Ukarumpa is beautiful

hello all!!!

It has definitely been way to long since I have blogged and I must apologize, I have only had spurts of time for email and such and wanted to have time to sit and tell you all that has been going on these last 5 days.

We left for Ukarumpa on Friday the 16th, Our flight was delayed 4 hours because the battery of the King Air was dead. So we had to purchase a new battery at large cost, but that was done.
I am grateful for the time in the airport because it allowed me to make new friendships. I met Paul and Kelly Stewart and their 2 children Piper and Will. Will is 2 months old and the Stewarts are returning to Ukarumpa after being away for you guessed it 2 months. I also met Sonia, she is near my age, she is revisiting Ukarumpa after being gone for 21 years. Her parents live there and are translators. Sharon was also with us and she is a single lady in her 50s i presume and we were able to hang out and chat and watch a movie together. I really enjoyed hearing about these people and enjoyed their friendship. When I arrived in Ukarumpa, I knew I would have these friends.
We finally landed at Aiyura airstrip at 610pm via Port Moresby (we picked up 4 other folks coming in from the village from Finland). Lilah (my new housemate) and David and Ann Smith (WA volunteer coordinators) were there to greet me. We quickly headed to drop my luggage off at the house and head out because I was late for supper at Lynn Wood's house. After that I went to a Tie Party (necktie). That was very fun and met a few more folks there. I was extremely tired when I arrived back at the house and would love to say I fell fast asleep, but i had some difficulty getting to sleep that night.

The next day I packed everything in the closet and arranged things. I had lunch with an older couple (teachers) and that involved a lengthy discussion of PNG history so I am now informed. I came back in time to turn around and go to dinner at another family's house. It was enjoyable, they have 2 kids 8 and 14 and I enjoyed time with them. I rode with them to the Bush Dance that evening. Now bush dancing is similar to square dancing and it was loads of fun. You had to have a partner with each dance and got quite funny at times because as in most places girls outnumber the guys. There were probably 100 folks from the town who participated or observed the evenings events. I will download pics when my computer gets to working correctly with internet.

On Sunday we enjoyed Tok Pisin services and English service and then headed to lunch with another family and they have 4 kids with 2 living at home and they are i think 15 and 17 years of age. Their 17 year old daughter wants to become a massage therapist so we talked a lot about that and are trying to come up with times for me to help in her training.

There is another massage therapist in town, she is currently not well enough to perform massages, her name is Nancy, and I ask that you would pray for her healing. The doctors are uncertain as to her diagnosis, but possible Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus. I was able to work with her doing massage and she was feeling significantly better when I finished. We were able to enjoy quality time. She is very much an encourager for me and very much a prayer warrior. I am grateful to have her here.

I have done some work at the clinic and will officially begin on Thursday afternoon after the morning of prayer. I am practicing with Sonia this afternoon and we will be leading in some of the worship time. Pray for me, I will be attempting to play the djembe (hand drums for those who don't know). I am terribly excited about it!

My housemate is the vice principal here at the primary school. She is also the art teacher, she is very creative and and we are becoming good friends. She is teaching me the ropes especially when it comes to cooking. I made my first ever Jam Drops last night which is shortbread with a drop of strawberry jam and covered with icing (all from scratch). They were delicious and I am on my way to becoming a domestic diva.

I am learning a lot about myself while I am here. Some good and well some stuff I need to work on. I recognize my view of the world is so narrow. My closest friends here are probably not going to be American and I like that. I have befriended folks from Australia, Holland, New Zealand, and of course the US. I desire to do all that God wants me to do here and desire to be very intentional. Things are not looking as I thought they would and I love it! I am getting to do things I have always wanted to do back home, but never had the opportunity,will let yall know how all that turns out. I really want to learn the language here and ask that you pray with me in finding those willing to sit down and teach me. Also request that you pray for my sleep, I have been having difficulty falling asleep these last few days and some strange dreams so please pray that my sleep is restful and peacful.

This is fast becoming a novel and I must head to practice with Sonia in a bit. So for now know that I am well and will continue to tell you how blessed I am to be here for such a time as this.

"For you thoughts are not my thought for your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord. As the heaven is higher than the earth so are my thoughts higher than yours and my ways higher than yours." Isaiah 55:8-9