Excitements and frustrations

Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

This week has been spent in language and I have had some encouraging days but also a few frustrating days.

The good days are those when I have started to piece together new words into sentences now the problem is using these new words in sentences for e.g. tasol this word has to meaning 1) being finished or end 2) being but, as with English this is put into the middle of a sentence where the other is put at the start.

I think this week I will have my second language check, this will let me know where I am in regards to language and I will know roughly how much more work I will have to do.

The frustration sets in when people start to talk about the Lord, I really don’t want to confuse them or say something that will lead them down a wrong path so I have to pull back from these conversions a bit. I look forward to the day when I can help my friends at least a bit closer to the lord although I won’t be able to be able to ever share clearly in there heart language but you never can tell what the Lord has around the corner.

I also moved this week to another temporary house till my house is finished. I have put some pictures below just to give you an idea what my new house is like.

I thank God for his provision for the first week with George and Norma for putting up with me and now for my next house, for all the guys who have been working hard on the new house. God meet every need of mine and more thank you Lord!

Whether frustrated or not I’m not complaining because my God has met all my needs and as I continue to trust him for my language I know that that need will be met too.

Kitchen and living room

hallway leading to utility room

bed room (with all the trim fitted)

week 1

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support thought I would get you up to date on the happenings of the week.

After a busy set of flights from Belfast, Heathrow, Bangkok, Sydney, Port Moseby and finally arriving in New Britain on Sunday evening around 4:45pm, i was greeted by the person who first met me off the plane the first time i landed in PNG Back in 2002 George Tinker.

Unfortunately my new apartment is not ready yet but the guys are working at getting it finished within the next month, it just at the final stage of fitting cupboard doors and fitting trim.

It’s been a busy week, getting straight back into language on Monday afternoon by going 'walkabout' to meet up with some old friends and say hello.

Tuesday was more of the same getting out and talking lots or 'storying' as they call it in tok pidgin, which is basically sitting down and talking about life, this is great for learning language as its being used all the time and new words come up all the time, so all the time your gathering new vocabulary. Even better your building friendships.

Wednesday was more of the same walking and talking, we ended up at Roberts house one of the guys who helps us in language study, he was having his fishing net mended, we got to watch sit and story some more.

Thursday was Oil Palm day, i have waited to do this for some time now and on the first week back the Lord gave me the opportunity to do it. it was very hard work, we used a sickle like blade on the end of a 10' aluminium pole to first cut off some of the lower Palm fronds (which were 10’ high or more) to reveal the bunches of fruit then we used the blade to pull the bunch forward as to cut the stem of the bunch. This then dropped to the ground to be lifted into a wheelbarrow and brought to a point where it could be lifted by the oil palm company.

I know this doesn’t sound too difficult but when you add heat and humidity it makes for a very tough day. But apart from the difficulty of the work it really helped us in our friendship with Robert who owned the block of palm.

Friday began with a visit from gabby to one of the guys on centre where again we talked, after this I visited with another Robert who lives just across the road from the centre, we went to his garden to look at his many types of crop like taro, sweet potato, tapioc, maize and greens (type of spinach). I finished the day by listening to some recordings of the language.

Finally Saturday I actually got a lie in, the after breakfast I went to have a look at my new CMA workshop, this is where I will be working when I finish language study. I went to try and work out where all the cupboards and shelving for the tools will be placed as this is a brand new work shop which I will be moving into.

Looking back it’s been a bit of a mad week, I thank God for the strength and energy to do all this and for the privilege of working to grow his church in some small way.

I hope that gives you a bit of a taster of my first week back, if you have any comments or questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks you all again for your kind support and prayers

Geoff

hi back in PNG

Hi everyone,

just a quick note to say I have arrived safe and sound all is going well thanks so much for ur prayers.

Life is getting back to normal, I have been out and about twice already just saying hi to fokes round about, I don't think I have lost all my pidgin skills but it will still take some time to get to where I need to be with that.

Unfortunately my house is not quite ready yet (life on the field is never as simple as u would think) but the guys working on it have done an amazing job, I cant wait to get moved in in a few weeks time I hope.

I have to praise God for his provision of this house and for the provision of a house to live in till my house is finished He is so very good.

At the minute I am living with friends of mine who have kindly put me up till I get something sorted.

Praise God for

safe travels.

a house to stay in.

for the guys working hard on my new house.

for Gods amazing provision.

for Gods faithfulness.

For Gorge and Norma for putting me up and putting up with me;)

Pray for

my mum and family at home.

my language learning

getting settled quickly back into a routine.

thank u all for ur prayers

Geoff

Hi all,

just letting you all know I'm leaving on the 13th and should arrive in Hoskins on the following Sunday around 630 pm PNG time.

thank you all again for your friendship, and fellowship,

see you all when I see you,

below is one of the reasons im going our there, please pray for these people as they are just starting to hear the gospel for the first time in history!

Bible teaching began well this week among the Akolet people of Papua New Guinea.

"Adults and children gathered together under the shade of the large blue tarp as we prepared for the lesson to begin," wrote missionaries Adam and Julie Martin. "Adam's 'podium' was an empty 55-gallon drum. The seating was planks or mats the people brought with them. The 'sound system' was as loud as Adam could talk."

The first lessons are introductory. Adam started by explaining that this teaching is different from anything they've ever heard. "It is God's message for all mankind and each and every one of us needs to hear and understand it," the Martins wrote.

A large inflatable globe helped Adam explain where the people of Israel lived and how God's message spread.

"Each of our team also gave a brief testimony of how we at different points in our lives heard the truth of God's Word and made a conscious choice to accept it as true and to follow it, that being the very reason we are here living with them today," the Martins wrote.

Julie added, "Other than my mind blank where I slipped up and used the word for 'teenage boy' rather than 'teenage girl' for myself, our teams' short talks all went fine."

The Akolets appeared to be listening attentively. Please pray that people will come faithfully, with a desire to hear the lessons.

yours in Christ

Geoff