WANTOK

Already I’ve started drawing comparisons between PNG and Africa. I’ve discovered some similarities like the weather, community culture and the wantok (another new pigeon word meaning friendship.) The wantok system is very common in Africa also, it’s like an unspoken rule. When you make a friend or have grown up alongside someone, if they come under some kind of difficulty you look after them by feeding them, sharing with them, letting them live in your house, whatever they need. If the same happens to you they must return the favour. This wantok system plays a huge part in the PNG culture because they're so community based. If a local is going into town for the day to do something important and they meet a friend they haven't seen in a while along the way, they'll stop and chat. They'll forget about what they have to do in town because their way of thinking is completely relational.

This made me think about home and how we're so driven by our schedules, to-do lists and calanders. Don't get me wrong sometimes things need to get done, but it wouldn't hurt to slow down sometimes and try a bit of wantok.

Emma x

NEVER SMILE AT A CROCODILE

Yesterday my family and a few missionaries from the base went to a local resort to hang out and eat some food on new years day. The resort is absolutely beautiful. It has a beach just outside the restaurant where we eat, with imported sand from another country but it still looks great none the less. They also have a little animal park just next to it where we went to visit the crocodiles and where I learnt my new pigeon word : pukpuk (crocodile). One of the guys was beating a stick off something and the croc did a full 180 degree jump in our direction, we ran so fast. 

However the best part of the day was when my brother and I went for a swim out to the reef to snorkel. It was an amazing experience seeing the vast array of colours, fish and different creatures. It's crazy looking. I caught another starfish and this time it was a big blue one. I'm getting pretty good at this aren't I? In the next few weeks we'll go to an even bigger reef and go for a dive to see what's within the deeper seas, I can't wait.

I know it may sound like I'm not doing any work but that all starts on Tuesday. Today I had a meeting with the principal of the Malango school here to arrange the work I will be doing. Turns out, I will be a full time teacher of a Secondary School English class. I'm a little scared but hopefully after a few lessons I'll be fine. 

I took a few pictures of around the base (mini America) today which I will get up really soon.

In the mean time here's a few of the resort yesterday and the catch of the day, my lovely blue starfish.

Love, 

Emma x

WESAN

For new years eve we went to the beach ("wesan" in pigeon). We did some snorkelling, which was class. We didn't swim the whole way out to the reef but some day we're going to take the boat out and have a good look around. I did manage to find a starfish though which wasn't too bad for my first time.

Today we're going to a local resort to have a BBQ for new years day so that'll be fun. It's so strange celebrating the new year here at 30 degrees! My dad leaves with Simon tomorrow for the weekend, they're heading into the bush to visit a potential tribe for Simon and Annika. I wanted to go but I'll have my turn soon. I'll get them to take some pics of what they did and you can have a look.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying that I'll settle in and feel at home here, it really is a beautiful place and I know I'll enjoy my time here.

Happy New Year and I'll post another update soon.

Love, 

Emma x

ps : Keep the comments coming, I like those.

PNG

THE STORY SO FAR...

So after 4 days of traveling I have finally reached PNG. My parents are still in one piece, although it was touch and go a few times. Joe nearly had a wee accident when they told him he was going to have to pay over $200 for excess luggage weight.

We flew from Belfast to London and then had a 16 hour flight to Malaysia, stopping in Dubai. We had one hour in Malaysia before our flight to Brisbane. After spending the night in Australia it was the final leg of our Journey up through PNG. We arrived in Port Moresby at about mid day expecting to go straight to the hotel for the night to catch up on some sleep before our domestic flight to Hoskins (Islands region). A man named John met us in port Moresby and directed us straight to the ticket desk, Simon (my brother) had rang earlier to ask if there was any space on the flight that day, luckily there was so they bumped us forward to an earlier flight with no extra cost.

My brother along with his wife and baby girl Nya (she’s class) are full time missionaries with New Tribes Mission (NTM) in PNG. We arrived at Simon’s house late afternoon. We were so excited to see them and the place they have been living. They live on an NTM base, which I think is like a mini America. There is a school, clinic, shop, bank and even the odd swimming pool. It’s really beautiful. The houses are basic but comfortable, at the minute I’m living with Simon and Annika but in the next few days I’ll move into my own house with 2 other girls.

The School that I will be teaching in is on the base. The kids are on holiday at the moment but start back mid January. I’m still not completely sure what I will be doing but I have an orientation meeting soon so hopefully I will know more then.

Right now we’re just glad to be here and are excited about seeing around the place. I’ll be updating the blog quite regularly so keep an eye out.

Please send me some comments, even though I’m having fun here I still miss home and it would be lovely to hear from you all.

Love,

Emma x

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

For some cool pics from PNG check ERIC LAFFORGUE's Flickr out for size : CLICK ME

The beautiful image in the header was taken from this great selection of pics.

Jonny/Emma

VIDA de INFLUENCIA

LIFE of INFLUENCE :

So, the internet is really bad here in Mozambique, it's so unreliable. We're now in Quelimane and we actually leave for home next Monday, we've been so busy. Only getting around to putting up new material for your viewing pleasure now.

The capital city of the Zambezia province ("county"), Quelimane is a port city with approximately 200 thousand people living here. The Zambezia province is the largest province amongst the ten provinces of Mozambique. Africa is a largely colonised continent with many people from various other countries coming to exploit and take what they need from the land, sea and people. Mozambique was colonised by the Portuguese, who were made to leave in 1974 through revolutionary ideas that resulted in war. This then birthed communism and a civil war within the country from 1974 until 1992. As well as these radical ideals, the Portuguese impacted a lot of the country's culture and architecture. I mean, is Portuguese football even that good? They seem to think it's superior to the Premiership, I blame it on Portuguese brain washing. (Please, I don't want any comments aboot Ronaldo, he's an exception who left the country to rub shoulders with greatness : SPURS)

Prior to the civil war within the country, Quelimane was a point of export for fish, coconut, cashew nuts, tea and sugar. This is still the case today, but on a smaller scale. Coconut is incorporated into a lot of the local foods including their rice and Zambezian chicken. You have to try Zambezian chicken, BONITO.

The life expectancy here is approximately 37 years old. The people of this city have to deal with many struggles such as HIV/AIDS, unemployment, poverty and alcohol abuse. You can see the effect of aids everywhere, from children at the age of 10, 11, 12 holding their baby siblings because their mother and father has died of the deadly virus. Many children at a young age will raise their siblings while they live with their Granny or Granddad (or any living relative) as adoption is frowned upon by the government.

We are working with Quelimane Christian Assembly (QCA) a church birthed 6 years ago by Owaldo Jorge, a native Mozambican and Annemaree a native Australian. The church is a cell church with various cells meeting around the city during the week which then come together on Sundays for their corporate celebration or service. This is very contextual and relative to the setting of Quelimane and the nation of Mozambique with it's communal atmosphere and relational people.  The church has recently been sending out members to various parts of the country, such as Maputo, Morrumbala, Beira, Dondo and Chimoio. From here these members have been starting cells, meeting together and growing. It's great to think that a church doesn't know how big it is or how big it is getting. It's through this impact, that change happens and it's so great to be part of something like this.

QCA is dedicated to 'raising up and releasing a generation of young Christian men and women to impact all areas of society - law, economics, medicine, education, etc'

That's a flavour of what we've been involved with here in Quelimane. I have been working with the football cell which meets on Sunday mornings at 6:30 until 9 whilst the morning service is in action. It's church on the football pitch which is a fresh change. The local "dudes" that come along to this really appreciate any form of regulated football matches and training drills. They're not exposed to this as they grow up playing football in the zones where they live. So, we train and then we share, and invite the new members along to the night service. 

It's a great chance to meet new people and make new friends. One of my new friends is Jackson (great name), he's a legend. He's very quiet but every now and again he'll slip out a wee smile or a stupid dance. He shows great dedication to the cell, traveling in each week and each day of the tournament, walking roughly an hour and a half in the Mozambican heat. We're in the process of getting him a bike, this will make it a little easier on his typically thin lanky African legs. The amount of times I've looked at his dark face and it has sparked another beautiful rendition of Johnny (he spelt that the wrong way) Cash from myself. "I'm going to Jackson...."

The last two weeks we've been involved with a football tournament that the church establishes usually twice a year for all the zones around the city which was then capped off with a concert on Monday for International Aids day. It was a great tournament, lots of refereeing, lines manning, sun and a fun concert with lots of people coming together in typical Mozambican fashion for a dance.

I also have been doing a spot of English teaching with the players from my cell in Aeroporto, one of the zones in the city near the airport. As well as this I've been involved with New English Voice Organisation (NEVO), an English teaching school. Here I've been teaching life skills to locals and getting to know them along with their Mozambican thinking towards various subjects such as divorce, homosexuality, marriage and sex before marriage. Today I was in a zone called Namuinho doing a football clinic with locals, it's a more rural zone and a lot of the locals were out to watch the football and see the white boy taking pictures. The work we've been doing here is very relational based, getting alongside people, meeting their family and experiencing their culture. Good times.

Emma has been working with a NEVO cell each Saturday and has been covering topics relating to hope, relationships, fasting and limitation. This cell also becomes a moral teaching class during the week where she has just recently taught on communication. Emma has also been involved with a school in a zone area called Janeiro, she has been going there once a week to play with the local children, teach a little bit of english and meet their families. On Thursdays she goes to the boys home in Sangaglivera for the day to visit the boys and to a cell in the afternoon. 

Every street kid that we've noticed on the street knows about the home but doesn't want to live there and we can't understand why. At the centre they have a safe place to sleep and eat but rules are also set in place to give them routine and teach discipline, this may be the reason why they keep running away. Just today we were at a cafe with some friends and a couple of street kids came to ask for some money, when we seen them one of the boys was reaching into the bin looking for something to eat. The waiter caught him and slapped him across the head and began shouting at him. The kid just sat down and started crying, it was so hard to see that kind of thing happening. We couldn't even say anything because our Portuguese is so limited. When you know there's a safe place for them to stay it breaks your heart when you see them being treated like this on the street.

Keep praying.

Love, 

Jonny/Emma