We’re nearly 2 months into our new life here in PNG, and I must say, for a place that seems to ignore time that controls most of us back in the states, time still continues to fly by here. Dr. Brian, one of our long term missionary surgeons here at the hospital explained to me how most residents here have no idea how old they are. I thought that was such a strange thing, but he went on to tell how many of the people here were just born in their homes, so they wouldn’t have a birth certificate or anything to show for their birth. And to further add difficulty to their recollection of their birthday, there’s one detail about this place that has been hard for this hillbilly from the Ozarks to get used to…everyday is the same. Yes…with no exaggeration, everyday is the same temperature (50’s at night, 70’s during the day), the same length (about 12 hours of daylight), the same chance of precipitation (rains nearly everyday at least some), and nothing really changes about any of it. 

It’s no wonder no one knows how old they are! I began to think how we had so many ways to measure time back home. In Missouri, we were blessed with equal time to enjoy all four seasons. Our former lives, with the kids in school, revolved around the school year and the activities they were involved in. Whether it was Millie’s softball in the summer, Harley’s football in the fall, or Marcie’s school play at Christmas, time was marked by seasons, events, and activities. But here in PNG, today was much like yesterday, and the day before that, and will most likely be that tomorrow and so on and so forth. It’s a very strange state of reality for us. The closer I get to 40, the harder it’s been for me to remember how old I am. For two years I told people I was 38, until Erin informed me when I actually turned 38, that I was in fact turning 38 not 39. It was hard enough to keep track of how old I was before I became a resident of PNG. Now, just like Papua New Guineans, with no seasons, no change of weather, or day length to help mark the days gone by, I’m going to really struggle to know where I stand in the spectrum of time! It’s no wonder a silver-haired village chief that walks in the hospital to get medical care, and who is clearly pushing 80, tells the hospital staff that he’s “somewhere in his 50’s!” When you’ve spent your entire life in an environment like this, it’s easy to see how something that crazy-sounding is actually possible. It’s a good thing I have Erin to keep my years straight for me, because in this place, I may never reach 40!

One of the greatest things about this place though is the people. The Papua New Guineans are so kind and gracious, and they are truly grateful to share their homeland with us. But it’s not just the nationals that are great, it’s the other missionaries we have the privilege of working with here. Everyone has been so helpful to us in adjusting to this new culture, and I’m so thankful for their wisdom and their patience with us. One of the highlights of my time here so far is the time I had with a legend around here. Dr. Bill McCoy, who spent 20+ years serving patients in the hospital, came back to Kudjip from the states and spent 3 weeks with us. Dr. Bill is one of the most humble, most kind, and loving servants of God, and others, that I’ve met in my lifetime. We had the privilege of spending some time with him during his stay here, and he was such an encouragement to me. His testimony that he shared with our family one night over dinner will go down as one of most special times of my life, and I will never forget it.

I’ve been preparing these last few weeks for a trip to Bana in the East Sepik region of PNG. It’s a remote area on the northern coast that has one of our rural heath clinics located there. The old clinic has been torn down, and we will be building a new clinic with the help of a team from the U.S. This team is from the Philadelphia area, and their district raised money to rebuild the clinic, and they’re sending some guys to build it. Longtime missionary to PNG, Jordan, myself, and local Papua New Guinean, James, are flying out this Tuesday,  February 25th, to join some other workers already there in Bana. We’ll be flying with several tools, batteries, and some solar components for the clinic. Then we’ll meet the team when they arrive on March 4th. We’ll be there for nearly three weeks for this project, and due to the remoteness of the area that we’ll be in, I’ll be away from my computer to reply to emails or give updates. Please pray for a successful trip for us. These rural clinics are critical to these remote areas. They are the only form of healthcare for many rural residents in the area, and are essential to their health and wellbeing. These clinics give us a unique opportunity to meet people’s physical needs, with a  chance to share Jesus with them, the One who can help them with their most desperate need…salvation. I have never been away from Erin and the kids for this amount of time, so even though I’m very excited for this opportunity, it’s bittersweet for me. I know they’ll be fine while I’m gone, because there’s a great community around them…I’m just going to dearly miss them. Until next time…thanks for all the prayers and support. Blessings!