Well done

"Well done they good and faithful servant," are the words you want to hear when your work is done.  For Papa Yapo and Mama Sandy, we gathered to say just that to them as they headed home.  

For the past 44 years Papa Yapo has been a constant at Nazarene Hospital.  God called him to come and work at our hospital, and he obeyed.  He moved his family from Tambul area, above Hagen to Kudjip where he has faithfully served for almost 1/2 a century.   In my time here at Kudjip, he has been our ambulance driver, but before that he was in maintenance and has done various jobs, whatever we needed.  Mama Sandy has also been a blessing to many through the years.  This past year she was sick and I helped to care for her, making home visits when she couldn't get out of her house.  Thankfully, God has helped her and she is now able to walk again with a cane to get around.  

The whole hospital came together and we formed a huge circle as they were heading out to wish them God's best and to say thank you for all their service to us these past few years.   

Hydro Project Update

Cement slabs for dam

Reservoir erosion protection

Erosion above reservoir

Our hydro project has been underway for about a year now.  Earl Hartwig and his family have moved from Ecuador to PNG to help us complete this project.  Many workers from the local communities have been helping in this process.  They have finished the canal work and now are working on the actual dam that will help divert the water down the canal.  They have diverted the water for the present time to be able to pour the cement in the dry river bed, and once they get half way done or so, they will divert the water the other way, to work on the other side.  They have started pouring some of the concrete of the dam, but have a lot more to do.  

Start of dam construction

Canal

The river

They have already prepared the area where the reservoir will be.  They put up a number of baskets filled with rock, that they hand placed, to help prevent erosion.  After the dam is built, the last part is the completion of the penstock, the big pipe that the water will go into to take it to the hydro house where it will go through the turbine generator and generate power.  A lot has been completed and a lot more needs to be done, but the workers are doing good work.  Continue to pray for Earl and his team as this project continues.  

MK Spirit Week

Our MKs are pretty great kids.  Recently they enjoyed Spirit Week where they all dressed up in different themes each day of the week.  The kids really got into it and had some great costumes.  This is them on storybook character day.

Jim and Tanu

Tanu, is a man who has had cerebral palsy his whole life.  He can't use his fingers, so he has learned to do things with his feet, including typing on a typewriter.  Years ago, the Radcliffes befriended him and they have continued to keep in contact with him and help him with various needs ever since.  I had the privilege of seeing him in the clinic this week for some minor complaints and was amazed at how well he does given his limitations.  Thankfully, Tanu has some pretty good care providers, so he doesn't usually need to be seen very often.  

Papua New Guinea isn't an easy place to live for anyone, much less someone with a disability.  We don't have wheelchair ramps or sidewalks or anything. The wheelchairs go through the mud and over stony bumpy road just like everyone else does.  His wheelchair has taken a beating through the years, but is holding up.  Pray for him and his family as they continue to care for him.  

Samoan Umu

This past weekend I went to our Nazarene Bible College with the Deuels, Pringles and Staci and we joined the Fakauas for a Samoan umu.  An umu is very similar to the PNG mumu, but it is done above ground, where a mumu is in a hole in the ground.  They both use rocks that are heated to cook the food.  Peni and Talisua had done a lot of work in the morning preparing the umu and cooking the taro, kaukau, taro leaves and chicken.  When we got there, we grilled up some steak, chicken and tuna and then had a feast.  After eating, we played games and had a lot of laughs. 

The Pringles

Scott and Tyronza Pringle have served at Kudjip for 3 months for each of the last 3 years.  They are a blessing to all of us here on station.  Scott, is a retired OB doc, so he handles our Labor and Delivery ward and does a lot of gynecological surgeries while he is here.  Tyronza fills in however we need her from taking care of the storeroom to hosting folks for dinner, to doing auditing, to teaching to whatever.  It is always fun to have them here, as evening are full of dinners and game playing.  Thank you again, for serving with us, and we look forward to having you back next year.