As a four year old in Ukarumpa, Lucy has the awesome privilege of attending ‘Kapul’s (a tree kangaroo) three mornings a week and she goes to a 3+ daycare the other two mornings and, in the afternoons, she stays with our dear Papua New Guinean friend, Beris, while we are working.
This year, the Kapul class had the chance to go and visit the dental clinic here on centre. They all gathered in their classroom and then walked over to the clinic (about a 15 minute walk with four year olds). They walk past through a grassy area, past the high school and the meeting house (where we have our church) and the post office and cross a street over to the clinic.
Our clinic has two sides – a side that serves PNG nationals who live in the surrounding villages and a side that serves the missions community, which consists of missionaries from all over the world and Papua New Guineans who live on centre and work on centre. Our clinic has doctors, nurses, a physical therapist and two dentists.
Dr. and Mrs. Kang are both dentists, from Korea and their family lives here on centre. They have two sons – one in 11th grade and one in 9th grade and Jon teaches Biology to their younger son. When we first moved to PNG we actually rented their home for about 8 months and they are wonderful, generous and servant-hearted people who it has been a joy to get to know.
Doctor Kang and his wife are also very accomplished musicians, as pianists & opera singers. We definitely have some talented people here in Ukarumpa!
We also are blessed to have a dental hygienist here who happens to also be from Canada. The Jagt family lives across the street from us in Ukarumpa and they have three kids who our kids love to play with. Their youngest, Max, is 4 and is one of Lucy’s best buddies. Candace works at the clinic as a dental hygienist and has an awesome knack for making kids feel at home in a place that could otherwise be a bit scary for them.
The kids had a great time. They learned about all of the tools, took rides on the exam chair, squirted water and saw a model of their teeth and Lucy may or may not have selected to make a very clear, very silly comment during the question period ?
It was a great field trip and, watching these individuals, who have moved their lives & families from Korea and Canada to PNG, talk about their work made me appreciate, once again, what a team we are here in Ukarumpa and how each individual here represents a heart that God has pursued, called and sent.
We are no different from those in Canada. No different from those who God pursues, calls and sends to a police force, to a church, to a school or a workplace in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or any other province. The sacrifices are different and unique but, ultimately, we all get to experience the joy of walking forward into the life God has called us and, for Dr. Kang, for Candace Jagt and for Jon and I, that calling has brought us here to PNG.
We are so incredibly thankful for the people who surround us and serve us here on centre. We are thankful for the Dr. Kang’s and the Candace Jagt’s. We are thankful for the Bible translators and survey workers. We are thankful for the other teachers who teach our kids.
And, most all, we are thankful that God gives broken people like us, who are still, daily, learning how to live in the truth of the Gospel of Grace, the opportunity to participate in sharing that incredible, life-giving Gospel with the youth of Ukarumpa and the people of PNG.
Thank you for making it possible for us to follow God’s call.
With love, Anita
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