PNG Mission Trip day 3: The students are excited!

This morning, I went downtown (Port Moresby) to the Grand Papua Hotel to settle our account from our Easter Conference last March 30^th.  They said we owed K2,300 (about USD 1,200), and I said they owed us K1,100 (about USD 600) from an overcharge.  I was nervous because I can get strong and forceful when I feel that me or my friends are being treated unjustly.  I asked Elton (our newest staff member) to join me and to watch me and kick me if he sees me moving toward fight mode.  Well, Elton didn’t know what to think of that, so just before the lady (Jenny) came in, he said “let’s pray right now!”.  

Well, God worked everything out and then some!  It turns out that the person who I was dealing with last March quit a month ago and left several charges on our invoice that we didn’t incur (nor did I know about).  Jenny and her assistant, Lisa, came to our meeting already aware of everything, having read the email chain from March until now that I forwarded to her last week.  I took all kinds of paper to “prove” my point, but didn’t need them – the meeting was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to using their hotel again next year!  To make a long story short, they not only agreed to what I said should be on the invoice (including our refund), they also agreed to book our conference for next year at this year’s rates!  And it was good for Elton to see how God worked.

After this, we went to UPNG (University of Papua New Guinea) to visit with the students who are coming on the project.  I was very encouraged!  These are the top students in our ministry and have the potential, when they graduate, to firmly impact Papua New Guinea!  We went over final preparation for the project and then had lunch together - Eva brought a mumu (local food wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the ground on hot rocks) - it was wonderful!  And the students talked her into making another on for our lunch on Saturday (just before we take off for the village of Hisiu).