Ezra hasn’t made allot of friends in PNG, mostly because he’s two years old and mommy and daddy are his best friends. Recently he’s been playing with the grandson or “booboo” of one of the pastors. This is Dwayne. He’s so cute and talks allot in tok pisin. He hasn’t been around allot of white kids so he keeps pinching Ezra’s arm to feel his skin. Ezra screams and Mason laughs.
Meet my teachers: Wena, Anna and her husband Jacob. Wena is my good friend that is 8 months pregnant. She is only 22 and speaks excellent English. She has been teaching me tok pisin since my first day here, and she is also my translator to the other woman at Bible school. Wena will deliver here baby here, over 8 hours from her family and woman that would normally help her.
Anna and Jacob are amazing. They have 3 children but only one of them came with the to Bible School, their son Malachi who has become a great friend of Mason. Anna and Jacob have sacrificed so much to come to Bible School jobs, family, ministry, all to come and learn. I love them because they take the time to teach me, tok pisin, passim (culture) of PNG. Jacob and Anna have been teaching me PNG worship songs (they are worship leaders), and I love spending time with them. Ezra is hot and tired.
This is my new purse. Its called a bilum (bee-loom). The picture next to it is of my little friend Ishmael. His mother, Leah, made me my new purse. Leah is precious. She doesn’t smile very often but she is one of the kindest women I’ve ever met. Ishmael doesn’t smile very much either. I don’t know what’s happened in their life to make a mother and child not smile but over the 3 months we’ve been here God is beginning to give them joy. Ishmael is 4 years old but smaller than Ezra who is 2. When we got our shipment I gave Ishmael a bag of old clothes of Ezra’s. Leah said a simple yet grateful thank you and walked away.
Last week Leah came to my door with Ishmael. With tears flowing down her face she handed me this bag. She made it. It takes about 2 weeks to make a bilum, that’s working all day. Most woman sell these for 60 or 80 Kina (20-30 dollars). She could have made allot of money by selling this purse but instead she gave it to me. We stood there crying together, awkward because she speaks no English, my tok pisin is not great. After we hug, she smiled and said “thank you”. I carry it with me everywhere and remeber the great sacrifice she made.
Me and my best friend. One thing that I love about serving the Lord is that I get serve with Paul. Being here with him makes me so grateful for the amazing gift God has given me in him. He is amazing. He is totally PNG. Its funny watching people listen to him tok pisin. So fluent, so clear. People laugh when he tells them we’ve only been here 3 months. Then he tells them he grew up here.
Oh year, superficial thing: did I mention I LOVE not wearing make up. No one wears make up here. It definitely shave 5 minutes off my morning routine. Just think, ladies, never having to wear make up. Although the humidity does wonders for your skin.
