The Hydro and Pizza making

While Tom was getting a start on a plan for implementing the EMR system, the rest of us had a mysterious invite from the Stewardson boys to “ride the hydro.” They described this somewhere between a really fast lazy river and a water slide. It also, somehow, involved the hydropower plant. 

We got our bathing suits on and met at the Stewartson’s house. I came with towels, my phone, sunglasses, sunscreen.

“You might want to leave those here,” said Joshua, when we arrived, “because it’s like a 5-minute ride to the end, and then a bit of a walk back. It’s best not to leave them by the canal or they might be taken.”

So, I left my bag at their house, and we headed down a hill as the Stewardson Six gave us tips along the way.

“You can go on your front, but you might bang your knees.”

“I like to lean back and go with my feet up, but I have ripped my pants that way, so try to keep them off the bottom. It can get rough.”

“Just make sure you stop when it gets deeper because at the end there is a waterfall, so… just make sure you stop before that.”

“Don’t worry, there is a fence. It will be fine. But, make sure you are on the left or you could slip under it.

“Oh! And when you climb the ladder at the end, watch out for the razor wire.”  

And, with all that jolly encouragement, we arrived at "The Canal”. 

You know how people always say that you shouldn’t play in storm drains, especially when there is rushing water in them? 

Well, this was basically a five foot wide and two feet deep storm drain that was built to direct water from the river to the hydropower plant to power the mission station.

Joshua got in first, planted his feet and leaned into the rushing water while holding onto the sides.

“It’s slippery here, so be careful!” 

His boys, Judah and Asher, got in next. They immediately sat back, and the water took them down the canal. Joshua followed. 

I got in carefully. It was cold, but not that bad. The water was really strong and the moss on the bottom made me slide a bit. I tried to walk, but the danger of falling down was pretty high. I found a rough part to stand on, while Jimmy and Sammy got in, clinging to the side of the canal as the water fought against their legs.

Kendall got in and helped her girls, who were wearing life vests, into the water. Kendall was also wearing a life vest, but she had tied it around her backside. “So I won’t rip my pants,” she explained. “It makes for a smoother ride.” She sat back, held her girls’ hands, and they sped away.

I helped Lucy, who was also wearing a life vest, climb into the canal. The moment I set her in the water, the current took her out of my arms and she swept down the canal, she and her bright pink life jacket out of sight as she rounded a corner. 

“Boys, let go of the wall. It’s time to go!” I called out, panic starting to set in.

I opted to go forward at first because I only have two pair of pants for this long trip, and didn’t want to sacrifice them to fun, yet. But I immediately got a mouthful of water, so I switched to my back and let the water take me while I pushed off the bottom with my hands. This worked and once I got comfortable, I was floating fast and free down the canal. Lush trees and flowers on one side and open sky on the other. Some Papua New Guinea children watched us rush past them as they stood on the side of the canal, laughing and pointing. On later runs, they would jump in with us. 

I heard distant calls from Joshua, who was in front, saying “watch your head on the pipes,” or “barbed wire in the water, stay to the right.” 

After a few minutes, the water slowed down and got really deep. We even had to swim to the end and tread water for a while as each person took turns climbing the metal ladder to the top of the canal, carefully avoiding the razor wire.

The kids were laughing. I was laughing. 

Sammy was already running up the path to do it again. 

*Here is a video that is actually from the next time we went. This was Tom's first time, as well as the newly arrived Allen family, a missionary family that came 4 days after us, but would be here at least two years. One of the high school teachers, Cherish Shinners, also joined us. The water was note-ably slower than the first time we went. Still loads of fun!

Later that afternoon, we had plans to learn how to make pizza with our across the street neighbors, the Woltjer family. Apparently, Friday night is traditionally pizza and movie night and since there are no Dominos or Papa Johns, or any restaurants at all, everyone makes their own.

I mentioned to Daniella Woltjer that I did not know how to make pizza dough and she told me to come on over and learn. I brought some cut vegetables, an extra jar of pizza sauce, and my notebook to write the recipe. Daniella was a great teacher, as the next few Fridays proved when I did actually manage to make pizza on my own. This might actually be a thing for us now.

First time trying to make pizza without a teacher.

During dinner, we got to know their story a bit more. Daniella was born in Ecuador to missionary parents, and Lukas is a mechanical engineer who works as the Kudjip station Director of Corporate Services and Development. He handles finances, IT, staff training, and many other responsibilities. They served in Papua New Guinea in 2017 for a few years, took some time in the US, and then returned in 2021 and have been here ever since. Daniella, Lukas and their three kids are super fun and interesting and have been a huge help to us in figuring things out and getting settled quickly. 

Fun note: The movie the Woltjer family selected was “The Swiss Family Robinson.” I had forgotten that the family was heading for “New Guinea.” They didn’t make it, of course, but what a fun connection to make. I don’t know that I will see the movie the same.