“Olsem na yupela i no ken tingting tumas long tomora. De tumora em i ken tingting long samting bilong em yet. Hevi bilong wanpela de em inap long dispela tasol.” – Matyu 6:34 (Buk Baibel) Matthew 6:34 (Tok Pisin Bible)
Wednesday, March 7, 2005
Dear Friends and Loved Ones,
We find it hard to believe that we have been in Papua New Guinea for the last two months. Time has truly passed by quickly as we have been learning and doing many different things. God has blessed us in many ways during this time of training.
We have been praying for you and we would love to know how we could better pray for you. Please let us know how you and your family are doing.
Our days here at the Pacific Orientation Course (POC) are filled as we have classes from 8AM to 12PM and 2PM to 4PM each day. Our classes include subjects such as: Tok Pisin (language learning), Spiritual Vitality, Anthropology, Cultural Adaptation, Medical Care, Conflict Resolution, and Physical Endurance (hikes and swimming).
(POC students and staff)
Both Kurt and I (Johanna) have done distance swimming and have gone on many different hikes through the jungle near by. Last week we went on the three day survey hike. We chose a very sweet family that is in training with us to watch Kassia while we were gone on the hike. We hiked for two days and stayed in two villages where we had to do basic surveys of their language and culture. The experience was incredible and the people we stayed with unforgettable. Unfortunately, Kurt got sick with some type of virus on our second day of hiking. In the evening after radioing the nurse here at the orientation site, she decided that it would be better if Kurt was brought back to the orientation site to spend the night and recuperate. He had a high fever and chills as we were picked up at the village. We were sad to say goodbye to the people in the village and to the group that we had been hiking with for the previous two days. We really wanted to hike with them on the last day, however it was a blessing for Kurt to be able to have a good night sleep and to rest and recuperate. The rest of the hiking group joined us at the orientation site the next day around midday.
(On our 3 day survey hike with a family in the village)
POC is a total of fourteen weeks of training. The first eight weeks are for learning the language and culture of Papua New Guinea. Now, we have completed these eight weeks and the next phase of the course begins when we will go to a village and live there for five weeks. Each family here at the course will go to a different village in order for them to be able to concentrate on learning the language and culture without having other English speakers around. After the five weeks of village living is over, we will return to the POC site and have a week of debriefing before we go to Ukarumpa. This is the missionary base where Kurt will be working in the Communication and Technical Services Department.
(The village house we will be staying in for the next five weeks)
This coming Friday March 9th, we will be leaving the POC site and going to our five week village living site. God has been faithful above and beyond our expectations and has been revealing himself to us during this time. Please pray for us as we are in the village. Pray for protection and good health during our time there. Also pray that we will be able to get to know the people in the village and be able to establish lasting relationships with them. Pray also that we would be able to learn Tok Pisin well so that we can better communicate with the people we will serve and work with.
During the next five weeks (starting Friday March 9th) we will not have email access. We will try to send an update when we get back to let you know how this time went.
(Kassia with the guard dog Herman)
Thank you so much for your prayers, financial support, and encouragement. We truly could not do this with you.
In His hands,
Johanna (for Kurt and Kassia too!)
