Wrapping things up in Papua New Guinea

The next few weeks blurred with a more settled life in Papua New Guinea. 

There was school and work and play. Some evenings, there would be pickleball. On Wednesdays, there was soccer. On Saturday afternoon was volleyball. 

One Saturday morning we went to the Jumping Rocks, which was a 20-minute walk across the mission station. 

We tried some new foods. We got Kau Kau and sausage rolls from the hospital canteen and Tom found these tree tomatoes from the local market.

The breading of the sausage rolls have a texture like a funnel cake, but not sweet. The kids loved them.

Tree Tomatoes - Tom says that they do not taste like tomatoes, but more like passionfruit

I got to know Betsy, our house-meri, who came once a week to clean our house. She also taught me when our pineapples were ripe for picking and showed me how to cut and hang an enormous bunch of bananas that were ready to eat.

Tom started got a Wingfeather Saga party going on Friday nights. 

Our last week started with Church at Immanuel where I had a lovely moment of watching Lucy read that original missionary book about “Children of Papua New Guinea” while in church IN Papua New Guinea. I wonder what my 8-year-old self would have thought of that. 

I wrapped up the TV production class and then I also spoke at the Nazarene College of Nursing at their first chapel of the semester. 

We had dinners with more missionary families. There are so many I have yet to mention, but all are wonderful friends. 

Our time in Papua New Guinea felt waaaay too short. 

It was hard to say goodbye to people that felt like family. 

Our "North End" neighbors came to pray with us before we left.

There is a tradition of throwing flowers at the friends who are leaving the mission station for long term.

I have a hopeful feeling we may be back.