Just got an email from Aaron on some specifics.

Meals - We have ordered your breakfast supplies and it will be ready for you when you get there.

Teens - Here is probably why the kids want to be separated. The distinction between Jr High and Sn High is somewhat significant in the States, but even more so here. The Jr High are usually living at home and doing all the games and activities with the elementary kids. The Sr High is usually going to the boarding school, having to make a lot of grown up decisions and hanging out with their peers and adults. However, I am for combining them where we can and think the activities would probably be better with more kids. I’ll be ready to run some things by you on Monday when you get here.

Boat project - I bought the last of the fiberglass resin (it is chopped strand) in Kokopo. It was 30 meters by a meter wide. If you think we will need any more than that I can see if they can get it in.

Motel in Au - I know that you have to leave the airport (clear customs, collect our luggage, leave the terminal), but I don’t know if we can’t go to the departure terminal early. We could try to leave the arrival terminal and go up to the departure terminal. I don’t think it would be closed though it is pretty dead real early in the morning. If that doesn’t work and we don’t have reservations, we could be in a pinch. There are lots of hotels though, but it just may mean taking more time and not going as smooth. We could always try to find a 24hr McDonalds. Either way I am fine, I am more considered about the team after all their travel and a hard week 2 weeks of work. Hoskins did just get VSat up and going so reservations online would not be a problem.

Bedding - I am checking on the mattresses and will let you know. Hoskins will be less of a threat since the houses are sealed a little better and they do spray for mosquitoes, but nets are available and not a bad idea.

Trailer - I still have the welding sticks from the last time you all came. I can check around for a welder. We are open to having it fixed, but I think the wheels would also need replaced if we did it. The big problem is that we can’t back the trailer down into the water far enough to put the boat on it without getting the truck in the water and we don’t want to put the truck to close to the water because of all the problems we are having with it. So even with the trailer fixed we will have some tricks to get it being used.

Soldering pen - A small pen for soldering house wire and small connections. Right now I can use a candle, but it is not very convenient.

New Tribes Mission - PNG History

Today there are over 850 missionaries with NTM-PNG working in 52 tribes. It all began back in 1950 when Chuck Driver was used of the Lord to open Papua New Guinea for the work of New Tribes Mission.

After preliminary surveys, Chuck and his family settled on the edge of the Hamtai tribe in the Watut valley of Morobe Province. At that time, many areas were designated as uncontrolled by the Australian government and women were not allowed in the interior. The Watut was the first Field Headquarters where for many years new missionaries came before moving into another work.

From the Hamtai, the work spread into the Eastern Highlands Province, beginning at Yagaria. Later, Yagaria became the Field Headquarters and an MK school was established there. Additional works began in a number of tribes over the course of the years. In 1970, Field Headquarters and the MK school moved again, this time to Numonohi (now called Lapilo) among the Benabena people where it remains today.

Works were subsequently begun in the Sepik Province along the mosquito-infested rivers where people were much more isolated. Many had not seen white men before and had little or no contact with missions. Maprik was the orientation center for all missionaries working in the Sepik Region and was the Sepik region’s headquarters. For a time Maprik was known as "tent city" until permanent dwellings were built. At the end of 2002 the Maprik base closed. Sepik Headquarters is now located in Wewak.

In July 1980 work began on the island of New Britain. Property in Hoskins, on the north coast, was obtained as a headquarters and the first tribe to be entered was the Lamogai. Works first began opening in West New Britain Province and then extended into East New Britain. A work has now begun on the island of New Ireland. A second MK school was started at Hoskins to meet the needs of the MKs from the Islands Region.

After surveys were done in the Madang Province in 1997 and 1998, a new work was begun on Manam Island in late 1999. In Jan. 2001 a land lease agreement was made for the location of a center to support missionary’s approx. 14 kilometers up the North Coast road from the town of Madang. In 2002 missionaries located in the Finisterre and Sarawaget mountain ranges.

The TAC (NTMA) program began in 1976 with the arrival of a Cessna 185 and Jim Cleveland as pilot, mechanic, and administrator, serving the Highlands and Sepik tribes. The fleet has now grown to include five Cessna 206’s, a twin engine Navajo Chieftain, two Beechcraft C-90’s and a Jet Ranger helicopter. The hangar at Goroka is headquarters for the NTMA program field-wide, with a hangar at Hoskins and at Wewak to service the regional planes.

The Fellowship of National Bible Churches (FNBC) was formed in 1980. Its purpose is to legally register the churches planted by NTM with the government so that any land or buildings might be transferred to FNBC, should NTM leave the area. The FNBC organizes annual conferences where hundreds of believers (mostly from tribes in the Highlands) gather for teaching and fellowship. Elders' workshops are conducted for those in leadership positions to help in specific areas concerning the government of a local church.

NEW TRIBES FIELD ADMINISTRATION

The field of Papua New Guinea is divided into five regions. Each has a Regional Committee responsible to oversee the tribal works and the support work directly related to that region.

The Sepik Region has its headquarters at Wewak in the East Sepik Province.

The Islands Region has its headquarters at Hoskins in the West New Britain Province.

The Highlands Region has its headquarters at Sobega in the Eastern Highlands Province.

The Madang Region has its headquarters at Madang located approximately 14 km up the North Coast Road from Madang Town in Madang Province.

The Lapilo Region (formerly called Numonohi) is located on 33 acres just 13 km (7 miles) from Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province. All missionaries who live and work at Lapilo (over seventy families) are involved in support ministries that affect the field as a whole. The Field Headquarters offices are located at Lapilo. Close by Lapilo is the Interface (ITF) Campus, which hosts a College Level Missions Course.

The Highlands Region, Lapilo Region and Interface share the same address, since both are located near Goroka and use the same Post Office Box. Mail for the Highlands Region is distributed from the Mail Room at Lapilo, where it is either picked up by personnel from nearby locations within the region or delivered by New Tribes Mission Aviation (NTMA) to more remote villages.

PNG - THE FACTS

Name:
In the 1500’s, Portuguese explorers named the island “Ilhas dos Papuas”, which means Island of the Fuzzy Hairs. Dutch explorers called it New Guinea because the people reminded them of those in Guinea, West Africa.

Toward the end of the last century, the country was divided among the Dutch, British and Germans. The western half became Dutch New Guinea, the northeastern quarter German New Guinea and the southeastern quarter British New Guinea.

During World War I, Australia captured German New Guinea, which was later assigned to Australia as a League of Nations Trust Territory. Australia governed both German and British New Guinea as separate colonies, namely: Papua and the Territory of New Guinea. When the nation gained independence in 1975, the name was changed to Papua New Guinea. Dutch New Guinea remained under Dutch rule until 1962 when Indonesia took over and called it Irian Jaya.

Geography

Papua New Guinea comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the second largest island in the world) along with a collection of smaller islands to the north and east: Manus, New Ireland, New Britain, and the North Solomons. The central spine of PNG is a high range of mountains with peaks over 4000 meters or 13,000 feet high. No road has been built across the country, so travel from north to south is only by air, foot or ship. In places, these mountains descend to the sea in diminishing foothills while in other regions broad expanses of mangrove swamps fringe the coast. The western region is an endless expanse of flat grassland, sparsely populated and teeming with wildlife.

The Fly and Sepik Rivers are the largest in the country. The Sepik flows north and empties into the Bismark Sea while the Fly flows south, emptying into the Gulf of Papua.

Because PNG lies in the Pacific volcano belt, tremors are felt regularly. However, active volcanoes are confined to the islands; the most recent eruption was in 1995 on an island off the coast of New Britain. It completely destroyed the city of Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province.

Reefs around much of the mainland coast and the islands make it a scuba diver's paradise.

Population

The Highlands alone account for 38% of the country's population of 5.5 million people. The availability of the nourishing sweet potato, which grows well in cold and poor soil, allowed the colonization of higher regions, domestication of pigs and the resultant increase in population. Sweet potato remains the staple food for the Highlands Region.

The people fall into four main categories - Papuans (from the south), Highlanders, New Guineans (from the north) and Islanders. Their physical appearance ranges from the very black Solomon Islanders, probably the most black-skinned people in the world, to the lighter-skinned Polynesian people in the south. Highland men are often short, stocky and bearded.

The expatriate population was around 50,000 at its peak in 1971 and may now be down around 20,000. The majority are Australians but there are also Germans, British, Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Malaysians, Indonesians and Filipinos. It has been said that if you come to PNG you’re either a missionary or a mercenary. Many of the expatriate workers are on short-term lucrative contracts with international companies. However, some long-term resident Australian and Chinese were eligible for citizenship at independence. This was granted on the condition that they renounce their original citizenship. Many did, and some now hold high positions in the government. Some are even members of parliament.

Climate

Officially there is a wet and a dry season. Many years ago these seasons were quite distinct; however it would now be accurate to call them the wetter and drier seasons. These wet and dry seasons vary around the country, so it is possible to travel from the Highlands during dry season and arrive in Lae on the east coast in wet season. Rainfall is generally heavy, ranging from 40" per year in Port Moresby to 240" in West New Britain. Temperatures on the coasts are usually a hot and humid 95oF or 36oC. The Highlands has little humidity and daily temperatures around 80oF or 26oC while at night it can get down to 50oF or 10oC.

Government

The National Parliament resides in Port Moresby. Its members are democratically elected for a four-year term of office. There is no limit to the number of candidates for any given electorate, which can mean that the elected representative has less than 10% of the votes of his constituency. This has led to an unstable government that has changed many times in the short history of the nation's independence. The political parties are not so much distinguished by their policies or ideology but rather by the personality of their leaders. Many of the members of parliament are not affiliated to any party, so fragile coalitions are prevalent with parties seeking to win the votes of the independents to survive. Even parliament members may change parties at a moment's notice.

Economy

About 85% of the population are subsistence farmers and do very well. There is no problem with starvation as with some other countries. The remaining minorities are involved in government services, mining, plantations and service industries. There is virtually no manufacturing industry, so almost all manufactured goods and many basic foodstuffs are imported. PNG’s natural resources are gold, silver, nickel, copper, oil, forestry and fishing. Coffee, cocoa and copra, too, play a large part in the nation's economy. The relative size of the population and the natural wealth means that PNG has tremendous economic potential and in terms of the Pacific's island states is a giant.

Languages

It is now believed that there are over 800 distinct languages in PNG. The search for a language to overcome this mutual incomprehension has brought about the trade language Melanesian Pidgin. Primarily derived from English, Pidgin also uses words from many languages. It came into being during the German New Guinea days and began in and around Rabaul. It is simplistic and can be frustrating at times because of its limited vocabulary. English is the official language of PNG used in government, business and schools, but used little outside the cities.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Kina (key-nah), which is divided into 100 Toea (pronounced toyah). Both are the names of traditional shell money.

Time

PNG is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, the same as Australian Eastern Standard Time, or 15 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. This changes to 9 and 14 hours respectively when clocks are adjusted for daylight saving time (PNG does not change). Because the country lies just 5o south of the equator, there is very little year-round variance in the length of the days. The sun rises around 6:00 AM and sets around 6:30 PM. However, the people of PNG are not the avid clock-watchers found in Western cultures. “PNG time” is notoriously flexible--the people are event-orientated, not time-orientated. Although it frustrates Westerners, it is a fact of life here.

Press Release
February 22, 2007

Church Group Spends 2 weeks in Papua New Guinea
working with New Tribes Missions

You are going where?

On March 17, nine people representing Holly Springs Bible Fellowship will board a plane in Omaha, Nebraska to travel to Papua New Guinea. In a two-week span, we will fly over 22,000 miles and spent 8 hours traveling by boat to our locations. The team will have a twofold purpose. One week will be spent in Hoskins, PNG at New Tribes Mission headquarters. The second week will be spent with the Patpatar people in Bom (rhymes with “home”.)
Each year New Tribes hosts an annual Island Region conference for all of their island missionaries. Approximately 160 people will be attending the 2007 conference. This is the only time many of these missionaries will meet outside of their tribes for the entire year. In previous conferences, the missionaries took care of all the logistics (cooking, watching children, activities, etc.) for the conference. After working in the bush for an entire year, they went to the conference and worked again serving each other.
After talking to one of the missionaries, some people were wondering if there was a way to minister to these people and allow the conference to be a time of refreshment, relaxation, and encouragement. Pastor Jim Thomas at Holly Springs Bible started contacting with the 2007 Conference Committee in October of last year. For the first time in the history of the conference, a team from the states will be taking care of the daily routines involved in running the conference. This year we will be pioneering a new approach to the conference. A team of 9 people will be taking care of the logistics and programs for the missionaries. We will be servicing their computers and networking the conference center. We will also be cooking 2 meals a day for the entire conference. In the past, the people were responsible to feed themselves in each others’ homes. Our service will provide these missionaries an opportunity to encourage one another and get a break from the difficult, harsh, tribal environment they experience every day.
After the conference the team will fly to Rabaul and take a 4 hour trip across the ocean in a 23 foot banana boat to a hamlet called Bom on New Ireland Island. For 5 days we will assist 2 missionary families, Aaron & Lori Luse (Sioux City) and Butch & Tammy Kunzer (Atlanta, Georgia). While on the island, we will do repairs on their homes, and take care of projects they do not have the time or expertise to finish. The largest project will be preparing a new boat for the missionaries. A new floor, transom, and console will be fiberglassed into place. This project will be completed within 4 days in 100 degree weather with 90-95% humidity.
Holly Springs Bible has been to Bom before. In 2004 a group of 7 people spent nine days on the island of New Ireland with the Luses and the Kunzers. Some of the projects included cement work (ferro type cement), plumbing, electrical, building, servicing of vehicles, running water lines, establishing a wireless computer network, and installation of a satellite phone for emergency contact to the outside world.
The 2007 team includes Pastor Jim Thomas (Climbing Hill) , Jimmy Thomas (“JT” – a recent Woodbury Central graduate), John & Michelle Bainbridge (Smithland), Chuck & Gloria Jackson (Oto), Chad Jordan (from Morningside Bible in Sioux City), Cheryl Jarvis (Hornick), and Jared Schramm (Woodbury Central Junior). Each team member has specific roles on the trip while at the conference. Cheryl will be in charge of cooking and Michelle & Gloria will assist her. Jimmy will work on computer repair and maintenance. Jared will be working on the sports activities at the conference and Chad will be working with the music for the conference. Pastor Jim will be teaching the children, as well as the senior high students. John and Chuck will be assisting with the maintenance part of the Mission base.
This trip has been financed by generous friends and the church family at Holly Springs. The entire church is a part of this trip and these 9 people are simply going as representatives of the church. We have also had a number of people assist us in keeping costs down by giving us reduced prices or supplying items to take with us. Terra Chemical is sending 5 laptops which they no longer need. Shoe Carnival (Sioux City) is providing special shoes for the team and missionary families. McDonald’s has provided some toys to take over and give to the missionary children. Specialty Tee’s (Sioux City) has designed a unique team shirt for our entire team. The response from individuals and the community has been overwhelming.
The church will have a special dedication service on March 11th and a testimony service on April 1st. The group returns to Omaha on March 31st. All of these people and their families are making an incredible sacrifice to go. The church has made a tremendous commitment to this conference and our missionaries. Pastor Jim feels like we are the real recipients of blessings. “This has been a great project for our church, and we are looking forward to see how God can use a group of people from Iowa on an island in the Pacific.”
The church currently has a blog which provides very detailed information about this trip. The team also hopes to post daily updates while in Hoskins if the internet connection is working. You can read all the details at http://pngmissionstrip.blogspot.com/

2004 Team at a Traditional Moo Moo

Trip Overview (beginning to end)
Here is what the trip will look like if everything goes as planned

Monday, March 5 - Malaria Monday – Take your Malaria medication Let me know if you have any side affects.
The standard recommendation for anti-malarials by the CDC in Atlanta for travelers coming to PNG is Mefloquine Lariam) 250 mg weekly. This should be started 2 weeks prior to exposure and continued for 4 weeks after exposure. Someone who is taking a medication in the class “Beta Blockers” cannot take Mefloquine. Beta Blockers are used most often for treatment of hypertension or coronary artery disease. Be sure to check with your doctor, as some medicines may be restricted in certain medical conditions.

Monday, March 12- Malaria Monday – Don’t forget.

Wednesday, March 14 – 7pm – Meet at church and pack totes for conference and trip. Also get preliminary weight of our suitcases and carry on bags. Labels assigned and customs sheets filled out for each tote, luggage and carry on assigned to you.
On your international flights you will be given immigration and customs forms to fill out before landing. They will ask for your name, date of birth, passport number, expiry date etc. It is a wise idea to write this information on a card that fits in your wallet, especially for families. That way you will not have to go through all the passports to find numbers and expiry dates or figure out birth dates when you are tired. We should have one of these filled out for you.

Friday, March 16 – 7 pm - You need to have everything packed at ready. I will be contacting the airlines Friday morning and making sure everything is on schedule. If the schedule should have to change – we need to be flexible enough to adjust accordingly. All last minute stuff should be done on Thursday night. Our last trip got moved up at the last minute – so we want to be ready for the same thing.

Saturday, March 17 – Our flight leaves at 3:15pm. We would like everyone to be in Omaha by noon. That means at noon we would like to be checking every tote and luggage. Yes – I realize that means we will be waiting almost 3 hours (2 ours is recommending or International Flights)– but it is Saturday and if we miss this flight – it makes us miss every flight. You need to plan for everything – I will be leaving Hornick at 9:00 and be with my family in Omaha before the trip. We will all have cell phone numbers. If you are on the road any later than 10 am– you are pushing it! Understand if you are late – I will have to make a call based on the whole group and the missionaries we will be serving. I do not want to leave anyone – but I will do what is best for the whole trip – this is not about you!
Saturday, March 17 – After leaving Omaha – we arrive in Dallas, Texas. We have 50 minutes between flights. We will get off the plane and go immediately to the next gate. When we disembark – we meet as a group outside the gate and then head to the next gate. Go to the Restroom on the plane or after we arrive at the departure gate. You can ask the previous team – I move quickly if flights are close. In the past we have actually had some people run to the next gate so they can hold the plane for us. We won’t leave you – but you need to make sure everyone knows where you are.
Saturday, March 17 – After arriving in LA – we will leave the domestic terminal and head to the international terminal. We have almost 3 ½ hours between flights, but we will get into the international terminal before we grab something to eat. The problem with LAX is the pan handlers. Just stay together as a group and don’t spend time talking to others. Unfortunately – you will have to be somewhat rude if approached and keep moving. Just don’t make eye contact and keep walking and they will not bother you.
Saturday, March 17 – we get on the plane at 11:55 pm. This is where you will want to start getting some sleep. Even if you cannot sleep on the plane – close your eyes and relax. You will be informed of exercises they suggest – do them. Get up and walk around – go to the restroom – or just stand up for a little while. Their will be plenty to do – you will be able to listen to music, watch movies, or read a book. Be careful of caffeine and drink plenty of water while on this flight. Just so you are not concerned – this plane may stop in Aukland, New Zealand. Everyone will get off the plane and they will clean it, reload fuel and food. Some new people may get on, and some may get off at Aukland. The airport is nice and it is an opportunity to buy some small souvenirs. This may be the only stop here – so this would be the only chance. Remember – whatever you buy – you will have to carry throughout the trip – so be careful – you have a lot of trip in front of you! After about an hour – we will get back on the plane and go to Australia. When we land it will be Monday morning at 6:45 am

Monday, March 19 – we have about 3 hours in the airport in Brisbane. You will find this a very nice airport. This will also be the only time you are in this airport. We will relax and enjoy some down time while waiting for our next flight. I suggest anytime you are in an airport – you walk. You will have plenty of sitting time in the planes. Sometimes, we will find an area out of the way and lay on the floor with our legs on the seats. This gets your legs elevated (helps swelling and circulation). It is not about looking good – just getting there as comfortably as possible.
Monday, March 19 – at 10 am we get on a plane to Port Moresby. We arrive at about 1 pm. When we arrive in Port Moresby we will get off the plane and take care of 2 things. We will get our Visas. There will be 2 lines – one for people with Visas and one for people without. We will get into the line without Visas. In this line, I will tell them we have Visa’s and are with New Tribes Missions. They will collect our Passports and place a Visa inside of them. We will also get our luggage at this time. We will enter an area for customs and will be asked some questions about what we are bringing into the country. Your sheet will tell you everything packed in your tote and suitcase. After this we will leave the international building and walk over to the domestic terminal. At this time it looks like an official from new tribes will meet us. Our luggage will then be checked into a domestic flight to Hoskins.
Monday, March 19 – We will leave at 2:55 and fly to Hoskins on a short 1 hour flight. When we arrive at Hoskins – Aaron & Butch should be there to meet us – they will have supper ready for us that evening and we will get settled. Typically the sun sets in PNG about 6:30 pm and rises at 6 am. This is where you will start to get confused on times. Do not be surprised to find yourself wide awake at 1 am in the morning – that is about 9 am Iowa time a day earlier. You will adjust – but the first few days are goofy.

Tuesday, March 20 – The missionaries will start arriving at about 1pm on Tuesday. We will help them get stuff set up for the conference. Everyone will get familiar with the facility and we will get a better idea of some of the jobs we will be doing. Here is a basic breakdown at this point
2 meals – Lunch and Supper –

• Cheryl helping will be assisting – Joy (?) Gloria & Michelle wioll also assist during crunch times. On Friday morning – we will cook a men’s breakfast / Friday night – Ladies night out Lunch is scheduled for noon / dinner at 5pm
• Music – Chad will be working with Jaap (Involve morning & evening)
• Sports – Jared – 3:30 – 5:00 Wed-Sat working with Aaron, Henk Shannon Kesinger for the family water games. Shannon can set up his slide.
• Elementary – PJ will be teaching through a series on Moses in the Morning / Junior High – 7:30 – 8:30 – Aaron will be teaching Jr High students / Senior High Students – 7:30 -8:30 – PJ will be teaching Sr High Students
• Maintenance - Chuck & John – There will be a number of maintenance issues that you can assist with throughout the conference.
• Computers – Jimmy & I will be teaching a workshop one afternoon. Jimmy will also be assisting people with computers. If they decide network facility – John and Chuck will run cable.

*While at the conference – we want to serve – also want to participate. Get involved with people and activities; be willing to be away if needed.

Sunday, March 25 – We are scheduled to leave Hoskins at 11:05 am. We will fly to Rabaul with Aaron & the Kunzers – short flight. At Rabaul we will go to the market and purchase some food supplies (great experience – I will but cokes!) we will then get on 3 boats and head to Bom. You will need to make sure that you have garbage bags to place your suitcases in. We should only have 2 or 3 totes plus our luggage. If the seas are rough – another missionary organization has a guest house where we can spend the night. We could then leave on Monday morning.
Sunday, March 25 – We should arrive at Bom about sunset and will get situated. Cheryl will be at the Kunzers and the rest of us will stay with Aaron. The Jackson’s and the Bainbridge’s will have their own room. The rest of us will camp on the floor and couches. Guys – if we have time – we will head to the creek for a quick evening bath. You wear your shorts; take a towel, and a bar of soap. Girls can use the showers in the houses. We will start work by Sunrise on Monday morning.

Monday, March 26 – The gals will be working on helping get meals ready and spending time with Tammy and the girls. If we need your help on projects, we will ask – but any “down” time is to be spent with the Kunzers. They need this fellowship and we want them to feel very special during this time. Guys – our main focus is the boat. At times we will need all hands – other tines it will only be a few of us. I have a manual on basic fiberglass principles and a 7 minute video – we will all watch so we know what to expect. There are numerous other small projects – which are not small to them. What they ask you to do may seem insignificant – but there is no insignificant project to them. Everything you do is one more thing off their schedule so they can spend time in the tribe!
Aaron and Butch will schedule some things for us while we are on the island. You have to make the call whether you want to participate. Remember – if you push it too hard – we loose you for the whole week – so don’t be afraid to stay back. You will be safe in the house and if you need to crash or heal – this is the time to do it with minimal impact to our mission. Many of the guys opted out of certain activities – so they could work the next day.
In the evenings – we will try to snorkel on a few of the days. After snorkeling – the guys will head to the creek and the gals to the showers. We will then assemble for supper and fellowship after we eat. Please understand that fellowship is very dear to these people. They want normal – therefore you will laugh, joke, cry, play games, anything they want – we want it to be like family. Love those kids and give them plenty of hugs – this is the only time they will get it!

Thursday, March 30 – This is our last night on the island. We will probably be getting the boat read and help Aaron get his house locked up for the next few months. We will be leaving early about 4 or 5am on Friday morning.

Friday March 30 – we will get on the boat and travel to Rabal. If the weather is nice – we may stop for about 15 minutes to snorkel over a couple of tanks that were sunk in WWII. Upon arriving in Rabal – we will get into a van and go to the airport with Aaron. We leave Rabal at 10:20 am. go to Port Moresby then to Sydney, Australia. We arrive in Sydney at 8:25 pm. We will gather our luggage and then go to a motel for the night.

Saturday March 31 – We will leave the motel and fly out of Sydney at 9:45 am. Aaron will leave earlier than us on a different flight. We arrive in LAX at 6:05 am and Aaron arrives about the same time. This is the best time to sleep and try to get as much rest as possible. Your body will start to catch up with you at this point. You have run off of adrenaline for almost 2 weeks and your body decides to rebel. Everyone will start to get a little on edge – so understand – it will have been a great 2 weeks – but we have also seen enough of each other by now. Upon arrive in LAX – we will have to go through customs. We will be asked a number of questions about where we have been and what we have done – just be polite – it is usually a long line.
Saturday March 31 – Aaron will now head out on a flight to Denver, then Kansas City. We leave on an 8:55 flight to Chicago. The online deal has your flight stuff wrong – Our tickets take us to Chicago – then Omaha. We arrive Chicago at 2:50 pm and have a 2 hour layover. At 4:40 we leave Chicago and get in Omaha at 6:10 pm.

Sunday April 1 – This is Palm Sunday so people in the US are thinking about Easter. We are going to have a service in the morning and talk about the trip. If all goes well- I will have a slide show ready – if not – I will have some pics. Most of it depends on how much jimmy & I can get done ahead of time.


Monday April 2 – Malaria Monday
Monday April 9 – Malaria Monday
Monday April 16 – Malaria Monday
Monday April 23 – Malaria Monday

Some reminders

• You will find yourself pretty tired the first week after the trip. Many people will want to talk to you about the trip – try to keep evenings free to sleep and get your body adjusted to the time. DO NOT push yourself the first week back – give yourself time to get adjusted.

• We will have a de-briefing meeting after the trip. The cultural adjustment is something we need to talk about and it will impact you! You may bring your family with you to that meeting

• Any pictures you have developed from film – ask for a digital CD – I will pay for it and use it to give everyone a copy of everyone’s pics. That way we all have pictures that we are all in.

PNG Language Phrases

Useful Pidgin Phrases:
Pidgin is a simple language that was developed so that the 800+ tribes of PNG could communicate with one another. Most Patpatar people will have a good understanding of Pidgin, and with a little practice you’ll find yourself able to use some of it too. (A lot of it has English similaries.) Here are a few phrases to get you started. There’s the phrase in Pidgin, a pronunciation guide, then the English translation:

Mi no save. (Mee no SAH-vay) I don’t know
Em wanem? (Em WAH-nem) What is it?
Nem bilong mi i… (Nem bi-LONG mee ee) My name is…
Yu mekim wanem? (Yoo MEH-kim WAH-nem) What are you doing?
Moning (MOH-ning) Good morning (sunrise to noon)
Apinun (AH-pee-noon) Good afternoon (noon to sunset)
Gut nait (Goot Night) Good evening (sunset to sunrise)
Tenkyu (TANK-yoo) Thank you
Bel bilong mi in no strong tumas – My stomach isn’t too strong
Em haumas – How much is this?
Wanem numba tu prais bilong yu – What is your second price?
Sori, mi no save tok Pisin – Sorry, I don’t understand Pigin
Mi bin stap long amerika – I am from America
Yu makim wanem – What are you doing?

Pronunciation Guide
a = a as in awesome
e = e as in elephant (except in “we” and “save” – then e= ei as in weigh)
i = ee as in see
o = o as in no
u = oo as in noon

Useful Patpatar Phrases:

Malan (Mah lawn)- Good morning (sunrise to 11:00)
Kasikes (Kas a kiss) Good Day
Matalahein (Maw tada hee in)Good afternoon (2:00 - sunset)
Abung (A Boone) Good Night (sunset to sunrise)
TaHoot (TA Hoot) Thank you
Beli (Bee lie) – very good

Interacting with Each Other

The Patpatar people are extremely perceptive. They will be observing you every second of the day. They will know if you’re getting along. If someone is annoyed at another person, they will know it. They are masters of human relationships! While that is a bit unnerving, it is good to know so that we can always be trying to be a good example of brotherly love to one another at all times. They way we interact as a team, work together, and eat together can speak volumes to them, whether good or bad. You are one of the first models of the way the body of Christ is to love one another – don’t blow it!

On another note, please be very careful with how men and women interact on the team – even husbands and wives. Unfortunately, no physical contact (even between spouses) is acceptable. Non-husbands and wives also need to be careful with how much they talk together one on one. Don’t be paranoid, just know that perfectly innocent things to us can very much send the wrong signal to our Patpatar friends.

Living Conditions:
Just remember this is not the United States. You will need to be flexible and look at this as an adventure. You will be back in the United States in your own home and your won bed in a few short weeks. You will find te time will fly by.
If we get the chance to eat with the tribal people, the food will be different - (rice and sweet potato, sweet potato and rice, plain rice, plain sweet potato….). The weather will be hot, humidity will be high, and you will rarely be dry for any length of time. Just try to remember that you can do anything for a couple of weeks. 

Let it give you a little perspective into the “simple and easy” life of the PNG people. This is what they live with day in and day out, even without luxuries like rice, or running water. The next time someone back home says “They must have such a simple, care-free life”, you’ll just smile and know how foolish that statement is.

Dress:
Ladies dress very conservatively in PNG culture. The guys can get away with pretty much anything they want! For ladies, we would ask that you all wear loose-fitting shirts with short sleeves (or tank tops) and long, loose-fitting skirts. Remember that for the hot climate, light weight is good. Also keep in mind that you’re a work team, so whatever you wear will pretty much be trashed by the time you’re done. We’d also recommend only bringing 3-4 changes of clothes. Not only will that be easier for packing (we’ll have some type of way to launder clothes there), but it will blend better into PNG culture where they can only afford 1 or 2 changes of clothes.

Basic Health:
Your best friends in PNG will be sunscreen, bug spray, water, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, soap and hand sanitizer. Make sure you each have enough of all those items and a good-sized water bottle with a lid. (We’ll have a more extensive medical kit on hand if anything else is needed.)

Money in Differing Countries
$100 should be plenty for souvenirs – Aaron has some we can purchase from him

$1 (USD) US Dollar = $3.02 (PGK) Kina (PNG currency)
$1 (USD) US Dollar = $1.30 (AUD) Australian Dollar
*currency exchange rates as of 1/2007

Interacting with the Patpatar

• Please do not give anything to the Patpatar people. If they ask you for something (and you’re able to understand what they want), please direct them to us, the missionaries. We don’t want to create a “welfare state” by handing out stuff all the time. We missionaries will have more insight into weighing when to give things out. If you want to leave something behind for the Patpatar people, leave it with us and we will decide how/when it gets given.

• Please be careful when interacting with Patpatar people of the opposite sex. Men and women generally interact very little. Women must be careful making eye contact with men, and even something like giving a firm handshake or conversing with a man alone can be seen as inappropriate. If a man offers to shake your hand, shake it very lightly. The same applies for men interacting with Patpatar women. It is okay to be friendly, but friendly in US culture can easily be misinterpreted in PNG culture when interacting with the opposite sex. If a Patpatar person of the opposite sex is being “friendly” with you (talking to you lots, sitting close, making a lot of eye contact), just be aloof. It’s better to seem rude than to encourage their behavior.

• Please feel free to be friendly and affectionate with Patpatar people of the same sex. Here it is quite typical for 2 men to hold hands! Don’t be alarmed – you’ve made a good friend if a guy tries to hold your hand! Smile, laugh, try to communicate, love their children, and just be friendly! Bring pictures of your family back home – they’ll love looking at them. Use the Pidgin phrases we’re including below to try interacting with them. If they offer you food, it’s okay to eat it. (You don’t have to eat it all, just try a bit and then pass the rest off to the crowd of kids hanging around. They’ll be happy that you tried their food, and you’ll be seen as generous for eating some and then sharing the rest.) If you are offered a non-food item as a gift, you could try offering to buy it. (A “free gift” is their way of coming and asking you for a favor later since you’re now indebted to them.) Or you can just plead ignorance and refuse the gift. “I don’t know” will be your best and most frequently used phrase! Remember above all that these are our future brothers and sisters in Christ. Just love them.

• Please do not say that you have come from our church to help us. Church is a very messy word here in PNG that communicates very different things than a body of believers. Just say that you are friends of ours from America. This will save us missionaries a lot of trouble.

• We have told the Patpatar that this is the work we’re coming to do: We are coming to learn their language, translate the Bible into their language, teach them the Bible in their language, and teach them to read and write in their language. While there will be other facets to our ministry over the years, this is what we tell them to avoid any possible confusion. (For instance, we are not coming to run a hospital or a school but this does not mean we won’t help them in that way at some point.) Please don’t inadvertently commit us to some other type of work! 

Realistic Expectations: Things to expect in coming to PNG

1. PNG is a very “missionized” country. You will see a sign getting off the plane in Hoskins that says “Jesus is Lord over West New Britain.” You will see people wearing “I love Jesus” and “God bless PNG” shirts/hats. You will see crosses decorating yards or church tops. Please don’t be fooled. These people have no idea what true Christianity is all about. They are completely without the truth of the Gospel in their language. Specifically, some PNG people are very religious. Many tribal people in PNG simply mix together a number of different religions.

2. The people of PNG may seem more advanced than you are expecting. Most people have a tribal name and a Western name. When introducing themselves to a Westerner, they will use their Western name, like Francis, John, or Angelica. They may be wearing a t-shirt and shorts and may even know a bit of English. This does not make them any less tribal or any closer to the truth of the Gospel! They are still desperately lost and need to hear the truth in their own tribal language. Please don’t think that because they’re not wearing face paint, they don’t still need to be reached.

3. The mission base may surprise you with all that it offers – hot and cold running water, reliable electricity, comfortable furniture and a lot of Western foods. Also, the house that in Bom may not be what you are expecting. In fact, it will seem like a mansion compared to what the PNG people are living in. Whether our house is rougher or nicer than what you had expected, please understand that we have been training and planning for this day for years. We have carefully weighed the pros and cons of how big our house is, what it will have in it, etc. Our goal is to live as simply as possible while making life as efficient and comfortable as possible so that we can spend the majority of our time in ministry rather than hauling water or trying to work by flashlight. If our goal was to live just like the people live, we could do that. But we would never fulfill the urgency of our task, which is to bring them the truth of God’s Word as quickly and effectively as possible. To minister efficiently, we need a lot of these “conveniences”.

A List of Do’s and Don’ts for you as a team:

We hope that this list does not seem burdensome or confusing. Please keep in mind that the PNG culture is extremely different from US culture. Every action that you guys do as a team will be watched closely by Patpatar friends, and things done now could affect the future of the Patpatar church. We know that none of you would intentionally do something inappropriate or potentially damaging, but we hope that with this list you will have some guidelines for knowing how to best have a good impact on our people while fitting into their culture.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.

Symptoms: Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:

• heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness
• weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fainting
• The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if:
• Symptoms are severe, or the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure.
• Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour. Cooling measures that may be effective include:
• cool, non-alcoholic beverages, as directed by your physician
• rest
• cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
• an air-conditioned environment
• Lightweight clothing

Heat Stroke

Symptoms = of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heart exhaustion before progressing to heart strokes. Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches, and dizziness. However some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning. Different people may have different symptoms and signs of heat stroke. But common symptoms and signs of heart stroke include:

• high body temperature, rapid pulse , difficulty breathing, strange behavior
• hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, coma
• the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin

Prevention = The most important measures to prevent heat strokes are to avoid becoming dehydrated, and to avoid vigorous physical activities in hot and humid weather. If you have to perform physical activities in hot weather, drink plenty of fluids (such as water and Gatorade), but avoid alcohol, coffee, and tea which may lead to dehydration. Take frequent breaks to hydrate yourself. Wear hats, and light colored, and light and loose clothes. In general, the following signs are suggestive of dehydration; increasing thirst, dry mouth, weakness or lightheadedness (particularly if worsening on standing), darkening of the urine, or a decrease in urination. Another item to be aware of is diarrhea, which can very easily lead to dehydration. Constipation is also a sign that your body may not be getting enough water. On the island – coconut milk may lead to diarrhea and Bananas can lead to constipation.. Both are great – just watch yourself and be aware of the potential problems.

Everything you wanted to know about Malaria

What is malaria? - Malaria is a disease of the blood that is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Malaria is very common throughout the world. In the United States, the main risk is to persons traveling to tropical and subtropical countries where malaria is a problem.
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How is malaria spread? A person gets malaria from the bite of an infected female mosquito. The mosquito bite injects young forms of the malaria parasite into the person's blood. The parasites travel through the person's bloodstream to the liver, where they grow to their next stage of development. In 6 to 9 days, the parasites leave the liver and enter the bloodstream again. They invade the red blood cells, finish growing, and begin to multiply quickly. The number of parasites increases until the red blood cells burst, releasing thousands of parasites into the person's bloodstream. The parasites attack other red blood cells, and the cycle of infection continues, causing the common signs and symptoms of malaria.

What are the signs and symptoms of malaria? People with malaria typically have cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that recur every 1, 2, or 3 days. The attack of the malaria parasites on the person's red blood cells makes the person's temperature rise and the person feel hot. The subsequent bursting of red blood cells makes the person feel cold and have hard, shaking chills. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea often go along with the fever. The destruction of red blood cells can also cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and anemia.
How soon after exposure do symptoms appear? The time between a mosquito bite and the start of illness is usually 7 to 21 days, but some types of malaria parasites take much longer to cause symptoms.

How is malaria diagnosed? Malaria is diagnosed by a blood test to check for parasites.
What complications can result from malaria? Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum can cause kidney or liver failure, coma, and death. Although infections with other malaria parasites cause less serious illness, parasites can remain inactive in the liver and cause a reappearance of symptoms months or even years later.

What is the treatment for malaria? The treatment for malaria depends on where a person is infected with the disease. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medicines. The correct drugs for each type of malaria must be prescribed by a doctor. Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is a medical emergency. About 2% of persons infected with falciparum malaria die, usually because of delayed treatment.
How common is malaria? Worldwide, an estimated 200 million to 300 million malaria infections occur each year, with 2 million to 3 million deaths. About 1,200 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. Most are in persons entering the country for the first time or returning from foreign travel.

How can malaria be prevented? No vaccine against malaria is available. Travelers can protect themselves by using anti-mosquito measures and by taking drugs to prevent malaria. Avoiding the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes is the best way to prevent infection. Because Anopheles mosquitoes feed at night, malaria transmission happens mainly between dusk and dawn. Use insect repellent on exposed skin. The most effective repellents contain 20% to 35% DEET (N,N-diethylmethyltoluamide). Follow application instructions carefully when using these products.Take anti-malaria drugs -- When traveling to an area known to have malaria, discuss your travel plans with a doctor well before departure. Medicines to prevent malaria are usually prescribed for persons traveling to areas where malaria is common. Travelers from different countries might receive different recommendations because of differences in the availability of medicines. Travelers visiting only cities or rural areas where there is no risk of malaria might not need preventive drugs. An exact itinerary is needed to decide on the right degree of protection.
To be sure that your anti-malaria drug helps protect you against malaria, you must follow the recommended doses and schedules exactly:

• Take pills on the same day each week, or, for pills to be taken daily, at the same time each day.
• Take pills after meals.
• Take the recommended doses 1 to 2 weeks before travel, throughout the trip, and for 4 weeks after leaving the area with malaria.
• Do not stop taking the pills after arriving home. Complete the full dosage.

About the Missionaries

At the Conference

You have been given a couple of information sheets to familiarize yourself with the people we will be ministering to. One list contains the names of the people who were originally scheduled to attend the conference. Another list gives you the names and a small picture of the family if available.

The mission base is very international with several types of backgrounds and various ages. There will be missionaries from USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, and England. Please be sensitive to other cultures and realize everyone is not “American”. Don’t assume everybody is from America and everything is the same as America. As in any group, personal preferences are varied in regard to food, drink, music, games. Most of them realize there are several cultures represented and don’t get easily offended. However, in most of the other countries, “bum” is quite offensive, so don’t call someone a “bum” or refer to your rear end as your “bum.” “Fanny” is quite vulgar so don’t wear “fanny packs” wear “hip packs.” The other vocabulary from Australia or Ireland is just fun and different and may take a second to figure out.

In Bom

In the tribe, the big thing is dress for the woman. You should not to be overly sensitive or worried, but you should be aware of a few things with the PNG woman. Guys are welcome to smile and greet the woman, but should not be overfriendly. If you raise your eyebrows at the opposite sex (in a flirtatious way) it is an invitation to sleep with them, so is maintained eye contact. Most people here think that Americans are loose and would want nothing more than to get a white man or white woman. We just want to be careful not to give the wrong indications, but still be friendly.

• Serving the Patpatar people speaking Pigdin (trade language)
• Aaron & Lori have 2 girls (Avalon & Sierra)
• Butch & Tammy Kunzer (4 girls- Hannah, Ellen, Ainsley, Rebecca)

Practical Reminders

We are in a different environment – Macho doesn’t count (small cuts & scrapes can be serious)
Get plenty of rest, liquids, sunscreen, and insect repellent (watch out for one another)
We are servants and learners

Key Values for the Team

• Servant’s Heart: This trip is not about you or me
• We are serving & representing New Tribes Missions
• Testimony: They have to live with the consequences of our actions
• Remember the Microscope! – They are watching you and will magnify what you do and say!
• We can undo months of work – unity is imperative
• Flexibility: Everyone has to be able to adapt
• Your idea of how things should happen is your idea
• When a decision is made – support it and do your best to make it work

Boat Project Overview

We are still trying to figure the best route to get from Hoskins to our village. Right now the airstrip we were planning to fly into is closed down. Hopefully it will open ui before then and we can use it. If not we will plan to fly to Rabaul/Kokopo and take boats over. If the seas are not cooperating we will fly to Kavieng and hire a car to drive 7 hours down the island. Either way we will get there, but you can be praying for God to work out the best route.

Our time in the tribe will be limited. We have a lot of work for you to do. Most of the projects are small: replacing termite eaten wood, fixing doors, replacing louvers, sealing cracks, house repairs.

The big project is the boat. I will give you some details, so that if you can do any research o the best way to go about the project, you will have some information. I also tried to get some pictures which are on the cd (the boat was up-side-down so the interior pictures are not the best_ but I will try to get more and send them by email), We were given a fiberglass banana boat. It is 23' long and b' wide at the widest point. The body of the boat is in good condition, but when we got it the floor was rotting away (it was wood and fiberglass. We ripped out the floor exposing the bottom of the boat (still in good condition with rib bracing for the floor every couple of feet.

We are wanting to put a new floor in. My thoughts at this point is get 1/4 treated plywood an( lay it over the ribs (and under side bracing that is every 5') and then cover the whole thing in fiberglass. (I can get all the materials mentioned above in country.) We are wanting to put it a motor with a center consul for steering. We have an old center consul which will need some fixing up but will work. Here are some other areas that we want done, but are not sure how. We were told that under heavy waves with an 85hp motor on the transom that the transom bowed some and appeared weak. It appears to be fine, but may need reinforced somehow. I do not know if it be reinforce too rigidly and possibly cause more potential problems or not. The original floor went back to the transom and the drain was under the floor and accessed from outside the boat on the back. I would like to make the new floor so one rib short of the transom and put a drain plug in from the inside. We are also wanting some boxes built into the boat for putting boat tools and our bags when we travel. Boxes with hinges and latches rust and corrode very quickly. My idea was to have a hard plastic of fiberglass box attached to the boat with a lid that would cover the top of the box (and seal it from splashes) with holes to be able to put paddle locks on each side (similar to a rubbermaid tote like the last work team brought over). We would like the boxes to be strong enough to work as benches for people to sit on. Overall layout and plan is up in the air. If any of you have experience or know of someone who does we would be open to it.