House Blessing
Greetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
Monday, September 21, 2009
House Blessing
House BlessingGreetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bobiufa
Bobiufa
Life has many twists and turns but the road to Bobiufa is bouncy and dusty on dry days and a muddy, slippery track this morning. We’ve settled in small housing cluster called Bobiufa among the Bena-Bena people. It’s a large house with beautiful landscaping and quite secluded.
We had many friends welcome us back and much help settling into our new place. Susie Leo spent hours yesterday removing the cockroach eggs from the house, a blessing for which I cannot describe my thankfulness. We got a washing machine installed, and though we have so much more to move to get the office up and running we are trying to move quickly so that we will soon “be back in business”.
Tony and Danny, my brother Bob’s sons, arrive tomorrow. A pig kill and mumu has been arranged by PNG friends who also have provided for a ride to the coast for them for the final week that they are in country. I plan to keep the camera rolling while they are here and capture as much of their adventure as possible. I try to look at life through their eyes, as though I were new here and I do realize how many things will be a surprise to them. We plan to use their muscles to move a few more things and then take them for a Mesem “nature walk” as we visit friends down in Morobe.
Right now I am using a “hot spot” in town where I can buy a card and get 30 MB of data for K20. Our Internet trips will be fewer and fewer now that we are farther from town until we can get a landline. I like the quiet aspect of the place and yet I confess I am a bit afraid of the lonliness that can set in when one is confined to a small area behind a fence and can’t communicate much. Unlike the village where we have people with us 24/7, Bobiufa is great for Tony to study and an excellent place to read books and do gobs of work, but not such an easy place to get to know the neighbors. The house is by necessity quite secure, being behind a gate, which is behind another gate, and has a steel bedroom door.
There’s a lovely coffee garden behind the house. In many ways it is the perfect retreat center. Feel free to drop in. I will have a coffee pot waiting for you and perhaps, extrovert that I am, happy for the company as well.
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