Friday, June 14, 2013

PNG Mission Project Day 5: Greetings from Hisiu, Central province, PNG!

Hello from Hisiu!!!  I hope this works.  I won't say much except we had a great (but a bit bumpy) 2-hour truck ride from Port Moresby (here's the map again: Route from Port Moresby to Hisiu)!  Oh my, one bump sent Matthew 6 inches off his seat - it was pretty funny (to watch). A total of 5 PNG staff, 2 staff from NZ (Matthew & I), and 12 students. 

When we arrived here the whole village was waiting for us (well, at least several hundred) and about 30-40 very colourful dancers matched out to the truck where we were, engulfed us and led us to the community house (like a summer house without walls where they gave us coconuts & food (and I had to get up & give a short speech - I was praying hard). What an experience - I'll never forget!

Today the boys set up tents (including one for Matthew and myself) and the ladies settled themselves in the pastor's house.  We had our first Team Time after dinner (at about 8 pm) where we talked about the difference between ministering to someone and minstering at someone - and how it's important that they know we love and care for them.  We discussed different ideas as to how we could show that love to them (helping them in various ways).  We also set a 100-story challenge for the 19 of us to share our testimony (our story) with 100 people in the village - this will help us show interest in them as people.

Tomorrow morning (& every morning) we'll all get together @ 6am (our staff picked the time) and try out a few new ideas for meeting with God - with the hope (please pray) that they all will be more consistent with their Quiet Times in the future.

New foods I ate tonight: about 6 different cooked banana dishes, wallaby (our board member shot 3 last night), some orange stuff that I found on the inside of a crab (I wouldn't pay for it), and the longest bean I have ever seen (at least 18 long).

In case anyone is wondering, the long-drop is a squatter style, like Palau :-)

Here are some pictures.  Thanks for praying for us!!

Dan

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