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.