PNG Fords

Step By Step Guide to Getting Cheap Lodging Online

2009-05-13T05:10:00.000-07:00

Step By Step Guide to Getting Cheap Lodging Online: "If you’re new to booking lodging online this easy to understand guide will help you be sure you’re getting the best price when getting a hotel or accommodations."

Jan - Feb 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here is our Jan - Feb 2009 Newsletter.

Jan - Feb 2009 Newsletter

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Creative Writing

March - April 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

You can now check out a PDF version of our March - April 2009 Newsletter.

March - April 2009 Newsletter

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Creative Writing 2008 women

Enjoying Canada

2009-05-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Our kids are learning that it's much different in Canada than in PNG. When Caleb first saw the lake near our condo where we're staying this week he pointed and said, "Dolphins." We visited Mont Tremblant yesterday and got to see snow! Hannah and Caleb were thrilled. The waterfalls were beautiful there, but it was hard keeping the kids out of the water - until they felt how cold it was. Caleb thinks that every body of water we see is for swimming. They are also enjoying all of the family-friendly parks around the area.

Another Pregnancy Update

2009-04-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. What a great sound! This morning I had an ultrasound to get confirmation about the placenta previa diagnosis I had previously in PNG. The technician said that the placenta is about 4 cm from the cervix so that is great news. In order for it to be a concern, it would have to be within 2 cm from the cervix. She said that on an old scan machine, it would be easy to mistake a shadow for the placenta that is low-lying because it is difficult to see the placenta through the baby's skull, which is quite hard at this point in the pregnancy. But with the amazing technology here, they were able to confirm that no placenta previa is present. There is absolutely no cause for concern with the placenta, and I should be able to have a normal delivery. We are thankful that we came back to get a good ultrasound and find out what's really happening. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. Now a prayer of thanksgiving would be appropriate!

From Dolphins to Sweatshirts

2009-04-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Hannah and her biggest cousin, Eowyn

Uncle James, Cousin Kiera, Caleb, Hannah, Cousin Eowyn, Craig

Caleb and Hannah excited to be off the plane at the Brisbane airport

Caleb in a sweatshirt!

Hannah, a pro at flying

Last Sunday we had our annual Easter camp for church. During Sunday school, I looked over and saw all of the children gathered on a beach at GehiGehi (a short drive outside of Alotau). There was a group of dolphins jumping out of the water and providing entertainment for the kids. Two days later we were on our way with our final destination being Toronto, Canada - with stops in Port Moresby, Brisbane, Nadi, and LA along the way. Since our arrival in Canada we've been teaching our children how to wear socks and long sleeved shirts, that tuna fish is not always a dark color and cheese is not always white, and telling them that it's too cold to play outside. They are finally starting to sleep decent hours at night. Being reunited with the cousins, aunts & uncles, and grandparents has also been a highlight for them.

Pregnancy Update

2009-04-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

Before we get too many more emails wondering what’s happening, I’ll try to give an informational update here…

On Thursday I had a doctor’s appointment and actually saw the doctor. (This is amazing because the last 2 times I’ve gone, the doctor wasn’t there so the antenatal clinic was cancelled.) I finally saw the doctor after about 2 ½ hours of waiting, but I’m glad I didn’t leave. She did an ultrasound and found that I have low-lying placenta previa. Basically, the placenta is not in the right place and could cause bleeding and other complications with delivering naturally. The good thing is there’s a possibility that the placenta could be in a different position by the time I’m ready to deliver. If not, a c-section will be necessary. Thankfully I’ve had no bleeding, which is a common symptom. We were supposed to leave for our furlough in about 3 ½ weeks; however, my doctor here said that if the placenta previa was still present then, she couldn’t recommend me flying. My doctor in Canada also recommended that we travel sooner than we had planned. After reading as much as we could about the condition, it was clear that flying at 35 weeks pregnant with this condition is not the best idea. On the other hand, staying in PNG with the possibility of anything going wrong or having a c-section scares me even more. So, we are leaving on either Tuesday or Wednesday (April 14 or 15) and will arrive in Toronto on Friday, April 17th. We have a ton of things to do before leaving for our furlough. Please pray that we’ll get everything done and that the baby and I will be fine. Also pray that the placenta previa problem will be resolved on its own. Thanks for your prayers!

The Kiddos

2009-04-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Seems like it’s been a while since I posted some pictures of our kiddos. They are both growing and changing so much. It doesn’t look like it from the pictures, but, yes, we do put clothes on them (well, at least when we go somewhere!).

Hannah is quite the big sister. I’m often amazed at the things she can do at just 3 years of age. For example, this morning they were playing outside while I was hanging clothes on the line. Then they decided they were ready to go inside. So Hannah cleaned up her outside toys and went upstairs with her little brother. When I finished my work, I went upstairs and she reported to me everything that had happened while I was gone. She said, “I held Caleb’s hand while he walked up the steps, then I took his shoes off, helped him wash his hands, read him a book, and taught him to play Pat-a-Cake.” I guess I can just quit now since she has things under control!

Caleb is talking like crazy. Sometimes when he wakes up in the morning, I hear him in his bed naming all the people that he knows from church. He can finally say his own name now too. It sounds more like, “Lebleb”, but it’s so cute! He also says, “Excuse you” when he burps or when you’re in his way, and “See you!” when saying good-bye to friends. Hugs and kisses are definitely a specialty of Caleb’s. He loves imitating anything he sees Hannah doing, including jumping off of anything that he can climb on. That’s the part that scares me…

Craig’s been playing “Airplane, Airplane” with them lately, a game where they pretend they’re flying. We’ve been trying to teach the kids what it’ll be like to fly on an airplane since they don’t remember. He pretends to give them drinks, listen to music on headphones, and tells them to take naps sitting up. Traveling to the other side of the world with two little ones should be an adventure in a few weeks!

Pregnancy

2009-03-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Being pregnant is always an adventure. I’m learning that it’s even more fun when you have a 3-year-old who actually somewhat understands what is happening. Caleb, who is now 20 months old, doesn’t seem to really comprehend the huge change that his life will have in about 3 months. However, he does get a kick out of playing with my protruding belly button. Hannah, on the other hand, asks plenty of questions. She also has a whole list of things she plans to teach the new baby upon its arrival. When I’m putting her to bed at night, she usually has a good question for me. Last week it was, “Will your tummy still be big after the baby comes out?” I wanted to say, “I sure hope not!” Instead I told her how God made a woman’s tummy with the ability to go back small after the baby is born. My favorite question from her was this week. She was riding with Craig in the truck and saw a huge pig by the road. She asked him, “Is Mommy going to get as fat as that pig?” Never a dull moment…

Busy Bees

2009-02-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here is what’s been keeping us BUSY lately!

BABIES: You can tell what’s been on Hannah’s mind recently. She’s noticing that my abdomen is expanding and is extremely thrilled about being a big, BIG sister. (I guess you get two bigs when you are preparing to be the oldest of three.) She’s pictured here with a “baby in her tummy”. Hannah really wants a baby sister since she already has a brother. I didn’t really think Caleb had a clue about any of this, but he surprised me with a response last night. I was bathing him and said, “Caleb, you’re going to be a big brother.” Then he clearly said, “Baby.” Maybe it was coincidence, but I’d like to think that my 18-month-old is just really smart.

BUNK BEDS: Since there is another baby on the way, we decided that a bunk bed was in order. Craig started and completed building a bunk bed within about 10 days – and still worked every day! He’s really amazing. I’m proud of him for all of the things he can accomplish with little or no experience. Before moving to PNG, he had never built anything. But since our arrival, he’s furnished our home with a couch, chair, coffee table, book shelves, bed frame for our water bed, and a bunk bed - not to mention all the things he’s fixed around the house! I just had to show off his new handiwork here. An interesting fact: we used rosewood for the base of the bed (under the mattress) because it was cheaper than buying plywood!

BEACHES: Sometimes I fail to recognize the true beauty of the place in which I live. After being here for almost 3 years, I often take for granted how wonderful this place really is! One of the pictures shows the kids at Gravel Beach, a beach about 10 minutes from our house.

BUDDIES: The kiddos have made some pretty good buddies here. Caleb is pictured with Joel, one of our Christian brothers from church. Hannah and Caleb also love to help Susan. She works at our house two days a week. She does a ton of work around the house, but the kids really think she’s hired just to play with them. She is really a wonderful blessing to our family.

BAKING: Since we got married, (almost 9 years ago!) we’ve had a tradition of making pizza together on Fridays. Hannah’s been helping for quite a while, but now Caleb’s got his fingers in the mess too.

Milne Bay Weddings

2009-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

Weddings are certainly different across the globe, and even throughout PNG. We finally got to witness a wedding – two in fact – in Milne Bay Province, PNG. Weddings are actually quite rare here, as many couples simply choose to move in together and call themselves wed. Two young couples from church were married in the month of January. Craig was the celebrant (preacher) for both weddings. In other parts of the country, the practice of a bride price is used more frequently.

John and Siggy were married at our house outside. They had a very simple, yet meaningful ceremony. Many church friends and some family came to witness the occasion. Afterwards, our family was invited to Siggy’s village for a reception of cake, fruit, sandwiches, and cordial (similar to kool-aid). It was a great celebration. Siggy wore a meriblous, which is a blouse worn by women all over PNG. A meriblouse can be worn for basically any occasion and is even useful as part of a maternity wardrobe. Hannah is pictured with John, who is one of Caleb and Hannah’s very favorite people!

The week after John and Siggy’s wedding Ponifasio and Lorraine got married. They chose to have their wedding on a pier (pictured) at a resort just outside of Alotau. They wanted to combine the customs of each of their cultures as well as some western customs. (For those of you who are unaware, there are hundreds (800+) of different language groups in PNG. Every group has their own way of doing things, so it makes the country interesting!) They had nine bridesmaids and one best man in the wedding. I was most fascinated by the traditional dances that were part of the processional. The videos are posted here for you to view. I threw in a picture of Craig and I at the wedding too.

I was most surprised that Poni and Lorraine had a kiss in their wedding. Displays of affection between men and women are absolutely taboo in PNG. (The first couple decided against even shaking hands or high-fiving. They did make eye contact a few times though…) Both weddings actually got started within two hours of the start time. That wasn’t too bad. Papua New Guineans aren’t exactly time-conscientious. They’re always on “PNG time”. It gave us extra time to visit with the other guests at the weddings. What a great experience!

Now you know a little more about weddings here in Milne Bay Province, PNG.

Pictures!!

2009-01-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

The pictures show all the fun we had with Craig's parents. Well, not all the fun, but some of it...

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Christmas 2008

2009-01-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long since I posted an entry. It has been a great few months though. We especially enjoyed a recent visit from Craig’s parents. They were here for about 2 ½ weeks at the end of Nov. and beginning of Dec. We were blessed to make lots of new memories. The kids were excited to be reacquainted with their grandparents. I think the feeling was mutual. Some of the highlights were:

• 3 nights at a guesthouse called Treetops about an hour’s drive from our house
• Playing in the river
• Crab, shrimp, and fish for our early Christmas dinner
• Having built-in babysitters for those quick trips to town with Craig
• Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking together
• Grandpa pushing Hannah on the swing (I just don’t do it correctly now – or at least not as good as Grandpa!!)
• Grandpa building a little chair and table set for the kids
• Grandma building sand castles with the kids
• Playing Perudo, cribbage, and other games after the kiddos were in bed

It was a special time together. We are already looking forward to their next visit! (Or the visits from anyone else interested in doing all this kind of fun stuff with us!!!)

Our family also enjoyed our own Christmas. Thankfully, the weather actually cooled down to the 80s and we had some rain. We took a couple of walks in the rain together, played games, ate lots of goodies, and just relaxed together.

I continue to learn and experience different customs around the world. We were woken at about 2:30 a.m. on Christmas morning to some Christmas carolers (and our dogs barking wildly!). We thought they would just grace us with one song, then leave. But after they started the second, then third, Craig decided to go to the gate and politely inform them that our family was trying to sleep and the dogs were barking – (just in case they hadn’t noticed that!) I hope that all of you in North America enjoyed a peaceful night of rest on Christmas Eve.

New Year’s wasn’t much better. Our usually quiet neighborhood of just a dozen houses or so had racket all night long. I don’t know how people have the energy to scream, yell, and party ALL night long. I’m not exaggerating when I say ALL night. Every time I woke up during the night, I heard their music and yelling. When I woke up at a little before 6 a.m. their party was just starting to wind down. These people have some energy! Craig was determined to stay up until midnight, which he did. I made it to about 10:00 and asked him to wake me up in time to celebrate. He woke me up at about 11:55 so we could wish each other a Happy New Year.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and may God grant you a wonderful 2009.

(I'll try to post pictures later...)

PINEAPPLES, Part 2

2008-11-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Pineapple season is here! It is time to harvest. We were so excited! Okay, at least I was excited. I got out the camera when we harvested the first one from our garden. Here are the kids with our very own pineapple! It was a delicious pineapple, if I must say so myself. If you look in the back left corner of the pineapple picture, you’ll see another pineapple that still is red. That’s what they look like before they ripen. It’s hard to believe that huge plant comes from the seed, which is the top green part of the pineapple. You just cut the green part off and plant it in the ground. Each plant will produce only one pineapple. To the right of the kids you can see more pineapples growing. Christmastime is the best time of the year for fruit in Alotau. Pineapples are very cheap at the market. You can get one the size of mine for about 70 US cents at the market We’ll be eating lots of pineapple over the next few weeks, so if you have any good pineapple recipes, please feel free to share them with me!! (pngfords@gmail.com)
The other picture is of Hannah and Caleb in one of their favorite places to play – under the table.

National Kibung

2008-10-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Craig got to see his friend, Enoch, who he grew up with in Lae. It's been about 20 years!

Hannah playing outside at the kibung

Hannah and new friend, Lulu

Caleb with Joseph Kali, long time friend of the Fords

Ready to board the plane

Last month we were blessed to go to the Church of Christ Kibung (gathering) in Emagave, a village outside the town of Goroka in the Highlands. We had to fly to Lae (where Craig was born), then drive 4 ½ hours to the village. The kibung lasted from Friday – Monday. It was a great experience for our family, being our first 3 night village stay together. Hannah was surprised to see a pit toilet and asked where the bathtub was. When we took her to the cold river, she wasn’t very excited! The kids enjoyed sleeping in a tent. Eating village food was a challenge for Hannah so she survived on crackers and peanut butter for the duration. Emagave is in a Pidgin-speaking area of the country. Craig did fine, as he is fluent in the language; I stumbled through sentences and could communicate well enough since I can understand much of it; Hannah wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone for the first day or two if they weren’t speaking English to her! When some of our English-speaking friends arrived from Alotau, she was more than thrilled.

There were over 700 people at the kibung. It was great to meet lots of Christians from around PNG. We met a lot of people that already know Craig. Well, they knew Craig as a child. He hasn’t seen many of them since he was 10 years old. They were all excited to meet our children, especially. We also got to spend lots of time with Ruth Zimmerman, a missionary in Lae, as well as two guys from Perth, Australia that came for the occasion.

There is a national kibung annually, and it is to be hosted in Alotau in 2010. It will be a tremendous task. Cooking for that many people, housing them all, and making toilets will be a huge job in itself, not to mention everything else involved. But the churches in the Milne Bay area where we live are up for the challenge.

We really enjoyed our time away, until the day we were leaving. Caleb got really sick on the way home. Two days later we all had the same stomach problems. At first I blamed it on the village food, but when Hannah got sick, that negated my theory. We were finally all eating normally about a week later. Sickness always makes us grateful for our usually good health.

Pineapples

2008-09-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a blog in so long, I don't even know where to begin... But I came up with a great idea! Pineapples! Did you know that pineapples do not grow on trees? Yeah, you can laugh, just like the rest of my PNG friends. When I first moved here, I thought pineapples grew on trees. But, give me a break! How many pineapples do you see growing in Wyoming where I grew up? But now I know. I have lots of pineapples growing in my yard now. For those of you who still don't know, pineapples grow on the ground. You just plant the seed, which is the green part on top of the pineapple. When it begins to actually produce, the pineapple is red at first! Weird, eh? The things you learn living in a different place...

Birthday Boy, Youth Camp, and Weather

2008-07-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Caleb turned 1 year old on July 22. It’s hard to believe he’s already one! Unfortunately Caleb didn’t have a very Happy 1^st Birthday. He got malaria for his birthday! He had a rough week, but is feeling 100% now. We still celebrated with a banana cake and chocolate ice cream. He managed to have an appetite for that, at least. He’s pictured here after enjoying his ice cream. Maybe he’s trying to look Papua New Guinean??

We enjoyed a youth day camp on Saturday. Hannah especially loved playing outside all day. She was also a great helper in the kitchen too. (see picture) She helped wash veggies and prepare greens. She also took plenty of time to collect sea shells and star fish and swim in the ocean. Caleb was a good helper too - well, at least he thought so. The kitchen floor has rocks. (A little different than your kitchen, I suppose…) He was playing in the rocks while the ladies were preparing the food. After they washed the veggies, they would put them in the pot with water. Caleb contributed by adding lots of stones. J Guess he thought we needed some extra iron in our diets.

Hannah’s blue dress was a birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Ford. Thank you! It fits just fine.

We think rainy season may be coming to an end, although I thought that before I took the picture below. That’s our river, I mean, yard after a heavy rainfall. But the rain is a blessing since that is our sole water source. I think our bodies are definitely getting acclimated to this place. This morning I was freezing when I woke up. I checked the thermometer and it was 68 degrees F. That’s the coldest I’ve ever seen it here. It still managed to reach 80+ degrees in the afternoon though. We’re going to freeze if we ever visit Wyoming or Canada in the winter – or fall!!!

Hannah is 3 and other stuff!

2008-07-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Craig and I enjoyed a day at a nearby resort one day this week. The kids stayed with our friend Susan. We had an awesome time visiting, eating good food, kayaking, and snorkeling.
Here is Hannah with Auntie Susan, the lady who works in our house. Susan gave her these beautiful flowers for her birthday!
Here is the birthday party. Everyone is sporing the sunglasses party favors that Hannah got from Uncle Philip and Aunt Andrea.

Hannah on her new tricycle.

Okay .. so Caleb is not always happy. But he is still cute!

Shameless Advertising

2008-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

I (Craig) have a hobby. That hobby revolves around doing cool things for FREE or really cheap. For example, last year we spent five nights in New Zealand and we did not pay a dime for anything. We got 5 nights free hotel from promotions and even had all our spending money from promotions I earned over furlough. The main way I do this is by taking advantage of PROMOTIONS. In the past I have had friends who want in on the action so here you go. Here is a way I can share my hobby with you for mutual benefit.

Because we have many missionary friends who read this blog I thought I would let you know of a bank that we have found to be EXTREMELY useful. When we first arrived in PNG we had the problem of needing to send John Doe a check, but our check book is here so we send a check with a $2 stamp and it takes 3 weeks to get to North America. Not a good plan, right? So here is what some people suggested, leave blank checks with someone you trust – hmm… who do I trust THAT much? Another option - leave money with someone in North America and have them write checks for you as needed. That can quickly become an accounting headache.

I have a better suggestion - ING Direct Electric Orange checking account.

Jeri and I have used ING Direct since December 2004 and LOVE it. They have great interest rates (currently checking 1.736% and saving 2.96%). They have no minimum balances and virtually no fees (of course they charge you if you overdraft your account or something like that). They have amazing customer service. They have the most convenient checking system! They are FDIC insured.

Here is how it can help you (missionary or not). With the Electric Orange checking account you sign in, (click) send a paper check, you type in who you want it to send to (they have names saved in an address book with mailing addresses), how much and submit. Voila – the check will be sent the next business day, regular postage, FREE. We have dialup internet service and once we get into ING it takes just a couple of minutes to send a check. Hey, even if I was in North America I am cheap enough that I would let someone else pay the $.41 every time I wanted to send a check. We have sent probably 50+ checks and never had any problems.

I don’t keep the best check register, but with Electric Orange Checking there is no book. It is all online. When you send the check ING automatically adds it to your register.

Electric Orange also has another cool feature – electronic check. You can send an electronic check via email to anyone (with any bank) and they get an email. They click on the link confirm their account number and voila they have the money in their account.

You can also link your ING account with any other bank. Therefore, someone can make a deposit into your other bank (with a physical branch). You simply get online tell ING to transfer X $ into your ING account from your other bank and 2-3 business days the funds are there and you now have electronic access over everything.

If you want to learn more about ING Direct go to www.ingdirect.com.

Here is how it can help both of us. If you email me (pngfords@gmail.com) and ask me to refer you then you can get $25 just for signing up (if you deposit at least $250). By the way you also help me because I get $10 for referring you.

Educational Resources Needed

2008-06-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Jeri and I are currently hosting a “homework session” one afternoon a week at our house. Many of the school kids here have certain academic disadvantages compared to their North American counterparts. First, they lack an appropriate environment that is conducive to school work. They might live in a one room house with dozens of kids running around. Second, some lack educational mentors. Some of our school children are completing grades that their parents never completed and thus their parents are unable to provide necessary tutoring and feedback. Finally, they lack resources. Jeri and I have done our best to provide a place for study, and some tutoring as we are able, but we have found that the thing we lack is appropriate resources. I have shelves and shelves of ‘theological or religious’ books but Gerhard Von Rad’s Theology of the Old Testament won’t go a long way in helping a grade five student write a paper on climate change. We have a plethora of fiction novels, but John Grisham does little to help a grade nine student write a paper on the AIDS epidemic. Jeri has shelves overloaded with Clifford and Franklin, but the kids need something more substantial than “Franklin Has a Sleepover.” THUS HERE IS OUR NEED. We are trying to get some ‘electronic’ educational resources. (In terms of shipping cost and our own lack of storage area electronic resources are preferred. We plan to print up relevant sections as needed by the students). We are not asking anyone to go out and buy one, but I suspect someone out there has an encyclopedia on CD, but with the kids out of the house or with the ease of internet you find you don’t use the encyclopedia any more. Perhaps you have an atlas on CD, or any other similar items that would be useful for English, Social Studies, or Geography type assignments.

* FYI – unfortunately we do not have telephones at our house and therefore we do not have internet so as a result we cannot access online information while the students are here.

I have also had a request for some elementary level teaching materials. We have several members who teach Religious Education classes at local schools. Some use premade curriculum or even “ideas” type books (50 devotional ideas). If you have any around your church and are willing to provide the postage we would appreciate it. Please review the book with the following criteria: (1) Is the English simple and the layout easy to read and understand? (2) Are the supplies needed common or generic? We always need to edit curriculum books. It would even be helpful if you could email the titles that you might be willing to send so we can see if it would be a “fit” in our context and culture.

To help us limit what we might likely receive please email first and let us know what you have and I can let you know if it will be helpful or if we have something similar. Please be aware that postage to PNG is quite expensive so you might want to check with the local post office before you decide to send your library J.

If you do have anything like that please send it to us at:

Craig Ford

PO BOX 912

Alotau, MBP, 211

Papua New Guinea

Picture Time

2008-06-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Time for some yard work. Here's Craig with his two little helpers.

Happy kiddos!
Philemon and Rohan are some Christians that we see quite often. Here they are pictured with Craig after doing some weightlifting at our house. Craig spends lots of time with these guys. He does Bible studies and is even teaching them how to drive! He's brave!!!

Ants and Snakes and Frogs, Oh My!!

2008-06-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Yep, that’s right. We have our fair share of friends around here. Unfortunately, they’re not always invited or wanted.

First, we have the ant family. They are here to stay as far as we can tell. And they visit by the millions. We can never leave any food out on the counter for more than a few minutes without attracting these things. Hannah has learned that lesson at a young age. While we were in Australia on vacation, she didn’t finish her drink one night. She came and told me that she put her cup in the fridge so the ants wouldn’t get it.

Last week our dogs kept barking for no apparent reason. I kept telling them to be quiet, but they continued barking. I finally went outside and found a snake in their pen. It wasn’t huge (maybe only 1 ½ feet), but it was ALIVE. And that was the worst part. It finally slithered away - or so I thought… We found it a couple of days later camping out by a wood pile. Craig found it the second time. Lucky him, since snakes are by far his greatest fear. Two days later, we went out on our back porch. Craig picked up a cardboard box, and WHOA! there it was again! I had no idea snakes could make it upstairs! (our house is built up off the ground) People have told us that our little friend is a “lazy snake”. (Is that a scientific name?) They say that it just lies around and does nothing. We’re just hoping it will keep doing nothing outside instead of coming upstairs!

Earlier this week, I put a few clothes in the dryer. I turned it on, and then heard a THUNK. I pushed the start button again. Every time I pushed it, it sounded like the dryer was trying to run, but just couldn’t. My first thought was, ‘I really hope an animal isn’t inside the dryer.’ I told Craig my problem, and being the great husband he is, he started taking the dryer apart to find the problem. He came upstairs and said, “Why do you always have to be right?” I was – there was a frog stuck in the fan thing that spins around. We managed to rescue it. I think it will be okay with the possibility of some minor emotional trauma. But it’s amazing how well a dryer can work when the fan isn’t blocked up with a frog! (I just wish I hadn’t pushed the button so many times trying to get it to start!!) Poor thing!

Oh, the joys of living in Papua New Guinea…

A Toddler's Perspective on Poverty

2008-05-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Living in a developing country provides many learning opportunities. We often have to explain to Hannah that all of her friends don’t have trucks like we do. She’s learned that most people don’t cook their food in ovens like us. I’ve heard her say, “Susan cooks on a fire.” (Susan works in our house and goes to church with us.) We’ve had the chance to give some of her toys away to friends who may not have any. It’s such a great learning experience. But I don’t think she quite gets it all just yet. For example, when we were in Brisbane we were shopping at an outlet mall. One store was having a huge sale. There were tons of people in the check-out line. Hannah asked us what all of those people were doing. Craig said, “They’re buying new clothes.” She responded, “Because they don’t have any?” (That makes sense, right?) Then we had to explain that those people actually had lots of clothes, but they just wanted more. (as opposed to people in PNG who wear the same thing all the time!)

Hannah and I were walking down the road together today. We saw some men carrying a big pig on a long stick. Then we saw a second one being carried. (In PNG, pigs are very valuable and are slaughtered for special occasions. These men were more than likely on their way to a feast.) Hannah asked what they were going to do with the pigs. I told her that they were probably going to cook them. “And eat them?” she asked. “Yep,” I said. Then she asked, “Some people don’t have food, so they have to eat pigs?”

Brisbane Vacation

2008-05-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

Jeri and I have now enjoyed most of our Brisbane vacation. We are down to two sleeps (chronology according to Hannah) before we head back to Alotau. A Series of Fortunate Events allowed us to enjoy this wonderful time. First, we would like to thank the United States Government because it required us to travel to Port Moresby to take care of some paperwork for Caleb. Second, (and much more importantly) we would like to thank Craig's parents for an early Christmas present - a week at a two bedroom condo in Kingscliff, Australia.

Below are some pictures of our trip ...

Who knew that a kangaroo and a wallaby would look so much alike. So this is Craig and Hannah with either a kangaroo or wallaby.

The snake might not be real, but it was still enough to give me the heebie jeebies. When your greatest fear is snakes it doesn't take much to push you over the edge.

Of course, no Australia vacation would be complete without lots of time at the beach.

Hannah loved 'modern conveniences'. Did you know malls have doors that open by themselves? Steps can move by themselves? Were you aware that at the Centro Toombul you cannot walk more than 100 meters before coming across another car or helicopter for kids to play in? I am just glad that Hannah has not yet learned that mommies and daddies are supposed to put in $2 to make the thing shake and make noise. Please don't tell her - this secret is proving to be a very economical one.

Sidenote by Jeri: If you've enjoyed the writing in this particular post, please tell us! I've been trying to convince the author (CRAIG!) that he needs to participate in this blog more. Isn't he funny??!!

Sidenote response by Craig to the sidenote by Jeri (above): If you think the salvation of human souls is more important than a mere moment of joy and pleasure please encourage Jeri to write the blogs so I can be about a greater ministry - a ministry with eternal results. (Either that or you could encourage me to spend less time watching TV so I could do blogs - but I prefer a more noble excuse!)

Hannah and Caleb

2008-04-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

I caught Hannah carrying her baby in Caleb's snugli. I guess she figures since we won't let her carry Caleb she'll have to carry her own baby!

The kids love playing on the floor together. Hannah can make Caleb laugh more than anyone else. :)

Hannah got some cooking things for Christmas. She spread them all out on a blanket in the middle of our kitchen so she could get to work making supper.

Caleb is really starting to like eating solid foods. He especially likes papaya.

He's not crawling yet, but somehow Caleb managed to scoot himself underneath Hannah's bed and couldn't get out. (I had to take a picture before I rescued him!)

We thank God again and again for our children. They are such a blessing to us!