Fun PNG Pics!

These pics have been taken over the last few months of life here in PNG.

We don't get many of these beautiful sunsets, but this one was Amazing!

This bug was eating my bananas

We have many of these triangle looking spiders here

These guys seem to like my bananas!

Father daughter talks, love it!

My cat had kittens this month and I got to watch her have them, it was amazing!

All tuckered out!

Sibling rivalry already

All the ladies here at ITF had the 3 German guys over for cooking lessons. This was my turn teaching them.

Great job guys!

A friend of mine in the village brought me her child to see if I could help him.  After one look I told her he needed to go to the "house sick" Dr.

Funky green bug

 

The Gimi Tribe

Some of you may be aware of the prayer request we had about going into the Gimi tribe this month.  Well things fell into place for us to go and so Oct. 3rd we flew in by Helicopter.  This was an experience for me (Nikki) because as much as I don't like to fly, I really enjoyed the helicopter ride!  It only took us 15 minutes to arrive.  I hear that if the roads are dry enough, you can go by car but it takes 5 hours to get there.  It was pretty cool to see all the people coming up the mountain to greet us when the helicopter landed.  After getting unpacked and settled in to our tribal guest house we went out to story with the Gimi people.  They were so excited to see us and could not figure out if I was Travis' daughter or not, ha ha.  Lynne the missionary to the Gimi had to tell them that I was his wife and they all laughed.  I have to say that this trip was very good and very challenging!  I want to start off with the good things I experienced. I met 3 really neat Christian girls about my girls ages and these girls were so funny with staring at me and touching my skin and hair and telling me my skin was soft and my hair too!  Lynne the missionary to the Gimi had taught them to play UNO and so one day I asked her if I could play it with the kids, well after that day everyday became UNO day and all the kids in the village would come up and watch us play.  Another day I took some little animals and dinosaurs outside and layed them out and then asked the kids to point to the animal and I would give them the English name for it.  This became a great way for me to work on my Pisin as well, so we were all learning. Travis enjoyed his time as well with different guys who took him around the mountain. So now to the challenging time of my Gimi trip. Many thoughts went through my head while I was there and I hope to share them in a very real way that I experienced them.  Some of this may sound harsh and disappointing as I say it, but this is how I was feeling at the time and I want to be real with you all.  I was looking forward to seeing a new area of Papua New Guinea and a tribe with believers.  I always heard that when you go into a tribe with believers you can see such a difference in the way they think and treat you.  Well, this was my expectation going in.  I knew the living conditions would be rougher than I have experienced here at Interface so I was ready for that but I was not ready for seeing some of the believers the way I did.  At first I thought wow these people are different, they are more friendly and reach out to you more than our village up from us, and then after spending a few more days with them I noticed similar behaviors in them.  This culture here is one of manipulation and deception.  We are dealing with an animistic culture and this is how they operate. Actually when you think about it, sin is the same way even acted out in our culture.  Well, after awhile I became uneasy with them and started seeing through the "acts of kindness" when more and more "askings" came and though I felt like I was giving and giving things to them it didn't seem like enough to some.  I was already burnt out by the people in our village because of all the steeling that they had done to us; taking not only Travis' shoes but coming back for mine and the girls.  Now, all of our good shoes were gone never to be seen again and then they stole Trav's bush knife.  I was ready to see a change in these believers in Gimi but I felt the same with them.  After spending a nice evening with them eating food and fellowshiping, Travis and I would go back home talk about our time with them and the next morning would come and I would hear something they would say that would be upsetting or one lady would come ask me for stuff all the time and even when I would give things like my soap, a scrub brush, towels, sweat pants, skirts, shirts, etc. she would still ask me for money.  I was wore out and told Travis I was done with these people.  I know this sounds harsh but I felt used. I felt that they really didn't care if we were there to share our testimonies with them and love them, that they were just interested in getting stuff from us.  I remember sitting and crying to Travis and telling him that I just didn't have it in me to Love these people.  Then it hit me!  It Had To Be God!!!!!  I don't have it in me and no one does for that matter, it had to be God that died on the cross because none of us would for people who spit and hurl insults, manipulate and deceive you.  It gave me a new appreciation for what God did for me and you because it has to be His love in me to Love these people the way He would Love them.  The other thing God taught me was that even believers have the flesh and can choose to operate in it, me included!  This culture is tough to live in and I think I see sin more blatantly here where it's just out in the open then when we were back in the States.  Cultures play a huge part in the way we see things but God's Word shows us Truth and this is where we need to operate.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to go with Lynne White into the Gimi tribe even though my expectations were different.  God spoke to me there and I was grateful for it.  Thanks for all who prayed in this decision for us to go in and the finances for it.
Below are some of our pics from the Gimi tribe.

This is taken from the Helicopter right as we are getting ready to land.

Our ride!

Travis just getting off the Helicopter and meeting the Gimi's

This was when I was teaching the kids about the animals

Travis and I with the Gimi gang...and pig.

Nikki with friends helping prepare food for our mumu

Our favorite UNO time!

A few of the Christian girls who braided my hair

Travis and I eating dinner inside one of the believers home

Rita made this bilum for me

A Glimpse Into My Life

Birds chirping, dogs barking, cat meowing, light shining into the bedroom window.  Alarm goes off, it's 6:00 am and I slowly roll out of bed.  I drag myself to the kitchen to start making lunches for the girls day at school, then I grab some toast and lather it with peanut butter sometimes putting a few banana slices on top. Laundry is overflowing, I start the washing machine. Dishes fill the sink.  I heat the water on the stove for washing them, and hurry my girls off to school. My hair is a wreck, I'm still in my pj's and I have strong coffee breath. I head towards my bedroom looking down at the folded clothes that still need to be put away. I throw on a shirt and skirt and head to the bathroom for a much needed makeover. I hear a tap at my door and someone calling my name. I head to the door with eyeliner on one eye and my hair pulled back. My village friend has come to visit me.  We story outside for awhile and then I hear a beep, my clothes are done.  I fill up the laundry basket and head towards the clothes line.  The sun is covered by clouds, I think to myself...I wonder if it's going to rain?  I continue hanging up clothes but I'm beckoned by the ring of my phone.  I hurry inside to answer and no one is there. Traces of mud and crumbs catch my eye on the floor so I start sweeping.  At last a few minutes to sit and relax, just me and God.  Barking, barking, my dog alerts me someone is here to see me. Another friend from the village has come to visit Travis. I story a little and my stomach sings out. 12:00 it's time for lunch!  I look to see if I have leftovers or meat thawed out...nothing.  Looks like it's going to be peanut butter and jelly again. Table is set, Travis and I enjoy our PBJ's we talk about our day and find a few moments to check emails. Phone rings, dogs bark, tapping at the door.  Time to get back to work. Dishes in the sink as I close the door behind me. Praying it doesn't rain as I walk up the hill to do office work. Internet is down, computer is froze and I hear rain tapping on the roof. Down the hill I go, my cat welcomes me as she rubs her back across my legs. Laundry basket full, clothes are damp as I set them on the dryer. I glance at the time 3:45 pm I anxiously await until 4:00 when the generator turns on. I hear a truck, the girls are back from school. Hungry and tired they collapse on the couch, book bags on the floor. It's 4:00, I throw the clothes in the dryer and hear my kids calling out "what's for snack."  Nothing is made, I slab some peanut butter on graham crackers and call it good. The door shuts and I see my girls hurrying off to play with their friends. A mud clot catches my eye and I grab the broom. What's for dinner? I glance in the fridge tortillas, left over meat....Tacos! It's 6:00 the door opens and Travis walks in. The table is set, Sierra prays and we pass the food around as we share about our day. Dishes in sink and on counter, Brookes night for washing. Sierra starts her homework, Travis relaxes, I scrape remaining food into a tupperware bowl. The sound of a clarinet comes from Sierra's room and Brooke begins practicing her flute. Travis is checking email, internet is slow. Sierra hollers to her dad, it's a math question so I thank God he is able to help her. I sit on the couch checking emails and I hear the shower. It's 9:00 and the girls are off to bed, my eyes growing heavier and heavier I look over at Travis and he is asleep in the chair. Lights go off, dog barks and a new day begins!

An Hour Unexpected?

"If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into." You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:39-40

Recently while Travis and I were away for a softball tournament for Sierra, we came back to find that all of Travis' shoes had been stolen.  We have this enclosed shelf outside with a lock on it and we keep some of our muddy shoes in it.  It is shocking to come back home and find out that someone has stolen something from you.  Most of his shoes were older ones but nevertheless, it was still upsetting.  During this time, I was reminded of the things we hold on to so tightly.  It is easy to say that we don't think we hold on to this or that, but then when it is taken away we see what is really at the core of our hearts.  Stealing is wrong because God said so, but I tend to make it about me and that it was an offense against us.  Everything belongs to God, nothing is ours but what God has given to us.  All this to say that the offense was not against us but against God.  I was reminded while reading a devotion this week that we are not our own, we were bought with a price and there will be a day when we will least expect it, (like when the shoes were stolen) that the Son of God will come.  Will you be ready?  Will I be ready?  Let us live each day ready and waiting for our Glorified state with the Lord!

Interface 2012

The six weeks are officially over and the students are now back in their home towns.  We had a good time getting to know these 15 students.  We had 13 girls and 2 guys on the team so I wasn't sure how this was going to work out with sooo many girls, but it was great.  I really enjoyed hearing how God brought them here and the direction towards missions some had chosen.  As I sat in on some of the classes being taught I was reminded again of why we are here.  It is easy to get busy with daily duties and lose focus on the relationships with the nationals.  Travis and I are now back to language learning and he spends most of his mornings up in the village, I don't get up to the village until later in the day since I have girls I need to get off and ready for school, laundry, etc.  I do appreciate the times when the ladies from the village come down to my house and story with me, I seem to learn a lot during these times.  The other day a lady came down and I had laundry in the wash so we sat and talked and she shared with me about the way her grandmother would do laundry.  I got quite a cultural experience learning that before they had soap to wash their clothes they would get a leaf off of a certain tree and would put it in a bucket of water.  Once you squeezed the leaf if would soap up and they would wash their clothes with it, as well as clean themselves.  They will still use this leaf to this day if they are out of soap.  After my clothes were done washing she offered to help me hang them up and then we sat and storied some more.  I am so grateful for these opportunities even if I am unable to go to their house due to responsibilities I have at my house.  Travis is taking his 2nd evaluation today on the language and I will do mine next week.  Pray we can retain all we have learned!

When the students were here we went up into the village for a (singsing) festival.  The nationals were all dressed up and danced and sang for us.  In the end the asked us to join in!

This fella thought it would be cool to hold my hand...Awkward!

LIFE GOT BUSY!

Life got busy and so did we! You may have not heard from us in awhile but we are still alive!  Last month many things occurred all within a few days to a few weeks of each other so now I am trying to catch up on things I pushed off.  In the month of May our generator was showing signs it might be on it's last leg, then the day came when it finally died.  We use this generator for many things, all of our houses are powered by it.  Our fridges, lights, water all work when the generator runs but when it turns off we switch to battery banks, which each home has here.  Our battery banks are not new, the generator when it is running will charge the battery banks so they will work at night for lights, fridge, etc. So, as you might have figured when the generator died, the lights, electricity died as well.  Water was also on limited use for us until we figured out what we would do.  While the guys were working on a plan I was dealing with a whole different issue with the Lord.  During this time I found a lump in my breast and became overwhelmed with emotions on top of the emotions of not knowing how we would live without the generator.  I had to rely on God in a way I never had before.  I couldn't understand what was happening but came to the realization I don't need to. I gave God my life and know that whatever he Allows I can rest in that.  Also during this time, one morning Travis was moving our German Shepherd from one fenced in area to another and he let him walk back without having a leash on him, well he saw our kitten on the front porch and he took off after it and killed it.  I thought at this point I couldn't take anymore excitement but there was more on the way!!!!  A few days went by and I noticed water backing up in the sink and shower and the toilet was acting funny.  That night when Sierra went to take a shower black stuff came up the drain.  Travis said he would take a look at it in the morning thinking it was a clogged drain.  The next morning as I got the kids ready and off to school, Travis went up into the village and I was home getting in some alone time with God.  I went back and used the toilet, as I left the bathroom I heard a gushing of water flowing from that direction.  There was such a force I cannot compare it to anything other than an explosion in the toilet.  Within seconds water and .... yes that stuff filled our bathroom floor, and was flowing into our bedroom.  Luckily I was able to get most of the stuff picked up off the floor and grab my phone to call Travis.  He got home and the work began all morning, day, night.  We worked on this septic issue for the next week trying to figure out what was going on. Finally we found the clog and pulled out what looked like a shirt that had been flushed down the toilet!!!!  Not from us, but apparently someone who lived there before us at some point had flushed a shirt?..... This was not the only solution to the problem, there was a pipe that needed to be moved and the septic pumped.  We had a few guys helping Travis pump it while he dug a huge pit in our back yard to bury it in.  It is now June and we believe the septic issue is solved, the generator was taken to Lae and is fixed until our new one arrives.  The doctor did and ultrasound on me and all indications show the lump to be cystic and it has since gone away, and one of my village friends gave me a kitten from her cats litter.  Life has not been dull here in PNG but I am thankful for all the opportunities God has given us to Trust Him and to Know Him!

Pics of Life in PNG

Puppy kisses for Sierra

Brooke is holding one of the new German Shepherd puppies for ITF

This is the HUGE rat Travis killed in our bedroom!

Going to town

My friends and I heading into town

Travis with Pastor Jeremiah.  Check out the Husker shirt!!!!

Bread and Butter

Recently our mission store was all out of bread orders and butter.  For the first time I panicked over bread and butter.  I thought of all the recipes that required bread and butter and my mind got the better of me. I am beginning to realize that things are not as simple over here as in the states.  I appreciate Wal-Mart being open 24hrs a day and the freedom to just hop in my car and go when I need to.  God is teaching me a lot about dependence on Him and not on self (I can't say that I have enjoyed it much).  With Travis and I being in full swing on language learning, I also feel like I am in full swing learning how to cook and when to wash clothes as well.  I have enjoyed spending time in the village and getting to meet our neighbors.  Last night we heard a lot of music that was coming from the village.  This morning Travis and I walked up there and found out they were having a Crusade/Revival and so we stopped and sat with them for awhile.  To my surprise I found that I could understand a lot of what the man was teaching and really enjoyed being there.  I wanted to say thanks for all your prayers as we continue to work on our language and a new culture.  We are in our home now at Interface and are getting more settled but still waiting for our container to be released.  We are anxiously awaiting God's timing on this as we wait.  We would also ask you to pray for a few of our supporters who we heard are having health issues as well as a few family members.  It is hard to be away when we hear bad news but trust the Lord that nothing goes past His knowing and His plans are always to prosper us not to harm us.  I am attaching some pics of what the Rays have been up to, so enjoy and know that we love and miss you all!

 

Nikki helping in the garden

    My friend Shara and I learning how to turn the rope for making bilums

     Kids crossing the river on a gumi

    Aute our language helper making fishing poles

     Sierra with her new friend Annie

    Brooke

    Sierra getting a push from her dad

    Hannah, Sierra, Savannah, Brooke sitting in the village up from us

    Qwela with her son Jodi

    Friends from the village, the gal holding the pig is Lucy

    Lucy and Nikki

    Jodi carrying my bilum

                       Sierra jumping off the waterfall

                      Nikki jumping off the waterfall

                       Nikki after the jump!

                       Brooke jumping off the waterfall

    Our orientation class crossing the river

                              Cute baby!

    Language helper Aute showing us how to start fire with no matches

                             Aute helping Travis

    Nikki learning how to make a bilum

    Travis and the guys learning how to make baskets