Furlough Firsts

Being back in the US after three years in Papua New Guinea was a little shocking at first—not having to think about things like “Where did this water come from?”, “Don’t forget the clutch!”, or “Should I hang the clothes out, or put them under the house?” So here are a few things that I'm really enjoying about being in the US (in no particular order):

·         Fresh, squeaky cheese curds!

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

You Might Be a Missionary If...

-the party breaks up at 9:30 and everyone is yawning and half-asleep because it’s past “missionary midnight” (aka 9 pm).

-you find yourself searching for recipes that you can use pukpuk (crocodile) in.

-you get excited when you find a new recipe for pukpuk.

-you pick bugs out of the rice, flour, and various other dry ingredients without batting an eye.

-you aren’t really bothered by the thought that you very likely missed quite a few bugs in said dry ingredients.

Like a Rubbermaid

I love all my kids, but the ones in Grade 6 are really something! There are only three—one is very quiet and doesn’t really say anything unless she needs help with something, but the other two make up for her and about ten other kids! Most of these quotes are conversations between the other two kids, a boy and a girl, who are masters at squabbling; shortly after the majority of these statements, arguments broke out…especially about Thor…ain’t nobody gonna mess with my superhero! J

-“Miss Nutt, I forgot how to spell my last name!”

Ukarumpa from A to Z

Airplanes: the main mode of transportation for many people going to and from the village, and also from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Bible translation: the reason all of us ex-pats live in PNG—to support the work of Bible translation and end Bible poverty

The kids' backpacks and shoes outside a classroom

Children: need I say more?! J

You Know You're a Missionary Teacher When...

·         You thought you knew the alphabet, then your kids informed you differently—H is not H, it’s pronounced hay-ch, and Z is zed

·         The power goes on and off randomly throughout the day; you (and your students) hardly even notice anymore

·         Telling a child that they have to wear shoes at recess induces ridiculous amounts of whining and complaining

What Did You Say?!

For your reading enjoyment: the second installment of Kids Say the Darndest Things.

1.       My first graders during Sunday School:

Kid 1: “Why are all the teachers girls?”

Kid 2: “Because girls like little kids more than boys do!”

Kids Say the Darndest Things

I’m always amazed at the things kids say—the things that pop out of their mouths when they aren’t even trying to be funny. Since I’m at school all day, and therefore around kids all day, I decided to compile a list of things that some of the kids say.

1. One of my second graders started a sentence by saying, “When I was a kid…” (Um, when was that, last week?!)
2. Two older boys walked passed my room, one was talking and the other, presumably, had been listening until he said, “I’m tuned out…” (I almost fell off my chair from laughing so hard when I heard this one—the non-listener was totally deadpan when he said that!)
   

You Know...

      I was thinking the other day about my "new normal," when I realized that, as of this Friday, I've been in Papua New Guinea for eight months. So, in honor of my eight month anniversary of arriving in PNG, here is a list of things that I never thought I would consider normal.

          You Know You've Lived in PNG for Eight Months When...

1. You get up early to hang your laundry on the line…even though it’s cloudy and will rain later in the day.
2. You wear gum boots outside to hang your laundry on the line so you don’t sink up to your ankles in mud.

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.

Things that Make Me Smile :)

This week has been one full of changes (school starting!) and difficulties (someone attempted to break into my apartment early Monday morning—I’m all right, just a little jumpy and not sleeping very well at the moment). A few months ago when I was struggling to adjust, a friend back home challenged me to make a list of every blessing and provision from the Lord and dwell on those things, rather than the struggles. Anyways, I thought this week would be a good one to revisit the list—so here are the things that I’m thankful for this week:

1. Kids: Does this really need any explanation?! Nothing brightens my day like being with kids—hearing stories about their imaginary friend, Yak, playing games, teaching them, reading bedtime stories, all of it.
2. Christmas cards in January: Mail takes a while to get to Ukarumpa, but that just makes trips to the post office more fun!
3. Friends: I’m so blessed with great friends here in Ukarumpa, in Mexico, and at home in the States.
4. School: When I was really young, I got up and got dressed only a couple hours after my parents put me to bed because I was so excited to go to school…while I definitely don’t do that anymore, I do still love school.
5. Sunny days: They’re just cheerful and make hot water (solar powered hot water heaters)! (And help with #9!)
6. Playing guitar (or flute): I love everything about music, especially making it.
7. Spanish worship music: Again, I love music, but it also reminds me of my friends in Mexico and to pray for them.
8. Baking: Mmm, there’s just nothing like fresh baked cookies or bread (even if it doesn’t turn out quite right)!
9. Clean laundry: Folding clean, dry laundry, fresh off the clothes line is just much more enjoyable (albeit a bit more work) than from a dryer.
10. Earthquakes: Weird, I know, but they remind me of where I am and God’s faithfulness in getting me here and sustaining me.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  -Romans 15:13

A Missionary's Best Friend

During my four weeks of living in a Papua New Guinean village, I discovered that there are several things that could be considered a missionary’s best friend. High on the list (which is not exhaustive by any means!) are: 

• Mosquito repellant, aka missionary perfume: the higher the DEET, the better. RID is the brand of choice, being the most readily available, although its efficacy is hotly debated among my colleagues and I. (Personally, I think it attracts more mosquitos than it repels…)

You Know You are a PNG Missionary When...

There are several things that were so strange to me when I first arrived, but now, after eight weeks in Papua New Guinea, they seem totally normal. So here you have it:


You know you're a PNG missionary when...


1. Driving on the left side of the road is normal. (Well, actually, it’s whichever side has less potholes, which isn’t always easy to determine!)

Five Perks of a Bucket Shower

I'm sure some of you may be wondering how we bathe here at POC...do we run down to a river? Or maybe we just do without for 12 weeks? (Yikes, that's a scary thought!) No, not to worry! We do shower...with a bucket!