Pacific Propulsion Aussie Project - Day 16 "In with the new and out with the old"

Like yesterday, Elton, Greg, Lillian and I went to the bank again (same bank) - this time for 3 hours (instead of 2 yesterday) and they still haven't added Elton & Lillian as signatories.  It seems that they can't add new ones until they destroy the old paper application with the former signatories - but they can't find it.  The bank person was wonderful and kept looking while we stood there... but he never found it.  He was going to keep looking this afternoon, but when he left for lunch, we thought we should also (I didn't take a picture :-/).  Please pray that he finds it - right now there are only 2 of us who can do payments: Jasmine creates (she's a volunteer), and I approve.

In with the NEW:
But after Lunch, we took the bus towards our new office, stopping first at a local shop to pick up some cleaning supplies.  We want to start putting things in their places.

The first thing to set up are the speakers for background music :-)

Last week, we had found all the materials in the old office (scattered all around) and brought them to the new office.  Today, we unpacked, and dusted them off and began sorting them by type.  

L-R Greg, Lillian & Elton - Materials & books all over the place!

The missionaries had never seen some of the materials before and were asking me what situations would be best for each one.  They started to get excited as they understood each material and saw how they could use to build the students in their faith.

Lillian discovering "new" materials to use! 

I had underestimated how important this new office would be for our missionaries.  Finally they had a place of their own where they could pray & plan together, keep all their resources so that they could see them and use them, meet students, and have a quiet place to talk to people on the phone.  It was very exciting to see them clean the desks & shelves and set it up the way they wanted. Someone asked them when they would be using it (or be there) and Lillian said something like "we'll be here every morning around 9 to pray and plan the day", and both Elton & Greg agreed.  I'm excited to see how this office will help them focus and take ownership of the ministry in PNG!

Elton stacking the Knowing God personally booklets away.

On Saturday all the students who were involved in Pacific Propulsion are getting together at the office to review their notes and choose what they want to apply in the next 2 weeks.  Hopefully there will be room for them to sit :-)

Out with the OLD:
I left the new office to go to the old one later that afternoon - to clean up the trash that we left last week when we moved (it is Evodia's house).  There was about 1/3 cubic metre of papers (or a 7 foot tower if stacked in one column) - I sifted through them all to pull out what might be meaningful for Evodia & Gail (Eva's daughters) and I burned the rest of it behind the house.  It was a big fire - very hot - I singed many a hair :-(  It was like I was laying to rest all the old correspondence and receipts and miscellaneous papers from previous decades. We are moving on... and this gave me a sense of closure (even though we are still storing things in there, we definitely have moved out).  [Sorry, but I didn't take any pictures :-( ] 

Tomorrow I leave - it's been a great trip - I have been seeing God work in and through people like I have never seen before - THANKS FOR PRAYING!