(Just some ordinary PNG scenery. I was way overdue, so I snapped this as we drove.)
The family headed to church in Lapilo. This pic is right in front of our house and Aowyn is lagging behind as usual.
This is the river we crossed to get into one village. I saw a lady heading out of the village with a big basket of banana's on her head to sell at market and a bag of supplies in her hand. I asked how she would get through the river and was told with a blank expression "she'll cross the river". Bare in mind the river is chest deep with a strong current, even though you can't see it in the pics.
Just some really tall bamboo trees.

Bena Bridge Church singing in their tribal language.

We feel truly blessed that you would take the time to read about the happenings of our little family in Papua New Guinea. I look at my family, and all the special people we are surrounded by out here and I thank God. We begin at times to feel lonely for the familiar, but we feel joy in knowing that our friends and family back home are praying for us, and that God has no limitations in time or space and that he remains for us.
This past week provided several good opportunities for me (Clinton) to get inside a few of the local villages. The area of Papua New Guinea we are in would not be considered remote in PNG standards, and yet we are surrounded by village after village. Most of these villages you would not know exists, until you follow a small trail into the seemingly jungle/forest, and realize that many communities are all around. I can't remember the names of the villages, but I was in one last Thursday, another this Tuesday, and another this Thursday. It is part of the language training to get into the local villages to experience some of the culture and hear the language spoken. I also went to a village church for their service this morning. Our understanding and capability to speak in Tok Pidgin (Pidgin English) is quite limited, but is expanding. Each tribe also has a Tok Place (sort of a tribal language), but the people we have met all speak Tok Pidgin fluently. Unfortuantely, Rolanda has not been able to get into any of these villages. Women are more limited in their ability to travel at times, so she has been stuck with the kids. Don't worry, we will make sure she get's a chance to experience all these villages as well!
Probably the neatest village for me to go to had to do with the "road" into the village. It is only about a 10 minute walk down a side road (at home we would call this road a bush trail, to give you a sense of what we are talking about). Then the road dead-ends at the river. The river is about chest high, about 60 feet wide, and has a strong current at this time of the year (one guy crossing with me actually was pushed about 30 feet past the opening on the far side and we pulled him in further down the river. It sounds more dramatic than it was, he was fine:). On the way back we started about 100 yards up stream from the opening we wanted to hit, walked straigt, and the current still almost moved us too far. I got my phone and camera wen on the first trip across, so I didn't get any pics of the village. Fortunately, with some air-drying and some prayer we got the camera working again.
This morning was pretty neat as well as I enjoyed a church service with some believers in the Bena Bridge Church. I understood little that was said, but enjoyed singing with the believers. I posted a little video of some of the singing. The video I posted was in their tribal language, and most of the songs were sung a little different (for those that were in Guinea, West Africa, I found it to be similar). They sing with throats a lot more than North America, but the people are unafraid to sing and the Tok Pidgin songs were actually very catchy! I still can't get one song out of my head. After the service all the people gathered around us white guys on the floor and they wanted to sing with us, so we sang for another half hour. I am so small to think that God would be limited to one side of the globe, but to see the believers face-to-face praising God was really cool.
So, what to pray for:
Continue to pray that we adjust to life here and have an impact on the ministry and the local people as much as we can.
Pray that we would continue to establish meaningful relationships.
Pray for the tribal missionaries who are presenting the Gospel, and for the persecution they and the believers in those tribes face.
Pray that we would draw nearer to God personally, and as a family.
God Bless!
Clinton and Rolanda Friesen

friends, language, and sewage!

Well we've been here in Lapilo for a month, which means we left Steinbach just over a month ago. It feels like forever ago and still just a bit ago that we left, it's weird how that works. Things have been running very smoothly for us, which causes me some concern as that's usually when something goes wrong right? :) Clinton has settled into his job quite nicely, he's now on his own doing the accounts receivable for NTMA (the aviation program of New Tribes in PNG). He is out at the hangar mondays, wednesdays, and fridays for now and works here at Lapilo in the finance office on tuesdays and thursdays. His days at the hangar include him leaving for work at 6:45 am with the pilots and mechanics in two big vans. He then comes home around 4:15pm with the same group of guys. He has developed a love for flying (which freaks me out regarding what kind of hair-brained ideas he's going to get about getting his own license in the future!) :) He's been enjoying his time there in any case.

I have taken on the role of the school nurse here in Lapilo. The school is called Numonohi Christian Academy and it's students are largely missionary kids either from New Tribes or other mission organizations around here. There is also a fair group of national kids who go to school here as well. So far my job has included doing lice checks and immunization checks. I've been going through the health records of the students and seeing who needs to be caught up on immunizations and then they get sent to the clinic to get updated.

Eventually I hope to be able to put in some time at the clinic as well, but I'll be patient and wait! :) Clinton will hopefully be able to get one day off a week and then I'll go in the clinic for that day.

Last week sunday we had the immense pleasure of joining with Terry & Rosie and Pete & Lesley for lunch in Sobega. It was a great time of visiting and sharing. (and Rosie cooked a wonderful lunch!). We were able to get a picture of all of us to show our fellow Steinbach CMCers a shot of us together. It is largely because of our sending church that we are all out here. I've been missing church back home already, so many of you guys that went to church with us became great friends of ours, and we miss worshipping along side you guys. Tayah asks periodically about different people back home, usually people from church.

Tayah has tried talking to some of the nationals out here and she kind of just babbles nonsence to them, they look at her a little funny but she figures she's speaking their language because that's what their words sound like to her! It was really quite funny and then I had to explain to her that she's not saying anything, she's just babbling! Oh well, I'm sure she'll pick some of it up.

This past week they were emptying our septic tank in the back yard, and they had to leave it open over night to finish up the next day. Well let's just say the smell of sewage in the morning is not pleasant (or at any other time of day!). Besides it being offensive to my nose, the fact that they left the pit open made it a danger for my kids, so needless to say they stayed inside until it was all done! I went to open my back door to bring in the laundry hanging under my porch and there was a few workers taking an afternoon nap under my drying undergarments! Well I just closed the door and let them sleep, I collected my laundry after they were gone. Things are so different here in a lot of ways.

We've started language classes twice a week in the afternoons. So you can pray with us that we'll pick it up quick as Clinton & I both have a desire to be able to communicate with the nationals that work around us and also at the market. Clinton was able to take a short field trip into a neighboring village last week as part of the language and culture classes. He says it was interesting but a little boring as he didn't understand anything that was being said! :) This is another reason it would be nice to know the language!

Anyway, we just want to again stress how thankful we are to all our friends and family back home who are praying for us and encouraging us with emails or phone calls. (our phone number is 011-675-531-4425 just in case anyway wants to call and say "hi"). We would love to hear from you back home. Our mailing address is: box 1079 Goroka E.H.P. , 441, Papua New Guinea.

Love, Clinton & Rolanda (Tayah, Aowyn & Rorik)

settling in...

Well, we've been here in lapilo for about a week and a half. Things are going quite smoothly...actually better than we anticipated. The kids are sleeping well (as long as we drown out the traffic noise and the neighbor kids with a fan!) We're getting settled in a routine which is good for kids and mom! :) Every monday and thursday the store here in lapilo is open for grocery shopping and the fresh fruit and veggie market is also on the same days from 4-5pm just outside the gate. The gate is right beside our house and the store is right across the street, so we don't have very far to go! Grocery shopping is a highlight as there are no other stores here, unless you count the mission barrel, which is a small room where missionaries leave their belongings that they couldn't sell (or didn't want to sell) when they are going home on furlough. Everything is free and to me it feels like garage saling! (only free...wouldn't that be nice in Canada eh Tash?) So far I've been able to find a Meri blouse, a baby doll for Aowyn, some headbands for Tayah, a few books, a small lunch cooler for Clinton...and probably some other miscellaneous items. But it makes me feel good! :)
To give you a feel for food prices here...a small bag of brown sugar - $10, a tin of Pringles - $5, Oreos - $7, Chocolate chips - $4 (small bag), 1kg of mince (groundbeef) - $6, etc. Some foods are reasonably priced while others are outrageous, but there is no where else to go. Everyone around here gets really excited when a container comes in because then you know lots of new foods (or hard to get) foods from the states are coming in. A container came in today so I'm looking forward to grocery shopping on thursday! Even if I just drool over what's on the shelves because some things are too expensive for me to justify right now! :)
The twins celebrated their 2nd birthday on the 25th, so I was able to find a boxed Duncan Hines chocolate cake and icing in the store and we partied!! :) The kids (and Clinton) loved the cake! And I didn't have to slave too hard over it! :)
This morning Rorik was playing in his closet and Aowyn closed the door while Rorik's thumb was still in the door and needless to say it didn't end well. Rorik's thumbnail came almost all the way off and I had to take him to the clinic here to have 2 other nurses and a doc hold him down in order to give him a little freezing before the doc ripped the rest of the nail off. Poor little guy, screamed like crazy and I'm sure all of lapilo heard him. He's tough though, got a sucker after and was fine. Now to keep the dressing on for the next week...:)
Clinton went to NTMA in Goroka for the first time today to start his orientation there. He'll be going in every other day to do the finance end of the aviation program there. He really enjoyed it and felt like he was catching on! (that smart husband of mine!)
We're still going through some orientation stuff in the next two weeks, and continuing to meet new people and starting to recognize others we've already met. Clinton plays roller hockey every sunday and wednesday evening with a bunch of guys from the base here. (Terry Banman plays as well). He loves it!
I'm a little tired of all the uphill climbing while pushing a stroller, but I count it as my workout! I'm huffing and puffing everywhere, never have I felt so out of shape! I walked on the treadmill at the little gym here and I felt like I was walking uphill on that (and no, there was no incline on)! But boy does it feel good going downhill! Rorik has wiped out more times than I can count, but he's starting to get his legs under him while he races down the hills. :)
Anyway, please continue to keep us in your prayers as we adjust out here. Please pray that Rorik's thumb heals nicely and no infection sets in. We thank you all so much for your support and encouragement as we fit into life out here.
Love, Clinton & Rolanda and kiddos