February 27, 2008

“Holdem Him Strong”

  

So life in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is very different than I thought.  I can’t express the great peace I feel, peace that has saturated so much of my mind.  In the midst of the mind numbing HUMIDITY, we are feeling very at home here.  I think I’ll feel better when our shipment comes and I can make my apartment my home.  Oh, let me tell you about my house.  Very simple, 3 bedrooms (very tiny) but a great kitchen and dining/living room.  I have huge floor to ceiling windows that make the whole place bright and breezy.  We don’t have air conditioning (maybe one day) but we have huge ceiling fans in each room. 

   My first night in our home I turned on the light in our bedroom and I saw what I thought was a giant moth.  So I killed it, with Paul’s shoe mind you.  Then I realized it wasn’t a moth, but a 2 ½ inch cockroach.  Nice welcome. 

   A SIL missionary told me to remember that “the jungle is ALIVE, and we live in the jungle.”  Its crazy to look out my window and remember that I live in a jungle.  Thick, lush, beautiful jungle.  Ants are just part of the household, kind of like finding dust.  They pop up no matter how clean your house is, but its only the red ones you have to worry about.  I also have several gecko’s living in my home, though I’m not sure if I want to get rid of them.  Other than a good scare when I open my kitchen cupboard they seem to be harmless.  I keep telling myself, “the jungle is alive”. 

   The people have also surprised me,  they are so beautiful inside and out.  Loving and happy to love.  But yet so many of the women seem forgotten, lost even.  Some times I look in their eyes and can see the years of pain and just life.  My personality is definitely different than most woman here.  I’m totally outgoing, while most of the woman I’ve met are very quiet.  I can’t wait to build relationships with them. 

   I have several “buddies” , Nana (in picture) who is so beautiful and you can just see Jesus in her.  Every other morning he bathes her baby  outside her 1 bedroom dorm room using a water bottle and a bar of soap.  Its fun to watch her love her kids and watch them worship her every word.  My new friend is Julianne.  She is my neighbor across from me and is so kind, she came right to my door and asked to take me shopping (which heh, you know me, shopping, I’m in!)  She speaks very good English and has just moved to Madang also.  She’s teaching me pidgin. 

   Its weird cause I know I’m still in “honeymoon” stage with PNG.  But I can’t tell you how happy I am.  I feel like this is who I am.  Just loving people, and serving them.  Plus I feel like being a missionary is teaching me how to be a better mother.  Mason and Ezra have allot more of my attention and we are definitely bonding through all this. 

    Sunday at church someone gave a word “holdem him strong” meaning hold on tight to Him.  I’m hanging onto my God.  But the cool thing is its really Him hanging onto me.