Praise the Lord for a wonderful and productive trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG)! Thank you for your prayers as we traveled apart from our kids. Everything went smoothly and we are grateful for so many servants of Christ both here in the states and in PNG who have invested in us to make this trip flow smoothly and benefit our family greatly as we prepare to move there in the months ahead. Thank you to all of you who have invested!
We have tremendously enjoyed our last few days together as a family reconnecting with our kids. By far, the hardest part of our trip was leaving our kids for so long and traveling so very far away! And by far, the sweetest part of our trip has been the gift of wonderful families who have cared for and loved on our kids so very well in our absence. God is kind and the body of Christ is a wonderful blessing in our lives.
We have tremendously enjoyed our last few days together as a family reconnecting with our kids. By far, the hardest part of our trip was leaving our kids for so long and traveling so very far away! And by far, the sweetest part of our trip has been the gift of wonderful families who have cared for and loved on our kids so very well in our absence. God is kind and the body of Christ is a wonderful blessing in our lives.
Here are the missionaries who hosted us in Madang. One of these families is wrapping up a short term trip and will return to the States very soon. They will oversee our final training in Arizona. Another family is praying about joining Team Madang long term. It looks like we will either have one or two families to team up with for the ministry in Madang.
One of the goals of our trip was to build relationships with our teammates. This was accomplished above and beyond what we expected! We are so thankful for the time we had to get to know these families and very much enjoyed the sweet fellowship with each one.
One of the goals of our trip was to build relationships with our teammates. This was accomplished above and beyond what we expected! We are so thankful for the time we had to get to know these families and very much enjoyed the sweet fellowship with each one.
One family, the Twomblys, just moved to Madang a few months ago. They will serve as field director and lead the outreach ministry in Madang. They just put out a great 5 minute update video that shows much of the area!
What Will our Ministry in Madang Look Like?
What will our Ministry in Madang look like? The role we plan to fill on Team Madang is "Logistics Coordinator". Basically, we want to do everything we can to support tribal church planting in the Finisterre mountains, and church outreach in Madang. Practically, this looks like overseeing items such as government documents, finances, base/vehicle maintenance, guards on base, supply buying, coordinating travels/housing, etc. The driving question behind all this will be, "What can we do to keep our church planters encouraged and focused?" Every step of their journey, we're excited to help any way we can.
Watch a clip of driving through Madang.
Watch a clip of driving through Madang.
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Here is the church that our teammates are currently attending. They described it as a church "where there is sometimes a clear gospel preached", which is unique from other churches in Madang. Generally, animism is still deeply intertwined into any understanding of the Bible. A version of the prosperity gospel is also rampant with many believing that if they act like a Christian, they'll be able to manipulate God to get what they want - just like they do with all the other spirits.
Watch clips from our church visit.
Watch clips from our church visit.
Market/Stores in Town
We visited the market a couple times as well as all the stores in town to get a feel for what is generally available for us to purchase once we arrive. This was very helpful for us to get an idea of the things we need to bring when we move.
The market and grocery stores were very helpful for us to know what foods Jacklyn will be able to eat while we are there. As far as food goes, it looks like it will be very manageable! Unfortunately, there are quite a few other migraine triggers there that we did encounter and we are thinking through what that will look like and how we can work through those to manage well in a long term setting.
Watch clips from our market visit.
The market and grocery stores were very helpful for us to know what foods Jacklyn will be able to eat while we are there. As far as food goes, it looks like it will be very manageable! Unfortunately, there are quite a few other migraine triggers there that we did encounter and we are thinking through what that will look like and how we can work through those to manage well in a long term setting.
Watch clips from our market visit.
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On Saturday, we drove from Madang to the village of Bahor. We we spent time visiting with a man who was rebuilding his home and explained the process. His house is built on stilts, like most houses in PNG.
"Everything grows in PNG!" We have heard this said many different times over the years, but we actually saw this in the supports on his house. He had cut up bamboo poles to brace the main beams, and with one end buried for stability, they had grown roots and sprouted once again!
We also walked down to their beach through all the villager's gardens - it was neat to see how they garden. At first glance, the land looks a little wild and overgrown, but it's actually all mapped out and tended carefully!
Watch clips of our trip to Bahor village.
"Everything grows in PNG!" We have heard this said many different times over the years, but we actually saw this in the supports on his house. He had cut up bamboo poles to brace the main beams, and with one end buried for stability, they had grown roots and sprouted once again!
We also walked down to their beach through all the villager's gardens - it was neat to see how they garden. At first glance, the land looks a little wild and overgrown, but it's actually all mapped out and tended carefully!
Watch clips of our trip to Bahor village.
HomeschoolingBecause we had extra baggage space on the way over to PNG, we brought and left behind our first round of homeschooling books! And we are so happy that some of them are already being put to use by the families there! Picture: Kina Beach - the "beach" adjacent to our property. Watch clips of Kina Beach. |  |
 | Pictures!As we have revisited our trip with the kids, we have been able to show them many many pictures that we took on our trip to help them get a taste of what it will be like for them when we move there. Lots of fun, family mealtime conversations! Watch clips of animals we saw in Madang. |
As we continue to prepare for our move overseas, we are even more confident of how much we need the body of Christ to make it all possible. Cross-cultural missions belongs to the whole church, not just the missionary! We depend on the body of Christ to make what we do possible! Thank you for all your prayers, financial gifts, and practical help invested into our family for this trip and over the years that have brought us to this point!
Finisterre Mountains off in the distance
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