The Countdown Is On

The Countdown Is On!

Term 3 has been full and rich – filled with many opportunities to teach, mentor and serve the youth here in Ukarumpa. From Senior Retreats to Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology class, to class hangouts and community groups, we have enjoyed pouring into the lives of youth. As we begin the approach to furlough, we can’t even begin to express how fast the time here in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has gone and yet how full and life changing our time here has been. We have a lot to process from our first term here in PNG – many wonderful and challenging moments – and we are looking forward to some time for rest and refreshment with family and friends when we come back to Canada at the beginning of July.

Before we get too focused on ‘the next thing’ for our family, we want to take a moment to fill you in on what we have seen God do in our midst over these past three months. Thank you for being an integral part of His plan for PNG. We couldn’t be here without you and so many others couldn’t be here if there weren’t teachers at Ukarumpa International School. Thank you for sending us. We are truly grateful!

Loving God. Teaching youth. Serving youth.

We have had a wonderful Term 3. It has been jam packed with teaching, fun family activities and youth events and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Amidst all the busyness in our lives, there have been many exciting things happening, in Ukarumpa, as various translators prepare for Bible dedications and as new translators head out to join existing teams. We are thrilled to be a part of what God is doing here in Papua New Guinea to reach the people in their own languages but we are also keenly aware that there is spiritual attack on every side.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for the villages in PNG affected by a severe 7.6 magnitude earthquake and who are living in fear due to the numerous aftershocks still being experienced.

Please pray for the workers here in Ukarumpa, a number of whom have recently been medevaced to Cairns, Australia for severe health issues.

Please pray for translators that are preparing for Bible dedications in their villages, some of whom have worked with their language groups for decades.

Please pray for missionaries who are preparing to come back to PNG and are in the process of raising support so that they can get back to serving God as part of the team here in PNG.

And please pray for the kids – our kids, the kids of our friends and the youth we are serving here in PNG. These kids have to face a lot of change, particularly the Senior class who will soon be leaving their families to head to colleges and universities in countries that feel much less like home than PNG.

Please keep all these people in your prayers and join us in rejoicing that we serve an all-knowing God, for whom none of these things are a surprise. We are excited to see what God will do next and we praise Him for the way that He has used you and your prayer and financial support to enable us to be a part of the team here in PNG. Thank you!

PRAYER REQUEST UPDATE: We have been able to borrow friends’ vehicles here and there but would still love your prayers for a vehicle. We hope to be able to have the funds to buy one when we return from Canada in July 2019.

Financial Needs

The past three months, we have seen some more fluctuations in monthly partnership. As of March 30th, we were $1200 short of our monthly needs.

Would you consider joining our team? If you would like to partner with us monthly, please contact receipts@wycliffe.ca and respond to this email so we can thank you and send you the form you need to make it as easy as possible for you. If you would like to give a one time gift, you can follow this link and put our name and Canadian Project # 53895 in the comment box. Thank you!

QUICK SNAPSHOT

• Anita added Yearbook to her course load this term and is working hard to get the book done in time to order it and have it here in Ukarumpa before all of the graduates leave for their home countries.
• We hosted a 10th Grade formal dinner.
• Anita attended the Menya New Testament Bible Dedication in February.
• We were blessed to have Anita’s dear friend, Robin, visit in December.
• We celebrated US Thanksgiving with friends and Christmas with our PNG and expatriate friends.
• We said goodbye to the Vanderduys family, who had served here for 20 years and who had 3 teenagers that we had the chance to get to know.
• Jon went on the senior retreat to Madang as a sponsor.
• Anita served as a vocal coach for the High School production of Pirates of Penzance.
• A 7+ magnitude earthquake rocked PNG, in particular the villages of Huya and other nearby villages. Our organization has partnered with others to provide relief help to these remote villages.

TEACHING & YOUTH MINISTRY

6th Grade Community Group Christmas Party
Anita has enjoyed getting to know the 6th grade girls that are in her community group, even though middle school is a bit of a shift from the 12th graders. She is also really thankful to be working alongside other great leaders!

10th Grade Formal
We really enjoy hosting the youth and we had a great time hosting this year’s 10th Graders for a restaurant-like dinner. So thankful for the chance to pour into their lives in and out of the classroom.

Senior Retreat
Jon had the chance to attend the Senior Retreat in Madang, PNG as a male sponsor. The 12th Graders had a great time of making lasting memories and Jon thoroughly enjoyed connecting with these students.

Advanced Placement Chemistry
We have really enjoyed teaching here at Ukarumpa International School. Jon is teaching Chemistry courses and here he is with some of his AP Chemistry students doing hands on activities.

12th Grade Lock In
We really enjoyed acting as sponsors for a 12th Grade All Nighter at the High School campus. There were fun games in the rain, campfires, movies, late night card games, pancakes and no sleep!

Chinese Food Buffet!
Since these kids are all headed out into the real world where they’ll have to cook for themselves, we thought that a Chinese food potluck might be a good theme for an event. We made a main dish and a dessert but they did the rest of the work! They also had a ton of fun playing with our kids 🙂

Vet Visit
Even though we are in a remote part of Papua New Guinea, sometimes we get visitors here at Ukarumpa International School. These particular visitors were all veterinarians from Canada who were here to check on some of the horses that are on centre and who also stopped by the school to allow some of the Science students to observe a practical lab and ask questions.

Pirates of Penzance
Anita was able to help as a vocal coach for the recent production of Pirates of Penzance. She had a great time helping the students with their solos and our older boys really enjoyed seeing the finished product!

FAMILY LIFE

Visit from Robin!
It was such a joy to have Robin, Anita’s dear friend from University, visit us this past December. We had a chance to catch up in person, take her to Kainantu and a local village church and just be together. It was a blessing in more ways than we can express!

Christmas Chapel
Every year, the primary campus has a big Christmas Chapel and our boys had a great time participating in musical numbers, reciting Bible passages and performing a giant ‘talk through the Bible’ as led by their chapel director. It was a great event!

Christmas with Friends
We are fortunate to have made some friends here who have been our family in Ukarumpa and it was great to celebrate with them at Christmas.

PNG Friends
We love our friend Beris and her three kids and had a great time celebrating Christmas dinner with them, seeing her kids jump on a trampoline for the first time and exchanging gifts. It was such a blessed time!

Elliott’s Bring Your Stuffie Day!
Our kids all still have their favorite stuffed animals and Elliott got to bring his Tiger to Kapul’s (4 Year Old Preschool) this term. We are thankful for his teacher, a wife of a language worker, who stepped up to teach his class this year!

Jacob’s 7th Birthday
Jacob had a great time celebrating with his classmates and a few extra friends in Ukarumpa. We had the party in our yard, something we probably won’t be able to do in February when we’re back in Canada 🙂

Book Parade
Book Parade is an awesome yearly event at the Primary Campus. Classes take on a reading challenge and then it all culminates with a parade where the kids dress up as their favorite book characters. Our kids decided they wanted to dress up as the Captain Underpants characters 🙂

Sports, Sports and more Sports!
Jon thoroughly enjoys having a number of community sports that he can participate in each week. This term, he was able to coordinate a Super Bowl weekend community football game and play in an Adults vs Seniors Bball and Volleyball game. He stays busy!

Science Projects
Ben has really enjoyed his Science class this year and last year and, this term, he got to make a model of one of the body systems for a term project – he chose the teeth!

Craft Retreat
There are so many people in Ukarumpa with so many giftings and Anita had the chance to go to a craft retreat put on by one lady who has a special gift for hospitality and cooking. Even though she was still on centre, it was a great time to get away. (One of Anita’s patchwork quilts is held up in the photo.)

BIBLE TRANSLATION

Laptop Donation UPDATE
All 9 laptops donated by a partner at home have now been allocated to different language projects – the last one going to the man pictured here who had previously been WRITING OUT the books of the Old Testament by hand. Praise God with us for these timely gifts! If you’d like to, you can check out this video that explains a bit more about where the laptops went and what they’ll be used for!

Menya Dedication
In February, Anita was fortunate to attend the Menya New Testament dedication. Pat and Carl Whitehead, fellow Canadians, have been translators for the Menya people for over 40 years and this celebration was the culmination of decades of work and a testament to God’s provision and love for these people.

If you would like to see some of the photos and video from the event, please check out this video! It is in 1080P so make sure to choose the high quality settings on YouTube! [Link to video]

Earthquake Relief
Our organization has partnered with other organizations to bring relief and aid to the remote villages that were severely damaged by the recent earthquake. If you would like to read more about what is being done in these areas, you can check out this blog. If you would like to give directly to the relief effort, please follow this link. Thank you!

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Finishing up our school year with Term 4.
• Jon will be helping his Chemistry AP students prepare for their AP exam.
• Anita will be working to get the Yearbook completed.
• We are hosting an 11th Grade formal dinner on April 3rd, 2018.
• We are packing up our home here in preparation for furlough.
• We will be working to complete our taxes again, from afar.
• We are helping the 12th graders with a parent appreciation dinner in June.
• Anita is helping with photography at this year’s Banquet for 11th and 12th Graders.

PRAYER REQUESTS & PRAISES

PLEASE PRAY FOR…..

• Health for us and our kids. We have a lot to do over the coming 100 days!
• Protection over our kids and our marriage as transitions can be stressful.
• Elliott as he still struggles with fear and uncertainty in the midst of all the changes of the past almost 2 years.
• Anita as she works on a tight deadline with slower computers to complete the Yearbook.
• Availability of a car to borrow for all of the yearend activities we are participating in.
• Relief from chronic sinus infections for Anita.
• More teachers to come to Ukarumpa – the primary campus has a drastic need for next school year.
• Health and healing for all those affected by the recent earthquake!
• Health for our family at home, especially for Anita’s nana.

JOIN US IN PRAISING GOD FOR…

• A wonderful term of teaching and building relationships with our students.
• An overall very healthy third term.
• A dedicated Menya New Testament after over 4 decades of hard work and God’s provision.
• Time over this last two week school break to get organized for our upcoming furlough in Canada.
• Flights that are booked for our return home!
• Plans that are being made to speak at churches at home and a chance to reconnect with dear friends and family in just a few months!
• Good friends in Ukarumpa that we and our kids will miss.
• Sweet encouragements sent from our parents via mail. We also love to read replies to our newsletters and to hear how we can pray for you and your families!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU for partnering with us, for supporting us financially and in prayer. We look forward to seeing you in just a few short months!
With much love, Anita & Jon, Ben, Jacob, Elliott & Lucy

If you would like to send us an encouragement, you can send instant AMAZON.com or iTUNES Canada gift cards. For amazon.com you just need to use our email: jonandanita.net@gmail.com and for iTUNES you can use jonandanita.net@icloud.com. Thank you friends!
Jon & Anita McCarthy
j-a.mccarthy@sil.org.pg
PO box 1-44
Ukarumpa, EHP 444
Papua New Guinea