible College in Port Moresby before also heading home.

Thanks again for coming, guys!

Here they are having a PNG meal in Biwat Settlement.

The front of our church, looking beautiful. Mark and Tim and their team of helpers cleaned and varnished the back wall. They also put in some side walls--which are slatted so the air can still flow through (sorry the photo doesn't show them too well). They also built four partitions that will be used to make this a 'temporary' classroom for the school we hope to start next year. Mark designed the new pulpit too--

which is fully adjustable to suit the varying heights of those using it!

Our kids enjoyed having Mr. Tim and Mr. Mark around.

Here's Karlyn wedged in between them at church!

Tim sang a few beautiful songs for us after church.

The 'elders' of the church thanking them for their work

and presenting them with a gift (PNG tshirts!)

Thank you, Tim and Mark, for blessing our church community!

Building Projects

2011-06-24T20:57:00.005+10:00

Our church building has been a construction zone this week thanks to Mark Geurts and Tim deVos! They have worked tirelessly to get a few projects done for us. Thank you for the hard work, guys!

Here is Jack, their right-hand man and escort-around-town.

Although he's not doing much here, Noah did help out too!

Here are Tonno and Jack sanding the pieces for the side walls

going up for a temporary classroom at the front of our church.

We hope to start our own school next year and it looks like the Lord is

opening the door for us to purchase a larger property

close to our church to build the school,

but until that gets down we will run the school at the church.

The beginning stages of the new pulpit. The old one was worn down (as usually happens to wood in this humid climate) and was actually too high for the Papua New Guineans who are typically short. They would have to stand on a little footstool to use it!

Mark--doing what he does best.

And Tim, hard at work as well!

Even the boys got in on it.

Next post: photos of the finished projects!

God's ways, His Good and Gracious Ways

2011-06-15T20:04:00.009+10:00

Our church building in the evening. The pastor's house though not visible is on the right. (Rev. H. Versteeg and our old deacon, 'haphap', chatting on left).

His name was Malcolm and at the age of 21 he died from blood loss after being hit by the car he was trying to hold up. He was big and handsome and a fearless leader. He didn't look like a raskol (a criminal), either.

We knew Malcolm, at least we knew of him. We knew him as the guy who led a gang to our church property one night in mid-2008. He along with 15 other youths beat down the iron door of the pastor's house that separated them from a number of household items and a fear stricken family. Inside, a young husband and wife, child, and three younger sisters waited, terrified and paralyzed in a corner. Our aged and frail deacon, "bubu" or 'haphap,' (above in picture) as he's affectionately called was also there. But he waited behind the door; like a lone, fearless warrior when his compatriots have all but retreated, he was ready to meet his attackers. And he did. The criminals finally entered and made quick work of 'haphap.' They gave him a surface cut to the top of his head with a long knife and told him to just " shut up and stand on the porch. " After that they pillaged the house and slipped away into the night. Thankfully, none of the young women were touched, though they shared that they relived the horrible event for months afterwards in their dreams.

Early the next morning we showed up. We brought 'haphap' to the hospital and after a few stitches he was fine. Then we filed a report with the police. But as they were of no help during the break in--they don't answer their phones at night--they were of no help afterwards, either. Subsequently, Malcolm and his boys were never found even as we pleaded with the community to not harbour these criminals. But the story of Malcolm continues and a year later he died. He died at work--the work of holding up cars.

His parents mourned his loss deeply, but his dad began to reflect on his own culpability. In his heart, he knew he had taught his son these furtive, criminal ways. Not that he gave his son minute to minute instructions on car holdups and armed robbery. No, in this culture you watch and learn. And his dad will readily admit that Malcolm would have seen or heard about many of his exploits. Malcolm's dad was a seasoned criminal and his name is still whispered in Lae as the infamous 'raskol' who brought Lae to a halt for a day or two some 15-20 years ago. His crimes preceded him and now his criminal record trails him.

But God is good and His ways are gracious. It was His inscrutable will that saw Malcolm meet an early death. Not that God is the cause of Malcolm's sin, Malcolm is, but neither were the days of Malcolm not marked out from the beginning of time. His death was inside His plan, His sovereign, gracious plan. And a part of that plan, to speak so boldly, was to bring Malcolm's dad and mom, sisters and brother to Himself in repentance and faith. He was to show them abundant grace!

So the story continues. Humbled and full of remorse, shame and guilt, Malcolm's parents sought help. And in the economy of God's ways, they sought help at the very place where their son had caused so much pain--the pastor's house at our church! By this time the old tenants had moved out and new tenants had moved in (we are renting the home until we have our own national pastor). The current renters are an elder and his wife with their 6 children. But little did we know that the elder, Andrew, knew Malcolm's dad. They grew up together; and in their teens they were partners in crime. However, after Andrew married he left that life of crime; and then in early 2007 after leaving the Catholic church in town, him and his wife joined ours. So when Malcolm's parents came knocking, seeking help and support, Andrew and his wife, Agnus, were quick to open their hearts and their home to them. And in this home where there was once much pain and terror, grace was at work. Some two years after the crime, the Lord melted their hearts and brought them to their knees in repentance. He then led them to our church to hear the Word preached, witness the sacraments and, in due time and as His grace prevails, become confessing members of it.

And yet the pain lingers. Pain often lingers. Recently I preached on hell, actually it was on Good Friday. After this sermon him and his wife went home and could not speak to each other, they told me later. Words failed them. There is so much pain in the questions of their son's standing before God. Where is he, now? Then on Easter Sunday I preached on Heaven and the all-sufficient grace of God in Christ Jesus to make us heirs, co-heirs with Christ of His eternal home. After the service Malcolm's dad had the courage to share some words with me.

He came to me--he was broken. He asked: "can God really forgive me? What about the horrible sins I've

committed? What about the way I led my son down the road to an early death?" Yes, it is true that Malcolm was an adult, he will be held to account for his own sin, but his dad struggles with the pain of being implicated in his sin. "Can God really forgive such terrible sins?" he asked again. Oh, the burden of sin and of shame and guilt--it is immeasurable, really. So I did what every pastor would--share the Gospel again. He needed to know that grace is extremely costly, but it is also unquestionably free. It cost the Father His one and only Son on the cross. And at that place of death and judgment Christ bore the full, unmitigated burden of God's wrath against sin, our sin, every-one of our sins! That's the cost. But it is also free! And as deep and hideous as our sins are, God's grace-received by faith-reaches down and purges! I shared with him a number of texts that he should meditate upon, beginning with Isaiah 53 and Psalm 103 and then we prayed together.

Words so quickly break down when dealing with life and death. And yet in God's inscrutable and gracious ways we can find peace! For it was through Malcolm's death that his dad and mom's eyes were forced opened to see their need for a Saviour. And now they, with their three daughters and son and maybe generations to come, have found the way. The way of truth and grace in Jesus Christ! Praise God with us, and hold them in prayer as you do....

Riot Day?

2011-06-10T20:58:00.004+10:00

Last week a young man from the Highlands was killed here in Lae, which resulted in further fighting and houses being burned down. As a result the tribesmen of this young man requested to meet with the Governor yesterday to present a petition. This meeting took place near Jonathan's school and so it was closed for the day, in case the crowd who gathered got out of control. Thankfully, the meeting went over peacefully (and we hope for a peaceful resolution too) and Jonathan was glad to have the day off! Especially since it was the last day that our friends from out of town were visiting. He and Karlyn had a great day together with Philemon and Joel.

Karlyn says she wants to marry Philemon!

One More!

2011-05-28T21:00:00.003+10:00

Agro the Crocodile from the Habitat wasn't too happy that

I forgot to include his photo in the last post.

It's best to keep him happy, so here he is!

Photo Update

2011-05-28T20:13:00.007+10:00

So many things happen that I don't find the time to blog about, so here are a bunch of photos from various events of the last 2 months.

This young man in the photo with Ian began studying at the Reformed Churches Bible College in Port Moresby last month. His name is Greg and he's bright and inquisitive and says he's enjoying life and studies at the RCBC very much.

Although you can barely see them in the photo, Bruce and Dina 't Hart

from Albany, Australia really did visit Lae!

We enjoyed a rainforest hike with them.

At Easter, there was a youth conference at our church

and here are most of the participants.

They had a great time studying God's Word and having fun together.

For the past 6 weeks, our kids have enjoyed visiting these puppies at our friend's place.

"Can I keep him, Mom? Pleeaaase?"

(Except our landlords won't allow pet dogs in the compound:().

Our serious little man.

This past week we had Henry and Rita Versteeg visiting from Port Moresby.

It was their first visit to Lae and we shared our life and work with them,

and also took them to the Rainforest Habitat at the University.

Ian and Caleb enjoying the Rainforest Walk.

"Look at that, Jono!"

(A Crowned Pigeon)

The Whole Fam

Rita is quite the bird expert and got some great shots of different species:

The Southern Cassowary

The Blue Bird of Paradise

Also this past week, we went on a Bush Walk and Nature Scavenger Hunt with Jonathan's class.

It took place at the Lae City Mission property 11 miles outside of Lae.

This mission reaches out to young men who are caught in a life of crime

and tries to help them find employment.

Six of these young men were our guides for the hike

and as we walked they pointed out bright green lizards, huge spiders and other critters for the class to see. It was great fun.

God's creation is always amazing.

That's all for now!

Hard to Understand

2011-05-14T20:08:00.006+10:00

It was about a year ago that I first met this little sweetheart named Charlotte. She is the niece of a young woman who attends our church and is the fifth daughter born to her parents. As you can see, she is absolutely adorable and precious. Shortly after this photo was taken, I heard that she was sent to go live with some relatives in Port Moresby who wanted a baby. She would've only been about 5 months old--still very much needing her mother. This is just so hard for me to understand, especially since this family is not that poor and it doesn't seem like it would've been that hard for them to care for Charlotte as well. And what about the mother? What is it like to give a little one whom has grown inside of you, is so much a part of you, to someone else? I saw the mom shortly after Charlotte was given away and the tears sprang to her eyes quickly when I asked about the situation. It must've been so hard for her.

And yet it is a fairly common practice here for children to be given to relatives for various reasons. It's not a formal arrangement through the courts or anything like that. I'm not sure if any money or goods are exchanged but I have a feeling there is probably a transaction of some sort. Often children are given away to a husband and wife who can't have children of their own; usually by a family who has a lot of children and can't afford to care for them all. Or sometimes it's not the choice of the family at all. We knew of a family with three daughters and one son, and an uncle asked to have the son, and out of respect for him, the parents could not refuse him. So they were living here in Lae and their son 5 hours away in the village with his uncle. I wonder how this impacted that little boy. And I know it was hard on the parents. Often when twins are born, one of them is given away--sometimes this is because of superstition, but many times it's because they cannot care for them both. There are actually identical twins in the nearby settlement who are being raised in different families, but have not been told the truth about each other, even though they play together all the time! Unbelievable, isn't it? I don't understand why for the emotional well-being of the children these things are not openly talked about. As they get older, aren't they going to figure it out? Many times it seems parents choose to keep the secret and I remember from my studies in social work, these types of secrets are never a healthy thing for families and have a way of being revealed, even when the parents think the secret is being kept.

I really struggle to understand these situations and I know that I have to be careful not to judge.

There is so much we still don't know about this culture and so we can't possibly fully understand what all goes on when a child is given to another family. It is best for us not to get too involved in these kinds of situations.

Yet, I couldn't keep my mouth shut a few weeks ago after Bible Study. We were almost pulling out of the church when one of the women said, "Oh, can you just wait a bit? We have to wait for a baby." Ok, no problem, I said and figured that someone's neice or nephew or grandchild was coming to stay with them for a while. That's quite normal around here too. But then, a woman I didn't know arrived at the church with a toddler and an infant. And a few minutes later, the infant was in the car with us, and the mom and toddler were staying behind. I asked what was going on. Well, the baby was being given to a family in Biwat Settlement. I looked at the mother who had just given her baby away and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but her face was pretty expressionless. Underneath that expressionless face, what emotions were happening inside? Was her heart being ripped apart at giving her baby away? Was she angry at her situation? Frustrated? Ambivalent? Was she feeling some sort of resignation that this is the way things are and that's that? I will never know.

We drove on towards home and I asked which family in Biwat the baby was going to. I could not believe it when I was told that the baby was going to the family that had just given away little Charlotte last year! That's when I got a bit angry because I realized this baby was the one thing little Charlotte was not...a BOY. And after four daughters, that's what Charlotte's parents were hoping for, but the Lord chose to bless them with another daughter. And instead of cherishing that blessing they gave her away, and thought they knew better what their family should look like. It wasn't about not being able to afford a fifth child; it was about wanting a son, not...another...daughter. How can they have peace with that, I ask? I know that I may sound like I'm being terribly judgmental and hard on them. I admit I don't know everything about their situation, but I did ask the women driving in the car with me that day, "How about just letting God be God and letting Him decide what our families will be?" No one answered. And so we drove on in silence, bringing this baby boy to his new family, and all the while I was wondering, how is little Charlotte doing?

Super Seven!

2011-04-20T19:59:00.004+10:00

Jonathan celebrated his 7th birthday last week.

Some friends came over for a party.

Hours of fun was had on this thing!

(Thanks for leaving it behind, VanderHeide's!)

Karlyn and her friend figured they were safer

in their own little dinghy...away from the boys.

A couple months ago some 'rascals' as the criminals are called here, opened a part of the steel fence surrounding our compound and stole Jonathan's bike. Judging by the size of the footprints these 'criminals' weren't more than 10 years old. We aren't sure why the 7 security guards who are supposed to be patrolling the compound didn't notice this happening, but in the end we're glad they didn't because the punishments don't tend to fit the crimes around here. Too many are severely beaten or even killed--for stealing. Our bike wasn't worth that much. Still, Jono did shed some tears the morning he woke up and it was gone. It was a special one he was given while we were in Canada and he rode on it a lot. But in the end, it was just a bike and he managed without it. But he was still very excited to get this new one for his birthday.

Zooming up and down the compound again!

We praise God for keeping Jonathan safe and healthy this past year!

To the Hills

2011-04-13T20:16:00.005+10:00

Last week we travelled to a town called Goroka, which is about 4 hours from Lae up into the Highlands of PNG. We visited some friends who used to live in Lae, but are now working at a missionary school and health clinic in Goroka at the 'New Tribes Mission' Compound. The weather was wonderfully cool there.

Jonathan and Karlyn enjoyed breakfast on the veranda

with Philemon and Joel.

Here is our multi-cultural boy:

Playing hockey like a good Canadian,

wearing an Australian cap,

and standing in front of the PNG Bird of Paradise!

(We picked up the hockey stick at the 'mission barrel'--

which was full of free stuff left over from other missionary families

who have moved back to their home countries.)

A tire swing is always lots of fun--and double the fun when it fits two!

We also had the opportunity to visit a village that was located 6 miles outside of Goroka town. It was the village of a woman (Julian) who has been part of our church for about 5 years. Our church leadership has been in contact with her family about possibly starting a church in their area. Another leader and his wife visited in January and since we were going to Goroka anyway, we also took the opportunity to visit there. The scenery was breathtaking as we left the main road and walked into the hills.

Here's Julian, her son Jojo and some other children

who led us into the village.

Although I am of average height, I always feel like a giant around most PNGeans!!

Could this be Narnia?!

Here is Ian chatting with two of Julian's brothers.

Here are Julian's parents.

Ian shared the Word from 1 Thessalonians 5 with them

and their children and grandchildren and others from the village.

We left them with some sermons and some "Tok I Tru" books (literally, true talk), the Heidelberg Catechism in pidgin. We also encouraged the group to send some leaders down to Lae to learn more about our church. No definite plans were made for the road forward and we wait on the Lord's direction and leading. As we sat and ate chicken, rice and greens, the rain started and by the time we were done eating it was raining hard and night had descended--we weren't prepared for either. With borrowed umbrellas and flashlight, bags full of garden produce they had gifted to us, and Julian's son and some others as our guides, we began the trek back to the main road--about a 1.5 km hike down a narrow winding path. The rain kept coming and coming....and the path got muddier and more slippery. I gave up trying to wear my flip-flops when they kept getting stuck in the mud and walked barefoot, letting the mud ooze through my toes. We were sopping wet by the time we got to the car, but our hearts were full after experiencing fellowship and wonderful hospitality in a little village in the hills of PNG.

The next morning we drove to another spot in the Highlands--the Wycliffe Bible Translators Centre called Ukarumpa, which we've written about before. Again, we visited with friends and enjoyed the cooler temperatures and time away from regular life in Lae.

There, a young American woman gave

Karlyn's hair a much-needed trim.

It was her first hair cut so she was quite proud!

Caleb also got his hair cut--this is the 'before' shot!

Till next time!

Her Story Continues

2011-04-02T21:37:00.001+10:00

We've written about her before--a woman from our church who has been abused by her husband for years now. He became hard of hearing from a work-related accident, and since then he has regularly flown into a rage and taken it out on his wife. Once Ian and Andrew intervened just in time as he was coming at her with a machete and threatening to kill her. That was not the first time either.

About 2 months ago, she decided that she had had enough and left him. Since then, she's been sleeping with various friends in nearby settlements and only going back to the house to see their daughter when she knows he isn't there or already asleep. She will no longer endure the abuse and has met with a leader in the community to begin divorce proceedings. The leader wrote out her story as she told it to him and was her witness--living not far from her, it was not news to him. She then brought the papers to the courthouse only to be told that the judge who deals with divorces will not return until May. So the game of hide and seek has continued until one day last week he found her. Actually, they happened to meet on the road. He got angry with her and began to hit her and try to rip her clothes off. It was then that the police intervened! We couldn't believe it when she told us, but they actually stopped him from beating her. This is almost unheard of here--but they did and told him that he couldn't beat his wife 'in public'. The police then proceeded to beat him up quite badly. She said he saw "plenty stars" that day. They took him to the police station and later sent him home with a letter, which he was afraid to read himself. It told him that if he beat her again, he would be put in jail. We praise God for making this happen! He protected her and sent the police who were actually ready to do their jobs that day.

Still, she carries a heavy burden. She continues to live in hiding, which is physically and emotionally draining. She has faced criticism from some in her community for wanting a divorce. She says, let them talk. There are rumours she has been unfaithful to him (and therefore 'deserving' of the abuse); she insists she hasn't been and we have no reason not to believe her. We have encouraged her several times to spend some time in her village where she would be safe and with her extended family. At the same time, we have also cautioned her to think very carefully before getting a divorce. We have encouraged her to pray and wait on the Lord. When Ian and another elder from church met with her a few days ago, the elder pointed out to her that the police intervening the way they did was no accident. The Lord caused it to happen for a reason. Maybe He will use it to convict her husband of his sin and need for a Saviour.

That remains the prayer!

We Praise God

2011-03-25T16:57:00.003+10:00

Rebecca is home again and doing much better. She spent one night at the hospital on the drip and when the vomiting and diarrhea stopped, they sent her home. We're not sure now if she actually had cholera or not, or just regular food poisoning, but we're amazed and thankful to the Lord for how quickly she improved and we hope she stays well!

Thanks for your prayers.

Prayer for Rebecca

2011-03-22T20:00:00.002+10:00

Please pray for Rebecca, pictured above with her grandson. She became very sick during the night and came to Bible Study this morning in much pain. We brought her to the hospital and they have diagnosed her with cholera. Since it is so contagious, the hospital has a 'cholera treatment centre' set up outside of the actual hospital where the patients eat, sleep and are treated in canvas tents, no visitors allowed.

Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated and so we are very thankful that Rebecca got to the hospital when she did. However, she is already quite a frail woman and so we are worried. We are also praying that it has not already spread to the rest of her family members, especially her young grandson.

Tuesday Mornings

2011-03-19T20:44:00.005+10:00

Every Tuesday morning, I get together with a group of wonderful sisters in Christ. We meet to study God’s Word together and usually this happens either at our church or in the settlement where many of the women live. However, the last two weeks we have met unexpectedly in other places to encourage those in need, and it seems this kind of unexpected encouragement is often the most appreciated.

The first Tuesday morning, as we waited at the church for everyone to arrive someone mentioned that an older woman who usually comes to church was quite sick. We decided to see if we could go and encourage her. Someone ran ahead to see if this was ok. Others searched the Scriptures for texts to share.

The ok was given and we walked the short distance to her home. We met under a house on stilts, and sat down on woven mats on the floor, and were joined by our sister and her relatives—sisters, nieces, aunts and one lone man. We all shook hands in greeting, as is customary here. Our host explained that she had planned to travel to a hospital in the Highlands to have her sore back looked at, but then she became very sick with malaria and could not travel. For the past month, she had not been able to go anywhere or do much of anything because she was feeling so weak and ill. We explained that most of us hadn’t known this until today and that’s why we had come. We prayed, sang songs of praise and then the Word was opened. I was not surprised that the texts chosen were all taken from the book of Psalms, wherein every emotion is so powerfully expressed. We then ended in prayer, also praying for the Lord to heal and encourage our sister. She was moved to tears that we had come—she had felt so alone and discouraged at times, but now knew that we were there for her and even more, she was reminded that her Father in heaven knows every pain and burden she carries. Having shaken hands again to say goodbye, we left our sister, some promising to be back soon to see her again. What a beautiful morning.

This week Tuesday, our group had planned to meet in Biwat settlement, but upon arrival someone asked if we could visit a family whose father had just died. This family lived a short distance outside of the settlement, and on the property of a concrete factory. We had to walk right through all the noisy machinery and workmen to get to the area where we would meet to encourage the women who were grieving. The man who had died was a relative of many of the people we know from Biwat settlement—he was predeceased by his wife (many years ago) and also his only son. He left behind his second wife and two daughters, who were about in their twenties. I was told that he died from something like asthma and as I sat there breathing in the dust from the factory, I wondered if a life of working and living in this place had anything to do with it. Of course, the fact that the deceased man was also a heavy drinker wouldn’t have helped either. Still, I couldn’t believe that the owners of the factory could live with themselves knowing that their employees and their families—young children and babies included—were living with the noise, fumes and dust of pipe and concrete making—which goes on night and day. I had to push my anger over the living conditions aside and focus on why we were there.

Sister Polena had prepared the devotion not knowing of course that we would be comforting a grieving family, but the Lord knew and her message on ‘fellowship’ was fitting and encouraging.Again the family was so encouraged that we had come and said they would like to join our group more often. We hope they will. And we hope that the Lord will give us more unexpected moments to encourage others when they need it the most.

I wonder what next Tuesday will bring?

Here are various photos of the women from Bible Study:

Marriage Conference

2011-03-05T21:00:00.003+10:00

Last weekend, we held a Marriage Conference at our church. Ian and John Lanta (pictured below) both lead sessions during the conference. It began on Friday night and continued until Saturday night. There were many people who came and went throughout the conference and of course many, many came to watch Fireproof on Saturday night. But we were most thankful for the small, core group who were with us for all the sessions. We shared ideas and struggles, asked questions and enjoyed some good laughs together.

This is Andrew and Agnes, demonstrating the "Trust Fall"!

Matthias and Jakina and their son, Stanis.

They were with us for the entire conference and

are now excited to share what they learned with their family members.

Up close with Stanis. (Have you ever seen such long eyelashes?)

The youth from our church cooked the food and sold it as a fundraiser for their own youth weekend later this year. The food was delicious--rice, plantain bananas and a stew with cabbage, carrots and chicken.

That's a big pot of rice!

The girls are still smiling as they cut up all the veggies.

We're thankful to God for blessing our weekend--hopefully it's the first of many. And we pray that He will continue to change and strengthen and purify marriage relationships in Lae, to His glory.

Goodbye, Jerry and Annie

2011-03-05T20:40:00.002+10:00

Last week, we said goodbye to the second couple from Lae who is studying at the Bible College in Port Moresby. Here are Jerry and Annie and their daughter Christina (in the pink) with Annie's mother (far right) and sisters and niece, just before they headed to the airport. It was a sad goodbye as they will not see each other again until the end of the year most likely.

Christina gives her cousin Louisa one last hug.

The whole crowd--mostly aunties and cousins--who came to see them off.

This will be their third year at the Bible College and although they have enjoyed it very much, there have been some very hard times. The most difficult was during their first year when their infant son was stillborn at full term. Especially Annie has really struggled and until this year has not been interested in taking part in any of the courses. We're so thankful she'll be taking two courses this year and pray that through them the Lord will grow her in her faith and knowledge of Him and His Word. We also pray that He will bless Jerry as he begins the Pastoral Program.

A Desperate Dad

2011-02-22T19:44:00.003+10:00

What would make a mother leave her husband and 8-month old son? I've been pondering this question the last few days since the husband and baby came to visit us. The baby was a beautiful, chubby, big brown-eyed, adorable little guy, who stole all of our hearts in the short time he was with us. I've gone over all the possibilities as to why his mom would leave him--maybe her husband was abusive towards her, or maybe unfaithful. Maybe they were arguing all the time. Maybe she herself was struggling with depression or another mental health issue. Or, maybe selfishness won out and she simply did run off with another man because he had more money than her husband, as her husband shared with us.

She left about 2 weeks ago. He was very emotional about it and moved to tears because of his struggles with caring for their baby son on his own. Not to mention he was very angry and saying rather matter-of-factly that he wanted to kill his wife. He also said he had resolved to give his son away to someone who could care for him, but then he remembered that his son was a gift from God. As he talked with us, the little boy snuggled up against his father and started to cry as he looked at our strange (that is, white) faces. He hadn't eaten yet, so we warmed up some milk for him. He had no bottle, but he was used to just sipping from a cup. Mid-way through our conversation with the father, the baby decided to fill his pants, and since he was only wearing underpants, things got a little messy. Thankfully, Caleb's XL diapers fit around his chubby legs!

The father then told us that he had actually hoped that we could have cared for the baby. At that moment, my heart melted as I looked at the adorable baby boy, all smiles with us now that his tummy was full. But at the same time, I knew this was not God's will for us, not at this time anyway. Since it's common for extended family members to care for children, we asked the father if he had any relatives who could help him. In the end, we helped pay his way to his village, where his mother and sisters lived, which is two days away--a long bus and boat ride away from here.

I've wondered many times how they're doing. Did they make it to the village, or did the father change his mind? How is the little guy doing? Is he healthy? Is he hungry? Will his grandmother and aunties lovingly care for him or will he simply be another mouth to feed? Will he ever see his mother again? And most importantly, will he grow up to know and love His Maker? So many questions, but no answers. The silence in the unanswered questions reminds us to leave this father and little boy in the Lord's hands.

"He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11

Our Homecoming

2011-02-08T20:59:00.002+10:00

Just over 2 weeks ago, we arrived back here in Lae. Our home awaited us...with a thick layer of dust over everything. Ian mopped our floors over and over again for an hour and a half just so the soles of our feet wouldn't be blackened! Communication with the outside world was also limited--the phone was disconnected and internet not working. That was ok, after a day of travelling we were too tired to talk, skype, blog or email anyway! And besides, we had to be up bright and early the next morning for the kid's first day of school. Or so we thought. Turns out we got the dates mixed up somehow because we were the only ones who showed up for school that day! Oh well, try again tomorrow. The other surprise awaiting us when we got home were some unexpected visitors. It's not ideal to have visitors when you're just getting settled in, but these aren't the kind who get in the way at all. In fact, we don't see much of them, especially during the day. The only problem is they haven't yet let us know how long they're planning to stay and to be honest, it's getting a bit inconvenient to have them around, as discreet as they are. So, we've set some traps with a little bit of peanut butter and put out some poison and we're hoping these visitors of ours will soon be here no more, as inhospitable as that may sound!

Our first Sunday back at church we were glad to see many new and old faces, and especially some that we hadn't seen in a long time. John Lanta (pictured below on the left) and his family have returned after living in Brisbane, Australia for 2 years while John studied for his Masters in Mathematics. He's returned to his teaching position at the University of Technology here in Lae. The man in the middle is Martin Makusi, a long-time member of the Reformed Churches of PNG who recently repatriated back to the other side of the island, West Papua. He was on his way to also visit the churches in Port Moresby and stopped by to say hello. And lastly, on the right is Rumanasen, the oldest member of our church and also our faithful and honest treasurer (a rare find in PNG).

John and Polena Lanta's daughter, Yoni.

The school year at the Bible College in Port Moresby will also soon commence. Here are Gami and Joel, who have already returned to the Bible College to get their children enrolled in school and do some work on their garden, which will hopefully provide them with fruits and veggies while they study.

They were a blessing to the church while in Lae as Joel helped lead some worship services while we were away; Gami met with the Sunday school teachers to encourage them in their work; and they both travelled to another area of PNG where there is interest in starting another Reformed Church and met with the people there.

May the Lord give them and all the students and staff at the Bible College a blessed year of study again!

Western Australia

2011-01-22T09:46:00.007+10:00

A kind and generous family opened their home for us during our 2 week stint

in Western Australia. It was such a blessing to have our 'own' place.

As you can see, we could easily fit. Thank you!

And we even had a pool. It was wonderful to see Joyce and Ryan again too! We also had a great visit with Henk and Christine Plug who were visiting from Canada, although we must 've been too busy catching up to take any photos that day!

Our now former colleagues, Andrew and Natalie and their girls,

arrived in WA a couple days after we did.

The Mission Board and Consistory of Armadale Church

had a farewell bbq for them to thank them for their years of service in PNG.

We had fun riding the train into Perth one day.

The train also took us over to the beautiful historic town of Fremantle.

Here's Caleb having fun with Kirilee, as per usual!

Here's Jono climbing the Spider Web--

found at every Aussie playground we've ever been to!

This fine couple took us on a ferry ride to gorgeous Rottnest Island.

Thanks again, Len and Viv!

We swam and snorkeled and enjoyed being in this beautiful place.

Jono caught this little (slightly dead) fish!

We then travelled to another beautiful place--Albany!

Cheronne gave Caleb his first haircut there!

We also enjoyed some time at the beach where the VanderHeide girls

were having swimming lessons (brrrrr!).

Ian celebrated his birthday there. After he preached in West Albany in the morning, there was a coffee social and then the group broke out into song. They sang Happy Birthday and 'how old are you now?' (which he did divulge) and "God bless you always". We then had Cheronne and kids (Wayne was still in Perth) and Andrew and Natalie and kids over for dinner at 'our' place.

(We were again blessed by someone who opened her home to us for the weekend. Thank you!)

Here are the kids having fun together before saying goodbye again.

Here's Ian enjoying his birthday present from Hans Vermeulen (Cheronne's father)--an hour tour over Albany's gorgeous coastline! (Ian assured me the flight was stress free even if the pilot seems creased with concern).

And then we drove the 4 hours back to Perth!

Our time in WA flew by and we are now already back on the North-Eastern side of Australia and enjoying our last few days in Cairns before flying back home on Monday. We've got mixed feelings about going back. In some ways we are very ready to be back in our own home again and back to routine. But in other ways we're not sure we're quite ready to face the struggles of life in PNG. Thankfully God goes before us and is always with us and will give us much joy and peace in serving Him there again this year.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T20:54:00.003+10:00

2011 has come...2010 has already gone by. How did that happen so fast?! We want to wish everyone the Lord's continued blessings for this new year. May it be one in which we all grow even closer to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who alone gives meaning and purpose to each new year...to each new day.

We also want to share with you a few photos from our last church service of 2010, during which our church community said farewell to the VanderHeide family who will be repatriating to Albany, Western Australia after 4 years of working with Reformed Ministries in Lae.

People were given the opportunity to send them off with a gift. So they were laden with 'bilums' (string bags) and other precious PNG mementos.

Many tearful goodbyes...they will be missed!

Various groups like this one sang songs for them.

And of course a feast of PNG kaikai was enjoyed.

We took the opportunity to take a group photo.

Their farewell drew an especially large crowd.

As you can see, Karlyn will dearly miss her beloved friends, as we all will.

The day after the farewell service, we jumped on a plane at 7am and flew to Port Moresby and then straight on to Cairns, Australia, where for the past week we've been enjoying a relaxing holiday. We're staying in Matt and Claire Byl's flat underneath their house which has been great. Andrew and Natalie and the girls joined us here a few days later along with their friends Gerald and Rosita and five children who are visiting from Tasmania. It's been a fun time, and we're thankful for the break from our life and work in PNG.

Here's Caleb, relaxing on the veranda and eating chocolate pudding!

Karlyn and Jono, having fun in the pool at Matt and Claire's.

Just two more days and then we continue our travels and fly over to Perth, Western Australia where we are looking forward to catching up with our Mission Board and supporting churches and some old friends.

Wishing you a Blessed CHRISTmas!

2010-12-25T08:15:00.002+10:00

May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts this Christmas

...and always!

Love from, Ian and Nadia, Jonathan, Karlyn and Caleb

A Joyous Day

2010-12-14T12:17:00.008+10:00

This past Sunday was a joyous one as four adults confessed their belief in Jesus Christ and became members of our church. Two children were also baptized. Praise be to God!

They are: Tono Abitoko, Noipe Silas, and Damien and Margaret Paino.

Noipe's son Rapaiel being baptized.

Damien and Margaret's daughter, Athalia

with a beautiful smile as she is baptized.

Tono was quite emotional as he read from John 1--The Word Became Flesh.

Andrew and Natalie and girls also joined us for the special day as they arrived back on Saturday!

Everyone was glad to see them, especially Louisa!

Glad to be together again...

Please pray for Andrew and Natalie--they found out on Monday that they had 2 days to pack up everything and get it into the container! They have been madly packing since and at the same time dealing with a nasty stomach bug that has hit all 3 of their girls already, and some members of our family too!

School's Out!

2010-12-10T21:24:00.005+10:00

Today was Jonathan's last day of school. Totally different school year than Canada, which we're still getting used to. But as of today, the summer/Christmas holidays are here! I think he probably could've kept going since he loves school, but I'm pretty happy about not having to prepare school lunches for a while or rush out the door at 7:30am, Monday to Friday!

The new school year will begin at the end of January, when he will begin Grade 1...finally. He's a little miffed that his Canadian cousins and friends started in September already!

We are thankful to say that he received a special award this week--for "Outstanding Citizenship". The school follows a 'virtue program', focusing on a different one every week. These virtues are also very Biblical, even though it's not a Christian school, per se. Anyway, he received this award for consistently showing these virtues throughout the year.

This is he...he was just a little shy about going up in front of everyone and wouldn't show his face...

He felt a little braver once the other 'outstanding citizens' joined him!

With some of his fellow classmates...

As any parent can attest to, it is a joy to watch your child grow and learn right before your eyes. This year had its challenges too, but we are thankful to God for what Jonathan learned and accomplished.

Grieving Jackson

2010-11-29T21:27:00.002+10:00

It's been 6 weeks since his sudden and violent death, and yesterday the body of young Jackson Willy was finally sent some 600 km north and $1000.00 Cdn/Aus dollars later to be buried on his parent’s traditional land. As is always the case, it forced a kind of crisis of cultures on me (Ian) when I was again asked to lead their funeral service or haus krai (house cry). In the West death is too sanitary, too hidden. Generally speaking in the South it is too exposed, too raw…or maybe just real. The painted faces and bodies with coloured clay, the heart-wrenching wailing, the great cacophony of groans and shrieks, the sense that I am invading a nuclear family’s last respects (even though the family is 150 large), the throwing of dirt and hands and limbs and not to mention the body beginning the decaying process, left me trying to find my cultural-bearings. What am I to do here? I did what Christ has called me to do: I opened His Word and preached from Lamentations 3:16-29, trying to pour out the rich promises of the Scriptures in the face of death and challenged them to look for the reason for hope in the face of death and sin--Jesus Christ. Sadly, many of the ones who were wailing, in what seemed to be in utter despair, only moved a few houses down and kept on going as I preached. After the ‘service’ we sang, “How great thou art’ in Pidgin and the body was trucked away to the airport. I pray some found hope in the solid reality that Christ has risen victoriously over death.

Soccer Time

2010-11-28T21:04:00.004+10:00

PS. It was a close call, but Karlyn and Mommy's team won!
PPS. Thanks for the nets, Uncle Tim!...and the ball!

Prayer for a Young Family

2010-11-28T20:15:00.001+10:00

This is Jason, Sandy and their little son, Hansley.

They are a young family from our church--and young in their faith too, you could say. Neither of them were raised with Christian parents, but they both want to serve the Lord now, and Sandy's mother also is a member of our church now. They've been married for almost a year, although their relationship did start out on rocky ground. It hasn't been easy for them as their families do not completely approve of their union either. And to complicate matters, they live with her parents, with his parents living very close by in the settlement.

The past few months, Ian and I have been meeting with them regularly to talk about what the Bible says about marriage and family life. In the middle of all of this, they had an argument and both of their mothers got involved (which made matters worse), and they were separated for a short time. Thankfully, they are back together now, but we know that it will take a lot of prayer and the power of the Spirit to keep this young family together and enable them to have a strong family and marriage in the Lord.

Their son is a precious little guy and is of course the one caught in the middle when his parents and grandparents don't get along. We pray that the Lord will guard and keep him and that he will grow up to know and love His maker.

We share all of this with you to simply ask you to remember them in prayer.

Graduation Time

2010-11-18T06:18:00.004+10:00

Ian travelled to Port Moresby last week to attend the graduation at the Reformed Churches' Bible College.There were 9 graduates who received a Diploma in Reformed Studies. Three of them are students from Lae, and the two men would like to continue on in their studies and next year begin the three year Diploma program to hopefully become Pastors one day.

The graduating class singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

PNGers love to share stories through drama.
This is Gami, one of the students from Lae. She is a strong woman of the faith and a good leader amongst the women. She shared some words of thanks, especially for the wives of the missionaries (Rita Versteeg, Odette Douma, Cheronne VanderHeide and Sjannette Hagoort) for their tireless work in supporting the students and the college in countless ways.
Here is Jerry Isaac, also one of the students from Lae, as he receives his certificate from Pastor Henry Versteeg with Principal Wayne VanderHeide in the background.
As a representative of the Board of the College, Ian shared a message on Hebrews 13:13--being willing to go outside the camp and bear the disgrace Christ bore.
We praise God for the Bible College. It is still incredible to us that God raised up this Bible College in a few short years and we are so thankful for this place where the Word is taught boldly and clearly and in truth.

One student shared this testimony: before attending the College, the Bible was just like any other book to him. But through his studies, the Lord showed him that it is the Book of Life!

Supporting Yuanna

2010-11-02T19:30:00.002+10:00

This morning, we gathered for Bible Study as we usually do, except instead of meeting at the church, we gathered at the home of Jackson's parents, Yuanna and Willy. Jackson, as you may remember from a couple posts ago, was a young man from Biwat Settlement who was murdered just over 3 weeks ago. Since that time, the women from our church, many of whom are related to Jackson's family, have gone every Tuesday morning to be with Jackson's mother Yuanna---to support her and encourage her, sing with her and pray with her.

The young men who they suspect of killing him were taken into custody by the police, however about a week later were let out on bail. Now they are back to getting drunk and causing trouble in the settlement, including attempting to fight with Jackson's family several times. Their quick release is thanks to the 'wantok system', I was told. A 'wantok' is someone who speaks the same language as you, meaning they are from the same area or village. Here in PNG if one of your wantoks needs help, you are obligated to help out. If you don't, there will be no one to help you when you need it. So these young men are out and free to do as they please again. Jackson's family does not want to fight with them, but they would like some compensation money for his death, also to help transport his body back to their village to be buried.

So in addition to grieving the loss of their son, Yuanna and Willy are dealing with an unjust justice system and these young troublemakers who are seemingly showing no remorse for what they did. Yuanna and Willy are bearing a great burden right now, and greatly need our prayers. Only the Lord can get them through this.

It was beautiful to witness Mary, a woman from our Bible Study who had never met Yuanna before, cry with her and hold her in an embrace for a long time. Mary comes across as quite a tough woman; stern-faced and rough, but obviously there is a tender heart on the inside.

Please continue to pray with us for Yuanna and Willy and our justice system, which has failed them miserably. Thankfully, The Judge is acutely aware of all this injustice, and is full of grace and mercy to those who humbly come to Him in faith in their time of need.

The Last in a Long Line of Visitors!

2010-10-23T10:55:00.002+10:00

After a steady stream of visitors, our last guest of the year, Keith Bruning returned home to WA a few days ago. He was the ninth person who stayed in Andrew and Natalie's unit since they went on furlough!

Keith was one of the Australian delegates who attended the Conference in Port Moresby with us. He then spent about 10 days here. He has a special connection to the Reformed mission work in PNG, as his parents, Rev. and Mrs. Bruning did some short-term work here many years ago. It was a moving experience for Keith to visit some of the churches in the Port Moresby area that his parents were involved with over 25 years ago. A reminder of God's faithfulness. And then he could see how the work has branched out into the Lae area, also thanks to the Lord.

Saying a few words of thanks and encouragement at church.

We enjoyed Keith's company and having him experience the work with us, and especially appreciated that he was game to drive all over town doing errands for us! Not to mention the delicious croquettes he cooked for us twice! We're sure his family is glad to have him home again though, also just in time to celebrate his and Brenda's 25th anniversary! May the Lord give them many more years together.

Port Moresby and Home Again

2010-10-14T20:26:00.005+10:00

We've been back from our conference in Port Moresby for over a week now, but still here's a bit of an update. In attendance were the 5 missionary couples on the field right now as well as 3 delegates from Australia, 3 from New Zealand and 2 from Canada. We had good discussions on the 10-Year Strategic Plan, reports on the 8 church groups, reports on the Bible College and also developed policies, Etc, Etc. The result was an 86-page document containing the minutes as well as many appendices with the various reports and policies! We pray that the Lord will help us to follow through on all that was discussed and planned, and we completely depend on Him for His blessing.

This is the classroom where the meetings were held.

Our kids had a blast with Sjaan, Bryce, Cameron and Joseph Vanderheide. In fact, there was much talk of them staying in Moresby and becoming Vanderheide's themselves:).

On the weekend, we took the kids to this Wildlife Sanctuary

that was recently built close to the Bible College .

Their babysitters (students from the Bible College) kept them busy with all sorts of activities.

Caleb and Dorothy

Best Mates Caleb and Joseph

While we were at the conference, we also got the news that our co-workers, Andrew and Natalie Vanderheide, will not be returning to work with us as was originally planned. This did not come as a complete surprise because we knew that they were struggling with what to do, especially since Natalie has dealt with recurring miscarriages--an even more difficult experience when living in PNG. We deeply respect their decision and understand that it was not an easy one for them to make. Still, they will be greatly missed here--by us, but also by the church community. We look forward to spending some time with them when they come in December to pack up and say goodbye.

A few days after we got back from Moresby, we also received the shocking news that a young man who had attended our church for many months this year had been killed. His name was Jackson Willy and he was a young man that we were worried about--for he had stopped coming to church suddenly and after that we saw him drunk a few times. He was also drunk the night he was killed.

It seems a fight broke out between two groups of drunken young men and Jackson's cousin ended up being cut in the stomach with a knife. For some reason, Jackson stayed behind when his friends went to avenge the cousin's injury, but then later decided to go on his own and was met on the path by about 5 young men armed with bush knives and iron pipes. They attacked him and then left him there on the path where he bled to death. His family members in Biwat community are in shock and deeply grieved. When Ian went there a few hours after his death, his mom was of course beside herself with grief. She was wailing and throwing herself on the ground and could not help but return to the site of his death where his blood still stained the ground.

His death deeply saddens us and also frustrates and angers us. What a senseless and most violent death. And yet, the last few months we have also been saddened and frustrated by the making and drinking of 'homebrew' among the young people, and the parent's seeming apathy to this. Our prayer right now is that the Lord will use Jackson's death to open people's eyes and turn them to Him. Ian had the opportunity to preach the other night at the home of Jackson's family, and there were many young people there, as well as parents and children. We sang songs of worship for a long time and then Ian preached a powerful message of comfort and challenge. Not that he had planned to preach because we thought we were just going to see Jackson's parents, but when we got there they had set things up for him to preach, and more and more people just kept coming! The Spirit was at work that night and I saw on the faces of a few of the young men that they were really listening and being impacted. Please pray that they will completely commit their lives to Christ.

Please also pray that Jackson's family will not avenge his death, but leave it in the hands of the police. We pray for no more bloodshed.

Jack and Ina in Lae

2010-09-28T11:22:00.003+10:00

We've been blessed to have Jack and Ina deVos here with us for the past couple weeks. Jack's been the chairman of our Mission Board for many years, but it's been about 12 years since he last visited. They both quickly settled into life here! They've been a great help to us too, especially since I've been sick and not able to do much besides lie on the couch the past 5 days. We've appreciated their help around the house and with the kids.

Here they are at a gathering at church on the weekend.

Chatting with Br. Damien, who is fluent in English.

Everyone was supposed to bring a 'little bit' of food,

but the table was full of delicious choices!

Playmates Louisa and Caleb....(who apparently needed help from his

big sis to make sure he was looking somewhere close to the camera!).

With Auntie Viviana.

And already the deVos' time here in Lae is over; although their time in PNG hasn't come to an end yet. Tomorrow we all travel together to Port Moresby for a week-long conference with our colleagues and other delegates from the Mission Boards. We pray for fruitful discussions and good fellowship.

We're Independent and We're Free...?

2010-09-16T21:00:00.005+10:00

Thirty-five years ago yesterday, PNG gained its independence from Australia. There was a celebration at Jonathan's school, with traditional costumes and dances from the different provinces. With over 800 different tribes with their own language and traditions, PNG is very culturally diverse and this was evident in the variety of dances and costumes.

Karlyn's preschool also had their own Independence celebration. Here she is singing and dancing!
...and enjoying it!
Jonathan and a few of his friends after the presentations.
Since both kids have been learning PNG's national anthem at school, we've been singing it quite a bit at home too. It's really a beautiful anthem. We also sang it in church last week and Jonathan's loud singing made him sound like the most patriotic of all.

The last two verses go like this:

"O 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"

It is sung with such pride and yet when we hear of ongoing violence and murders; when stores are looted and all order is lost; when we see the inadequate medical care; when we drive on the unmaintained roads; when we hear of the corruption in the government; and see evidence of the poor education system...we have a hard time believing that PNG is better off being independent. And this is why many people still speak of the "good ol' days" when Australia was running the country.

And as for being free, it is ironic that we see so many who are not free at all. Instead they are enslaved to sin--lives full of violence, sexual immorality, alcoholism, animism, and gambling. Take, for example, what happened during the Independence "celebration" in the settlement by our church. Drunken raskols (young criminals) were holding up cars along the road in front of our church, and one of them made the mistake of throwing a rock at a vehicle full of high-ranking army officers (who were also drunk because they had just attended a dinner party hosted by our governor). So these officers decided to turn back and enter the road by our church and began beating up three young men who had nothing to do with the crime and destroying their house. They then threatened to return today and burn everything down--our church included. This is not happening, but it shows just how ridiculous these situations can get, when even those who are supposed to be upholding the law are breaking it and causing more destruction.

When Ian preached in the settlement the other night, he talked about these things and urged them to embrace the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and truly be free! They could then have Christ's JOY, Christ's PEACE, Christ's HOPE and be eternally "independent" from the slavery of sin. That's something to celebrate!

The Effects of Homebrew

2010-09-12T19:32:00.002+10:00

We were short one musician in church today. One of our guitarists was out of commission due to injuries on both of his arms. Last week he was attacked by some young men with bush knives. They cut both his arms and his head; on one of his arms they cut so deep and with such force that they broke the bone. We're not sure if there was a reason for the attack--at least no one's telling us yet. But we do know that the attackers were under the influence of 'homebrew'--a homemade alcoholic drink also known as 'steam'. From what we gather they boil sugar, yeast and some other ingredients in some sort of enclosed canister with a pipe attached to another container. They say it is about 60% alcohol and those who drink it, and many young people do, lose complete control of themselves and often become violent.

A couple weeks ago when we were in the settlement, we saw 3 young guys walk by and judging by the 'supplies' they were carrying, we were told they were going to make steam. Ian went to talk to them, because it seemed no other adult there was going to say anything, but they quickly hid the equipment as he approached. Ian still challenged them to stay clear of it.

It aggravates us and grieves us all at the same time to see young people caught up in this. Though it is probably most infuriating that the parents seem to be standing by and watching their children make it and drink it. Of course, they are not always sober themselves.

We continue to pray for the community of Biwat and when we can we challenge and teach and try to model another way.

Karlyn says Thank You!

2010-09-06T17:23:00.002+10:00

Thanks, Kirilee! You did an amazing job!

As you can see, Karlyn's very happy with the blanket that Kirilee VanderHeide knit for her. We're sure many of her 'babies' will be kept warm in it(!). Thank you to everyone who remembered her special day with emails, cards and even little packages! Much appreciated!

Jonathan's Big Day

2010-08-30T20:14:00.004+10:00

Last Friday was a big day for Jonathan at school.

At the Junior Assembly in the morning, he was one of the three students from his class who received a "Student of the Fortnight" Award. His was for "Being enthusiastic when learning new maths concepts and strategies"!

Here he is with his lovely teacher, Mrs. Brickland.
Then in the afternoon, at the whole school assembly, he also received a Bronze Award. This Award is given to all the students who have earned 1o Merit Points for good behaviour over the past couple months.
His class hosted that assembly and shared what they've been learning about different family traditions. Here is Jonathan introducing Ian who talked about Thanksgiving in Canada!
So that was last Friday. Today (Monday), school was cancelled because a nearby store had caught on fire early this morning and many, many people took advantage of the situation and looted it along with two other stores. The police needed to be called in to restore order.

We may miss out on 'snow days', but instead we have our very own "looting days".

The Lord Has Heard Our Prayers

2010-08-29T07:25:00.002+10:00

The Lord has led Tim and Francine Sikkema to ACCEPT the call from our supporting churches to work in Lae with us. If all goes according to plan, they will be joining us here sometime later next year! We thank and praise God for this!

We pray now that He will prepare the road ahead of them. It's a long journey which includes further mission studies, applying for visas, classis exam and ordination in Australia, packing up and saying goodbye and not forgetting, of course, the anticipated arrival of their little one in the middle of all that!

May the Lord make everything well.

She's Four!

2010-08-23T16:05:00.007+10:00

Karlyn celebrated her Birthday yesterday!

Thanks Papa and Nana for my new bathers!
Our little lady in her new dress from Grandma and Grandpa. The chic purple purse slung over her shoulder was from Jonathan (he picked it himself!).

Still smiling, even though she actually has the chicken pox right now and most of her friends couldn't celebrate with her! (Thankfully she doesn't have it too bad because she was immunized for it).

The flutterby butterfly cake.

"Happy birthday dear Karlyn, happy birthday to you!"

It took a few big blows and help from her brother to get that one out!

And here's Caleb...happy to be celebrating his sister's big day! No chicken pox on him yet, but we figure it's only a matter of time...

Tim and Francine's Visit

2010-08-21T06:52:00.002+10:00

Francine and Tim on a rainy morning in Lae... Their 10 days here with us went by quickly. And already now they are in Sydney and will soon be flying back over the Pacific. We enjoyed showing them around, introducing them to church members and friends, taking them along to church, outreach evenings and Bible Study, and talking with them about the joys and struggles of life and mission work here. They tried their hand at manoeuvering the potholes and driving on the left, frequented the market for tropical produce and got a taste of PNG food. A highlight of the trip was when Tim had the opportunity to share a message at the home of one of our church member's in the heart of one of the settlements. Ian was there to translate and to a crowd of about 50, Tim preached an encouraging message on Genesis 28 (Jacob's ladder) and God's faithfulness to His promises--that He is with us always and fulfilling His plan even when we don't realize it.

Karlyn and Jonathan will miss having Mrs. Francine and Mr. Tim around! They had some fun afternoon swims together!

Tim and Francine, we will continue to pray for you as you decide on God's will for your lives!

Of course we hope and pray you'll be joining us back here one day....!

Another Woman's Story

2010-08-19T20:29:00.005+10:00

He wants 1 kina (40 cents), but she doesn't have any money to give him. As a result, he flies into a rage, as he often does, and begins throwing things and breaking things around their property. She runs to take refuge in the house and when he tries to follow her to beat her, their 8 year old daughter yells at him to leave mama alone. Thankfully he listens to his little girl, but still her mama hides in the house, upset and afraid.

That was when she called us and told us what was going on.

This isn't the first time that such violence has gone on in this family. She's cried many times in front of us missionaries about the abuse she's endured. Her husband is almost deaf from working for too many years with loud equipment and no ear protection. There's no excuse for his violent behaviour, but he is a very frustrated man because of these hearing problems which have also impeded him from being able to work. And he takes it out on his wife. All the neighbours see and hear what's going on, but they either do not or cannot intervene.

Ian writes a letter for him to read (because of his hearing problems) and we walk over to the settlement where they live. By the time we get there, he has left, leaving behind a wife deeply hurt and a daughter who misses another day of school because of what she witnessed. The letter urges him to stop beating his wife; to repent; to love her unconditionally; and surrender to the One who alone can redeem him from the rage that overtakes him.

We sit down with her to try and bring some words of comfort and encouragement, through the Word and prayer. She is shooken up and upset, but still speaks of the comfort she always receives from the Word and shares that when he is on one of his rampages, and she goes into the house to pray, she feels strengthened and encouraged. I'm so thankful that this woman knows the Lord, for He alone can get her through. She is safe with Him.

In situations like these, we feel pretty inadequate. We offer our support; as does our church; and we may need to involve the authorities if it happens again (although we're not sure how much that will help). But even with all of that, the abuse may still continue. Ultimately the Lord needs to change her husband's heart. That's what we will continue to pray for.

Goodbye, Mom and Dad

2010-08-11T09:33:00.005+10:00

My Mom and Dad left yesterday and, as always, it hurt to say goodbye. But, overarching the sadness is our thankfulness that God enabled them to come and share our life with us for a few weeks.

Here are a few more photos from their last weekend here:

Mom and Alosinda prepare some PNG food. Mom trying a sip of coconut water.

Dad taking his turn at scraping the coconut. The scraper seat was a little tippy, so Andrew's there holding Dad up, just in case! (The coconut was then mixed with water, the 'milk' squeezed out of it, and that was used to boil the sweet potato, yams and greens).

Mom and Dad saying thank you and farewell at church. Mom worked hard at learning enough pidgin to say a few short sentences. Everyone was delighted!

Showered with gifts! It's amazing how generous people are to all of our visitors, considering how little they have themselves.

A friend of ours with a nice camera took some special photos of us together.

We cherish the memories.

And on a happier note, Tim and Francine Sikkema arrived safely in Lae last evening! Please pray for a blessing over their time here and for the Lord to guide their decision-making.

The First Year Has Flown By

2010-08-09T16:03:00.004+10:00

Happy 1st Birthday to Caleb! We praise God for our little man!

We ordered this cake from the local grocery store and brought it to church to celebrate his big day with our church family.

Although we didn't know this when we ordered the cake, it was also Lian's 5th birthday, so we sang to her too! Her mom is holding Caleb. (Birthdays are not usually celebrated here. Many people in PNG do not know how old they are or when their birthday is!)

Ready to try a bite of cake!

"Even better with icing on my face!"

Then in the afternoon, we joined up with a few friends. This is our friend, Corrinne--she and her husband have been in PNG for over 50 years and are working on translating the Bible into a tribal language, which they hope to finish later this year. We got together to celebrate her birthday too--she's 80 years older than Caleb! The cakes worked well together.

Launching Celeste

2010-08-07T20:01:00.005+10:00

Friday marked a momentous occasion as our boat took to the water after 2.5 years of being dry-docked!

She's our little tugboat... a beauty on the water, isn't she?!

These two gentlemen have been working on the boat for the last little while. The one to the rear is a former helicopter pilot. He's our technician...hooking up or fixing up some of the electrical items. The skipper, well he is a mechanic, welder, avid fisherman and a good friend to Ian. And here's the deal: they are fixing up the boat in exchange for some time on the open sea and hopefully reeling in some marlin!

Here's my dad, taking the helm. The reason he is so relaxed is because the boat is travelling only about 6 knots an hour. That's not much for a 135 horsepower engine, but maybe understandable since it's not been used for years. Hopefully that will be sorted out by the crew. They didn't mind a slow but steady journey along the coastline of the beautiful Huon Gulf anyway.

One of the beaches where they threw down the anchor and enjoyed a nice swim. My dad was worried about the sharks...but thankfully nothing nipped his toes.

The kids and I met up with them in the afternoon and took a little tour just outside the yacht club. The wind had picked up by that time and it was a little choppy, so the little tour was enough for me and the kids! But still the ocean breeze felt good.

It was good and refreshing for Ian and the rest to be away from Lae for a few hours and out enjoying God's awesome creation in the vast skies and open sea. Rejuvenating.

How to Make A 5Kina Lion

2010-08-07T07:37:00.006+10:00

It was National Book Week and at Jonathan's school they celebrated by dressing up as book characters. Since Ian's been reading The Chronicles of Narnia to the kids lately, Jonathan had no hesitation about who he wanted to be--Aslan!

With no Wal-Mart's or Michael's Arts and Crafts Stores in sight, we had to get creative in putting the costume together. Thankfully, there are many second-hand clothing stores around. I found a brown knitted shawl, a brown pillow case, and a brown shirt all for about 5kina (about $2 Aus/Can). And thankfully my mom is here right now because I don't know how to sew! She went to work sewing a tail out of the pillow case, unravelling the shawl, and sewing pieces of the yarn onto the shirt and the end of the tail.
One of our craft books inspired us to make this mask out of a cardboard box. We all--Mom, Dad, Ian, Jonathan and I--did our share of cutting, gluing, painting, and attaching some more of that yarn for the mane!

RRROOAARRR!

A Visit to TISOL

2010-08-05T08:23:00.004+10:00

Jonathan's class has just started a unit on "Celebrations and Traditions", where the students are gaining an appreciation for different cultures and the way they celebrate special occasions. My parents were invited to go and share about their Dutch and Canadian cultures and special stories that have been told in their families. The supply of available grandparents to come and visit the class is pretty low here since most of the kids are ex-pats and their grandparents live in their home countries. So this was a special opportunity!

My mom shared some stories about growing up in Holland with the dikes and bikes. She also told a story about my grandparents during WWII (in a way that 5/6 year old's could understand), when my grandmother was taken to a concentration camp because her brothers were involved in hiding Jews. Although Mom didn't share this with the kids, my grandparents were engaged at the time and when my grandfather heard that his young fiance had been taken, one side of his face paralyzed because of the shock. Something that you could notice on him for the rest of his life. Thankfully, the Lord was with my grandmother and after 5 months, she was released. Still, it is a powerful story that will remain in our family and be passed down to the next generations to remember the sacrifices made during the war.
To end her sharing time, my mom gave them a little taste of Holland...some purple and pink 'vruchtenhagel' on toast!

Here they are using a giant atlas to show where Canada and Holland are...far from this side of the world, that's for sure!

Dad read to the kid's an A to Z book on Canada. "If only my colleagues could see me now...", Dad was thinking.
He told them stories about dog-sledding...and tobogganing...and hockey...and Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our family has the tradition at Thanksgiving to each share something we are thankful to God for. Jonathan's teacher liked this so much she asked the kids to share their thanksgivings that day after my parent's session.

It was Caleb's first day at TISOL too.

Karlyn enjoyed the Library Corner!

My parents were really thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with Jonathan and his class during their time here. A reminder again that God's timing is perfect in every way.

The Gospel on Banana Leaves

2010-07-26T15:52:00.008+10:00

Experiencing a House-to-House Fellowship Night...as described by my parents.

It is typical here in Lae to conduct a Wednesday night "House to House" Bible Study. The idea is that on Wednesdays various members of the Lae congregation host members and neighbours at their house, and Ian then presents the Gospel message to this audience. When we heard about this aspect of the ministry work, we of course wanted to be part of it. After all, we are used to Wednesday night Bible Study.

When we arrived at the church, it became apparent tonight's host, Jeffrey, was going to walk us to his home. As it happens, Jeffrey lives in the Kamkumung settlement behind the church. We should tell you about settlements here in Papua New Guinea. Thousands and thousands of people have made homes in the jungle among the trees and vines. Laneways, not roads, have been cut deep and narrow, winding into the jungle, so people can access their dwelling.

It was into one of these settlements, the Kamkumung settlement, that we walked and walked...... and walked. The stone-laden and muddy laneway took us past hundreds of homes, patched together with wood and corrugated steel, and built on stilts (because the torrential rains cause flooding). We were told that at night lighting is almost non-existent as only a few can afford electricity. The smokey smell in the air was constant.....fumes mixed with all manner of food aromas; some pleasant and some not so. We also passed dozens and dozens of stalls where people sold everything from alcohol to zippers. And of course an abundance of fruit and vegetables were also prevalent. We noticed this jungle community also had it's own entertainment as we passed several bars and dance halls along the way. There were of course people everywhere along our route and we found that most were friendly and wished us 'apinun' (good afternoon).

Our eventful walk came to an end when we walked over a bridge made from a single sheet of corrugated steel onto Jeffrey's property. We noticed one chair had been set up on top of a large tarp. Huge banana tree leaves were spread on the ground and these were for us to sit on. Now that too was really different. Darkness soon descended upon us and using a flashlight, Ian passionately spoke on Luke 24, when Jesus opened Scripture to the two men on the road to Emmaus. Our estimate of the group size who had come to listen was about 50, and the hope and prayer is that they will also come to church on Sunday.

We cannot, in this short blog, explain what we experienced that night. It was such a unique happening! We definitely came away thinking this was one of the most unusual and memorable Bible Study meetings we had ever attended. The wonder of it all is that whether it's a Bible Study in the comfort of an air-conditioned home or church, or on banana leaves in the open air of the humid tropics, the rich Gospel message is the same. And in the end that's what really counts!

With Grandpa and Grandma

2010-07-18T20:46:00.011+10:00

On June 30th, my parents left Canada and made their way to Cairns, Australia. After about 24 hours in the air, they finally landed in the land down under!

We, on the other hand, left our home two days later and after only 2 hours in the air, arrived in Cairns before they did! At least we could then welcome them with open arms! After 10 months apart, it was a joyous reunion!

We journeyed to Cairns partly for pleasure and partly for work as Ian was requested to preach and lead communion one Sunday at the Reformed (house) congregation in the Tablelands just outside of Cairns. While we were there we were very blessed to stay at the home of Rodney and Makeesha Byl who happened to be attending a family wedding in Canada at the time! We had a wonderful stay there!

We had all we needed at their home, including shuffleboard! Here's a true Wildeboer--fully focussed with his tongue hanging out!

Grandpa and the kids enjoyed the pool, even though it was a bit chilly this time of year! We had some lovely times of fellowship with the church group there, as well as others who were visiting at the time. Here are a group of us ladies at a bbq at the Lagoon in downtown Cairns.

It was also great to see Wayne and Cheronne VanderHeide and their kids there. My parents took Jonathan and Bryce VdH on a tour of the Great Barrier Reef where they took in awesome views of the coral and other sea life, from the safety of a glass-bottom boat! Here they are playing in the sand at Green Island.

Caleb the Explorer--on the move at Muddy's playground!
We also went to the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas where Karlyn discovered that the Roos were pretty friendly!
My husband was pretty friendly too on this romantic(?) rainforest walk!
As for my Dad, well, he made friends wherever he went!
And then we were on our way home. Welcome to PNG, Grandma and Grandpa! We spent our first night in Port Moresby at the Bible College.
And then it was home sweet home to Lae where the swimming continues (for Dad and the kids, anyway).What a blessing to have them here with us. It is interesting to experience PNG anew through my parent's eyes--as they take in all the sights, smells, climate, people and different way of life. Things that have become commonplace for us have amazed, saddened, and overwhelmed them in the few days that they've been here. We look forward to sharing more days in Lae with them in the coming weeks.

Pictures Speak Louder

2010-06-26T09:50:00.004+10:00

It's a dull and dreary day here in Lae and that seems to suit our somewhat gloomy moods as we said goodbye to our co-workers last night! Andrew and Natalie and the girls left early this morning to begin their journey back to Western Australia for a 6 month furlough. We are happy that they will have a break from life here which can be stressful and draining; the opportunity to share the work with our supporters; and time to be with loved ones. Though it's still hard for those of us 'left behind'--as they would've also experienced when we left for our leave in August 2008.

Our kids spent a LOT of time with them, love them very much and will miss them greatly!

I'll let the pics speak for themselves:

It probably goes without saying, although we don't have pictures to prove it (!), that Ian and I will miss sharing the load with Andrew and Natalie too. Not only because there's always a lot of work to do, but also because it's been a blessing to discuss issues and make decisions together, challenge and sharpen one another, as well as pray together about the work and people we're involved with. But God knows exactly who and what we all need--we entrust ourselves to His care. It's amazing to remember that our ever-present God goes with them, but He also stays here with us. We praise Him for that.

PS-A & N and girls--we love you all! Still hard to believe you're actually gone. The compound just isn't the same without you...we'll email/skype soon:)

Grandpa is Home

2010-06-26T06:26:00.004+10:00

It's been one of those weeks that it's been harder than usual to be away from our family in Canada. On June 19th, at the age of 92, my grandfather Marten VanderVelde passed away. It was hard to be so far away when my Grandma, parents and extended family gathered for the visitation and funeral. I would've especially liked to be there to give my Grandma a hug and grieve with her. But even though I have these longings, God is encouraging us with His perfect timing--that He gave us special times with Grandpa and Grandma when we were in Canada last year. That my mom and dad are still there in Canada during this time before they leave to visit us here next week! And most amazingly, that Grandpa's suffering and pain are over and he is, right now, in the presence of the Lord! That's incredible...and we look forward to joining him there, one day.

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." 2 Corinthians 5:1

The Harvest Remains Plentiful

2010-06-17T21:44:00.003+10:00

We are thankful to the Lord that our sending churches in Western Australia have extended a call to Tim Sikkema, a pastor-to-be and his wife, Francine to join the work we're involved with here in Lae. Please hold them close in prayer during this time of processing the call and seeking the Lord's will.

Humpty Dumpty

2010-06-11T20:21:00.003+10:00

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall...

Humpty Dumpty had a great....

...FALL!

There was no need for the king's horses nor the king's men

just his daddy's arms to be together...again!

Augustina and Agnes

2010-06-05T14:17:00.006+10:00

I can't imagine what it would be like to be woken in the early hours of the morning by the sound of drums and war cries, and knowing this meant you had to jump out of bed, leave your home and run for your life. No time to pack up or get the kids dressed--just run! This was what a woman from our church, Augustina, and many other Sepik people, experienced a few weeks ago in a town called Bulolo, about 100km from Lae. Their hearts must've been pounding in their ears right along with the drums as they fled from the warriors of the Buang tribe who were out to avenge the death of one of their own. Augustina and the rest of the Sepiks eventually took refuge in a PNG Foresty building, while the police intervened to try to settle things between the two tribes.

Bulolo has been home for these Sepik people for four generations. But any homes they had there were burned to the ground by the Buang tribe. Life as they knew it is no more. Their gardens were also ruined. As they fled, they left places of employment and their children left school in the middle of the year. Such upheaval.

We were worried about Augustina and did not know if she was dead or alive. But thankfully the Lord protected her and her son who was with her and brought them back to Lae about a week ago. The police escorted all the women and children here, while the men stayed behind. Possibly some of these families will choose to stay here permanently. Others, about 300 of them, have already been repatriated back to the Sepik province--many beginning the long journey "home" with tears in their eyes.

We are thankful that Augustina is back safe and sound! But we also do continue to pray for the displaced Sepik people and a peaceful resolution to the tribal feud.

And Agnes is doing much better too-another reason for thanksgiving to God! Every time we see her, she seems a bit stronger and more her 'old self'! (That is, passionate, outspoken, even a bit fiery at times!) Praise God for healing!

Praying for Agnes

2010-05-27T16:45:00.004+10:00

This is a picture of Agnes and 3 of her 4 daughters, taken a couple years ago.

Agnes has not been feeling well for probably at least the last month, maybe longer. As most of the people here do, she put off going to the doctor. Paying the medical fees is always an issue and so they postpone it as long as they can. But they also seem to put it off because they believe that the cause of their sickness is problems or sins in their life. In this case, I think many people think that Agnes is sick because her teenage son has been causing problems lately (living the party life) and to some extent Agnes herself even believes this to be the root of her sickness, or at least a part of it. (And of course to a certain extent stress does cause physical problems.) But for many it seems as if they think that somehow they've upset the spirit world through the problems and therefore the sickness has been brought upon them. This causes a lot of fear and also means that most people try to deal with that problem first before seeking medical attention. When Agnes did go to the doctor, she was told that she had severe malaria for which she was given quinine. Anyone familiar with this medication will know that it has horrendous side effects. Agnes endured these and finished the course of medication, but still was not feeling much better. We decided on Sunday that since her condition was not improving that it would be best to take her to the private hospital, where we had the best chance (but still no guarantee) of getting a clear diagnosis of what she was dealing with. This wasn't a decision we made easily as missionaries because the number of sick people who need proper medical attention are endless. The needs are overwhelming sometimes. Especially when we are faced with the pathetic health care system in this country. People are often misdiagnosed and mistreated. People die from illnesses that could've been prevented and should've been treated. We know this is happening and yet we cannot start taking every sick person we know to the private hospital (can't afford it!). Yet, we take every situation as it comes and in this case, Agnes needed to be further assessed. So on Monday morning Natalie went with her and her husband Andrew to the private hospital. The tests there revealed that she has typhoid fever and she was given the needed medication for this. Still, she had a terrible night last night--her husband actually thought at one point that she had died, and as he told Ian and Andrew, he pinched her big toe to prevent her spirit from leaving her body (another of their beliefs). In desperation, I think, he finally threw ice cold water on her and that revived her, but still she had a tough night and was having a tough morning when Natalie and the other women from the literacy class went to see her. But then she was a bit better again when Ian and Andrew were there this afternoon. Seems to be up and down.

Thankfully our God is the Great Physician! We're praying that He will heal and strengthen and encourage her. She needs to get her strength back and rehydrate her body while she keeps taking the medication for the typhoid. Please join us in praying for Agnes and her family!

Good Times with Papa and Nana

2010-05-24T20:57:00.005+10:00

Yes, they left today, but we still wanted to share some photos of our holiday in Ukarumpa and Madang.
Mom posing in front of the guesthouse at the SIL/Wycliffe base called Ukarumpa (which is the name of a village close by). Ukarumpa is wonderful Christian community--home to Bible translators and other support workers from all over the world. It's basically its own little community with schools, medical clinic, grocery store, post office, church, auto shop, printing press, etc.! It is a beautiful spot too, up in the Highlands of PNG about 5000 ft above sea-level. Vast skies and rolling hills surround the Centre. It's a very family-friendly place too and often there are activities for the kids. This time there were horse rides on Saturday morning.
Here's a serious jockey if I ever saw one!After a weekend in Ukarumpa, we drove out to the nearby airstrip and boarded this Cessna 206 to fly to a town on the coast called Madang. We were quite excited to take in some of PNG's beauty from the sky. The airstrip is used by both Wycliffe and MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) to fly missionaries/workers and PNGuineans in and out of remote villages not accessible by car.

Dad, the co-pilot!

At our destination--beautiful Jais Aben Resort. We enjoyed the beach!

Caleb got a little tuckered out and had a snooze on Nana. You can tell she's done this before!

And again...this time in the more traditional way--in a string bag.

Let's go canoeing!

Jonathan learned to snorkel. His favourite sighting was a sea horse!
Dad and Mom, fitting right in with their tropical surroundings, on their 43rd wedding anniversary!

Our God is an Awesome God!

Our friend Gavin is a helicopter pilot for Wycliffe. In addition to flying Bible translators to and from villages, Gavin and his fellow pilots also help out the medical clinics in remote places to transport patients in emergency situations to hospitals in towns like Lae and Madang. While we were there, Gavin flew a woman to Madang who was having some complications after giving birth. And then he arranged for Ian to fly back with him to Ukarumpa in the helicopter! Ian was just a little excited about this! As was Gavin, as you can see:)

Ian said it was like floating in a bubble in the sky! They saw some amazing views of God's creation that day as did we from the plane. Ian's parents were especially thankful to take in so much of this beautiful country! Praise be to God for His handiwork displayed all around us.

And so those were our good times with Papa and Nana! We pray for safe travels for them as they travel home to Canada.

Today and Yesterday

2010-05-24T20:21:00.003+10:00

We said goodbye to Dad and Mom today...always a difficult thing to do. How quickly we grew to love having them around and now the void is felt. It left us feeling a bit blah today--and even the skies were grey and overcast--rather appropriate, we thought! Karlyn cried over and over again on the way home from the airport, "I don't want Papa and Nana to go..."! It is hard to say goodbye, especially since it may be a year or two before we see them again. But the Lord gave us so many special experiences with them as we shared our life and ministry. Those experiences we'll remember and hold onto!

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday), we walked down to Biwat Settlement where Dad had helped put in the water tank. The men had finished the job off nicely while we were away. The pipes are all hooked up, coming from the roof of the house down to the top of the tank. They also put up sheet metal as a bit of a protective barrier around the tank--they previously had a tank in the community and it was wrecked by drunken young men and their bush knives. Hopefully, this metal fence will prevent that from happening again. Here are Dad and Mom and some of the thankful people.
Many of the people were not around as they had crossed the river to attend a community meeting on the other side. Most of the people living in Biwat are from the Sepik province, and in another town about 2 hours from Lae, their fellow Sepik relatives are in the middle of tribal warfare with the Buang tribe. The Sepik people there have been forced into hiding, fearing for their lives, many of them taking refuge at a forestry company. The Buang tribe is trying to avenge the killing of one of their young men. It is chaotic; it is frightening and terrorizing for the Sepik people in that area, but also for the ones here in Lae. The meeting was held for them to discuss how they can help and they plan to send some donated clothes for the displaced people. There are also rumours that our governor is going to force all Sepik people to leave the settlements of Lae and return to their own province. Not sure if this will really happen, but if it does, of course this would cause more chaos, protests, and bloodshed. Please pray with us for peace and a resolution to all of this fighting and uncertainty in the lives of the Sepik people.

At least the children seemed oblivious to the stressful times, as they splashed and played in the river! It didn't take long for Jonathan to get in there with them!

These two girls had dug a small hole in the dirt and were trying to flick their marbles into it.

I fell in love with this little one. Her name is Charlotte. Isn't she adorable?

Adventures with Dad and Mom W Part 2

2010-05-14T09:11:00.004+10:00

Just quickly posting a few photos right before we leave for Ukarumpa, the Wycliffe Bible Translators base for PNG. The car is packed and everyone is ready, so I better make this quick.

Caleb and all his mamas after Bible Study last week.
Swimming at the guesthouse where Papa and Nana are staying. Thanks for sending these goggles, Aunt Melissa and Uncle Dave!

PAPA STILL AT WORK: Dad building a wooden cross for the church.

Singing a nice new song that Natalie wrote in pidgin on Psalm 1. Notice the cross in the background!

PAPA STILL WORKING: Dad has been helping the people in Biwat Settlement install a water tank. The tank was purchased through a donation from some members of the Free Reformed Churches in Australia. All the kids in the settlement were involved with finding stones to fill the bottom!

The concrete based--mixed by hand.

After waiting 'only' 5.5 hours for it, the tank finally arrives. A bit of a tight squeeze! Dad visited with the people, drank lots of kulau (coconut juice), and ate peanuts while they waited.

The truck couldn't go all the way into the settlement, so 20 men carried it to its spot from here. But just when Dad tried to capture that moment on camera, his battery died!

And now we're taking Dad on a holiday so he can't do any more work!
We'll be back next week!

Decision Made

2010-05-10T08:05:00.002+10:00

The Lord directed Rev. Hendrik and Kristen Alkema to decline the call to Lae. Of course this is very disappointing for us, but it wasn't an easy decision for them either. God knows best and we have to trust in His will and plan for the work here in Lae. We also thank and praise Him that the Alkema's will continue to serve Him in Houston.

Papa and Nana in Lae: Week 1

2010-05-08T20:15:00.005+10:00

A wave from Papa as they disembark the plane upon arriving in Lae! Thank you Lord for keeping them safe on all their travels. Our kids are basking in all the attention from their Papa and Nana! (Usually they have to share them with their cousins...all 25 of them!) It is nice to have them all to ourselves for a few weeks...no offence, cousins, we still love you!
GIRL STUFF: Karlyn gets her nails painted by Nana.

PAPA AT WORK. We've already been blessed by Dad's experience with woodworking. Even with old tools, his patience being tested at the hardware stores (1 hr to get two pieces of wood!), and the humidity, Dad has had a very productive week, as per usual! Here he is working on a storage cabinet for us.

Mom and I went to the public hospital the other day to visit a friend (she used to help me in the house) who had a baby. When we got there, there were two babies on her bed! The little girl on the left is the baby of another woman. The mother had her by caesarean and was in extreme pain so our friend Jakina was helping to look after her little daughter--even changing dirty diapers and propping her up to be fed as the mother lay on her back in pain. It was difficult to witness this woman's pain especially since there were no nurses or doctors in sight. Mom, being trained as a nurse herself, would've jumped right in to help the woman, if she could've. We felt helpless and frustrated to see the lack of care in this hospital. Thankfully, our friend Jakina was doing very well and it was beautiful to see her helping this other woman--so often people here are trying so hard to make it themselves they don't care for others like this. Jakina's new little son is her fourth child and weighed a healthy 3.7 kg.

Jakina and I marvelling at her son--so fearfully and wonderfully made.

Mom has a cuddle with the other baby.

And then today Mom was working on sewing some curtains for the library at our church with some of the women. It too was an exercise in patience as it took forever to get both manual machines sewing well! But they persevered and got a good start on the curtains. Hopefully the job will be finished off next week.

This is Rebeka, who proved to be an experienced seamstress. I did not even know that she knew how to sew. She shared with me today that she used to sew clothes often until her husband wrecked her machine when he was drunk one time. Not a surprising story. It must've happened some time ago though, because her husband passed away a few years back already.

Some of the kids came along for the sewing day too! Here is Louisa and Ruth--as you can see Louisa has some terrible sores on her. Please pray that she will be healed from these sores soon.

PAPA AT WORK YET....Here is the 'white board' stand that Dad made. It will be well-used at the church for the various classes that are held.

Mom and Dad with Mom's tropical bouquet for Mother's Day.

Wishing all of you mother's a Happy Mother's Day!

May God continue to give you all what you need to be loving and godly Mom's to your children!

Just One More Sleep

2010-04-29T19:54:00.002+10:00

We are excited to share that Papa and Nana Wildeboer will arrive in Lae tomorrow, the Lord willing! They're in Port Moresby right now...so close, and yet still a flight away. We can't wait to see them again!

Farewell, friends!

2010-04-24T08:47:00.002+10:00

The Alkemas have come and gone! We enjoyed their visit very much. As friends, it was amazing to hang out and enjoy many laughs together. As potential future co-workers, it was a blessing to, along with Andrew and Natalie, share our ministry with them. The end of their first day in Papua New Guinea--God's splendour displayed as the sun sets.

They sat in on a lecture Ian gave at the Bible College.

Hendrik and Ian at a look-out near the Bible College. They stood at the precipice of a cliff with a glorious waterfall and river in the valley.

Introducing themselves after church here in Lae. Even with the language barrier, they had us all laughing!

Making friends...

Some of the women from church prepare some traditional PNG kaikai (food) for us to enjoy.

The ladies!

It's always hard to say goodbye, but of course, that was inevitable! If their travels went as planned, they are hopefully already in Vancouver, after enduring many hours in the air! We know they will be especially excited to reunite with Avery and George soon!

We continue to commend them to the Lord as they seek out His will for their lives.

Celebrations!

2010-04-15T20:21:00.006+10:00

God gives us many reasons to celebrate!

Especially at Easter time when we celebrate Jesus Christ! We contemplated His death on the cross and celebrated His victory (and ours, in Him!) when He rose again! Just as He said He would.

Some of you may also remember that our church started an outreach program at the beginning of February and this program was to culminate at Easter, where we were to invite the people who we've been praying for and reaching out to, to come to our service. And certainly we did see some new faces and some old ones come back! We pray that they will become familiar faces at our church every week! The official outreach program is done, but not the outreach, of course! The program was meant to remind and reinforce our calling to be lights in this world. A reminder we need daily, I think! Ian and I were both convicted about the times that we have not made the most of every opportunity to share the Lord with our friends and acquaintances and sometimes we have even been ashamed to do so. God reminded us of this text, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). A good one to put to memory!

Here are a few photos from our Good Friday celebration:

Look at that cute grin!

Baby Louisa--loved and held by everyone.
Several different groups performed songs. These are some young women from Biwat.
A man from our church made a couple hundred donuts to help us celebrate! And it's not like he has a stove--he cooked them over an open fire!

This little guy enjoyed them so much, he was speechless!

And on a much lighter note, we are also celebrating Celeste! Or rather, our friend Andrew (in the glasses) who continues to help us with her. He has taken it upon himself to get her in the water and he has the know-how and connections to do it!

This is Jerry, Andrew's co-worker, who's a welder as you can see. The trailer is almost all fixed. We cannot wait to thank these men for their help by taking them out on the water to catch some fish! If all goes as planned, that may be in just a couple weeks...
And another big celebration happened this week when Jonathan turned 6!! We praise God for him! He is growing up so fast...
THE best birthday present--his new scooter. He got the hang of it just like that.

School started again this week too--this is him on his first day back with his new uniform shirt.
And the last reason to celebrate is the fact that Hendrik and Kristen Alkema arrived in Papua New Guinea today! They are in Port Moresby as I write this, spending some time with our colleagues at the Bible College. Ian is there too as he had some meetings and they will fly back to Lae together late tomorrow afternoon. I feel as if tomorrow will be the longest day as I wait for them to arrive! I am praying that the flights will not be delayed...but all of that is in the Lord's perfect will too.

Celeste Comes Home...to Nest or Just for a Rest?

2010-03-31T21:45:00.003+10:00

It was about two years ago that we first introduced you to her...to our little 'tugboat', that is. We had high hopes then of one day sailing the ocean blue in her, seeing as we live right on the edge of the beautiful Huon Gulf and all. But alas, those dreams have not yet become reality! She (the boat's name is Celeste, by the way) spent about a year and a half at our friend's property, where we did some work on her, but just couldn't get the engine going and then she just rested there while we spent a year in Canada. So when we returned last October, a friend of ours who works at a mechanic shop in town suggested we bring her in there. He did this as a favour to us, and they worked on her in their spare time, that is, until the boss said that this 'charity case' of a boat was taking up space and had to go!! We promptly ordered two small parts from Australia and they got the engine going! And so it was that last Saturday our friend called and asked if Ian would follow him to our place while he pulled the boat here. The reason being was that although the boat is now running, the trailer for it, well, it was a little more uncertain, shall we say. And boy did it need some reinforcing to get it here. Imagine a trailer that was close to falling apart, pulling a boat on roads full of potholes, BIG ones! Well, after being stranded on the road 3 times, and 3 hours later, Celeste finally came home to be with us!

The Reinforcements!

Jonathan helps to give her a wash.

We're not sure yet what our next step will be. Somehow we will have to fix the trailer before we can test the waters with Celeste. But that will take time, and money, of course. We were originally sharing the boat with some missionary friends, but the Lord has directed them to work in the Highlands of PNG instead, and so we are now the sole owners. This is ok, but it makes us question whether it is all worth it. Maybe we just need to get out on that water, just once, catch some fish and taste the sea salty air and we will be convinced! I don't know. For now, Celeste will rest in front of our house while we contemplate our next move.

And a few other pics.

Karlyn, posing...for some reason she does the head-tilt thing whenever I take a photo of her these days. Where did she learn that??

Jonathan has just completed his first term at school...and he loved it! Here he is with a few of his classmates on 'Sports Day'.

All of our kids have been sick lately and Caleb is still on the mend. He fell asleep in his high chair during dinner yesterday. Very uncharacteristic of him...showed how tired his little body is from not being well. Still so cute, though, eh?!

Change the Tide of Violence

2010-03-18T20:22:00.002+10:00

It took 4 attempts, but the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier finally published one of Ian's letters to the editor today. (He says the other ones didn't get in because they were too impassioned! Now that's hard to believe coming from Ian, eh?!)

They did cut some parts out, but the gist is there. Here it is as it appeared in the paper:

"I read with sadness and anger yesterday in the Post-Courier about the man who has been jailed for murder in Wabag after kicking his pregnant wife, bursting her spleen and causing her death.
What tragedy and I am glad justice prevailed. We know this type of abuse happens almost ever night for hundreds of women in PNG, although not every act ends in death. Just last week, I witnessed a man trying to throw a rock the size of a brick at his wife and if that hit her spleen, what then? My question to these men is: will you repent and show true remorse for your actions? And more than that, will this remorse turn into a positive action? I often wonder, will such men after realizing the pain and loss ever change?
I pray they will because men must stop violence against women. Men have to raise their voices in solidarity and denounce such acts."

So there you have it. Woman abuse in this country is rampant and often goes unpunished, but thankfully not always. Slowly, ever so slowly, the message is getting through that the abuse has to stop.

But what will make these men change? Stricter laws may help, but God alone can change their hearts and we pray He will!

Call Sent Out

2010-03-09T07:53:00.003+10:00

As many of you have already heard, our calling church, Armadale, along with the supporting churches in WA have called Rev. Hendrik Alkema and his wife, Kristen and family to join the church planting work that we (and the VanderHeides) are involved with here. Some of you also know that Hendrik and Kristen are our good friends; and it goes without saying that we would, of course, love to have them join the team here, IF that's the Lord's will. So we commend their decision to Him knowing that "A man's steps are directed by the LORD (Prov 20:24)."

Please pray for the Alkemas as they go through this major and difficult decision-making process over the next 6 weeks.

A Sight for Sore Eyes

2010-03-08T20:27:00.003+10:00

A couple weeks ago a nasty strain of conjuncitivis was going around Lae. Almost every family in our church was affected by it, as well as many from the kid's schools. Jonathan was the first in our family to get it, but he managed to recover in just a couple days. Ian and Karlyn, however, both got hit pretty hard. Especially the first couple days, their eyes were swollen, weeping, and at the worst of it, the whites of their eyes were completely red. Although the worst is definitely over now, both of them still have some red spots on their eyes that are slowly going away. It is extremely contagious, but thankfully Caleb and I didn't get it. Probably thanks to the constant handwashing and sterilizing that went on around here! Poor Shiana VanderHeide who happened to be staying with us that week also got it and missed a day of school (although I don't think she minded that too, too much and Karlyn enjoyed the company:)).
Here are the two patients. Pretty pitiful, eh?!

It is dry and very hot these days. We have gone some three weeks without any rain and that really heats things up around here. But then finally God sends rain again and we enjoy a cloudy day or two and some cooler temperatures. I say 'cooler' because it's less humid, but really it's still 30 C!

Our first day of rain after a dry spell, and our crazy kids put their goggles on for a bike ride in the rain!

...This is Jonathan's new bike that we shipped over from Canada.

(I'm not sure if you're following this blog, but just in case, thanks again, Mr. Brian, from Magnolia Drive!).

And of course Karlyn is happy with her 'hand-me-down' from her brother!

When it doesn't rain we complain about feeling the heat more, but at least we still have plenty of water to drink (and it's purified at that!), to wash our dishes and clothes, and have a cool shower after a long hot day. And even our kids will spray each other down with the hose sometimes--actually I feel guilty that we can even do that. Readily available water really is a luxury. Most of our national friends living in the settlements collect rain water to supply their drinking, cooking and washing water. So you can imagine that when it doesn't rain for a few weeks, they find themselves short, which is why rain tanks such as these pictured below are so valuable and necessary. This is a new tank that is being installed on our church property and will serve to supply water to our church community and the broader community. We were able to purchase it through donations that came from the churches in Western Australia. This is our church group, saying, thank you, everyone!

Speaking of water, here is our Caleb, presiding over us, as he sits in the new baptismal font for our church, which happened to be at our house for a few days before we brought it to the church!

Many of the people from the Sepik province here in PNG are gifted in the area of wood carving. And when a few large trees were being cut down right outside the gate of our compound, Ian noticed a group of these carvers gathering there. So he went, with a drawing in hand, and asked a couple of them to carve the font. Although he gave them some artistic freedom too!

Sorry I got the order of the photos wrong, but here it is in the earlier stages.

We hope many will be sprinkled with water from this font as they are baptized into the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Or, seeing as our 6 month old fits in it no problem, maybe newborns could be fully immersed:)!

Getting into Routine

2010-02-04T12:47:00.002+10:00

Much has happened since I last blogged. Not the least of which was a trip to Australia and back--actually to Cairns, which is an hour and a half flight from Port Moresby. It is a beautiful place and when we go there we stay at Tree Tops, which is a missionary guesthouse. This time around we enjoyed the company of Andrew and Natalie and their girls, as well as Nat's parents, the Byl's, the Terpstra's and the rest of the group from the home church in Mareeba, which is up into the Tablelands outside of Cairns.

We often notice when we get off the plane in Australia, that we feel an immediate sense of relief at no longer carrying the cultural stresses that we experience in PNG. Things like safety issues and always being stared at--the stresses we don't even realize we're feeling until we leave here. It was good to have a break from these and blend into the crowds (until we opened our mouths, that is, then everyone thinks we're Americans. Close...) It was a relaxing holiday for us all--lots of swimming and reading, although it also involved some work for Ian as he preached in the Mareeba church.

Since the last time we were in Cairns, Jonathan has been looking forward to a go-kart ride and saving his 'kina' for this. He loved it!
The church group very thoughtfully organized a bbq at the 'lagoon' for Ian and Andrew's birthdays.

Even Caleb enjoyed cooling off in the pool!

Although it is always good to get away, it is even better to come home again! We are settling back into regular routine as summer holidays are over.

Caleb has entered a new phase in his little life--the world of solid food! So far, he loves pureed pears, apples and sweet potato, carrot and corn!

The new school year has also started. Thanks to all who have been praying for Jonathan. He has done well his first week, even though there were a couple tearful goodbyes. His teacher told us yesterday that we should be proud of him for his good manners and obedience in the classroom. We praise God for that! Karlyn also started going to a preschool program just a couple mornings a week. She came home full of stories--we learned more from her first time there than we did in the whole year that Jonathan went to that program!! (Is that generally the case with girls?!)

Brother and sister, all ready for school!

Regarding church life,the regular programs such as Bible Study, literacy program, fellowship nights, membership class, and Sunday school are also starting up again. We do pray for the Lord's blessing over all of these.

This month our church also began a special 'outreach program' to encourage us all in the calling we've received to be witnesses to those around us. The program is fairly straightforward. Everyone was encouraged to think of people in their life who are not redeemed and for the month of February, pray for them everyday. For the month of March, we are to continue praying for them, but also be there to help them and share the love of Christ with them in tangible ways and also take any opportunity to share the truths of Scripture. And then we are to invite them to join us at our church for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This is the first time we have tried a program such as this and again, we are so dependent on the Lord's blessing and guidance!

5 months old today!

2010-01-08T19:57:00.006+10:00

Caleb-bo-baleb, as he is affectionately called by his siblings, is 5 months old today! We praise God for blessing our lives through him!

5 months old, but still much catching up to do before he's as big as his 5-year-old brother!
Caleb and his little friend Tiana. She is 2 days older than him.

He now loves to play in his exersaucer.

And jump in the jolly jumper!

He gets a lot of attention and is held by one and all (mostly because he's white, but also because he's so cute, we think!!)

King Caleb, on his throne, staying cool!

Prayer for 2010

2010-01-04T20:18:00.006+10:00

Happy New Year, everyone! We wish you the Lord's blessings for 2010!

At the start of another year of blogging, we thank all of you who faithfully check this blog. It's encouraging to know people care and we do appreciate the comments...(but no pressure to those who prefer not to comment!).

As our thoughts turn to this new year and the people we will continue to work with here in Lae, we thought we would share some prayer requests with you.

Settlement Life
Our hearts are burdened for the families living in the settlements where we work. Life there is not easy and it seems that the men, in particular, often fall prey to alcohol and/or marijuana and usually end up beating their wives while under the influence. Since there is no such thing as privacy in the settlements, we are told matter-of-factly the truth about the abuse and violence that goes on. The stories go like this: a woman is not in church one Sunday and we're told it's because her husband beat her the night before. A young woman comes to church with her arm in a sling and again it is the result of abuse from her husband. And just yesterday, we were saddened to hear that a young woman from our church is now 'married' to a man who was drunk and angry the other night and cut another woman's foot with a machete (almost all of the young men seem to carry one on them). It looks like this woman's foot will now have to be amputated. And the young woman from our church is in danger of retaliation from this injured woman's family. We are sad for both of these young women and pray for them. Our prayer is also that in this coming year, the Lord will turn these men from alcohol and drugs and bring them into relationship with Him!

Please thank God with us for the faithful men in our church. Men who love and respect their wives and children. We pray that they will stay strong in the Lord and continue to be godly leaders in their families and in the church.

Please also pray for the women--wives, mothers, daughters--who endure abuse and disrespect. Please pray that by the power of the Gospel, this abuse will stop. We pray that these women will grasp how deep the Father's love for them is and that they will be strengthened and encouraged by the Word.

Please pray for PNG youth, the young men and women who often lack godly role models in their lives and are easily enticed by a life of crime, alcoholism, etc.

Please also pray for the little children. These children are vulnerable in every way--emotionally as they often witness abuse or experience it themselves, but also physically as we see many who are sick, have infected sores, or are mal-nourished. May the Good Shepherd hold these little lambs in His arms and protect them.

Our family
We look back on 2009 and of course we are incredibly thankful that the Lord guided us back here to PNG. We're thankful for the improvements to Ian's health that enabled us to return. And yet our prayer is still for complete healing for him, if that's the Lord's will. Ian is able to do his work, and even do it with much joy and passion, but if he pushes himself too hard, he is quickly reminded that his body is still weak.

Jonathan
At the end of the month, our firstborn will begin full-time schooling at The International School of Lae. This is a big step for him (and for us too?!), and knowing our son and his previous school experiences, it may not be an easy transition for him. We pray that the Lord will fill him with confidence and courage, and that he will enjoy this learning experience!

Thank you for your prayers! May the Lord's Name be praised as we lift up these prayers and petitions, with thanksgiving, to His throne.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7

We would also like to know how we can be specifically praying for you. Just send us an email!

With love from Lae

2009-12-22T20:06:00.003+10:00

We wish you a blessed Christmas!
May our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace bring you much joy this Christmas!
He is the reason for the season!

Love,
Ian and Nadia
Jonathan, Karlyn and Caleb

Port Moresby

2009-12-08T20:07:00.006+10:00

Much to the delight of these two, our weekend in Moresby was a rainy one!

Here are the 3 students who graduated with a Certifcate in Reformed Studies from the Reformed Churches Bible College when we were in Port Moresby at the end of November. This certificate program is a 2 year course and offers such subjects as 'Through the Word'--a survey of the OT and NT, Children's Ministries, Worship, Doctrines and Creeds, Scripture Memorization, etc. It is open to anyone in the churches who would like to be better equipped to serve their local church, whether that be simply as a member, or an elder, or a Sunday school teacher, etc. The Bible College also offers a Diploma Program for those men who feel called to become pastors. There are two men currently in the program, and at least one or two who will enter the program in the next couple years.

Following the graduation weekend, while I was in Brisbane with Karlyn and Caleb, Ian and Jonathan, Wayne and kids, as well as the Versteeg's went to a nearby beach for an afternoon. Here they are eating rolled up pancakes, lovingly made by Auntie Rita.

On the Sunday, Wayne his daughter Sjaan, Ian and Jonathan went to a not so nearby village over some hills and through some mud, where Wayne preached (one of Ian's sermons, so maybe Ian could hear what his sermons 'really' sound like:)). Here is Jonathan and Sjaan and some of the children there. The last time we were in Beregoro was exactly 5 years ago, when we were visiting PNG for the first time. Jonathan was just 19 months old and we have a photo of him with the people very similar to this one. I should've found it and put it up too, but hey, then this blog wouldn't have gotten posted for another week or two probably!

Caleb and Madlyn, one of the students at the Bible College.

Karlyn and Caleb

2009-11-19T19:43:00.006+10:00

"I love him so much", says Karlyn.

Finally caught that smile on camera! We are soon on our way again, this time heading to Port Moresby for a Board meeting of the Reformed Churches Bible College as well as the graduation. We are on the early flight to Moresby, meaning we will be picked up by the airport bus at 4:40am! Ouch! We're hoping it'll be a fair trade though--a few hours of sleep in exchange for actually getting on our flight on time. Almost every time we have flown Lae-Moresby flights, there has been some delay and we've waited at the airport for hours and hours. At some airports this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but at Lae Nadzab airport...well let's just say it's not the cleanest (ie. you don't really want to use the toilets); food choices are slim and there's not much of anything to amuse children for hours on end. The last few days we've heard all of the flights have been overbooked and there are people camping out at the airport waiting to get on a flight. More people than usual are heading to Moresby this week because the PNG Games start tomorrow. It is our prayer that things will go smoothly for us, and if we are delayed, that the Lord will give us all the patience we need to get through it.

Following our weekend in Moresby, I (Nadia) along with Karlyn and Caleb, will be flying on to Brisbane, Australia in order to obtain visas from the PNG Consulate for them. We'll be there for 4 nights and thankfully Cheronne VanderHeide and their baby Joseph will be joining us too, for the same reason. Ian and Jonathan will have some good father-son time together as they stay in Moresby a few extra days and then come back to Lae.