Day Number ?

I actually have lost count of the days now. We had a good day today – overcast and rainy so it was quite comfortable for us. Walked with the kids to the small market about a block away and bought them a few peanuts. Jack gave all of the nationals – and his sisters - a good laugh when he shoved a peanut shell and all into his mouth and started crunching away. He was actually enjoying it but I made him spit it out and picked out the peanut pieces for him. :) People are very friendly and love to watch us. Occasionally we’ve made a small baby cry as they maybe have never seen a white skinned person before. Our kids are warming up to being stared at and touched and are learning to smile politely and not comment audibly on the smells/sights (which are many!).

It’s certainly fair to say that we’ve begun to adjust to life here. It always takes at least a few weeks to start to settle in somewhere. The kids have insatiable appetites. Not sure if it’s the heat or maybe the absence of snacking and dessert type foods. It’s crazy! We’re also becoming accustomed to the absence of hot water. Even in this heat a cold shower is a bit shocking when you first get in – especially for the kids! Especially shocking when you discover you’re sharing the space with ant eating geckos. Have so far shared the shower with many ants, gecko’s and cockroaches. Well, only one cockroach. I made Jay go in and kill it before I re-entered.

We spent an evening last week with the New Tribes missionaries again to celebrate American Thanksgiving – complete with pumpkin pie and football! It was nice. We’ve been enjoying the incredible hospitality of Mike and Ruth (our hosts) and the kids just LOVE them. It was neat the other night to sit around and talk of home as they are originally from Port Sydney as well. The missionaries who are here are so amazing. I’ve really been trying to understand how they can give up everything and make sacrifices that seem so huge to me to be here. Missing relatives and friends, churches, communities, comforts, familiarities. Yes, the palm trees are beautiful but seriously – a lot of what we see isn’t. And yet they are so humble and gracious and thankful. So passionate to share Christ with the people here. People who desperately need the gospel and have never heard. I’ve been reading through Mark as that is what Kaj has been preaching on at our church in Muskoka. Stuck on Mark 10:29. “Jesus said ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundred fold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first.’” Trying to really get it. I certainly don’t think we all need to leave home and embark on overseas missions. I am wondering how my ‘normal’ life fits into this. What have I sacrificed for the sake of Jesus Christ and His gospel? What would my ‘normal’ life look like if I was willing to sacrifice in this radical way? I’m thinking that it comes down to (at least in part) where my priorities in life lie. What’s on my list of important things to do? I think my list might look a bit different from now on…

A Great Sunday

We had a great Sunday today but missed you Harvest family! We worshipped this morning with the New Tribes Mission folks and the kids enjoyed meeting some kids their own age and playing on some playground equipment. Had a nice lunch and a quiet afternoon. It's been overcast today and when we were swimming I had my first PNG goosebumps! Major event. :)
Thinking of you all back at home and so appreciate the comments and emails you send. We miss you. It's hard not to be homesick even though we're adjusting well.
Going to have a light supper of leftovers and fresh Po Po (papaya) and then head to bed. Gearing up for a busy week.
Love to you all,
Krista, Jay and kids

Day #8

Yes I'm counting and hopefully I'll get more creative as time goes on.

Wow. I so meant to update this thing before now. Our trip was great - thank you to everyone who was praying for us. We knew you were! Our first few days were interesting - trying to readjust our day/night schedule and also getting used to the crazy heat. A few heat rashes later we're doing much better! Jack was sick with a fever for a few days but is becoming his usual investigative self. The girls are having a great time and really enjoying each other. We haven't met many national kids for them to befriend but will soon. The kids all sleep in a triple bunk bed (pictures to come) and think it's pretty fun. It's getting harder to keep Mya and Lena quiet before bed (as they adjust to the time difference and can manage to giggle enough to keep eachother awake). Jack is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. :) Jay and I are usually to bed soon after the kids but slowly we're able to stay up a bit later and have an 'evening'.

Well. We've eaten our first crocodile (no kidding and it was delicious!) and swam in the ocean. We're enjoying SO MUCH fresh fruit (we've been through 2 pineapples, 2 papayas and 3 bunches of bananas already - YUM) and veggies. We're starting to recognize the geiko's that inhabit our kitchen cabin in the evening. We're enjoying Mike and Ruth's hospitality immensly and are beginning to 'live' on our own - cooking, shopping, laundry, school, etc. Jay's begun working with 'the boy's' - Mike's 4 national workers and even taken his first trip into the bush for a load of wood - walnut and kwila. Things don't smell as funny any more. :) I'd say we're beginning to settle in.

Thanks everyone for your prayers. Without them we know this would have been much more difficult. We covet them still - for safety, for health and for clarity of mind in what and how we're accomplishing day to day.

Congrats Eric and Linsey on Caden's arrival. Wish we were there to meet him now! Eric - Jack kept 'seeing you' at the Hong Kong airport. :) Miss all of you at home and at church. Thinking of you guys as you're getting into that prayer study. Wish we were doing it with you. Small group - don't eat too many apple benieghts without us!

Love to you all and thank you each one for your words of encouragement. :)
Krista and Jay

One more sleep!!!

Wow. We leave tomorrow (Sunday, Nov 8th) to go down to the airport and catch our 12:15 AM flight to Hong Kong, the first leg of our journey. This inaugural flight - 15 hours! - should be interesting. From there we head to PNG and arrive sometime Tuesday evening Ontario time. We been overwhelmed with love and support from all of you - praying with us, making this financially possible, visiting, sending care packages and meals for us, etc. We look forward to updating you and hearing about all of the exciting things that God is doing here in our absence. Please keep praying and also keep us up to date on what's up with all of you - we'll miss you and we love you!