Newsletter April

News From Lae

I sit under the fan, on a cooler-than-average Sunday, having come back from church and having most of the afternoon still ahead of me. Isaac has his nose buried in a book, looking up only to ask what a certain combination of letters, in a certain order, has as its result. Cheree sits and reads, intermittently interrupted by chatting with her sister, here to visit. Physically, this day of rest is particularly restful, where others haven’t always been.

The last two months have flown by, with work being incessantly busy, and with visitors coming from far and away. We had the pleasure of hosting my brother, Adrian, and his wife, Roslin, for two weeks, after which there was a short gap before Tash came and surprised Cheree. Rumour has it, Cheree was the only one who was surprised, as everyone else already knew.

While Adrian and Roslin were here, we managed to get away for a few days, making a trip to Ukarumpa, where we could enjoy a deliciously cool break from the heat of Lae, reset our workfamily priorities, tour the SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics; mainly involved in Bible translation) facilities, and stop thinking about work for just a short time. I have come to understand that allowing work to take over too much of my time, or my thoughts, aside from having a negative impact on my family and my role as head, also has a negative impact on my mental, spiritual, and physical states – much the same as back in Australia, but harder to balance out when I live at my place of work, and when so much more work can be piled on and justified as “working in/for a ministry”. So, I come to understand a little more that, while The Doctor (Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones) correctly stated that too many men spend far too much time listening to themselves, and not enough time telling themselves, it is also true that we must learn to listen to our bodies, and recognise when it is time to step back for a while, to find a quiet place, and recharge. And then we need to realise that the world keeps on spinning whether we are on it or not, and nothing will fall apart if we take a take a short break. This place ran before I got here, and will keep running after we’re gone, so it should run just fine in a short absence.

It goes without saying, then, that the break in routine can be a very big blessing, and we’ve  enjoyed having visitors, even if there is always the nagging question in the back of our minds, “Do they get it? Do they understand why we left home for this? Do they like it? Or do they think we’re crazy?” Questions which, in the scheme of things do not matter so much (we didn’t come here to impress people), but the answers to which can impact the relationship with the visitors, for all of the foreseeable future.

And that is something which applies to all of our former friendships. This place is slowly becoming our home, although I must admit there are days when I could easily just walk away, and the challenges we’ve faced are moulding us, softening some parts of our character while tempering other parts. The people who left Australia are gone; and we sometimes wonder, “will we ever relate to anyone back in Australia in the same ways we did before? Aside from people who have served in a foreign country, who will understand the the cry of the heart seeking to be fed at Church, yet understanding so little of the preaching?” Ah, you say, but what about audio sermons? Why not stream or download, or have them sent through? And we’re already ahead of you there – these sermons in our own tongue are cherished and have helped us immensely, yet (and this is the same reason as I would advise people who have the opportunity to go to church, to go, instead of to stream the live broadcast or sit in the cry room) there is a great deal of difference between simply hearing the preaching, and sitting under the preaching. It is a far greater blessing to participate, than to observe. To be able to go to a worship service in a language which I not only understand, but which is the language of my heart, is not something I can see myself treating lightly again.

My thoughts also run here, to a trend I noticed in some circles, of some saying that they would not invite people to our churches because our churches have so many problems that need to be fixed first. The question then, is, where would you have them go? Where would you send them to receive the full preaching of the truth of the Gospel? And if somewhere else is doing a better job, why are you not there? Having seen a broad array of terrible preaching (I thought prosperity preaching was a joke before I left Australia, only to come here and encounter it many times), and having seen our brothers and sisters here invite people to come to “this church, because it is where the truth is preached”, I must wonder why we can get it so wrong in Australia. Are we so comfortable with the truth, that we don’t see the need to spread it?

But I digress somewhat.

As mentioned already, work is busy. That rarely changes, and if it does change, it is due to materials being delayed, rather than a relaxing of the demands placed upon us. As our projects progress, we have finished one of the major three on which I have been working, and the new dorm is slowly being filled as the bunk beds are constructed and made available. A new design for the beds had us go through several prototypes before we finally settled on one which we found to be satisfactory.
Our fencing project progresses in intermittent bursts, hampered by weather making terrain slippery and dangerous, as well as equipment failure (or lack of availability). Meanwhile the Children’s Centre, arguably the centrepiece of the projects team, is aiming for a mid-year completion. Much work waits to be completed, and some weeks are a poignant reminder that “unless the Lord builds the house” we’re wasting our time.

Yet the Lord does seem to be building the house. Our donor boards are happy with our work; so happy, in fact, that they were talking about getting us to complete an unfinished project at one of the other charities they sponsor, and while I had been told to think about what I would like to do in “life after projects”, we have been given more grants for more projects, for some years to come.
Meanwhile, the Lord builds my house also, with the boys getting back into school after a short break, with my wife flourishing as a teacher/homemaker/nurse/mother. Taking on a haus meri has lightened her load considerably, and the difference it is making on her progress with the language is tangible. Overall, we are enjoying a patch of good health, but that can change overnight. A few of us have had a “tummy bug” come to visit, while Haus Clare and Buablong (two City Mission properties in town) have had typhoid outbreaks, which requires extra attention in care and quarantine. We are fortunate enough to be vaccinated against this, but the potential impact of an outbreak on the staff, and the young men, here on plantation would be devastating.

There is much more I could write, boring you with the details of trying to modernise our office somewhat, of trying to recall lessons in database management from over a decade ago when I wasn’t really paying attention (and subsequently reflecting on all those reports where the teachers said, “David would do better if he applied himself”, and thinking, “I wish I had applied myself!”), of learning humility through making mistakes in management, of feeling like a child when I try to hold a conversation in Tok Pisin (and coming to realise that I need to change my thinking away from it being a simple derivative of English, and therefore inferior, and towards recognising it as a language in its own right), and of many other mundane things, but I’ll spare you having to sift through all that. Besides, I need to keep something up my sleeve, just in case nothing happens in between this and my next newsletter…

Prayer points

• Language – it is still a barrier, especially in worship services, and especially as I can easily go through weeks without even trying to speak Tok Pisin, as all of the business houses require their staff to speak English.
• Patience – as sometimes the biggest challenge is that you need to wait for things to happen, when you are used to them happening instantly.
• Grace – with the people for whom you are waiting.
• More grace – we growl loudest at those closest to us, and our spouses and children often bear burdens that are undeserved.
• More grace – to help out those closest to us, by shouldering the burdens with them.
• Health – our lives, as scriptures tell us, are like vapour, and the fluctuating health here is a constant reminder.
• Faith – a consequence of being busy, of not understanding the language, and various other things (self-discipline being a large factor), takes a toll on your spiritual health. Often times, the first things sacrificed, are the most important for good spiritual health, and this is (for me at least) a constant battle.
• Wisdom – in deciding which side projects are superfluous or pipe dreams, and which I should aim to make mainstream projects.
• Growth – scripture says that if a person begins to bear fruit, they’ll be pruned so that they will bear more. If this is true, and any of the challenges we face are the pruning of the Gardener, then pray we learn our lessons quickly, and do not despair in the hardship.

Dave, Cheree, Nik, Isaac, Calvin, and Madison

It’s  been a  while  since  you heard  from  us, facebook  tells  us  from  time  to time. Even longer,  for those  who are  not  on facebook,  as  it’s  now  over two months  since  I last  wrote. Much has  changed,  and yet,  much is  still  the  same. The  Wildeboers  have  left, and  should  be  in the  process  of travelling across  Australia, on their final farewell  tour. In a  way, I hope  that  this  is  like  Johnny Farnham’s  final  farewell, in that  he  had several, as  they  are  missed here  in Church, in  Lae,  and in the  compound. Not  only  is  it  quiet  (some would prefer  the  word “tranquil”),  but  we  were  priveleged  to be  able  to glean from  their experience, and  relationships  were  forged  in the  short  time  we  shared a  yard.  At  first  it  seems  odd, how  life  just continues  without  people  you’ve  come  to expect  to be  there;  how  a  vacuum  is  quickly  filled.  But life  does  go on, and our work doesn’t  stop – not  for anyone. On Saturday,  a  work team  from  Reformed  Ministries  arrived from  Perth, so we  have  five  familiar faces  (some  more  than others), and  five  familiar accents  here  for a  short  time. From  what  I can  see, they’ve  wasted no time  in getting busy with the  task at  hand. The  day after  this  team  leaves, City  Mission  will  be  joined by a  group of 30 youth (read:  teenagers) from  the  Summer  Institute  of Linguistics, or SIL, for a  four day stint,  during which they  want  to help  on any work projects  we  have  going.  Then  they leave, and  we  expect  to have  our first  visitors here,  which is  pretty  exciting.  We’re  also  telling people  that  so long as  they have  an  Australian or Canadian passport  (possibly others,  but  these  two are  the  ones  we  know  for certain), they  can get their visas  on arrival  in  Port  Moresby again, so if they  happen to  have  some  time  up their sleeves (nudge,  nudge, wink wink), they don’t  even  need to  plan ahead to be  able  to visit.  Although they might  want  to check  with us  first, before  they jump  on a  plane. Schooling  seems  to be  going well,  and Cheree  tells  me  that  they  are  3 weeks  ahead  of schedule (although they  did start  the  school  year two weeks  early),  which  gives  us  a  little  flexibility in  being able  to plan things. Calvin joins  Timmy DeJonge  for Bible  Studies  and Science  every morning, and all  of the  children  get  together  for  Art  and Science, with  the  teaching  load being  shared between Ruth  and Cheree.  Personally, I still  get  a  pretty big kick out  of seeing  (and hearing)  my children reading books, so I can’t  not  speak  highly of Cheree’s  work in this  area. However, being  a  teacher,  on top of being  a  wife, a  mother, a  housekeeper, a  nurse,  and a  million other  things, takes  its  toll. Not  only is  she  extremely busy, but  this  climate  is  draining.  There  is  no other  way to put  it, and it’s  not  something we  really comprehended  until  we  lived  it  for a  while.  And so, we’ve  taken  on a  haus  meri, to free  up Cheree’s  schedule  a  little,  and take  some  of that  burden off her shoulders. It  still  feels  a  little  weird, hiring someone  to help  out, and I secretly hope  that  if there  is  any prejudice  in the  way we  are  percieved, it  is  that  we  are  the  weak white  folk who can’t survive  without  help  (probably true),  rather  than the  rich  white  folk, who see  housework as  beneath them  (obviously  wrong). We also hope  that  having a  haus  meri  will  help Cheree  learn the  language  a  little  faster,  as  she doesn’t  get  anywhere  near  the  exposure  I do. I offered  to trade  places  with her for a  week,  but  the offer was  never taken up. She  tells  me  that  it  is  already helping – to  hold a  conversation in  another language, you need  to learn to think in that  language, so the  only way forward is  with constant practice  – as  she  managed  to have  a  full  conversation  at  Church  on Sunday.  Looks  like  the  haus meri  is  paying  for herself already! The  immersion into  a  foreign  language  does  come  at  a  cost  though. Madison seems  to be  learning Tok Pisin quicker than  she  is  learning  English, and  sometimes  listens  to  an instruction in  Tok Pisin, while  ignoring  the  same  instruction  in English. Calvin,  meanwhile, thinks  he  has  it  all  figured  out, and  his  version  of  Tok Pisin  is  to just  use  English words, structure,  and grammar,  but  adding “p’la” to  the  end of every  word. Work  is  something  which keeps  me  extremely  busy. Having  taken on the  role  of farm  management, as  well  as  kicking  off a  maintenance  crew  with their own schedule,  means  that  I can  almost guarantee  that  I’ll  be  spending  the  best  part  of Monday in town. Sometimes,  that  spills  over to the Tuesday  as  well, and some  weeks  it  seems  like  I’ve  spent  very little  time  actually  working  alongside the  young men here.  As  they are  one  of the  biggest  reasons  I am  here, I am  in the  process  of trying to  set  some  form  a  schedule  into place, where  I can  carve  out  a  large  section  of the  week to  spend  in working directly  alongside  everyone  else.  I do understand that  management  requires  taking  a  step back,  but  I don’t  want  to  step back  so far,  that  I’m  out  of contact  with everyone. The  extreme  busy-ness  can, and does, take  a  toll  on family  life  too,  so while  I can  be  glad that  I am usually  home  for my  lunch hour,  I find myself in  a  place  where  I and  seeing a  need  to step away  for a  short  break, and to  re-assess  priorities. Some  would  say that  it  is  a  balancing  act,  or a  juggling  act, but  I tend to  favour the  view  that  it’s  not  so much  about  balance,  as  it  is  about  the  order  of priorities. Leading my  family, must  come  before  leading anyone  else.  That’s  the  way God made  it, and  the criteria  for office  bearers  make  it  abundantly  clear  that  to allow  your own house  to  fall  into disarray, is  to  disqualify  yourself  from  leading the  Church.  Whenever  I think  about  this  subject  now, I remember  a  discussion I had a  while  ago, about  doing great  things  for God, but  neglecting wives and  children.  The  two are  diametrically  oppposed. Prayer  Points • Health.  This  seems  to  be  a  recurring theme, but  health  can change  quickly  here. Everyone was  well  yessterday, but  Nik woke  up with  a  nasty cough and  a  low  fever this  morning.  Two of the  others  also look  to be  coming down with the  same  cold,  but  there  is  always  the  danger that  it  turns  into  a  chest  infection,  or that  it  can  become  pnuemonia  (simply  because  of how wet  the  air  is  here). Infections  grow, and spread, very  quickly here. • Strength.  The  heat  is  oppressive, at  a  whole  different  level  to  anything  we’ve  experinced before.  This  drains  us  very quickly, and we  are  often “wiped”  by the  end of the  week. • Grace.  Even with  our growing  understanding of  Tok Pisin, there  is  something  to be  said  for “heart  languages”, and  for sitting  under the  preaching  of the  full  Gospel  in your own heart language. Eventually, I’m  sure,  this  will  subside,  and we  will  be  fed by the  preaching  here, but  for now  it  can feel  like  we  haven’t  been to  Church (as  we  know  it)  in the  longest  time. • Patience.  Especially with  the  children.  ‘Nuff  Said. • Rest.  I’ve  heard it  said that  we  should aim  to take  a  break  every three  months.  It’s  been six, and  I’m  beginning  to see  the  rationale. • Love.  Of the Agape  variety.

A Day in the Life of Cheree (and Kids)

A few of you have asked what we do here every day, so here are a few snap shots!

Newsletter January

The last month of the year slipped by, gone before we had time to realise it had even begun. While the days can feel so very long, the weeks fly by at an unbelievable rate of knots.

The beginning of this month saw the graduation of a sizeable group of young men, who had all finished the program, finished their time in practical work, and are now on the search for a place of employment. Some have been taken on as staff here at City Mission, others are waiting fo word from a factory which promises to take on 40 of them. In the meantime, they are able to remain on plantation and work on the three projects, in return having a place to stay and three meals a day.

The graduation itself saw some 400 people crowd around a small outdoor stage for a combined Church service and graduation ceremony. Pastor Ian from Reformed Ministries shared a timely message about building up a kingdom of men VS building inside God’s Kingdom, which was followed up by Sowet – the valedictorian, and now a staff member – challenging the graduates to continue in what they had learned here at City Mission. Then, a celebratory meal with all of the staff, the graduates, and some members of the graduates’ families, and the day was done.

Then came time for the program to wrap up for the year. The plantation was cleaned up one final time, another bungkai (roughly “gathering for shared food”), and then the plantation emptied. Out of 145 young men, all but 12 left to join their families, relatives, friends, or wantoks (people of the same dialect/language are considered family) for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Three weeks of minimal activity on the plantation. Three weeks to catch our breath (although all of the staff continued working) before kicking off a whole new year.

Somewhere in that time, new faces joined the Reformed Ministries team; Ryan and Ruth, with all of their children, have slotted right into life here, and we are especially grateful that Nikolas has found a good friend in their oldest son, Matthew. Shortly after their arrival, we had to say goodbye to Sarah Heys, with whom we became good friends very quickly, but for whom God has plans outside of Lae, at least for the immediate future. Slowly but surely, the reality is beginning to sink in that, as a co-worker (in the Kingdom, not the organisation) has told me a few times, life on the mission field is transient. People come and go quickly. God puts people on the field for a time, and pulls them out just as quickly. So while we don’t like to say goodbye to people with whom we’ve become friends, there is an enormous comfort in the sovereignty of God. After all, the Creator-God who allows us to call Him “Father”, controls all things.

Our children are also enjoying their break from schooling, intent on running around the compound from sun up ‘til sun down. Occasionally, I try to keep up with them in the afternoon, but their little legs keep on pumping well after my not-so-little legs have given up on trying. Shoes have been abandoned as if they are cumbersome, and to try catch them as they run full speed along a gravel road is a foolish thing to even consider, on my still soft soled feet.

Cheree is also enjoying the break fom schooling, but is nonetheless a very busy woman. Seeing as there can be no wearing the same outfit two days in a row here, keeping on top of the washing alone, is a never ending job. Add to that the cooking, the cleaning, the running after children, the garden she’s starting, and probably a bunch of other things (like running after me as well – how she manages to find the things I don’t see when they are right in front of me, remains a mystery).

Christmas was a busy time, with a breakfast on Saturday with the Reformed Ministries group, a special service on Sunday, where we were blessed to hear preaching in our own tongue, and then a City Mission bungkai and celebration on Sunday afternoon. New years eve had us enjoying all sorts of deep fried (read: delicious) food, but in bed by 10. And then awake again at 12, when the settlements and businesses around us, as well as a few of the staff and young men from City Mision, let loose with fireworks, firecrackers, bamboo (filled with kerosene, makes quite the pop) and gunshots to welcome in the new year.

So far, we’ve managed to evade being struck down with malaria. Several people around us have had the misfortune of contracting the disease, including one young boy who managed to contract both types of malaria simultaneously, but so far, we have not. That is not to say that we have experienced perfect health either; unexplained aches and pains, infected sores (an untreated sore can turn into a tropical ulcer almost overnight here), mild stomach bugs (although these can sometimes be attributed to adjusting to the new surrounds), and some nasty stubborn coughs and colds, have all visited us, and run their course.

The language barrier is slowly coming down, for mself at least. I reached a point where I knew what some of the words meant, and I could formulate a sentence, but two things would happen. First, by the time I had managed to form a sentence, the time for saying it was gone, and second, even though I knew what words I was meant to say, and what they meant, as they came out of my mouth it felt like I was speaking gibberish. Then, occasionally, someone would reply, and that would completely throw me off – I had only mentally prepared myself to say the sentence, not to have it understood and replied to! Slowly, slowly, I make progress, and I think I’ve found a few staff who will “stretim mi” (correct me) when I get it all muddled. Still, prayer and practice are needed, especially as I need to be able to communicate clearly, not just so that I can work with these men, but so that we can share our thoughts, our concerns, our hevis, and come to a place where we are wanbel tru (in complete agreement, of the heart).

Looking forward, we start up at full speed again tomorrow, with 140-something young men all returned from their time away. As we start up three separate projects, a full vocational roster, and try to get on top of a very lengthy list of maintenance/repair items, I imagine there will be challenges ahead. Balancing all of these things, trying to make sure that projects are being run efficiently, and that the program does not suffer so that projects are completed, is no small task, and this too is becoming a regular part of my personal prayer life.

For now, em tasol (that’s all). Or at least all I can think of right now.

In, for, and through Christ,

Dave, Cheree, and the kids.