Monday was a fabulous start to the week, as I took the day off to be part of the MAF Ladies’ Quiet Day.
We drove 20mins out of town to House Poroman (means “friend”) which is owned by a local Christian business woman. It is a lodge overlooking the mountains and valley, and the view is spectacular!! Because it’s not a public area (you have to book it) there was no one around except us, so we were quite safe and free to wander in the surrounding woods and slopes.
reflections…
The House Poroman building itelf is beautiful and clean, with a huge stone fireplace inside plus a piano and comfy leather couches. There are French sliding doors all around this lounge area, opening out onto a stone patio which has a large wooden table surrounded by big lounger chairs, with the stunning valley views just beyond. There is a tidy lawn with flowers directly outside the main lounge area, then the land slopes steeply down as the mountain falls away to open up the valley.
I was thrilled to take my Bible, journal, writing book, picnic lunch, and “disappear” for several hours. I climbed down tracks and crossed big grassy meadows, revelling in being completely alone in nature!! It is the first time since I came to PNG that I have actually had the chance to wander in the scenery without needing security or a guide or having curious people following… I found a lovely little nook (as you will see by the photos) and spent a glorious 3 or 4 hours just soaking it all in. Here, I journalled, gazed at the mountains, watched the trees sway, lay in the sun, napped in the shade, and even wrote a song.It was incredibly peaceful and refreshing, and I felt so much more calm in my spirit having just soaked in the solitude and tranquility of God’s quiet creation…
Women’s UniformsThis week I received the blouses for all MAF PNG female staff, freshly embroidered with the MAF logo. The ladies are all excited to have good quality uniforms that are comfortable and smart, and we are all wearing them proudly 🙂 It has been wonderful to see their pleasure in the new uniforms, and I have been humbled and blessed to have most of the ladies and even some of the men come to personally thank me for making this happen.
Gordon & Dan with the completed IPS
IPS Unit
Another exciting part of this week was being told that my IPS unit and batteries are now up and running!! I can’t remember what IPS stands for haha (clearly not a technical thinker), but the point is that I will now have back up power during power cuts!!! Up till now I have joked that I am merely saving on power costs 😉 but it does get tiresome not being able to use lights most evenings, or having my freezer start to melt and items in my fridge expire. A recent report showed that during October, Mt Hagen was without power for 10% of the time, and in November it was 17%!! This averages to roughly 2 1/2 hrs per day of no power, though of course it doesn’t spread evenly as such but comes in shortages of 8 to 30+ hours.
I am so grateful to Gordon (Kiwi MAFer and the head of Maintenance) for overseeing this, and to Warren (a local contractor) and Dan (Swiss volunteer) who put in the hard work to set these up for MAF staff. The only downside is that IJ will miss Dan being around to give him extra playtime and attention 😉
Kalex Menson
MAF PNG Profiles
This week’s profile is Kalex Menson, who works here in Hagen as an Engineering Assistant and Hangar Cleaner. Kalex is on the same bus run as me to and from work, and is a quiet but smiley chap. He is also very creative and clever with his hands, and has made some very unique and fun projects. The picture I’ve attached shows one of his creations – a garden planter made out of old MAF aircraft tyres!! Too cool 😉
In closing, you will see a glimpse of IJ and his latest discovery – from now on I will have to keep the bathroom door shut!
IJ gets caught in the act!
Every blessing to you all, and thank you again for the lovely emails and comments that you send back to me. I open each one with a smile 🙂
Emma
PNG Ponderings 