From the Roadside to the Table

You never know what you're going to see as you drive through town . . . 

motorcycles piled high with wares to sell or equipment, such as a ladder, to take to a job. 

Cyclists somehow manage to arrange and hang a whole vegetable stand right on their bike.
One day we followed this truck with bulls, their heads buried in corn stalks.

Driving along the road you will see merchants setting up stands,

very much like a lemonade stand. 

If you drive through a market area, you will see row upon row of local vegetables

in neat piles.

Often times you will see a truck on the side of the road selling fruit or vegetables.

Small grocery stores sell staples such as flour, sugar, oil, soaps, snack foods. 

Our granddaughter says it's hard to generalize what they sell, 

because they sell what they have and you may get something once but not the next time.  

I kept asking where the coconut was because I was intent on making coconut pancakes 

when finally Julene stopped by the side of the road. 

Not a place I would have dreamt of getting shredded coconut. 

She asked the young man to shred a coconut for us and he proceeded to cut one in half, 

pour out the milk and put it through a grater, 

while I just stood there dumbfounded at this unexpected procedure. 

The shredded coconut was a mix of brown and white, 

so I asked if he could peel a coconut before grating it.

Happy to please a foreigner, he started again.

And this is how we got shredded coconut. 

I have to smile about how we buy it nicely packaged and dried 

and only care about what kind of shred it is and wether it's sweetened or not. 

Here we got white coconut in fine shred, moist and fresh, unsweetened.

The coconut pancakes were yummy, made with coconut milk and shredded coconut. 

The pineapple on the table was picked in the yard.

A small taste of getting food on the table.

Flight to Kirimu

Early Monday morning we took off on a flight to an interior village in the mountains.

We had had a big thunderstorm late into the night and it was

still raining when we woke up.

Even as we left for the airport, the sky was overcast, 

but we were told it could change very quickly. 

The pilot assured us that if conditions would not be right to land,

we would simply turn around.

Not far into the one hour flight, we saw the sun.

In Papua, alone, MAF flies into about 180 remote villages

who, without air transport, would not be able to get outside help.

It would mean weeks of treacherous hiking over mountain passes.

On this trip the plane was loaded with rice and noodles.

The landing strips are prepared by the locals by clearing a patch of land.

The pilot can face many challenges in these landings,

but they are very well trained
and we have reason to be proud of Chris and all of them.

I have to say that I had not put much thought about going on this trip

and was rather unprepared for what I saw and experienced.

Of course we have heard of children running to see the plane come in,

but I guess I had not expected to see it for myself.

As soon as we stepped out of the plane, 

a small tribal man came and put a nokan

around our necks, a symbol of welcome

such as a leis would be in Hawaii.

I was overwhelmed with emotion,

tears brimming as I looked and saw what appeared to 

be half the village come out to see us. 

I had not expected this kind of a greeting.

Here is a better look at my purse, made of bark and
decorated with bird of paradise feathers.

For years we have supported our kids and heard stories,

but to see these people takes it to a more personal level.

Through translation, I asked how they get their clothing,

and the gentleman who appeared to be a leader,

told me that it was the gospel that changed their lives.

The answer surprised me.

It seemed too simple but I got what he meant.

God's love shown to them through Bible translation and

providing for their needs

gave them a way out of their idol fetishes and warring.

We had about an hour to interact with them as best we could,

and they became surprisingly dear to us in such a short time.

Small groups sat on hillsides ...

Others came close.

Some happy to pose.

In my desire to communicate with them, I went to a mother with a small child in her arms 

to show her a picture of my most recent grandchild.

Immediately others eagerly crowded in to look

as I scrolled through photos of grandchildren on swings, playing or eating.

They smiled and chatted among themselves and we felt a small connection.

We're all the same, loving our kids and grandchildren.

It was hard to think of leaving, 

feeling so helpless in being able to communicate,

but one man came to me just as we were saying good bye and, with a smile, 

pointed upward and said something that I understood as, 

"One day we will meet in heaven."

What a day that will be!

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Revelation 7:9

Lake Sentani

We've often heard about time spent at the lake

but never imagined the size, nor the beauty of this place.

So it was nice to finally see and experience a relaxing afternoon out here ourselves.

I hope the pictures say more than I can explain in words at this time.

Chris and some friends refurbished an old boat for their families to use

and I'm sure some of the locals have had some entertainment watching these families

on their skis and knee boards. 

We rode across the lake to their favorite dock.

as my eyes were continually drawn to the lakeside homes . . .

and scenes of a much simpler but harder way of life.

At the dock we enjoyed the peaceful scene, watching the kids have fun

and the lush untouched, natural growth along the banks,

Okay . . . mostly untouched. This rope swing has been added.

and mango trees may have been planted or maybe not ... but mangoes hang over the water,

never to be enjoyed by anyone.

When I mentioned that it was too bad the water lilies along the shore were closed, 

I was told that they open in the morning.

It didn't take long, however, and Paeton had one open and brought it to me ...

with a "Here, Grammy. Here's a waterlily for you." 

Makenna impressed us with her cartwheels off the dock.

On the way back across the lake we stopped in at this small local church

that we could see from the shore.

Chris and Julene have some connection to it as they are using

Sunday School material Julene has illustrated.

Imagine the humidity, simplicity, birds chirping and

mosquitoes to be aware of ...

and you have a small window into a lakeside experience in Papua.

We're Here!

After two long layovers in Taipei and in Bali 

we got to Papua Saturday morning local time.

I cannot explain the emotions that well up inside when coming down to land in this far off place, knowing our dear family will be there at the gate.

That moment you see your family amongst a sea of dark faces is always quite surreal.
Sometimes you hear an excited voice before you even see them.

Living right across the airport, we just walked over to their house.

After a tour of their home,
Julene served waffles with custard for breakfast.

We opened suitcases and it felt like Christmas!

So that is a tiny peek into our first moments.

I have so much more to tell. 

Soon.

Ready to Go

I know I'm getting a little old for this,

but don't we all wish we could peek into our friend's suitcases?

Women, no matter how we feel about our age in numbers, 

the young inside does not leave.

I saw this in my mother-in-law who, at 93,

asked me to stand up so she could look at my outfit. 

Our trip begins with a 2:00 am flight that takes us through 13 hours of night.

It's dark the whole time because we cross the international date line and skip a day. 

I am wearing jeans with some stretch, a T-shirt
and a soft sweater that feels like a cozy blanket around me.

Comfy shoes and a big bag that can fit a book, a magazine, socks, glasses, some make up,
a brush, wallet, phone and travel documents, 

In many parts of Indonesia it is disrespectful to wear a sleeveless top in public.

So I have packed sleeveless tops for indoors and in the right places
but have added several options to wear over top.

These include items that do not need laundering after one wear,

 a thin cotton lace jacket, a trendy kimono type top with crocheted edges,

and a large, lightweight, floral print scarf that can be worn different ways
 and looks like a kimono when thrown over the shoulders.

For fun there is a jean vest that can jazz up a dress
or change up the overall look of a boring long skirt.

An elegant, loose layered silk top is a modest and pretty addition that is easy to

hand wash, wring well and air dry.

I usually plan ahead on what jewelry to take and
noticed, when I dressed for these photos, that

I could get away with the same necklace for all of these combinations.
I can add something yet, but that makes it easy.

Now I'm just looking forward to the adventure!
Hopefully I can check back in from there.

Preparing and Packing for Papua

How can I begin to describe the excitement and preparation for a trip to a part of the world most of us would never travel to, unless there was a very good reason to.  Our reason, of course is that a dear part of our family has made it their home. 

Indonesia is a nation made up of thousands of volcanic islands and home to hundreds of ethnic groups speaking different languages. The national language, however is Indonesian.  In past visits we have experienced some of the cultural aspects, enjoyed float plane flights over dense jungles and looking out for orangutans along a meandering river.

One of the first things we noticed was that Indonesians do not mind being in, what we would consider, our personal space. So if you are standing in a queue and feel someone breathing down your neck it is not considered rude. Another thing we learned quickly is that one has to be careful about which hand to use to pass or receive anything, as the left hand is considered unclean. It is rude to point with your left hand and rude to point with your index finger. One should point with the thumb and beckoning with the index finger has a bad connotation. These are just a few examples. They are not strange, because who's to say our way is the right way?  By now our children have adapted to the culture so much that it becomes natural and they just smile when we notice the differences.

Indonesia is a country that exports a lot of the clothing we buy here, but the same clothing is not readily available to people who live there. The main food staple is rice, often wrapped in banana leaves. Some of the foods we have enjoyed are satay ayam with chicken, grilled fish, roadside grilled corn on the cob and a lemon grass flavored soup called soto ayam. In the villages, many still do not have a refrigerator, so they buy what they need for the day at the market or roadside Warung,  Life in the more remote parts is about living from one day to the next.  It may surprise you that in the places we have visited, dairy foods are not available and people drink powdered or UHT milk. Their favorite coffee comes in little packages that include instant coffee, powdered milk and sugar. Many things that we consider staples are not so there. Not even coffee. 

So, the past few weeks have included getting vaccinations, prescriptions, the right mosquito repellent, phone plan or app and power converter, along with taking care of incoming email lists of what to bring ... things like favorite cereals, laundry stain remover, personal hygiene products, make-up, coffee filters, coffee (especially decaffeinated), videos, clothing for growing kids and toys or games they cannot get there. 

I removed a soft layer here so you can check out what is hiding in this suitcase.

Homemade strawberry jam has been one of the requests over the years
since it is difficult and would be quite random to find enough berries to cook jam.
It is a reminder of Canada.

Not sure if anyone reading this would ever have the need to send jam anywhere.

But, I have found that packing the filled jars back into the box
 that you buy them in is the best way.

The lids (which are larger in circumference than the jars, keep the actual jars from touching.

It is difficult for the glass to break if it cannot make contact with anything.

I cut as little as needed along the side of the plastic wrap that covers the box and when the

box is filled, simply stretch it back across the box and tape it along the sides

so that it's nice and tight.  If the jars come in a box that closes on top, I would make sure the

space is filled so that the jars can't move. 

And that is how I pack jam.

Our previous visits were to the island of Borneo.

This will be our first visit to Papua

and we can hardly wait to see where they have been for almost three years.