“What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.” Walt Whitman Getting to know our kids is one of those adventures that is always full of surprises. In our time here in PNG, I've enjoyed spending lunches once a week with a different one of our kids and having 'dates' with them where we spend time doing something that they love. For some, that means colouring and chatting, for others it means listening to them chat about Minecraft, for … [Read more...] about Passions and Poetry
PNG
In An Instant…
Have you ever woken up and not felt well? Have you ever had that feeling where you’re just not getting better and you know you need to seek more medical attention? Things change and sometimes things change quickly. And, here, when things change, the changes can involve quick decisions and international flights to seek further answers. Over the past few weeks, a dear friend and fellow Science teacher here at Ukarumpa International School, Sheila Nelson, was experiencing just that. Our clinic here … [Read more...] about In An Instant…
Ukarumpa Carnival
Every year, the school puts on a Fundraising Carnival in support of a local PNG non-profit organization. This year, the Student Representative Council selected the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) of Lae as the recipients of the funds and the Carnival was held on October 26th. Jon and I had the privilege of acting as the adult advisors to the Student Council and it was amazing to watch these students sort through countless details, plan and execute a purchasing trip to Lae to … [Read more...] about Ukarumpa Carnival
‘Pasin’ of Prayer
One of the phrases that I love in Tok Pisin is the way that they say ‘habit or regular occurrence.’ The word for habit in Tok Pisin is ‘pasin’ (pronounced 'pass' + 'in') and they might say ‘Pasin bilong PNG’ which means something that happens often in PNG. One ‘pasin bilong Ukarumpa’ is our regular ‘Mornings in Prayer.’ Monthly, there is a Thursday morning where all departments except for Aviation and the School break from 8:30 - 10am and gather at our Meeting House, where we also attend … [Read more...] about ‘Pasin’ of Prayer
Need for Teachers
In Ukarumpa, we have two campuses and over 300 students. Each student represents family units who serve in various ways here in Papua New Guinea. Their parents might be mechanics, electricians, language survey workers, pilots, store managers, HR personnel or Bible translators and having a school here that provides a quality, Christ-centered education is an incredibly large part of enabling these adults to be here and continue the work that God has set before them in light of their unique talents … [Read more...] about Need for Teachers