This and That

My co-workers parents came to visit a few months ago and re-do our classroom floor.  Lesley (right) had been bragging on her mom's (Marg, left) cabbage rolls for months so I was determined to get a lesson while she was here.

 At Interface we find an excuse to have a party for almost anything. 

 I work with Janie in the office here and we have a lot of fun together.

 I knew Lesley's parents back when I was in the New Tribes Mission training so it was fun to catch up with them again while they were visiting. 

 Have you ever heard of a rat this thirsty for water?  I had to throw away half a case of water.

Another rat did some damage to my Tupperware, too.

 Joyce and her daughter, Dawn, come for a visit.  Grandpa Johnson stands proudly behind them.  Seeing everyone walking around with bush knives takes a bit to get used to at first, but you wouldn't believe how handy they are.  Chopping firewood, cutting the lawn, cleaning under your fingernails - bush knives are multi purpose tools around here. 

 I recently got a package in the mail that arrived exactly like this.  It was from a friend in Germany and thankfully I managed to salvage most of it.  Packages from anywhere make our day around here, but an entire box of German chocolate was a dream.

 We finally had enough of the attempts of rats at taking over our homes here, so we took action and got some kittens who we hope will turn into good mousers. 

 Living and working in a multi-cultural environment can be challenging, and we're so thankful for a co-worker in PNG who put together a great presentation on tackling the challenges of a multi-cultural work place and learning how to understand each other better.

We were using our classroom with its new concrete floor for the first time at Easter, so we decided to celebrate with bouquets from around campus.  We were all pretty water logged by the time we were done collecting flowers.

 I always enjoy visits up in the village with friends. (photo by Dale Stroud)

 We were able to get two new guard-dogs-to-be a couple months ago and its been fun to have puppies on campus again. 

 These girls were having a blast on the trampoline.

 We had to laugh seeing this gigantuous cow in the back of this guys pick up.  Look at the size of its head!

 Every once in a while we enjoy eating out in the nearest town of Goroka.  Eating Chinese food in Papua New Guinea with a group of German friends...talk about a multi-cultural experience.

 I was enjoying the moon this night and loved the moonlight shining off my grass roof.

 Some of my co-workers encouraged the ladies in the village to try selling flowers at our weekly Monday market where we buy fruit and veggies.  Bouquets like this are what showed up the next week for a whopping 50cents and we've been loving it! 

 A co-worker recently came back from home assignment with a new son, Levi, and we had a great time celebrating.  A new baby on campus is rare and every time you see him he's in someone else's arms.

 In moving overseas it's true that you are giving up aunts and uncles, cousins, parents, sibings and more.  But in place of all that you gain family in so many other ways.  Little Levi now has dozens of "aunts", "uncles" and "siblings" who adore him.

  Some of our beautiful New Guinea road work. 

 Momore came by one morning, having caught a "mumut," or bush rat, in his trap.  A little fattening up and that'll make a great meal.   

Me with two of my favorite girls.  I miss my nieces at home like crazy, but I've got some pretty cute stand ins here in PNG!