June Newsletter

My June newsletter is up and available! You can click here to read it or head over to the Newsletters tab if you want to catch up on any letters you've missed. 

December Newsletter and Exciting News!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I've been enjoying getting into the Christmas spirit for the last few weeks (yes, I am "one of those people" who put up their Christmas decorations weeks before Thanksgiving!). I love Christmas, and I especially love having a green Christmas--heresy, I know, coming from someone who spent the first 26 or so years of her life in northern Wisconsin--but I just don't love the cold and wet and all the shoveling!

Anyways, my December newsletter is ready for your reading enjoyment, including some very exciting news! You can click here to read it, or head over to the Newsletters tab and click the link for December 2018.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! 

I'm Not in Kansas (or Wisconsin) Anymore!

Any place that you visit (or move to) will have little quirks—things that are different than you’re used to. Ukarumpa is no exception to this; there are several things that, when I first arrived, took a while to get used to. After three years of living in Ukarumpa, being in the US for several months and not using or needing these things was even more odd!

February Newsletter

Scraping coconut in the village

February is here, which means that my time in the States is getting short! Click here to read my latest newsletter for a short update on my mission trip to Mexico last month (or you can check the last post on my blog for more pictures and details), as well as an update on my finances and plans to return to Papua New Guinea! 

Mexican Blessings

 I was blessed to be able to go back to Mexico at the beginning of January. It's been four years since I last went down to Monterrey, so I was really excited to jump in the van (okay, maybe not that excited about the van ride, but you know what I mean!) and head south. We left on 5 January, which I think was about the coldest day of the year! Several people on the team had a lot to deal with just before we left, with things like the starter on one of the vans going out, a broken furnace, frozen pipes, and a backed up sewer. We were so thankful for your prayers!

Top 10 Things to Do In (and Around) Ukarumpa

In no particular order…

1. Hamburger Night—head on down to the Teen Centre on certain Friday nights during the school term for a tasty egg burger and chips (fries) or a taco salad and milkshake!

The yellow team pulling on last year's Primary School
Sports Day

2. Any and all school functions—band/choir concerts, plays, sports tournaments, Sports Day, Carnival…some of these events even have food/snacks for sale! What a deal! J

Welcome to the Zoo!

In Ukarumpa, it’s very common for people to move around—a lot. Many language workers are in and out of the village, and the rest of us—the support workers who live and work in Ukarumpa—well, we move around a lot, too. Many people own their own homes, but there are many who rent, as well. As people go on furlough, they need someone to house-sit for them. This is where people like me come in—I don’t own a house, so I can house-sit!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Any community has a certain set of noises or sounds that are “normal” and expected. At some point after you've lived in one place for a number of months or years, you may not really hear or notice those sounds anymore. Maybe it’s the sound of birds chirping outside the kitchen window, traffic going passed the window in your office, or even the sounds that your house makes. Ukarumpa is no different; there are several sounds that, to me, emphasize where I am and why I’m here.

Where I Belong

Home…this word evokes a lot of emotion in us. We see a picture in our minds of a certain building, a place, or maybe a group of people. Where is home for you? Is it where you grew up? Or maybe it’s where you’re living now. Do you feel more “at home” when you’re with a certain group of people, even if you’re away from the actual building you call home?