Plastic Rock

 

Physical Science, Experiment 6.1

Materials: 5 cups corn flour, 2.5 cups water, large plastic container, large spoon, 4 students

Hypothesis: I expect to find sticky goop on random surfaces throughout the classroom for the next several weeks.

Process: In the large plastic container, mix 5 cups of corn flour with 2.5 cups of water. Stir until mixture becomes hard. Let mixture sit until it becomes liquid. Apply pressure and watch the mixture harden.

Results and Observations: Although the assignment was only for Quinton, all the students got their hands dirty. They each left their own studies to test the experiment. They spent 30 minutes punching and scooping up their new creation. Instead of sticky goop, we were left with a crusty film all over the classroom.

Conclusions: The mess was well worth it….learning should be a little fun!

 

Easter Eggs

Last Saturday I went to the Dooley’s house for an Easter Party. I “helped” the kids color Easter eggs. We found that brown eggs soaked for more than 30 minutes produce deep, rich colors. After the hunt, the kids came inside and Gail retold the story of the resurrection. It was a very fun and meaningful day.

Madang

 

During the Easter holiday I joined a group of missionaries on a trip to Madang, on the north cost of PNG. I feel blessed to have witnessed the coastal side of this beautiful country. The atmosphere was relaxing like any California beach town. We swam daily, napped in the sun, and ate fresh seafood. My favorite memory is of the diving. Midway through the trip I broke from from the pack to do a couple of reef dives. It was more amazing than I can possibly describe...an experience I hope to never forget.

 

Catholic Mission

 

This weekend I was itching to get off station. Dan, Becky, and I escaped to the Catholic Mission which sits on the hill across the river from our station. We took pictures and enjoyed the beautiful, sunny day. Along the way we passed by Betty’s church and talked with some of the women we met last week. It was so refreshing to get out and enjoy a new place.

 

Betty's Church

Kimel Kofi Plantation

Today the singles joined up with the Radcliffe family for a tour of Kimel Coffee Plantation. It was the first time I had been off station in a week…it was glorious! There were a lot of workers there for the amount of work that was actually being done. The manager, a man who had been treated at the Kudjip hospital a few times, made a special Saturday appearance just to guide our tour. Somehow I managed to go through the entire hour without catching a single phrase. This was not because of the language barrier…there was just too much to see!

Gideon

Gideon is a skilled artist and craftsman from the nearby village of Banz. (That’s where we go clothes shopping, but I’ll save that for another post). He burns beautiful, intricate designs into bamboo crosses, picture frames, nativity sets, flutes, bush knives, and pretty much anything you can make out of wood. This is not to be confused with carving….Gideon has a lumpy, melted finger to prove his point. He also happens to be a friend Ron and Doris Libby, for those of you from Oroville, and speaks of them fondly every time I see him.

Pirates and Picasso

 

This morning we joined the MK School for a treasure hunt. The kids dressed up like pirates in head scarves, eye patches, sashes, and jewels. They painted their faces and carried wooden swords or bush knives. They went to grannies, the amusement part, a museum, and a restaurant looking for clues before finding the treasure down by the river.

 

 

In the afternoon, we went back to the high school to work on our first art lesson. Becky, Kathy, Lydia, and Dan joined our class of two. They learned about the life and work of Pablo Picasso. Then they made Picasso Fish using the shapes and designs found in Picasso’s work. I’m very proud of the work they did. Thanks, Cindy, for sharing your projects with us!

 

I LOVE THE DOOLEY FAMILY

This past week I received a very important phone call from Gail Dooley….it was an exclusive invitation to Dooley Sushi night. It was such a treat! Not only was the sushi amazing, but it truly felt like we had been transported to a restaurant far from PNG.

From Left: Michelle, Becky, Katie, Dan, Niles, Meghan

I think we will all forever love the Dooleys!

Happy Birthday Fynn!

This morning I called my mom to remind her that it was Fynn’s second birthday. Do the terrible twos apply to cats? She tells me that for the most part he is still well behaved…but he thoroughly enjoys waking Dad up at 4 or 5 am for his morning feeding. It's great to know that he is in such good care while I’m away! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

John and Rebecca's Church

DOWN BY THE RIVER....

In Search of Little People

Mission: “The Search for Little People”
Objective: What objective???
Team: Katie, Becky, Dan, Meghan, Josh
Location: The Bush, Piltongi, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea

It’s taken me nearly a week now to put my thoughts together about this hike. Even before we set out if felt like one of those….now just how poorly can we prepare and still come out alive sort of adventures…but no one could resist! Anton Jim, a night watchman on the station, had told Josh of the little people that live in the hills surrounding Kudjip. They are 2.5-4feet tall and have white skin with thick black hair covering every inch of their body except for the very top of their head which is bald. Now there is an altar somewhere in the hills where you can go and play music for the little people. If they like what you’re playing, they may just appear to you. These are very special little people who speak every language and give gifts of various kinds to the tall ones they meet.

Once the story was out about the little people, what was planned to be a nice Saturday afternoon hike turned into an overnight trek into the deep bush with hope of returning sometime before dark on Sunday with a little person in tow. I was actually impressed with the supplies we were able to find morning of and since the team included a doctor, a missionary kid who grew up in Africa, and a boy scout from Alaska, I figured we just might be alright. By noon we were finally packed and ready to go. A missionary couple drove us to Piltongi where we would recruit a bush man to guide us through our journey.

The man who was supposed to take us had a bum knee, so instead he sent us with two bush boys, Alex and Kaman, who were 15. They guided us across the river and up the mountain where we had spectacular views of the valley below. We stopped to sample the sugar cane and when it began to rain we ducked into a cook hut to make a fire and dry off. An hour before dark we decided to press on deeper into the bush for a more authentic experience. Alex and Kaman used bush knives to clear space for us and built a shelter from small trees, vines, and the one tarp we brought. Though it was too wet to make a fire, Dan had packed a small burner and cook set….we had an awesome dinner and drank hot chocolate until finally passing out from exhaustion.

The next morning Alex and Kaman returned bright and early at the crack of 9 am to get us moving down the mountain. After a little convincing they agreed to take us on a “more scenic” route home….just down this mountain and across a couple rivers…probably 5 hours or something at most. Soon the trail disappeared and we were cutting through the bush….I say we meaning Alex, Kaman, or Josh. We met up with a river and followed it through a ravine until we met a waterfall….at which point we were back to climbing mountains again.

It was already 4 pm before we reached the first main river and started back up the next mountain. Eventually it became clear that we might not make it home before dark….let alone off the mountain or out of the bush. At some point it began to rain…softly…and then it poured. Though we discussed the possibility of setting up camp and calling it a night, we were bound and determined to make it home. We trekked on through dark, cold rain for hours…up and down hills, through the mud and stinging nettle, and across at least 3 more rivers.

We didn’t return to Piltongi until almost midnight and it was still another 2 hour walk back to Kudjip. We had almost made it through the village when Pastor Paul and his family came running after us. A missionary had come by earlier that evening to tell him to look out for us….thank you Scott. Pastor Paul had us wait while he called to get us a picked up. We were hopeful, but still skeptical of how far the cruiser would make it on the washed out road. But sure enough the cruiser pulled up just outside of the village. I’ve never been more excited to see headlights in my life!

By the grace of God we made it home safely. After 16 long hours the only thing I wanted to do was shower and make pancakes! Needless to say we never saw the little people. Our source says it may be because the little people will only appear to one person at a time. Who knows…maybe we’ll try again someday…

Game Night!

So, you are probably asking yourself…what does one do at night without The Office, or Gray’s or American Idol? Here on the compound we “singles” have Game Night! I’ve been learning a couple card games…Hearts and Pinochle and teaching Rummy. But our latest and greatest find from the Library was BIBLE MAD GAB…oh yes…its awesome! For those of you who don’t know about MAD GAB, it’s a game where teams read aloud funny phrases...Thus Heap Office Past Chore...and try to decipher what the phrase is actually saying...The sheep of his pasture.

Eventually we will need to incorporate Movie Night into the weekly routine…but for now, it’s Game Night every night!

New Hospital Dedication

This week we had the dedication ceremony for the new hospital. Everyone on the station participated in the cleaning and preparation. Nazarene churches across the district took up donations and gave pigs or chickens for the mumu or picnic. I think there were around 20 pigs, 100 chickens, and a cow or two. They roasted the meat along with bananas and sweet potatoes in big pits of hot coals and banana leaves. I think we ended up feeding over 1000 people that day.

The dedication ceremony itself was beautiful. We lined up outside of the station gate and then marched in two-by-two…dignitaries from PNG and Australia first, followed by missionaries, and then townspeople. The nursing staff sang a thank you song and showered us with flowers petals as we walked by. During the ceremony we had several music specials. Did I mention that by default I was in the missionary choir? We sang Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus. The ceremony also gave the dignitaries an opportunity to give their “remarks”….in 60 minutes or less.

After the ceremony and dignitaries meal finished I only had an hour to recharge before babysitting duties. Luckily there were just as many babysitters as there were children. We had tons of fun making pizzas, playing fort, reading books, and watching The Incredibles in-between power shortages. There are some really great missionary kids here…8 in all ranging in age from 15 months to 16 years. It doesn’t make up for not having my nephew Dylan around….but it sure helps!

First Week

I arrived in Papua New Guinea just over a week ago…though in many ways it feels like I’ve been here forever…perhaps it’s because I’ve been on my way here for so long! For those of you who don’t know I had to cancel all out of country trips this fall due to my PNG work visa issues. Through faith I kept my sanity and the work visa ended up arriving 2 days before departure. I am finding that God is always on time…but rarely early!

It’s been an eventful first week with 2 hikes, a day trip to Mt. Hagen, multiple dinner invitations, 4 game nights, orientation for my teaching job, tours of both hospitals (the current and the one under construction), observing a cesarean, and in my spare time lending a hand construction site. One might think that living confined to a small station, having a 2 min commute to my 1 room school house, no TV or cell phone, and limited internet access would result in a slower pace of life…not so much (phrase courtesy of my new friend Becky).

Our first hike was to suicide rocks. It’s only 20 min or so from the station…just followed the river past the hydro station which services our electricity…then through a vegetable patch and past the coffee fields until you meet up with the river again at the suicide rocks. The icy water was so refreshing. But I’m a little unfamiliar with swimming fully clothed. They don’t do swimsuits here in any way, shape, or form. If my students ever get around to doing PE…we’ll definitely be hiking to suicide rocks and tubing back to the station!

The second hike was much more difficult…5 hours…lots of mud…steep climbs…but we did get to see an awesome bone cave. In the end it was well worth it! I also met a new friend, Esta. She was a little girl around 12 or so from the village where we started our hike and she decided to befriend me and help me along the hike. We walked hand-in-hand most of the way. This is very common for same-sex friendships in PNG. Men and women would never hold hands in public…even husbands and wives.

There is more I could tell you about this first week…but I don’t want to exhaust you with my stories too quickly.

BETTY IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND!

Today I found the BIG RED Betty Crocker cookbook in my cupboard…so exciting! It’s perfect timing since we’re now out of bread and I’m not scheduled for a trip into Hagen for groceries until 16th of February or so. I’m quite proud of my achievement…first time making bread outside of grandma’s supervision…and though it’s not her amazing French bread…I think I did pretty good for my first try.

I really hope these pictures upload because you’ll see my super cool snoopy apron. Trust me…it’s better to wear the snoopy muumuu-apron than have to do more laundry here. Since the dryer is broken we rely on the clothes line out back. Unfortunately, we have to be home to supervise our drying clothes because they have a tendency of “walking off” if you’re not home. Lucky for me the summer sun lasts until at least 6:30-7.

Next experiment…tortillas!