How many firsts can there be? Oh so many!
We have been here for just under 3 weeks. Last Saturday we were invited to go to the beach with 2 other MAF families. After a 45 minute drive, only about 20 miles but the roads are oh so terrible, we arrived at the dock where we arranged for a boat to take us across the bay to the beach. After getting all 13 of us along with all of our swimming and picnicking paraphernalia into the boat, it started raining! We got soaked in the 30 minute boat ride. Not that it was a first time we got soaked on a boat, but it was a first for us to go swimming in the rain. Once we got there and got unloaded we sent our boat back and the rain stopped! The color of the water was a beautiful soft green color of which I have only seen in pictures or from afar while on Maui. First time I had swum in water of such a color! It was a glorious day of swimming, snorkeling, picnicking, & swinging into the ocean. I saw my first “Lion Fish”. I wish I had an underwater camera to show you all that I saw. The purple and heather colored coral, bright blue star fish, fluorescent blue and black sea snakes. It was amazing! Even better than Maui! Miles got sunburnt pretty badly on top of having worked out on the tarmac without a hat the day before. He wasn’t in pain till the evening.
Once we got back into the long boat to head back to the dock it started raining again.
I had my first driving lessons on the left side of the road. Not only did I turn on my wipers every time I wanted to signal, I had to learn to sift with my left hand.
I had my first Indonesian lesson. It was pretty bad. My tutor, the secretary to the principal, asks me to repeat phrases she has taught me every time I see her. It has become a matter of pride to make sure that I can say them. She is so sad like her teaching is not good enough when I can’t remember. I have so many new names and
faces to remember over 70 students in my classes
The boat leaves us in our tropical paradise!
Huts to stay out of the rain
Before it rained again on the way home
plus all their families, some of whom live on the MAF base with us. There are over 10 families living here let alone those staying at the school. Many MAF folk come from other bases regularly so we are meeting a lot of staff. The children of other mission organizations are included. Not the first time I have had to remember so many names, but add it to the new environment, new culture, new language, and my brain is in overload! Evenings are spent in the only air-conditioned room in the house, our bedroom. We are usually asleep before 8PM. All the changes are making us very tired!
We get up @ 5am (not a first) and on M,W,F, go swimming at the local pool. On T, TH, I walk around our complex. One MAF wife has decided to join me. It is the coolest part of the day, around 75 degrees. Miles heads to the hangar around 7:25, (less than 5 minute walk to the hangar) then I take care of the house ten have to be @ school by 11:00. I teach a Bible class to 6th graders (first) then have lunch with my colleagues. After lunch I teach 1-5th grade art and 3rd grade ESL. I am glad that my schedule is light for now as I get accustomed to life over here.
I sometimes ride the bus home (16 passenger van) That is a first time I have ridden home with some of my students.
The first time I saw a papaya here I thought it was a squash. They are giants over here! So sweet and tasty! The Longan is sweet like a lychee, has a thin leathery shell that peels like an egg, and is almost half seed. I like them but Miles doesn’t care for them.
The Geckos or Cheechaks as they are called here are everywhere! Each morning when I wake up I have to wipe at least 1 poop off my counter from them. I sanitize then try not to think about where else they have been. They are pretty quick so getting a picture has been difficult. We have a bunch of baby ones along with the big ones. The babies are pretty cute at under an inch long including the tail.
Small Papaya (The ones over here are monstrous!)
Picture taken @ Joyce Conklings’ house. We had
dinner with her and some teachers during the first
week here. Miles is holding a sirsak which is a very
slimy fruit inside but the juice is tasty! I guess it
has natural cancer healing powers. Miles is trying to pull
out the strings of fruit so that we can taste it. First)
longan.
For the best girls! J Clara and Carly
Doing laundry here is a treat! Thankfully I have a pembantu (House helper). Her name is Melince’ (Meleenchay) The machine is fully automatic as long as I remember to automatically turn the switch to fill and turn on the water, turn the switch to agitate and set the timer, turn the switch to drain, pull out the soggy clothes and put in the spinner tub right next to it, turn the dial to spin, place back in the wash tub to rinse, fill, drain, and spin again, then hang out on the line. I am grateful to my Grandmother Murray for her teaching me when I was young how to hang clothes on the line. Most everything has to be ironed after this. Melince does the lion share of the laundry! She also sweeps and mops, does the dishes, if I don’t which I usually do, and generally wipes stuff down. Everything gets so dusty and dirty here. She is married and has a 3 year old daughter. They are our responsibility should she end up in the hospital. We will need to care for her there and take food to her family. Surprise! We just adopted a whole family! We are glad to help. She is such a hard worker.
Our first Saturday here we had a tree fall down. It was rotten to the core it seems due to the orchid that was growing on it. It had a wasp nest in it. We are trying to figure out how to save the orchid as I guess the purple blooms are breathtaking when in full bloom. Several MAF ladies have taken pieces to start for themselves.
I have picked pineapples for the first time in my life. It seems that our pineapples are every ones’ pineapples. They are disappearing faster than we can pick them. Not taken by MAF folk. They say that everyone knows they are ours and the compound is secure, but they disappear none the less. One lady came to the door to sell pineapples. Hmmm?
So much for our first 3 weeks in Sentani!
Thanks for reading our “first” blog. Thanks for your support! May God richly bless you.
Psalm 119:140
Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them
How many firsts can there be? Oh so many!
We have been here for just under 3 weeks. Last Saturday we were invited to go to the beach with 2 other MAF families. After a 45 minute drive, only about 20 miles but the roads are oh so terrible, we arrived at the dock where we arranged for a boat to take us across the bay to the beach. After getting all 13 of us along with all of our swimming and picnicking paraphernalia into the boat, it started raining! We got soaked in the 30 minute boat ride. Not that it was a first time we got soaked on a boat, but it was a first for us to go swimming in the rain. Once we got there and got unloaded we sent our boat back and the rain stopped! The color of the water was a beautiful soft green color of which I have only seen in pictures or from afar while on Maui. First time I had swum in water of such a color! It was a glorious day of swimming, snorkeling, picnicking, & swinging into the ocean. I saw my first “Lion Fish”. I wish I had an underwater camera to show you all that I saw. The purple and heather colored coral, bright blue star fish, fluorescent blue and black sea snakes. It was amazing! Even better than Maui! Miles got sunburnt pretty badly on top of having worked out on the tarmac without a hat the day before. He wasn’t in pain till the evening.
Once we got back into the long boat to head back to the dock it started raining again.
I had my first driving lessons on the left side of the road. Not only did I turn on my wipers every time I wanted to signal, I had to learn to sift with my left hand.
I had my first Indonesian lesson. It was pretty bad. My tutor, the secretary to the principal, asks me to repeat phrases she has taught me every time I see her. It has become a matter of pride to make sure that I can say them. She is so sad like her teaching is not good enough when I can’t remember. I have so many new names and
faces to remember over 70 students in my classes
The boat leaves us in our tropical paradise!
Huts to stay out of the rain
Before it rained again on the way home
plus all their families, some of whom live on the MAF base with us. There are over 10 families living here let alone those staying at the school. Many MAF folk come from other bases regularly so we are meeting a lot of staff. The children of other mission organizations are included. Not the first time I have had to remember so many names, but add it to the new environment, new culture, new language, and my brain is in overload! Evenings are spent in the only air-conditioned room in the house, our bedroom. We are usually asleep before 8PM. All the changes are making us very tired!
We get up @ 5am (not a first) and on M,W,F, go swimming at the local pool. On T, TH, I walk around our complex. One MAF wife has decided to join me. It is the coolest part of the day, around 75 degrees. Miles heads to the hangar around 7:25, (less than 5 minute walk to the hangar) then I take care of the house ten have to be @ school by 11:00. I teach a Bible class to 6th graders (first) then have lunch with my colleagues. After lunch I teach 1-5th grade art and 3rd grade ESL. I am glad that my schedule is light for now as I get accustomed to life over here.
I sometimes ride the bus home (16 passenger van) That is a first time I have ridden home with some of my students.
The first time I saw a papaya here I thought it was a squash. They are giants over here! So sweet and tasty! The Longan is sweet like a lychee, has a thin leathery shell that peels like an egg, and is almost half seed. I like them but Miles doesn’t care for them.
The Geckos or Cheechaks as they are called here are everywhere! Each morning when I wake up I have to wipe at least 1 poop off my counter from them. I sanitize then try not to think about where else they have been. They are pretty quick so getting a picture has been difficult. We have a bunch of baby ones along with the big ones. The babies are pretty cute at under an inch long including the tail.
Small Papaya (The ones over here are monstrous!)
Picture taken @ Joyce Conklings’ house. We had
dinner with her and some teachers during the first
week here. Miles is holding a sirsak which is a very
slimy fruit inside but the juice is tasty! I guess it
has natural cancer healing powers. Miles is trying to pull
out the strings of fruit so that we can taste it. First)
longan.
For the best girls! J Clara and Carly
Doing laundry here is a treat! Thankfully I have a pembantu (House helper). Her name is Melince’ (Meleenchay) The machine is fully automatic as long as I remember to automatically turn the switch to fill and turn on the water, turn the switch to agitate and set the timer, turn the switch to drain, pull out the soggy clothes and put in the spinner tub right next to it, turn the dial to spin, place back in the wash tub to rinse, fill, drain, and spin again, then hang out on the line. I am grateful to my Grandmother Murray for her teaching me when I was young how to hang clothes on the line. Most everything has to be ironed after this. Melince does the lion share of the laundry! She also sweeps and mops, does the dishes, if I don’t which I usually do, and generally wipes stuff down. Everything gets so dusty and dirty here. She is married and has a 3 year old daughter. They are our responsibility should she end up in the hospital. We will need to care for her there and take food to her family. Surprise! We just adopted a whole family! We are glad to help. She is such a hard worker.
Our first Saturday here we had a tree fall down. It was rotten to the core it seems due to the orchid that was growing on it. It had a wasp nest in it. We are trying to figure out how to save the orchid as I guess the purple blooms are breathtaking when in full bloom. Several MAF ladies have taken pieces to start for themselves.
I have picked pineapples for the first time in my life. It seems that our pineapples are every ones’ pineapples. They are disappearing faster than we can pick them. Not taken by MAF folk. They say that everyone knows they are ours and the compound is secure, but they disappear none the less. One lady came to the door to sell pineapples. Hmmm?
So much for our first 3 weeks in Sentani!
Thanks for reading our “first” blog. Thanks for your support! May God richly bless you.
Psalm 119:140
Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.
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