The Winds of Change

 

It's been over four years since I first came to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2009 (I had just arrived in the picture above), and the privelege that it's been to serve here has been huge.  I'm sure that by now most of you have heard about the changes coming up for us here - the outpouring of support and encouragement has overwhelmed us!  After over 20 years of existence in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Interface (ITF) campus will be closing down this year.  A year ago none of us could have guessed that our lives would be changing so quickly!  Over the years we've seen a drastic decrease in the number of students coming through our programs - a trend that, sad to say, hasn't just affected us, but many different organizations around the world.  We fought hard to make this place survive, but eventually realized that change was inevitable.  Soon, the current Interface property will be closing down and moving locations to an existing New Tribes Mission (NTM) orientation center at the coast.  

 

At Interface we exist to teach, and if there aren't enough students our campus suffers.  At the coast, however, by joining the current missionary orientation program with Interface we're helping keep Interface alive.  The program as we know it will look drastically different, but we know that while we only see the small scale of things, God sees the big picture and sees that this is GOOD.  And still our hearts break to see the end of this incredible place. To us Interface isn't just a program - it's these buildings and this community and the people in our surrounding villages and the memories of what God's done in us and through our students.  And so we've mourned this loss. 

 

I mentioned this quote from the book Streams in the Desert in a recent update:

 

"God often seems to place His children in places of deep difficulty, leading them into a corner from which there is no escape. He creates situations that human judgment, even if consulted, would never allow. Yet the cloudiness of the circumstance itself is used by Him to guide us to the other side. Perhaps this is where you find yourself even now.

Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will be more than justified by Him who brought you here, for it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power.

He not only will deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson that you will never forget. And in days to come, you will return to the truth of it through singing. You will be unable to ever thank God enough for doing exactly what He has done."

 

And so we praise Him...not because we like what's happening but because we're trusting in the One who sees the end result and knows how this is working together for OUR GOOD and HIS GLORY. 

 

(below is the Interface family (minus two families in the States right now), March 2013)

 

So what's next?

 

Although Interface will still exist, just in a different setting, most of us will not be moving with the program to the coast. For no particular reason, really, other than we feel that with the closing of this property our time with Interface is finished and God is creating something new.  Some families are moving into other areas of work with NTM in Papua New Guinea, others have finished their associate (short term) work here and are returning home, and one family will be moving back to the States to work at the New Tribes Bible Institute in Michigan, USA.  And me? God made it very clear, very quickly that my time in PNG was done and He had something new planned for me.  I ache at the thought of leaving my home in PNG, but at the same time am excited to share that I'll be moving to Ontario, Canada to work at the NTM Headquarters and Training Center. 

 

(below are myself and my graduating class (plus some staff) at the training center in Ontario in 2005) 

  

 

The two years I spent in the training from 2003-2005 were life altering for me, and I've often thought of the possibility of moving back there over the years.  God was faithful (and very blunt) in closing those doors each time, but was just as faithful to open the doors very wide last month when I was asked to join the team there.  Many students who complete the Interface program end up returning home and going through the entire missionary training with NTM (and with many other organizations).  I'm excited to get a chance to be involved with this next phase of students' lives, especially knowing how it impacted my own life. 

So often I shy away from pain and difficult circumstances.  But I'm convinced now more than ever that as we entrust our lives to Christ, the circumstances He allows in our lives are perfectly right and perfectly justified, and if we cling to Him we'll find that we will be unable to ever thank God enough for doing exactly what He has done.

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight.  These things I will do for them, and not forsake them."  Isaiah 42:16

A Look Back...

 My "random pictures to blog" folder is filling up so here's a look back at some things I never got a chance to blog over the past six months.

 

In October some co-workers of mine were heading to a bush location to help out a missionary for 1 1/2 weeks, and I had the privelege of looking after their two daughters, Sierra and Brooke, while they were away.  These are two awesome girls and we had a great time together. 

 

 We headed to town for some shopping one day and saw that Christmas had finally arrived in Papua New Guinea (PNG). 

 

 One of my favorite things to eat in town is chicken and chips (fries) at a local take out restaurant.  The Kentucky Fried Chicken of PNG.

 

 There's no such place as Wal-Mart or Target in PNG, but once in a while you find some surprising things popping up in stores. 

 

 Every year the mission school has a Sadie Hawkin's banquet, and it was fun to watch Sierra put this idea together to ask out her date....

 

 She even made the pizza herself and brought it to school.  Who could say no to that?

 

 Every year Interface enjoys taking on three interns from Germany for a year.  These guys are a huge help around campus and a lot of fun to have around, but it comes with a lot of adjustments for them including living on their own for the first time (for most of them) and being plunked right into several new cultures (missionary and PNG) and a new language.  This last year we each took turns giving the guys some basic cooking lessons.  Matthias Dorendorf puts the finishing touches on dessert.

   

 Edgard Braun goes to work on the beans.

 

 I put Thomas Krüger's muscles to work on rolling out some Naan Bread for the chicken curry.  

 

I was out in the village and liked the look of these names cut into a cactus. 

Sone lives in the village next to us.

 

The villagers like to make a little cash by selling fruit, veggies, and different kinds of fried food along the road.  I found Sone frying up some "bread scones" - pieces of bread dipped in batter and deep fried.  Her granddaughter must be enjoying a nap.

 

 

One day I finally got brave enough to open the old medicine cupboard that had been sitting unattended for years outside the office.  Ever the "picker," after chucking several bags of trash I came away with, oddly enough for a medicine cabinet, one great vintage deep fryer. 

 

I just can't get enough of the flowers that our village ladies sell at market each week!

We're really fortunate to have a a couple of great places in town to relax and eat.  The Steak Haus (Steak House) main building burnt down a couple of years ago but the poolside eating area survived and they've kept cooking out of a tiny makeshift kitchen.

 

Bobbi and I wait for the food (which is when a deck of cards comes in handy to pass the time).

When we go to town we usually make a day of it to get as much done as possible. 

Shopping chaos.  It's usually a cozy ride home.

 

Thanksgiving 2012. 

Thanksgiving view.

My co-worker and good friend, Janie, and I enjoying a chilly PNG morning together.

I don't remember this being part of my job description when I came to Interface.

Tim and Kay Hughes worked in PNG for many years (including when I was here in High School) and are now Stateside working with NTM Aviation.  They recently took a trip back to PNG, and we had a great time catching up.

Goroka's very own fire station.  Possibly one of the cutest in the world.

Life for kids in PNG means 101 ways to have fun with mud.

A common sight on a trip to town...a local PMV (Public Motor Vehicle a.k.a. taxi) in the mud needing a tow.

 

Goroka Coffee to go. 

At the Goroka airport.  Anna Bottcher was at ITF for eight months helping in the main kitchen.  She was a big help and a lot of fun to have around. 
 

I got another chance recently to look after some co-worker's kids for almost two weeks.  Gracie, Malachi and Annie were a blast and there was no shortage of fun in that house.

 

The artwork in baskets here is incredible.

Last month Interface had the opportunity to encourage several couples from the main mission center with an evening away from home.  Our ITF dining hall transformed into an inviting restaurant where we wined and dined these couples.  There aren't many options for people to get away around here (especially without the kids) and we were so excited to be able to do this for them. 

 

The men worked the BBQ's out back while everyone else put all the plates together inside.

These girls were nervous at first about waitressing for the evening (and facing some of their teachers!), but they did a great job.

 

I enjoy helping with music on Sundays and for the occassional conference.

 

You can't beat Goroka Second Handing.

Several months ago, while taking a walk through a neighbouring village, some co-workers came across this extremeley malnourished baby who was not being taken care of by his mother.  None of us had ever seen a baby in this shape, and some of the ITF ladies became involved in little Lalu's life to try and get him healthy.  The doctors ruled out HIV and TB, for which we were grateful, and after supplying his caretakers with some good baby formula and hygeine tips (and the ITF ladies taking care of him themselves for a while), we finally began seeing him put on some weight.  Lalu's got a long road ahead of him but we're grateful for the chance to be a part of his tiny life.