June 20, 2010
I am awake at 5:30 a.m. California time. The sounds of birds in the morning our different then home and the sun was up before 5 a.m. I am anticipating a hot and beautiful day. We will be walking thirty minutes to church later, now I have to get ready.
Well, I didn’t quite make it to church. Later this morning I fell out of a eucalyptus tree and fractured my tibia and it may result in not going on the trip Mary wrapped me up in an ace bandage and Tracy drove us to the CVS pharmacy to buy me some crutches. We were able to attend part of the church service, but so I did not have to walk back, Tracy, Mary, Megan, and I left early after already being late. Mary and Tracy went to pick up Shalee who came into LA late, while Megan and I just went back to the school for lunch. Megan and I were the only two from our group at lunch. We met a man by the name of Mahesh from Nepal. He was our chef for the first part of the week and said he would be praying for my knee to be healed so I could go on the trip. Everyone else who stayed until the end of the service was invited by the church to join them for lunch.
I did not write anymore about this day due to being upset about my injury and feeling pretty week from using crutches everywhere. I believe that evening we had our first team meeting with all of us present.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Start of Travels
June 19, 2010
Dark and early I wake up to leave on the most anticipated day of my summer. It is 6 a.m. and my family and I are heading for the airport, first stopping for breakfast, and then meeting my grandmothers before printing my tickets and locating my gate. It is sometime after 8 a.m. and my plane has been reported delayed, but nothing can damper my mood because I don’t care as long as I make it to California
By 9:15 a.m. I am saying goodbye to my family and walking towards security to find another seat where I wait another half hour before finally boarding the plane to Chicago. Flying above Lake Michigan I can see fish swimming below and the man next to me is on his way to Hawaii with his family. The cool thing about meeting him was that he is Bethel’s volleyball coach’s brother. Many on our flight were quite frustrated, including myself and my fellow “Bethelite” alumni because we were all going to miss our connection flights because of the delay.
Yes, I missed my flight to LA, but no worries because I am on the next flight in that direction making a connection in Colorado Springs first. Flying above the Rockies, the Grandest Canyon of them all, and terrain not like what I have seen before from sky or ground makes me feel like I am seeing the world from God’s eyes. The world must seem small to God, but to me the horizon never ends. I have seen so many wondrous beauties today.
L.A. is the city of something or other, but from what I can tell it should be traffic and who knows. Gloriel was car sick and had quite a bonding experience with Megan who had the joy of being upchucked on. Michael paid a quarter to use the restroom, and Dunc and Mary’s son Levi thought the place we stopped at for water was called armpit. I think we all may of just been a little jet lag and dehydrated.
Well, we have made it to Azusa Pacific University about 2…maybe 3 hours late to meet the person with our room keys. While a few of our team stayed behind to receive the keys the rest of us went out to a fast food place called B-man’s teriyaki and burgers. It was actually quite excellent for fast food and the first place we stopped. I would give it a four out of five.
Now it’s time for bed in our plastic beds…but at least there is no dirt floor and bugs yet. Not sure what to expect in PNG.
Dark and early I wake up to leave on the most anticipated day of my summer. It is 6 a.m. and my family and I are heading for the airport, first stopping for breakfast, and then meeting my grandmothers before printing my tickets and locating my gate. It is sometime after 8 a.m. and my plane has been reported delayed, but nothing can damper my mood because I don’t care as long as I make it to California
By 9:15 a.m. I am saying goodbye to my family and walking towards security to find another seat where I wait another half hour before finally boarding the plane to Chicago. Flying above Lake Michigan I can see fish swimming below and the man next to me is on his way to Hawaii with his family. The cool thing about meeting him was that he is Bethel’s volleyball coach’s brother. Many on our flight were quite frustrated, including myself and my fellow “Bethelite” alumni because we were all going to miss our connection flights because of the delay.
Yes, I missed my flight to LA, but no worries because I am on the next flight in that direction making a connection in Colorado Springs first. Flying above the Rockies, the Grandest Canyon of them all, and terrain not like what I have seen before from sky or ground makes me feel like I am seeing the world from God’s eyes. The world must seem small to God, but to me the horizon never ends. I have seen so many wondrous beauties today.
L.A. is the city of something or other, but from what I can tell it should be traffic and who knows. Gloriel was car sick and had quite a bonding experience with Megan who had the joy of being upchucked on. Michael paid a quarter to use the restroom, and Dunc and Mary’s son Levi thought the place we stopped at for water was called armpit. I think we all may of just been a little jet lag and dehydrated.
Well, we have made it to Azusa Pacific University about 2…maybe 3 hours late to meet the person with our room keys. While a few of our team stayed behind to receive the keys the rest of us went out to a fast food place called B-man’s teriyaki and burgers. It was actually quite excellent for fast food and the first place we stopped. I would give it a four out of five.
Now it’s time for bed in our plastic beds…but at least there is no dirt floor and bugs yet. Not sure what to expect in PNG.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Beautiful Life
Many things were not as expected that occurred on this mission from God. I did not expect to break my leg, make really good relationships with everyone on the team, be welcomed as family by the village people, and constantly be served by them. I did not expect to have such a hard time with the language, get strep throat, take a hot shower eventually, and eat lasagna and pizza, also ice cream. Last but not least, I did not expect not wanting to leave Papua New Guinea. It has become home to me. My heart is with these people. I cannot imagine how anyone could come back to the states. How have I not heard of this country until this past year? I have never met Christians so Christ like. Most of the people have very little, yet they offered us the best of what they had and have more love for family and strangers then imaginable to ever be found in America. Christ is at the center of everything they say and do. They say they have nothing compared to us, and that’s true materialistically, but the way they live is so much more beautiful. I don’t think there is any other way to live more humbly. I love the people of Papua New Guinea. I want them to be a part of my life forever. I’m not sure I can wait until heaven.
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