the 411, part 2

On 9/24, we fly out of Mibu for Madang.  Even though the two places seem quite close to us on the map, the climate is quite different.  We expect to be comfortable and perhaps even cool in the evening in Mibu.  We expect to be hot and sweaty in Madang.  We also expect to have plenty of insect friends, which is why we each have malaria meds. 

Please pray for each of us while we are in Madang, that our emotions and reactions would not be controlled by the weather or climate, that as a team, we would show love for one another, especially through patience, even as we continue to spend a lot of time together.  Please also pray for protection from illness and other physical issues.  For example, our malaria meds make us more susceptible to sunburn, but we will be in the elements quite a bit. 

We have a couple of days to get set up for the conference and get the lay of the land.  As families trickle in before the conference, we will have time to get to know them.  The conference begins the evening of 9/26. 

On 9/27, the conference focuses on a day of rest and refreshment for everyone (malolo).  We get to accompany all the attendees to a local beach and enjoy the day with them there.  Hopefully, this will be a day to enjoy one another, and a chance for the missionaries to catch up with each other.

The bulk of the conference takes place 9/28-9/30.  Dennis will teach the adults in the morning, while the rest of the team takes on the kids via VBS.  Shiloh and other teens will help out with the nursery, while Kevin heads up the VBS time.  Kris is in charge of the music and crafts.  Gary, Lori, and I are taking care of games and supervising the nursery.  Joey is doing all sorts of things, including food!  Most of the afternoons are casual times for missionaries to do what they need to do: pursue time on their own, nap, spend time with friends, whatever.  We have time planned for the teenagers in the afternoon, since they are "working" in the morning with us. 

Please pray for each of the children (around 30 of them), that they would feel safe, loved, and challenged, and that they would have fun with their friends.  Pray that each of the leaders would have energy.  Also pray for refreshment and rest for the adults.

Following dinner each evening, the missionaries have a chance to share reports from their ministry.  I look forward to those times, a chance to get to know them better and be able to get a better concept of the overall vision for the area. 

On Saturday evening, the men and kids have a movie night, and the women get to have a ladies night.  The basic concept of the lesson that night is that our time on earth is short.  It's a reminder that keeps popping up for me: I have it tattooed on my foot.  And I know this doesn't seem to fit, but I promise it does: we will spend part of the evening playing board games.

Please pray that the message for the women would be effective and I would not be intimidated by speaking to missionaries.  I know they are "regular people," but I keep getting this little niggling in the back of my mind that tells me that they already realize that time is short, which is why they are doing what they are doing.  However, I believe strongly that this is what I am supposed to discuss. 

Sunday morning, the men have an early breakfast together, and then the conference continues for the remainder of the day. 

the 411, part 1

A lot of people have asked, so I wanted to try to include more details about the trip: what we are doing and when we are doing it.  All dates listed are local time, so most of them will be a day ahead for most of you reading this.  (The time zone is 17 hours ahead of AZ time). 

We don't want to presume on God, so, of course, all of this information is with the caveat of God willing it to be so.

The first few days are essentially travel days.  We leave 9/18 in the evening.  We skip 9/19 because of the International Dateline, and then have a few different connections until we get to Geoff and Shannon's house in Mibu on 9/21. 

Please pray for Kris Husa in particular for the opening part of the trip, as she does not enjoy flying.

Most of us will be in Mibu for 9/22 and 9/23, flying out to prepare for the conference on 9/24.  Gary and Kris Husa have opted not to travel into Mibu (they have been here before, and thought perhaps this would save some finances and energy).  Instead, they will be in Madang earlier to settle in and prepare for the conference. 

Joey and Shiloh Tartaglia will accompany our team to Mibu, and then work alongside us to minister to those attending the conference. 

While we are in Mibu, our main purpose is to encourage Geoff and Shannon and their family, as well as the Mibu people.  As a church, we have been in partnership with the Husas for about a decade.  God willing, we will be able to meet with the Mibu people, perhaps even stay a night in a house in the village, and be part of their church service on Sunday.  Our hope also is to have a better understanding of the Husas' everyday life so we can be more effective at partnering with them in ministry, praying on their behalf, discussing their needs with others more knowledgeably, and just "getting it" more for them when they share something. 

One of the special aspects of this part of the trip is that each one of us is friends with the Husas.  Actually, Dennis has known Geoff for most of Geoff's life.  I think we are all looking forward to doing normal life with them in their house, which just happens to be 1/2 way around the world from us.  I know Dennis has this image of being on the porch with Geoff and Joey enjoying time together.  I wouldn't mind enjoying some cooler weather sipping chai with Shannon. 

Apparently it is quite the hike to the village for those who are not used to it.  We are expected to slip and fall on the way, even as the Mibu people manage it with bare feet and carrying huge loads. 

We hope for some meaningful interaction with the Mibu people, with translators to help (Geoff, Shannon, Joey, and perhaps Shiloh), lots of smiles, some pictures, and perhaps a charade or two. 

measuring

In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," there is a line that says, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."  While I cannot claim to have measured out my life with coffee spoons (thankfully), I think that our PNG team has reached a point before the trip where it is no longer sufficient to simply say that there are ___ more days.  No, we need to develop a different way of measuring. 

Here are some measurements from the Board house.

three sleeps in my own bed
three walks to the bus stop
one trash day
zero recycling days
eleven meals
one homework check
seven fish feedings
countless hugs and kisses

the times they are a-changing

Just about all packed.  I decided to type out an inventory list so that would help me in case my brain is on overload while traveling, plus to keep things simpler for customs, declaring items. 

SO GLAD I did...as I was checking the checked bag, I realized (TMI alert) I had neglected to pack any underwear.  That is now taken care of.

One adjustment I have had to make in my packing for this trip.  Typically I carry a small carry on and slide it under the seat in front of me.  This was very important when the kids were smaller, since they needed things about every 2 1/2 seconds.  Now I have gotten used to it, and it makes flights a little more comfortable.  However, I packed a small checked bag due to size and weight constraints, which led to taking more in the carry on.  Now it will not fit under the seat in front of me.  Never fear...I have come up with a solution: include an even smaller bag in the carry on to serve as kind of a carry on within a carry on.  Then I can take it out of the duffle bag, put the duffle up top, and then have items to use on the flight close at hand.

This may be a system that some of you have used for years, but it has given me a huge sense of relief and of simplicity. 

Have we mentioned we head out in less than a week?

carnival VBS

We have a carnival theme for the PNG VBS.  That means a couple of us are acquiring new skills so that we can extend the theme.  Gary can now churn out balloon animals, and will be available for kids' parties mid-October.  I am working on face painting.  I don't plan to do anything this scary for the VBS kids, but my model wanted something scary.  My other model only wants a disco diva, but I want to get some butterfly practice in...

Now, that is medication!

We are not messing around on this team when it comes to our health.  We need to be protected against typhoid, as well as a multitude of other diseases.  Some of us have gotten a shot for typhoid, and those on the cutting edge have taken oral meds instead.  After picking them up one day, Lori stopped by with her typhoid meds, which needed to be kept cool.  I so wish I had a pic of her with the medication itself.  Because in this picture it looks like she has to take so much, and really it was tiny.  The medication would have fit into a snack size ziploc.  Apparently, this was the only size cooler they had available. 

special request

Lori and I have been friends for a few years.  She has three kids, and I have two.  Of those five children, the oldest is 8, and the youngest is 6 (well, he would say 6 1/2).  I'm happy to report that the five of them have experienced a lot together.  And now they get to share another experience: having their moms be in PNG for a couple of weeks. 

It's going to be a stretch for all involved: moms, dads, kids, and those special folks who are standing in the gap.  We have never been gone from our kids for that length of time before.  My guess is that it will have some similarities to amputees who experience phantom limbs, where it seems like they still have the limb even though it has been removed.  There may be times where I look around in PNG to see if the kids are following me.  Only they won't be there. 

Thinking about that is somewhat exciting: freedom, different experiences, and for Lori and me, a completely different routine.

But I can also be apprehensive.  What if they need us, and we are not there?  What if we need them, and they are not there?  I can get exhausted caring for them, but I love them.  And there are certain parts of the day I especially cherish: reading with them, hearing them read, peeking in at them at night when they are sound asleep, listening to them sing with the headphones on and their eyes closed...  They are growing up, and because they are still young, they will continue to grow, perhaps significantly in some ways, while we are gone.

While we do not plan for anything like this to happen, we do know that it is possible that something could happen in travel or while we are there, and we would not come back.  To me, that is heart-shattering, not because of the actual death involved (because I am more than ready to be in heaven), but because it would have the potential of negatively impacting the faith of little children, and because it would leave these kids, who take a lot of energy and attention, with one parent, when right now, they have two who love them and are usually still exhausted at the end of the day. 

With all of this in mind and more, I ask those of you who pray to pray for our children.  Each of the five has his/her own unique personality, strengths, areas that need to be worked on, and probably areas that will be challenging when life happens without Mom around.  We trust that these next few weeks will be a time of growth for everyone in our families, and that all of us will emerge better for the experience. 

Thank you so much for walking through this journey with all of us.  We absolutely could not do it without you.