Over the last few months we...

...went to Scietech....

Isaacs Journal about the day (wrote this on his own)
 I love seeing their writing improve

Nik wrote a great journal too!

...designed things...and then built them....

Niks design of a toolbox for Calvin

started with a screwdriver..
it took too long, so went to the drill!

Dad cut the pieces, Nik is putting them together
 (dad is helping)

...finally visited RioTinto Naturescape in Kings Park...

Isaac being a Ninja, Calvin wondering if he would fit through
the log tunnel and Nik trying not to fall over in the creek 

Dad threw a boulder in front of the unsuspecting boys posing for a photo

 

...still wait patiently for news of those visas!...

Updated family photo

Dave's Dad organised some family photos to be done (by Maximus Artography) and here are a couple shots of our ever growing family. I can't believe how fast the last 7 months have gone - fun loving Miss Madison is already crawling, furniture walking and loves to follow the boys outside, and get involved in whatever they are doing - usually digging and sitting in dirt. Lots of dirt.

Dave has had some spare time in amongst fixing/building things around the house, so has picked up his own camera again and re-found his love for taking photos. Check out his photo blog here - http://davevdwal.blogspot.com.au/ for his most recent captures!

:) He is available for hire if you want some updated portrait photos of your family also :)

Boys will be Boys...

Another day, another drama, A.K.A. Boys will be boys.

A few days after Nikolas was given the all clear to go without a sling, his broken bones healed, and given the instruction to try not play any rugby for a little while, the boys were kicking the footy in the park. A three way collision involving Isaac, another child, and the ground, resulted in more broken bones, this time is Isaac's right wrist.

Isaac. Not worried at all about wearing a sling for the next few weeks!
(Pain wise he is very tough - still tries all his normal activities,
I even caught him doing front flips on a friends trampoline already :O )

At this point, we are not calling it a delay - we are still waiting for visas in any case - but it is a setback nonetheless.

Over the course of time since we said we intended to go to Lae, one recurring question has been, "With a young family? Are you crazy?"

Besides the logical conclusion from this question that the Free Reformed Mission Board(s) must all be crazy, and that the vast majority of our serving missionaries should be called home, if we are to believe that young children should preclude service in missions, I would have to say that I don't know.

Am I crazy?
Is it insane to believe that the entirety of our lives are in the hands of one far greater than ourselves?
Is it crazy to trust in our Father's providence?

I'll leave that judgement in your hands, but suffice to say that the health of our children is something which is never far from our minds as parents. That we do wrestle with the reality that we will not have the same access to care as we do here (although we are assured we will have access to good care when we need it).

When these things happen, they do not only cause setbacks in the timeline for our arrival in Lae, they threaten setbacks in our resolve to go at all. Far easier to throw our hands in the air and proclaim that it is all too hard, too much, too costly.

So, what then?

It seems to me that the only way to go is forward. That, having set hand to plow, we push on with singularity of focus. That we recognise the cost as something already counted, already allowed for, and press on. That we surrender our desire to control, to mitigate, to manage, and remove risk, and give it all to the One who knows far better than ourselves.

(written by Dave)




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We have since been reminded that Bob Epperson - the General Manager at Lae City Mission - is a retired paramedic specialist. :) So don't worry. We will be well looked after in LAE!

The House!

Sharing a few of the house pictures we were sent. It is a modern 3x2 and we will be very comfortable there - we are looking forward to making it our home.  Aside from a couple minor things to finish/hook up, the house is now finished and ready for us!

Side of the house, with front porch to the left and 'car park' underneath,
and the start of our own garden - bananas!. 

Standing at the front door: lounge/living, with kitchen/dining to the right

One of the 2 kids bedrooms

Kids/public bathroom

Part of the master bedroom with the ensuite

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures - I know it gave a bit of relief to the minds of some of the family.

Updates

Seeing as I have missed blogging the last few updates which we had posted on Facebook, I am adding them here in one go:

March 1 2016:
Prayers for quick healing please! Nikolas jumped off a swing today at the park, landed on some uneven ground which caused him to fall on his elbow and fracturing the bone just above it. A visit to the doc and then to emergency results in him having to wear a sling for the next 2+ weeks.

March 29 2016:
Update on Nikolas - after having to wear the sling full time for the last 4 weeks, Nikolas is now allowed to start taking the sling off for quiet indoor activities. Also allowed to start using his arm for light carrying. In 2 weeks we have another appointment and xray to check how the healing is going.


---

Like an expectant mother approaching her due date, we frequently hear the questions, "What are you still doing here?", and "Still walking around?".

Like an expectant mother, wanting only to meet her child, we feel the ever so slow passage of time.

So, why are we still here?

Humanly speaking, it is because we do not yet have our passports back, with visas printed in them. So, we wait, while our passports are over in PNG, and pray they'll be sent back to us soon. There is little more we can do.

We also know that our plans will only prosper if they match up with God's plans, and that He will bring us there when it is His good time. In between, we keep our eyes open to any purpose for which He may be keeping us here.

And we learn to wait on the Lord.
Because He is good.


March 31 2016:

Minor News Update:

A few weeks back, we had to send our passports over to Moresby, so that they could print our visa stickers, and send them back to us.

After two and a half weeks, and a couple niggling doubts about whether our passports would be lost in the mail, we heard today that City Mission has received our passports. From here, they need to be processed (I assume) and sent back to us.

The finish line is in sight.

Except that the finish line is only the start line for the next leg of the race.

April 7 2016:
Thanks for your prayers! Nikolas is allowed to get rid of the sling for good!

---

The news we have for this week, is that there is not really any news to tell.

We heard from Bob, the General Manager over in Lae, that "our" house is nearing completion, and will be ready for us when we arrive.

But we still wait for visas. Without boring anyone with the minutia, it is safe to say that, by the time we leave, our passports will be far better traveled than we will be, having gone to and from Brisbane, to Moresby and back, and then finally (maybe, hopefully, prayerfully) to Canberra and back again.

Still, we wait.
Still, we need to daily remind ourselves that the Lord's timing is always impeccable.

Patience

“The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord.”  Joni Eareckson Tada

An applicable quote while we wait for news on Visas..
Wait on the LORD! It will happen in His good time!

In the meantime, there is sorting and packing, last minute renovations and yard cleanups, library and park visits, outings with family and friends, language learning, and...the list goes on.. plenty to keep us busy!




*I started this post a couple weeks back and never posted it. Latest news on the VISA front - we have been approved - now waiting for the sticker to be printed and put in our passports and sent back to us.*

While we are champing at the bit, so to speak, to get to Lae and start with this new venture, we are learning to wait - patiently.  We know patience is a needed trait for living in PNG also, so this is a good 'test' for us :)

Earlier this week or eldest son jumped off a swing (as adventurous kids do) landed wrong on uneven ground, and fell onto his arm, fracturing the bone just above the elbow.  The Doctor said its not a bad break - no cast needed - so he just has to wear a sling until his appointment Thursday the 10th, and we will find out more then.

Please pray for quick healing that we are able to travel as soon as our passports come back!

Psalm 27:14

 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

****UPDATE ON NIKOLAS and PASSPORTS****

We saw the doctor today at the fracture clinic for Nikolas' arm, and were sent for another x-ray.  We were hoping he would be given the all clear - no more sling.  

However the x-ray showed it is not completely healed as yet, so another 2 weeks of wearing the sling full time and then for the 2 weeks after that he can start taking the sling off and using his arm. Next appointment is 4th April. Doctor said we can travel, but advised to have the next appointment before we go.  

We are now sending our Passports to Port Moresby Immigration Office (due to some minor issues from the other consulate where our passport were already waiting) for them to print visa stickers and return to us. This may end up to be up to or around a 4 week turn around.

So all being well, our passports will arrive back to us around the time Nikolas can give up his sling for good :)

Top right -  last week Tuesday - waiting in ED - reading 
Middle right -x-ray today, pretty impressed with the "inside the body" camera!
Bottom right - x-ray today, hard to see but there is still a crack above elbow
Left - he can still smile after being disappointed with more sling use!

Homeschooling

Sharing a few photos of our home schooling.  Its been about 4 weeks and not once have they asked to go back to 'real' school, so we must be doing something right ;)

We are settling into a bit of routine (somewhat) and looking forward to the time we move and can settle into a more permanent schooling routine in PNG!

While we wait, we enjoy making use of the local library for games and books, looking up and learning more information about Papua New Guinea (their favorite thing to look up right now is the Volcanoes), and continue with learning bits and pieces of the Pidgin language.

Playdough is a great tool for school!

Using duplo to do addition and multiplication 

Life Skills training ;) fixing our deadlock!

Having fun with review words - flipping them over

Having another reader in the house is a blessing - and that he loves reading to siblings - a bigger blessing!

Isaac "Hey Mum. I just wrote and drew a story!' (unprompted writing!) 

Apparently this was the best lesson yet:
water colour review words

Getting all the school work done in the morning leaves
lots of time for sibling bonding.
Fort building and fighting the enemy.

and little Miss Madison happy to sit in the grass watching the boys play.