Living in Goroka (for a week anyway)...

....(Lapilo base) doesn't feel like I am living in PNG it is not until I look outside the gate that I realize that I am in Papua New Guinea.

On a side note how is our crate going. At the moment we are living out of one suitcase as some of our luggage is in cairns still as the family we flew with had a lot of things. I don't know if people know how important it is that we get our crate here. The longer it takes the longer we go without our things and the more money we have to pay in renting things of the mission. This is something we don't want to have to do for very long.

Our digital camera's LCD screen seems to be effected by the humidity we have had it for 2 years and have used it a lot. It may be on its way out. We are going to put it into a hot box but we may have to get a new one. So that is Prayer Request. We will let you know what happens.

Anything that anyone wants to send to us as in larger items than what can be sent in the post have them put it into the crate as we are not charged GST on anything in the crate the first time it is shipped anything after that (if we were to send another crate) we would be charged Tax.

I will write again soon after we have been in Hoskins for a few days. I am sure I will have a lot more to write then.

We love you all and miss you I feel like I am at home here. It is wonderful. We have TV here in Goroka which is a luxury. PNG TV is very interesting and funny.

Love Johnathan Candy and Malachi

Buying Veggies on our Wedding Anniversary

Today the 11th of January we celebrate our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. We are heading off to Sebago today to the mission base there it is a small base which is about 10 min away. Then tomorrow we are off to ITF which is Interface. Friday we fly to Hoskins.

Yesterday in the morning about 6:30am Estelle and I headed down to the front gate to buy veggies. We brought tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spring onions. That was interesting buying them I just held the bag Estelle did all the talking.

January 6 - 10 - Training and Orientation

January 6th-8th we were involved in a safety seminar. It was excellent and we learnt a lot of valuable information.

January 9th after the FSA training we started some orientation here in Goroka. It saved us a plane trip back to Goroka later as we were here for a week anyway. Well our first day of orientation was visiting the different ministries here. When we got to the guest house there was a national man outside working in the garden he stopped and came over to us. Dave Pierce was the guy who was showing us around. Anyway this national guy had very good English and he hugged Dave twice, which is fine he shook Johnathan's hand and then hugged me. I was taken by surprise as this is not cultural. In PNG women are not aloud to wave, look or even hug a man. So I was a bit surprised.I haven't asked yet what it was all about.

It has been good to meet everyone and see the role that they play in running Lapilo base. I wish you could all come and see what everyone does here.

Malachi is doing really well but yesterday was a bit distressed when we left the house in the afternoon. He was missing us.

Leaving Australia

Hello from Papua New Guinea!

We had a wonderful time in Cairns, relaxing, swimming, and some shopping. Malachi started crawling and now is moving around all the time following us from room to room.We left Australia on January 5th early in the morning. We drove with the pilot Dave Douglas to the plane and dropped him off and then we were driven around to International airport. We waited on the other side of customs for our pilot Dave.Here comes the fun part. I (candy) got to sit next to the pilot. (I felt like a kid in a candy store). I asked a lot of questions and the scenery was excellent. I fell asleep and woke up just before we started to descend into Port Moresby. We went into the back way to customs it was deserted. We just walked into the customs area with our passports and paperwork and we left all our bags on the plane.

Soon we were off again. It was 1 1/2 hrs to Goroka. I fell asleepmagain on the plane and Dave and the others thought I had passed out. I don't remember falling asleep but I woke up when Johnathan poked me. Lucky I wasn't flying the plane! We landed and we had to wait at the hanger for someone to pick us up. We traveled to Lapilo base which is 10 min from the airport. There were people everywhere it is a lot like the Philippines but it is not westernised. I noticed how slowly paced it is here compared to back home.

We got to the base and settled into our house that we were staying in for the next week. After putting all our stuff into the house walking past the window was the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life. It is big. Oh it lives outside and eats all the bugs. A national walked past and was telling us about it (not that I could understand). He said that he had been bitten numerous times and it felt like a crab bite. I wasn't going to get close to find out. He offered to take it away but Trevor said oh no just leave it there. So now I have to share the house with a big spider. I didn't scream but nearly burst into tears over the size of the thing.