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

Lotu (Church)

Today we went to a nearby Pisin Church.  As we walked up the hill we could hear voices singing out loud.  As we approached the Church, ladies came to greet us and shook our hands and I even got a kiss on the cheek.   They were so happy we had come to visit their Church.  They told us that they were having Sunday School at that moment and the kids could go inside and sing.  We all walked in and it was so beautiful.  I could actually understand some of the words they were singing and all the kids were so happy to sing as loud as they could!  We sat in the back and listened and then joined in on some of the songs we could understand.  One of the songs I loved the most went something like this: "Jesus is the winner side, winner side, winner side, I want to be on the winner side, Hosannna Jesus is the only way, the Bikpela God bilong me."   Pastor Jeremiah is a believer but the Church is small.  There were only 4 ladies and the rest children attending his church.  Please be in prayer that the men of these women would start attending as well as other men in the village.  Today he taught on John chapter 3 where Jesus tells Nicodemus he has to be born again to enter the Kingdom of God.  He talked about the wind and how we do not know where it comes from but we know it's there. He also talked about how a snake sheds its skin and has new skin and related it to being born again by leaving the old ways and following God. After church I met a lady named Susan who told us that we need to come visit on Saturday and she will teach us more Pisin and we can work in her garden and she will teach us.  As they walked us home we stopped at Pastor Jeremiah's garden and he gave us two pumpkins which we call squash in the states.  I have to say this was a very enjoyable time for all of us and we look forward to more opportunities to spend time with them.