Yes, I am FINALLY getting this update posted. Sorry about the wait. Overall, the trip was a huge success. All our flights went very well with no hassles. There was a group of 24 of us, 14 went to a nearby NTM facility called Interface (ITF) and 10 of us went to Numonohi.(Throughout this post I may interchange Lapilo and Numomohi. Its the same place. I have always know it as Numonohi. A few years ago they changed the name to Lapilo.) Interface has missionaries living there that run the center and students come over to PNG and learn and earn college credits.
When we arrived in Lapilo/Numonohi, the concrete foundation for the duplex was already prepared and waiting for us. Our team of ten people worked very well together, and by day three, we were a very close-knit family. We could see God’s hand in putting our team together. Originally, I was not going to be doing any dental work at the dental clinic there, because it was closed, due to the current dentist being State-side. However, in the last week before leaving to PNG, through some emails to specific people and the dentist, the Lord worked it out that I would be able to work in the clinic, cleaning teeth of the missionaries and their families. I worked in the clinic three days a week, and on the other days I worked with the team on the house.
We took side trips to a few different villages (the Kafe tribe and Kainantu), and were blessed to be able to worship in a
lotu (church) with the national believers at Yagaria. After church the villagers had a
mumu prepared for us. A
mumu is kind of like a pot roast cooked in the ground by steam. One day we toured NTMA (New Tribes Mission Aviation), the children’s ward of the
haus sik (hospital), and the coffee plant and bought a lot of coffee to bring home. We visited Goroka (the nearest town) twice on our days off. At the end of three weeks, the framing on the duplex was completed, and the tin was on the roof, and the siding was started. The project went incredibly fast.
One time when we were going out to the other facility, ITF, we had so much fun on the roads. It is an about a 45 min drive but it is not far. It just takes longer because of the road. You have to drive slow. The ruts are about a foot deep and there are holes all over. And while we were out there it rained so it was all mud coming back out!!! It was awesome! Better than anything back here in the States. I have been trying to think of something to associate it with and I cant think of anything. There were 2 vehicles and I tried to get pictures and videos of the van in front of us to show how they bounced around and we were bouncing so bad too that you couldnt see. Literally bouncing from one side of the road to the other side! And then with the mud on the way out, was better than playing on the snowy roads!! At times we were sliding sideways down the road facing the right side and then flip around and slide sideways facing the left side. And then sometimes the tires would get stuck in those ruts and it didnt matter how the driver turned the wheel because there was no getting out. It was like that ride at the amusement park with the antique cars and the track in the middle. We has such a blast!
In the dental clinic, 51 adults and children got their teeth cleaned. While preparing for this trip, several people and churches donated an abundance of dental supplies, which I took with me. Everyone who came to the dental clinic, left with a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. These were also delivered to the national people on the center and in a few tribes. I also handed out a toothbrush to the children and their mothers at the
haus sik.
This trip was a huge impact on me! The moment the wheels of the
balus (airplane) touched the ground, tears sprang to my eyes, and as I stepped off the
balus I felt as if I had finally come home! After ten years of being in the States, I had not realized how deeply I missed Papua New Guinea. In the weeks that followed, I was filled with such a peace and contentment I can not explain. I can only pray that someday I will be able to return.
