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.