March 12 to April 10

Take me Home Country Roads

One day close to the day I left Mawan I heard a familiar tune coming from the Haus Boi (the house were the young men live after living with mama and papa and before building a house and getting married). Believe it or not it was John Denver’s “Take me Home Country Roads” ~ in English!! It was Esau (Esow) singing it. He thought it was pretty cool that I was from Colorado and so was John Denver (huge smile here!). I laughed and asked him “just how much English do you know??” He never answered; he just smiled.

Who saw the Broncos playing in the 2014 Super Bowl? Not me!!

One day mama shared with me that during her time in Lae Papua New Guinea when she was visiting her other daughter that she had watched television at her daughters’ house and the Super Bowl was on. Her family was rooting for a team named the Broncos!! She recognized the symbol on my Bronco gloves that we used as hot pads to get pans from the fire. She told me that she looked at plenty of meri’s (ladies) who looked just like me. I really wish that I had taken my Bronco shirt to the village with me!! But I think it is on the ship due here next month. I will have to wear it out there some day, ha-ha! I left my gloves as a gift to Rachel and she was thrilled! She has a Bronco shirt (be still my heart!). It was a GREAT connection! It made me feel close to home (BIG smile!). I find it ironic that my wasmama from a village in a jungle in Papua New Guinea watched some of the Super Bowl and I didn’t! I was in my POC class! Disclaimer: I found out after the fact that she wasn’t talking about The Denver Broncos… there is an Australian rugby team called the Broncos! I was a little bummed but it was such a fun connection ~ even if it is only in name that I’ll take it! It still makes me smile… guess I had better check out the Broncos on this side of the world. I felt happy that she didn’t really watch my beloved Denver Broncos lose in the Super Bowl anyway!

Rats, mice, mosquitos, cockroaches, other irritating (and some cool looking) bugs and snakes

I think I’ve told you enough about all of the 4 legged furry friends, the bugs and stuff…Except here are a couple of cool bug pictures!

So I will just tell you about snakes. Well I guess I didn’t mention “how cool it was” when I would lay there at night and actually feel the rats scurry across the rafters above my head. I watched them do that more than once… I talked myself into believing that it was ok because “I had a mosquito net in between us ~ if it fell.” Sometimes my Pollyanna world comes in really handy!
 

So … snakes… the first occurrence was on the day that Joel died. When I was finally able to come out of my room without crying we went to the waswas place as usual. I had my beautiful little fresh spring “pool” to wash in. Some girls stacked up rocks and made it for me. I love them! I was completely consumed with my thoughts of the day. I heard mama say “snake” and Coralie and I got out of the water. I never saw the snake. I just listened for mama to say it was ok to get back in the water. No Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. Do you wonder why they didn’t want us wandering around without one of them? I didn’t even try. Besides, I love being around all of my new friends! I have become a part of their family. I look forward to them coming to town to see me and I plan to go back to visit them plenty of times. When you come… you can meet them too!

Note from May: Just so you know… I’ve been back twice since then and I haven’t seen any more snakes.
 
There was another snake occurrence. I had already gone to the liklik haus that morning ~ so when Coralie called out for mama to come … I grabbed my camera and followed. Here is a photo of mama with the snake draped over the stick she used to “paitim het bilong en” (beat it on the head) until it was dead; and then she tossed it into the trees. It was funny. I thought that she would “be used to” snakes and would just take care of it… but I watched her move like a girl to take care of it… I think that she might have even squealed on the inside, ha-ha!! That thought makes me smile inside!!
 

My next update is coming soon… it includes “to see or not to see”  and POC graduation celebration after village living.

 
Please pray without ceasing… I need your prayers; for me, for my family in the states and for my new family and friends here in Papua New Guinea.
 

Thank you SO MUCH for the blessing of being here. I’m grateful that God called me here and that you help me both financially and emotionally with your prayers and constant words of encouragement. I couldn’t do this without God (I wouldn’t WANT to!!) or without you. Thank you, really.