Great Healer!

As the week comes to a close....I am not ready for another to start.  But God has been faithful in many ways this last week, and I do look forward to how He will show up this week.  We all struggled this last week with this pretty pink flower called "May grass" here.  It has created havoc with our allergies and eventually lead to both kids being on antibiotics.  Thankfully we are all on the mend....or at least going in the right direction I hope!  

We made some big hurdles on the house this week as all the posts for our fence are concreted in and our laundry room has some walls!  Between the getting supplies and doing the work, I must confess I am getting a bit weary.  Thankfully the end is in sight as starting tomorrow I will have some students working with me full time for a couple weeks while school is on break.  This gives them an opportunity to make some money to pay their school fees and be a Huge help!  

I was also able to be a part of a mobile clinic outreach in a new area this past week.  It was on the other side of the mountain and in a place that is known for its tribal fighting.....unfortunately many places here have that reputation.  I was there mostly as an observer as my language skills still have a long ways to go.  I was also able to walk through the "haus line" or village with one of the "papa"/old man of the family.  It is truly stepping back in time as their life's purpose is to survive.  This means working long days in hot gardens to make food to live, walking to get water, protecting their families and livelihood.  It is humanity at its basic level....and even at the root, life without Christ has no purpose.  That is why we were there. We were using the skills of one of the missionaries in medicine as the conduit to share the everlasting hope and saving grace of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  There were several hundred people who were able to be seen, as it started at the crack of dawn and went into the dark...I mean dark.  There is no electric in the area and was not any as far as I could see across the mountain.  God showed up in big ways and lives were changed, not just medically but some eternally!

Phyllis and the kids were also able to up another mountain today for church.  It had rained a lot there yesterday so we hardly made it up there.  With 4 wheel drive, lots of prayers and holding on tight we made it up and back.  This is a 4-wheeler's dream grounds...however it is normal life here.  Except we are not strapped into a big mud truck with lots of power.  We have a small 4 door pickup with generally 10-15 people on board....yes we have even had more.  

Tonight we were able to have a birthday dinner for Gunner.  It was with the other missionary families.  His actual birthday is tomorrow, but it worked well to get together today.  Gunner was super excited as he is all about his birthday....and really any reason to have people over! As we look at the last 3 years of his life it is amazing the journey God has placed us on.  As we were in a hospital in Chile 3 years ago we never would have imagined we would spend Gunner's 3rd birthday in Papua New Guinea.  The path of following Christ is hard at times but it can never be called boring....  We are truly thankful for the gift God has given us in Gunner!

Gunner at his birthday dinner!

Just hanging out at church

Area where we did the mobile clinic.....we live on the mountain across this valley

People getting weighed and info taken before they see the doctor

After they see the doctor, this is pharmacy....everything that is done including the Medicine given is 100% FREE.  It takes a lot of money to do this but the Gift of Salvation is also free and it is a great way to explain that free gift to people that have no concept of free.

I used the headlights of my truck to light the "pharmacy" so that everyone could get the much needed medicine they desperately need.

A two story bush house I saw in the village not a common sight but quite impressive.