Airborne

     In the air at last! With my training now underway, it has been great to be in the air and see not only the country, but also the work that is being done using MAF airplanes. The first two weeks of my training was as an observer pilot, to allow me to get the feel for a "day in the life." In this time, I experienced many different areas of the country, types of airstrips, and community greetings. One of my highlights of these two weeks was a flight to a remote village to pick up Dr. Mills, along with his team of doctors and nurses, after they completed a health patrol. This experience was very special, since it was Dr. Mills' last health patrol after 20+ years of service in Papua New Guinea. In his time in PNG, he built and operated one of the most well-known mission hospitals in the country (the hospital in Kompiam, which is where we did part of our language training). On our arrival in Kompiam to drop the team off, there was a blur of emotions and celebrations. Flower petals were thrown at Dr. Mills, and he was presented with precious watermelons and other fruit as a gesture of appreciation for the work he had done. My souvenir of the day was a 12 kilogram watermelon, since Dr. Mills decided he couldn't eat 20 or more watermelons in the time he had left in PNG!

    After two weeks of observing, it was time for me to switch over to the pilot's seat and use the controls for the first time. I had a few days of instruction to prepare for a flight test that would allow me to convert my Canadian pilot's license to a PNG license. This training was a refresher of my training in Uganda, and went well; thankfully, the test also went smoothly which means I can now fly with cargo and passengers.

    One day of my training is especially memorable, as it showed me the difference that MAF can make in life and death situations. After spending the morning in the air practicing for my upcoming test, we received a call that there was an urgent medevac in the west of the country. No other pilots were available, so we had to make a decision whether to continue my training for the day or to take the medevac (with my training pilot flying and me as an observer). We learned that a mother had recently given birth to twins and was now losing approximately one litre of blood per hour; she desperately needed a hospital if she and her newborn twins were to survive. My training pilot and myself decided that my test wasn't more important than someone's life, so flew the medevac. We picked the mother and two newborn babies up from a village, as well as another patient who needed medical care, and flew them to the nearest hospital that could provide adequate care. When we arrived in this next town, an ambulance was waiting to transport the mother to the hospital. It really is an incredible feeling to be a part of something so life transforming!

    On the "home" side of things, Christmas is fast approaching. In an attempt to make our first Christmas in PNG special (but still have a few reminders of Christmas in Canada), we are planning a dinner on Christmas Eve. With turkeys unavailable, and chickens of questionable quality in the stores, we had to get creative! Yesterday we dropped off a local "haus meri" (house lady, or househelp) at the big market in town to buy a live chicken. While we carried on to do some shopping, she took public transport to bring the chicken back to our compound. Though we are sad to have missed the process, we arrived back home with a freshly killed and cleaned chicken waiting on our counter! We are excited to share our first Christmas dinner in PNG with our neighbours, and plan to finish the evening off with some Christmas carols and gezelligheid. 

    While these small pieces of tradition do help it to feel more like Christmas, we also know that the most important part of Christmas has nothing to do with turkey or snow. This reminder helps us to realize that despite the things that are "missing" this year, Christmas still has the same meaning. Though it will be with different people, we are looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus -- and pray that His birth, life, and ultimate sacrifice will be made real and relevant in the lives of many throughout PNG and back in Canada. We wish everyone a blessed Christmas and happy holiday season this year! 

    

Normalcy

 "Welcome to normal life!" This is our current feeling, since we have now completed our orientation to the PNG program and our schedule of events has ended. However, we have no idea what normal life does or will feel like, since we haven't experienced it for such a long time. Time will tell what routines and structures we settle into here, but we are excited for normalcy to return. 

Something that has been a bit more difficult for us to get used to have been quiet nights. For the months before our move, we were visiting family or friends approximately 4 to 5 nights per week. Now, we are home every night (and we can only talk to family during the day, since they are sleeping when it is evening here)! We have been trying to designate certain evenings to have certain events; boardgames on Friday, visiting on Saturday, a Bible study on Tuesday, etc. This has definitely helped to add some structure to our days and weeks. 

Brandon has been itching to fly, a feeling that was escalated by the constant buzz of planes landing and taking off (we live right next to the airport). Now that our orientation is complete, he will begin his in-country flight training! Since Papua New Guinea has complex topography and weather, the training process is very thorough -- something I am grateful for. This means that he will spend the first months flying with a pilot who has plenty of experience flying in PNG before taking off on his own.

As for myself, I am still exploring the boundaries of what I can commit to with a little one in the house. Various opportunities have come up that I am taking time to think and pray about before agreeing to anything. That being said, I realize that boredom will be my first enemy if I remain in the house without any other commitments, so I am excited to see what comes my way in the coming months! 

All in all, life is starting to settle into the ordinary. Chaos isn't the number one descriptor of how things feel anymore, which I believe is a good validation of how far we have come. As with all things, we only have God to thank for the incredible way everything has turned out to this point. "But if not" (Daniel 3:18): if things get tough or difficult, if it doesn't feel like we are making an impact, if we can't feel God's presence, if things don't seem to be going according to plan -- but if not, He is still our only hope and help. 

Kompiam

   Our time in Kompiam, a remote village in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, is nearly complete. The purpose of our two-week trip was primarily language training -- but we have gained so much more than just language skills in this short time. From stepping out of the plane and being greeted by a crowd of onlookers to witnessing a woman getting chased away like a wild animal to stepping into our house and realizing that our cooler with our vegetables, meat, milk, cheese, and butter was missing, Kompiam has been an adventure and incredible learning experience from the outset. 

   One of the biggest takeaways from this time has been the opportunity to immerse in the richness (and complexities) of the culture. Our next-door neighbours live in a bamboo hut, and the smell of smoke wafting into our house means they are cooking their next meal. In our daily lessons, we learned many things: that pigs and money are the two main signs of wealth, and that pigs can be bought and sold for over a thousand dollars; that bride prices must still be paid in this area, which typically consist of a sum of money as well as a certain number of pigs; that the mothers' clan must be compensated if a child dies; and that there are still many superstitions and varied beliefs about healthcare, which results in complicated medical situations. We have learned so much in such a short time, and appreciate the openness of our teachers to discuss sensitive things about cultural values and practices. 

   We have also taken time to enjoy the beauty that is all around us. One of the first days that we were here, we hiked down a road to a nearby river. Today, Brandon went on a hike down the side of a cliff with a few men he met and was able to see their garden. As he went down, he saw a woman harvesting sweet potato. As he hiked back up, the same woman was carrying a large sack of sweet potato up the cliff like it weighed a feather. The strength and dexterity of the people here really puts our physical fitness to shame! We also explored the scenery of the area with our drone, explaining to curious passersby (who inevitably crowded around rather than passing by) that it is "a little airplane that can take pictures." The rolling hills and mountains, gurgling rivers that are peaceful on dry days and foamy after rain, and little dirt paths that lead to a house or garden in some isolated place never fail to awe us. Regardless of all the complexities, problems, and difficulties that come with the isolation and remoteness of Papua New Guinea, it really is a beautiful country. 

BFO visits

   My (Nellicia's) visits to a local orphanage, Bible Faith Outreach, or BFO, have been one of the highlights of my time in Mount Hagen so far. Started by a national who had a heart for children with no place to go and nobody to care for them, the orphanage has expanded from a garage to a residence with a girls and boys’ dorm, a kitchen, dining room, large garden, and a small house for the lady who founded the orphanage – known to the children as “Mommy.”

   On the first visit, the younger children were thrilled to see a new face and eagerly gave me a tour of their home. I learned the names of the eight to ten children that were giving the tour, and it was great to see their faces light up as I said each of their names; I undoubtedly pronounced them incorrectly at first, but we’ll get there! On the tour, I learned several things about the orphanage: 

   When the orphanage moved from a garage to the new property, there was no power available. The children used a traditional cooking hut to cook their food, but many of them were getting lung problems because of their exposure to smoke. Seeing this, an MAF volunteer designed a new kitchen with a tap, sink, and stove. After raising enough money to complete the project, the new kitchen was built with solar power to fuel it. It was great to see the girls using the kitchen as they baked fresh bread for lunch!
   The boy dormitory was completed first, which meant that the boys moved to the new property while the girls still lived in the garage. It was constructed in the traditional way of weaving bush materials together, creating a single room structure. Following this, another MAF volunteer was made aware of the need for a girls’ dorm, and as an engineer he designed a multi-room dorm constructed out of storage containers. In this dorm, there are approximately eight bedrooms which sleep two or three girls each. There is also a bathroom with shower stalls, but unfortunately the bathrooms and showers do not have running water yet, which means the children still use buckets to shower. 
   Through funding, it is the orphanage’s aim to send each child to school. However, because they come at any age and with little to no education experience, a teacher helps the younger students catch up. Following an Australian Christian homeschool curriculum, this teacher helps the students until they reach a Grade 4 or 5 level, at which point they go to school to continue their education. 
   After my tour of the orphanage, I played a few games with the children before leaving. As there was no ball, string, or any other supplies, we stuck to the classics: tag and a few other high energy games. In the scorching sun, I didn’t last very long!
   My second visit to the orphanage was together with Brandon, Nova, and two other MAF families. The occasion for this visit was Independence Day! The children had planned some games, which were followed with the singing of the national anthem and a snack. After the snack, some of the older children still wanted to play more games (yes, the sun was scorching again!). While the younger ones stayed inside to colour and draw Papua New Guinea’s flag, Brandon and I took the older ones back outside to teach a new game. We decided on Capture the Flag, and everyone had a blast! It took the first few minutes to sort out all the rules (if you get caught, you must go to jail; you can’t free someone from jail and get the flag, etc.), but once it was all clear everyone had a lot of fun. I got tricked a few times when someone was walking casually on my side, pretending to be on my team – and then suddenly dashed for our flag. After playing several games, Brandon let them know that we would play one more. I heard someone comment behind me, “You mean 63 more?” I guess comments like that show how much they appreciated us playing with them! 

   This past Monday, I visited again -- this time as a teacher. Several of the high school students had been having trouble completing their homework, since they had no device or way to access the Internet. It seems that this is crucial to be able to complete Grade 12 especially. For some research assignments, these students simply had to say that they couldn't complete the homework and get a failing mark. In response to this, a laptop was purchased for their use. Though this seems like the solution to all of their problems, it is only the beginning; these students have never used a computer before, and are starting from scratch. 

   On the first day that they received the computer they were shown how to turn it on and off, how to log-in, how to access the Internet using Mommy's hotspot, and how to save a Word document onto a USB drive so it could be printed. The lesson that I gave was their second. Some of the first things that they learned with me were how to copy and paste, how to open multiple tabs on the Internet, and various features of Microsoft Word, like how to change the font, size, and colour of their text. 

   Our main focus was on learning the basics of typing, which I believe is becoming a more and more essential skill worldwide. After watching me type a few sentences, their eyes bulged -- when I explained that they could learn how to type like that too, they grinned and nodded enthusiastically. We learned how to make capital letters, and why there are bumps on the F and J keys. I also set each of these students up with an account on a website where they can learn to type for free. After about an hour of instruction, I left them to it with their laptop, my laptop, and a few paper "keyboards" to practice. When I came back to collect my laptop about 30 minutes later, they were competing against each other for the high score on a game that had them practicing the D, F, J, and K keys. Their desire to learn was infectious; I am excited to see how they have progressed when I visit next!

A view of the orphanage

The children singing their anthem, dressed very patriotically!

Shine as Lights

As we walk down the streets, nearly every person greets us: "Apinun." "Apinun!" If Nova is with us, she will get handshakes, knee rubs, and pinched cheeks from several passersby, with a cheerful "Hi baby!" Elderly ladies will call good day from across the street, and people will lean out of their vehicles to wave at us. As the only white faces on the street, we are ever the spotlight. Most everybody is friendly, but we know that everyone has a close eye on us. At times it feels as if we are zoo animals let out of our cage, and our next opportunity to relax will be after our performance, when we can return to our compound. However, viewing this reality as it really is means that opportunities to be a Christian witness are everywhere. We don't need to first attract attention; we automatically have it. How we walk, how we interact, and how we react are showing who we are as Christians. 

The focus text of my devotional yesterday morning was "In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15) The author wrote about the different purposes of a light: to make manifest, to guide, and to warn. As a Christian, he explained that our lives should make manifest who we are and Who we serve; but also that we are to guide those around us by holding out the Word of life to them. I was thinking about this devotional as we were walking through the market. Even though I don't have a solid grasp on the language yet, and even though I don't know everything about the culture, what are my actions telling those who are so carefully observing me? When the "market boys" continue to follow us and ask time and again if they can carry my bag in order to earn two kina (a little over 50 cents), what is my response telling them? How can I be a light that makes manifest and guides in a context like the market or the streets around the compound? People are everywhere; hundreds of people throng the market, many just hanging around. A short conversation, brief exchange, or even just getting to know someone's name can make a difference -- and now that we are starting to learn the language, this is actually becoming possible!

Since relationships are the most fundamental aspect of this culture, our primary focus for the first two months is language learning. In PNG, showing that you are trying to learn to speak the language and learn the local culture is crucial to building trust and relationships. Especially in the elderly population, a "white skin" who speaks only English immediately loses a degree of trust. Even a broken attempt at Tok Pisin will mean you are accepted more readily. It is difficult at times to feel so lost for words, but we are getting more confident as we talk to the local workers on the compound. They are all exceptionally forgiving of our mistakes, which we are very thankful for. 

To help expedite our language learning process, a local language helper comes to our house three times each week to help us practice and learn the language. In today's lesson, we were asked to share a few things about our family, and then we asked a few questions to learn more about our language helper's family. We heard an amazing story -- as the only child in his family to make it through childhood, he went on to finish high school. School fees are an incredible burden on families who live in the bush, but he used every opportunity to work in people's gardens or do other small jobs to earn a few toea (50 toea is equivalent to 20 cents) to be able to stay in school. He finished school and was able to study to become a health worker, getting a job in Mount Hagen. Later in life, he served with MAF as an Occupational Health and Safety Worker, providing information and other preventative healthcare measures in rural communities. Now retired, he is a great help to us as we learn the basics of Tok Pisin!

Views on a outing with another MAF family

The road was steep and bumpy!

A mountain ridge on the outskirts of Mount Hagen, with some forest trails to explore

Welcome to Mount Hagen!

   Beautiful sunny days with the puffy clouds found on children's drawings dotting the sky, regular afternoon thunder storms with a brief rain shower, and cool, fresh air at night. Land so fertile that a tree will grow if you crack a branch off another and plant it in the ground. Many varieties of birds cheerfully singing, with the occasional dog fight breaking up their song. Welcome to Mount Hagen!  

   In our first week in Papua New Guinea, we have been amazed at the natural beauty that surrounds us. Our compound is home to more types of plants and flowers than we even knew existed. Avocado, guava, orange, and banana trees are only the start; passion fruit vines and flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes add even more life. Even as we flew into Mount Hagen the beauty was everywhere. Dense forest covered the hilly landscape, broken up by winding rivers. Thin trails of smoke rising between the trees indicate that there is life within -- but houses made with anything other than natural materials are only to be found where an airstrip is near. It really is a rugged and breathtaking country. 

   The house that is our first home is simple, but functional. Our water supply is collected from the roof into a large barrel; hot water is heated by the sun in a small hot water tank on our roof. The sun has been doing its job very well, as we haven't had a shortage of hot water yet! It is so hot, in fact, that if we turn the kitchen tap as hot as it goes it feels like boiling water is filling the sink. Since this water collection system has no filtration, our kitchen tap also has a water filter attached. This means that any water that will enter our mouth (even for brushing our teeth) has to be taken from the filtered tap. Nova is still learning that bath water is not meant for drinking, but she's getting there! 

   Our first week has been relatively busy; we met a lot of people and were shown a lot of places. One of my favourite experiences so far has been market shopping; everybody is so friendly, and of course would love for you to buy their bananas or their cucumbers -- even though there are several people selling the same thing! It was great to interact with locals and try our hand at Tok Pisin to greet the sellers and ask for prices. We are also learning that babies are given special treatment here! When walking down the street, Nova is always the first one to be greeted. When buying food at the market, Nova ended up taking home a free cucumber and banana (she might have been given more, but her hands were full by that point). It will definitely be a plus to have a toddler when navigating new places! 

   We have been warned and reminded of security risks time and again, and are learning to take precautions that we wouldn't even think of in Canada. As someone explained to us, Papuans are opportunists; if you give them an opportunity, it is likely they will take it. This means never walking with a phone in your back pocket, leaving a bag unattended (even just for a minute), or leaving anything in your car. Walking down the street, we are definitely seen as "whites," which makes us stand out. It is more likely that we will be carrying fancy electronics or other valuables, which means people do keep an eye on us. Even though it can be unnerving to have strangers watching us so carefully, we are learning that the best thing to do is greet people, stay aware, and walk confidently. Thankfully, our reception has been warm and welcoming with no incidents! 

   As one last side note: we are also learning that the bugs here are opportunists. Earwigs, ants, little worms, you name it. I really don't like bugs, especially in my food, but maybe one day we will learn to be friends (or I will learn to dispose of them more quickly and easily). 

Our first sighting of Papua New Guinea!

Our flight to Mount Hagen courtesy of MAF!

Mount Hagen, the third largest city in PNG

Our house for the next several months

Home(less?)

I clearly remember one sentence that a speaker shared with us in one of our many weeks of training: "I felt homesick without knowing where home was." In this whirlwind of our last few weeks in Canada, I can relate to that concept better each day. We've packed up and left the place that has been our home for the past two years, and won't have a new house that is "ours" for several months. Even after that point, we don't know what home will look like. The village and house that will eventually become our home has only a scant representation in our mind, created by half a dozen pictures. So where is home right now? I don't know. Right now, home isn't a place. 

The things we will use to create our new home are packed into nine suitcases, waiting to travel across the world. New Amazon packages with the last little odds and ends arrive sporadically, filling up the nooks and crannies of each suitcase. We wonder if we have actually remembered everything we need, and then try not to worry about it. Did the nail clipper actually end up in one of the suitcases? "Where is the nail clipper? My nails are REALLY bothering me." "Let me check if it's on the list of things that actually got packed; yes, it should be in one of the suitcases." After an overhaul of all nine suitcases, we still haven't found it... but the list says there are two in there somewhere, so they should show up eventually! 

Messages arrive almost daily with little tips and tidbits to help us pack -- "Take tea along if you want it! Oh, and spices are very expensive here, so take your favourites." The advice and encouragement we continue to receive from our MAF friends who are already living in PNG has been a huge blessing to us. In the middle of what really does feel like a whirlwind, they help to keep our heads on straight. And they continue to assure us that regardless of how chaotic this time is and how uncertain the future seems, it is worth it. We are so excited to join this team of Christians who are ready to call themselves not only our friends, but also our new family.  

No, for real!

 For the past five weeks, on all but a few days, our family has had a short daily Zoom call to stay in touch. This was intentional so that Nova could continue to see her dad in her life -- and so she (hopefully) wouldn't be hostile towards him when he returned! On Monday morning, when I messaged Brandon to see when he would be free for a chat, his reply was: "Hello! I may be leaving soon." Since I had a visitor arriving in just over an hour, I told him I'd be busy at 10am BC time so we could plan around that and Nova's nap time. His response then: "No, for real." My brain starts whirring, wondering if this relatively obscure message means what I think it does, so I ask the obvious: "What do you mean?" And his answer, much less obscure this time, is "I may have less than an hour to pack." After a short exchange about this, he asks if it would work for me to pick him up at 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday). Since I wasn't up for driving to the airport with a screaming kiddo in the back seat, I said I'd have to find a babysitter first, since I knew Nova's regular babysitters were busy with other things on Tuesday afternoon. "I've changed it already," he says. Well, I guess there's no option but to find a babysitter then. "Time to pack." And that was that. 15 minutes of messaging, obviously no daily Zoom call, and our family about to be reunited two days earlier than anticipated! 

I've heard a lot of snippets about what life and training in Uganda was like, and even more so when driving home. "The road is so smooth!" "If we were in Uganda, you'd have to watch out for people driving in the wrong direction on the highway here." "Oh, the stop lights don't count down here! In Uganda, you can see them counting down... but from 60. Sometimes you have to sit there and wait A WHOLE MINUTE." "In Uganda, there's so many boda-bodas, and it's amazing what they can load on them. I saw one with a guy and 4 kids on a small motorcycle, and another one with a whole load of lumber with the driver precariously perched on the gas tank trying to drive." But aside from these comments about some of the most noticeable differences in daily life, I thought I would share his story about just one day of training:

"I woke up at just after 5 in the morning, ready to go along on an operational flight. This was a chance to see what the operational side of flying looks like with MAF; ie. working with and briefing passengers, loading cargo, seeing the communities that are being served, etc. I was excited because seeing this first-hand has so much more impact than reading policies and procedures on paper. At 5:30am, I get a message from the pilot that day saying that he is not feeling well and doesn't feel fit to fly. They are working on finding another pilot to take over the flight, but I am put on standby for the moment. About half an hour later, I receive another message saying that they have found another pilot. If I walk to his house, I can catch a ride with him in time for the flight. Heading out the door, I see that there is some light rain so go back inside to get an umbrella. I don't usually take one along, but I felt that I might need it today. After five minutes of walking, a thunderstorm moves in -- I am very thankful for my umbrella! Water poured across the street and my feet got soaked quickly. The rest of me stayed dry thanks to my umbrella. I arrived at the pilot's house about 10 minutes later and we left to the airport; about a 40 minute drive. At the airport, we first got the airplane ready. Even though we were a bit later than expected, we couldn't have left earlier anyways with the weather being how it was. Our first stop was at a village in northern Uganda, close to the border of South Sudan, to drop off a missionary. The village was in a remote area, so we were greeted by lots of kids who were waiting at the side of the airstrip. On the rest of the flight, we stopped at various locations to pick up and drop off people serving with other mission organizations or NGOs, including one group that served with an organization that drills wells in remote villages. We arrived back at the airport around 2:30 in the afternoon. Flights like this are really great to see, and were a highlight of my time in Uganda. I went on several operational flights, and got practice being "in command" of the passengers, loading the airplane, and even got to fly a few legs of the flights!"

It's hard to say whether the five weeks apart went slowly or quickly (is it possible for something to be slo-mo and fast-forward at the same time?), but it definitely is a great feeling to be back together. In all of our training, our instructors and mentors have repeated that in any difficult situation, going back to our calling will be a source of strength. That piece of wisdom is something that has stuck with me -- this part of the journey, no matter how difficult it was to be apart for an extended period of time, was also an important part of our calling. God has shown us through these times that He is the one leading us, guiding us, and calling us to continue on this path. And when we feel God calling us, it is our responsibility to follow, wherever that may lead. We know that we will face difficult moments in the next years, but it is our prayer that the preparations have been enough and that we will always return to our only source of strength whenever things get tough. 

Africa

There is a certain moment when reality sets in. In Uganda, that was when I (Brandon) left the airport in a taxi at about midnight. After my bags were thrown in the back, I proceeded to walk to the driver's door of the car. "Oh, it's backwards here!" I commented, walking around to the other side of the vehicle. After hearing the driver chuckle, I said "Well, I guess it's just different." Who am I to say whether Canada or Uganda is the one doing things backwards?

Setting off, I was instantly glad that I was in the passenger seat. Even though it was midnight, "boda bodas" (motorbikes) were everywhere and there was also no shortage of people on the streets. Honking horns, flashing lights, and people overwhelmed my senses. We jolted through craters in the road like it was nothing, and I soon realized that stop lights were only a suggestion at night. Even though I had just finished travelling for more than 24 hours with very little sleep, there was no way I was falling asleep on this drive! 

At close to one in the morning I made it to the house where I am staying, and had no trouble falling asleep. 

The saying goes that the early bird catches the worm... I don't know if it was worms they were after, but the birds sure let me know when the sun came up! At about 5:30am, I woke up and wasn't sure whether I was sleeping in a house or a jungle. Singing birds, screeching birds, hollering birds, and probably a host of other kinds of birds welcomed the day. 

Now, after being here for almost a week, things aren't quite so "new." The drives feel normal, the people are friendly, and I am settling into a routine -- and my body is continuing to adjust to the 10 hour time change! I've met quite a few people who had interesting stories to share, and have learned a lot in the 4 days of training that I've had so far. 

In this first week of training, the mornings have been ground sessions where we discussed topics such as flight in proximity to terrain and marginal weather, work load management, problem solving and decision making, and situational awareness. The afternoons have been in the flight simulator learning the new aircraft and MAF procedures along with some emergency practice. This has been good learning and I am excited to actually start flying the airplane on Monday!

Back in Canada, Nova and I (Nellicia) look forward to our daily video calls with "dada." It is great to hear some of his stories and insights, and we thought we would share a few messages and snippets of conversation to get a sense of some of the things we are hearing!

"That drive was quite the experience, I'm telling you."

"It's like I was sleeping in a jungle!"

"I must say, the kids are really cute here."

"Home!(?)"

"Find the 🐒" (You can see if you can find it in one of the pictures!)

In the middle of a video chat: "I just pushed the space bar." "...okay, and what happened?" "Nothing, I was just trying to pause you." 

Stress Medicine

Nellicia, after leaving the tap on a bit too long before washing dishes: Oh, bubbles!

Brandon, from the other side of the room: Do you know how to mitigate bubbles?

Nellicia: ...use less soap?

Brandon: You need to notice them to mitigate them, understand them to trap them, and think ahead to avoid them. 

Nellicia laughs, utterly confused where this came from!

Brandon: That's how you respond to threats, and it sounded like bubbles are a threat.

_____________________

I can attest to the fact that laughter is the best medicine, especially when combatting high levels of stress! These moments of comic relief have helped to keep the mood light, even though it is becoming more noticeable that stress is in the air. 

Ground school has started, which means that Brandon is shifting into a distinct training mode. Each day, he has two sessions of online instruction; in the morning with an instructor from Switzerland, and in the afternoon with an instructor from Australia. We are thankful that MAF made an exception and coordinated this online, since otherwise he would have already been in Uganda! Even as it is, the days are passing quickly and he will be off and away in just over a week. 

Feelings are mixed on both ends as those "5 weeks" get closer. As a whole, I think the word unrest describes our state of minds a lot of the time. Brandon is excited for the opportunity to go to Africa and soak in as much learning and practice as possible in those five weeks. However, considering the fact that the only times he has travelled on commercial airlines have been our trip to Haiti and two trips to Ontario, the prospect of travelling to Africa solo is a bit daunting. The flight to Uganda includes five airports in four countries with three meals; enough to make anyone feel like a seasoned traveller! My emotions are also being thrown around in a blender (is that a good metaphor to describe mixed feelings?) -- there's a bit of everything at once. While at first there was some discussion about Nova and I travelling along to Uganda, we made the decision that Nova and I would stay in BC while Brandon went on his own. I am excited to have the time at home to continue to prepare for our move and also spend quality time with family; at the same time, I know that on the quiet nights after Nova is in bed the house will seem pretty quiet. Nova, on the other hand, is blissfully unaware of the many changes that will soon take place, and her constant chattering is the background music to our days. Whether she's peeking around something and saying "Boo!", looking for a "woof woof," or crawling under our chairs to "tickle tickle" our toes, there isn't a dull moment. 

In the face of a chaotic few months, the joy and laughter that we continue to experience really does help to keep stress levels manageable. However, the reason we can transcend these stressful times is not really a silly comment or remark about bubbles; it is the fact that we can look into the future with a confidence that this journey is one we are meant to be on. We feel God's hand continuing to guide as well as provide for us, which allows us to face all of the changes that are coming with joy. David's Psalms have been a source of encouragement to me as of late, and one that I hold close is Psalm 139. While constantly asking God to try us to search out our heart and intentions, David affirms that God is guiding everything with His perfect knowledge. "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." This is the knowledge that can give peace and joy, whatever the chaos or turmoil we are experiencing.

Normal

    Sometimes, life just feels normal, like there's not actually much to share -- no training courses, trips, or exciting updates. Even though I know that this is just the calm before the storm, I think that this past week may have been the first time that the word "bored" crossed my mind in a long time! As I write that, a statement from one of my aunts also crosses my mind: "You're not bored, just boring." It's possible! But between a few appointments and planning for our upcoming community presentation, I have been enjoying the chance to relax, read a book, play violin, and toughen up my knees crawling around the island in our kitchen (playing peek-a-boo with an oh-so-excited 10 month old, of course). While doing these things, the nagging feeling that I should be busy preparing, writing packing lists, and seeing what is left on what I know is a massive to-do list doesn't ever completely escape, but it has been good to have some down time. Brandon has been spending hours studying what seems like endless documents, procedures, and manuals for his upcoming standardization training. After about 40 hours of individual preparation, he will have two weeks of online ground school. Following that, we will be living on separate continents for five weeks as he completes in-person flight training in Uganda! 

Ontario

   Home at last? We have been practicing calling every place that we are together as a family home, but after two hectic weeks of travel around Ontario, I can still say we are back to our "real home." In the last two weeks, we've stayed in six different places, driven nearly 1000 kilometres, spent about 18 hours in an airport, and met more new people than I can count. Oh, and we've been interrogated, shot at, and held at knife point. 

   Thankfully, the interrogations, gunfire, and other intense situations were part of our security training course. In three days, we learned many valuable lessons about how to minimize the risk of victimization and respond to threats of various types while staying true to our core beliefs and values as Christians. The course began with a session on the theology of risk, where we discussed questions like "Should love for others restrain our risk taking?" and "Is exposure to risk good stewardship?" It was very interesting to look at several biblical examples to define a theology of risk, or a biblical outlook on which risks are worth taking at what times. Ultimately, Esther saved the Jewish people by putting herself at a great risk, saying, "If I perish, I perish." At the same time, however, we saw that it is not biblical to take unnecessary or frivolous risks. Paul's story shows how he used means to preserve his life by using his privilege as a Roman citizen, the legal system, and even local intelligence to escape death. We concluded that how much risk is necessary is situation dependent, but that serving God and being obedient to His commands is a risk worth taking.

   Over the course of the next few days, we learned how to respond to various situations that we could be faced with on the field in what is called stress inoculation training. The focus was on how to keep our "thinking brain" on in extremely stressful situations instead of freezing up. In these kinds of situations, a key thing that we learned was that doing nothing must be a conscious decision rather than a response. In general, the statement that we kept hearing from our instructors was "In these situations, there are no right or wrong choices - just actions with consequences." If you realize that your wallet has been stolen, do you chase after the person yelling "Thief!", even if this would mean the individual who has been labeled a thief would be stoned to death by onlookers? If you are being interrogated by criminals who are threatening to harm your family, do you answer them to the detriment of someone else? When should you comply, and at what point do you resist?

   Though it was stressful and intense at times (someone who lived in a nearby neighbourhood even called the cops, and several police cars arrived within minutes! Once they knew what we were doing, they thought it was pretty interesting. Some of them even hung around to watch the next few scenarios -- though when we walked past their cars later, we noticed that they did come prepared with large guns), and some situations were ones that we would rather not think about, the difference that a few days of training made was phenomenal. Of course, we are unlikely to experience the extreme scenarios that we learned about and practiced, but it is the reality that there are more security risks in countries like Papua New Guinea. 

Our security training instructors, which included ex-military, law enforcement, and missionaries; they had so many experiences to share and were great to learn from

Nellicia being interrogated while the rest of the class watched

   In the second half of our trip, we spent some time sharing with people from our church communities in the Norwich area. Our first open presentation, a dessert evening, was a success! We also had the opportunity to share with three school groups of varying sizes, ranging from hundreds of students to a whole school of only 28 students. We enjoyed each presentation, and really appreciated all of the people who introduced themselves and chatted for a few minutes. 

   

    Before heading home, we topped our trip off with a day in Niagara. The weather was beautiful, in contrast to the rain, wind, snow, and hail we had during the rest of the trip. Nova especially enjoyed our stop at Bird Kingdom, which is apparently the world's largest free-flying aviary. We also enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and spent some time on the road looking at all of the vineyards and colonial style houses. 

    After a very busy two weeks, we were eager to get back into a slightly more relaxed and structured routine at home before things get busy in a few weeks again. We were given an opportunity to relax much longer than anticipated when our flight was delayed, which had us waiting in the airport for almost 12 hours before heading to a hotel. After getting about 3 hours of sleep, we were off to the airport again for our flight back home the next morning. And just like that, another two weeks have passed -- bye, Ontario!

Wrong or Different?

    "They're different than us, which means they can't be trusted." "...they're barely even human..." In the culture course that is currently keeping us very busy, we watched a short video clip that illustrated differences between two cultures. The animation showed settlers moving into a new land and emphasized some of their thoughts and feelings as they discovered native inhabitants. The most fascinating element of the video was that both groups of people -- the white settlers and the natives -- both used the same quotes. "They're different than us, which means they can't be trusted," leading to the conclusion that "they're barely even human..." 
    Each of us has a worldview, a lens through which we view the world. Our worldview causes us to make assumptions about what is normal in terms of behaviours, beliefs, and values. But as we've begun to see throughout this course, we don't even realize many of the assumptions that we make until we confront someone who operates from a different worldview. In Papua New Guinea, the culture is basically the opposite of Canadian/Western culture. Whereas our society is individualist, PNG is collectivist. Whereas our culture is time oriented, PNG is event oriented. Our culture is a "doing" culture, but a "being" culture exists in Papua New Guinea. 

    When we meet with these stark contrasts, we automatically think, which is better? Which way is right, and which way is wrong? After hearing what our presenters have had to say in this course, my question has begun to shift: What if neither is right or wrong? What if different is just different, with no value attached to it? 

Preparation

    Entry permit applications, check. Visa application, check. Things on our seemingly endless to-do list slowly but surely get checked off, and our minds are transitioning from simply living life in Agassiz to being stuck somewhere in between the present reality of BC and our future life in PNG. While still enjoying each minute we are able to have with family, we are also looking forward with eager anticipation to our new home; though unknown, the image in our mind continues to get clearer as we learn more about Papua New Guinea. 

    An exciting meeting that really helped to answer some of our questions was a Skype call with our link family. MAF links each pre-field family with a family that is already on the field to offer support, encouragement, advice, and to answer any questions. We had a great conversation and also discussed many of the questions and concerns that we had, which helped to relieve some stress that had been building about various things! A few of the things we discovered were that baby items like toys and clothing are very difficult to purchase in-country, malaria rapid-testing kits are now available in most MAF locations, men can wear "whatever they want" (appropriate clothing for women is much more rigid), and that Papua New Guinea not only has different outlet plugs, they also run on different voltage -- so we have been told to take very few, if any, electrical appliances. As more questions continue to come up, it's great to know that we can get answers from somebody who is actually living where we soon hope to live.    

    As one more step of preparation, we downloaded a language app at the beginning of this week to dive into a bit of Tok Pisin. Even though we will be getting a language tutor when we move, we wanted to get a head start! Tok Pisin is an English Creole language, so it has been amusing to see the translations of some words. Everything is phonetic; "Excuse me" translates to "Eskus mi." You can probably guess what sori and gutbai mean if you say them out loud as well! One phrase that I think we might be using a lot of when we first move is "Mi no klia," which translates to "I don't understand." 

    Nova has also been practicing her language skills! After eight months of watching and listening, she has begun copying not only what we say, but also what we do. "Dadada" is her favourite thing to say, and she thinks it is absolutely hilarious to imitate us if we cough. While this is cute and funny, it is also a good reminder of how much impact what we say and do can have on someone so young. Being parents has been our biggest responsibility so far, but the privilege we feel to raise our child is one that cannot even be measured. We are excited to have a little one join us on our journey to the other side of the world, and hope that she may make a positive impact on children in Papua New Guinea as she grows up in their land and culture. 

    

Unsettled

    In the face of an endless stream of new information, forms, and updates, it's easy to lose track of which way is up. What is our priority right now? What forms do we need to complete first? Who are we supposed to call today? Have I forgotten to respond to an email? As we learned in our Orientation Training Course, a word that can often be used to describe the months leading up to this kind of move is unsettled. In the last days and weeks, we have really begun to feel that.     

    Some of the information that we have received, however, is very exciting! Since our support-raising has been going so well, dates have been set for training and travel. In the next few months, we will participate in Culture and Security Training courses, and Brandon will be going to Uganda for 5 weeks to complete his flight standardization training (yes, Nellicia and Nova will stay home and enjoy some quality time with family before we leave!). Throughout all of this, we are also continuing to read about culture and life in Papua New Guinea, and plan to dip into language learning before we move as well. 

    In the middle of all of this chaos, with so much information and anticipation of massive changes, things can get a bit overwhelming. We sometimes question whether we will be able to keep things organized and if we will be able to complete everything that we need to within the timeline that has been set. But when life seems to be a whirlwind, it gives us many opportunities to step back, stop counting on ourselves to make everything happen, and trust in God. Our minds create turmoil and escalate the chaos we are feeling, but Isaiah reminds us powerfully of where our heart, mind, and trust should be: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26: 3-4)

P.S. If you were wondering, Brandon has never broken a single bone in his body, and Nellicia has not taken the time to learn the first 100 digits of pi. If you are confused, refer to our last blog post :)

Orientation

    When someone invites you for dinner and asks you to bring a plate, what do you do? "Do I need to bring a fork and knife as well?" might be your response. "No, of course not!" Once you show up to dinner, you realize that it is a common phrase and you were expected to bring a plate with food on it. This is just one experience of a cultural misunderstanding that one of our presenters shared during our Orientation Training Course last week. It was great to hear from so many people who have served in countries around the world for years and years, and are now helping others to prepare for the same thing. Their knowledge and personal experiences gave us a taste of what will really be coming our way when we move to Papua New Guinea, a country so different from Canada. 

    Another presenter shared about her experience at a market soon after moving to Liberia. Though English is technically the main language, this is her retelling of an attempt to buy an onion: "I'd like to buy an onion." "Okay, that is three hundred." After doing some quick math in her head, she realized that couldn't be right. 300 Liberian dollars? For one onion? That seems like way too much money. "Three hundred for one onion?" she asked the seller. The lady looked at her as if she was crazy, shaking her head furiously. Relieved, our story-teller asked again, "Well, how much?" The lady replied "Three hundred." After what seemed like forever, she realized that it was three onions for a hundred Liberian dollars. It's amazing what small changes in language can do. Even though these situations might be frustrating at the time, I think they will provide great opportunities for laughter after the fact! 

    Though some of these stories were humorous, we also learned about some of the harder facts. Things like diseases that are prevalent in the area we will be serving, the reality of culture shock, how to deal with certain security concerns, and cultural differences that can make life difficult. Learning this information can sneak feelings of doubt into the back of our minds. However, these never last too long as feelings of passion for the work we are a part of always come out on top. The many discussions that we had in break-out rooms also affirmed to us that even though the work and life in a foreign country is hard, and can even seem impossible at times, it is never something that others have regretted. 

    In one session, we learned about how to approach situations that involve extortion and bribery. As a Christian organization, MAF can in no way condone taking or giving bribes, but this can sometimes result in difficult security situations. At what point do you pay up, and how long do you hold your ground? We discussed strategies for dealing with financial crime, which were very helpful. We learned that it is exceptionally important to develop good relationships with nationals who will stand up for us or help us out in difficult situations -- they have an advantage in that they are comfortable in the culture and also don't have a white skin. This will be important for us to keep in mind, especially as we first enter PNG and are overwhelmed by everything that is new. In those first days and weeks, it will be easier to stay "safe" and form relationships with other international staff members, but easier is not always better. We will definitely need to push ourselves out of our comfort zones many times in the coming months. 

    Throughout the week, we had some fun activities to see what we knew about MAF, learn about each other, and keep us awake in the middle of the night. One of our getting-to-know-you activities was two truths and a lie. It was fun to guess the crazy things that others have done; these included eating ostrich, landing an airplane on a frozen lake, visiting 74 different countries, eating dog, and living in Japan for two years. Here is what we said about ourselves! Feel free to guess which is the lie:

    Brandon: I have broken my right arm twice -- and yes, I'm right handed. I have 13 biological siblings. I jumped rope for 10 minutes continuously. 

    Nellicia: I have performed on more than 10 different musical instruments. I have memorized the first 100 digits of pi. I can swim 50 metres underwater without taking a breath.

    Brandon did much better than I (Nellicia) did on the MAF test on Kahoots, and even did better than a lot of the MAF staff! We also had a scavenger hunt that had us running around the house in the middle of the night -- even though the items are interesting, the time on the clock might be something to notice even more in the picture below. By the end of the week, we kind of got used to being up for most of the night, and were thankful that Nova slept through the course time without interrupting us. Overall, it was a great week filled with a lot of learning and helped to prepare us, at least mentally, for the next year.

Zoom Scavenger Hunt at... what time?

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Happy to be done our Orientation Training Course, but looking a little sleepy...

Transitions

    "Whether you choose it or it is thrust upon you, change brings both opportunities and turmoil." The imminence of upcoming changes in our life is becoming more and more of a reality. While we are grateful that Mission Aviation Fellowship puts a significant amount of effort into preparing us for these changes, the preparation definitely creates mixed feelings. Planning for training opportunities, courses, and setting specific dates is exciting; thinking about all of the things we still have to accomplish before moving is overwhelming. 

    We have officially surpassed 50% of our monthly support, which is the point at which discussions about timelines for training and departure become more serious and specific. In a recent meeting, we had the option of completing the required training as soon as possible, with many courses being online, or to wait until the Fall with the hope that the courses could be in-person by that point. Since our support raising is going much better than we could have ever anticipated, we decided to go with the first option. This means that in ten days we begin an online orientation which runs from 10:50pm until 4:30am every day! When coordinating a course with timezones from around the world, things become difficult -- apparently BC time isn't the first priority, so please excuse us if you meet us during that week and we seem a bit tired! We are still also in discussion about when and where Brandon's standardization training will occur -- this is a month-long period of intensive flight training to prepare for the rigorous flying demands in Papua New Guinea. We are excited for each meeting we have with MAF, since we learn a bit more about what our next year will look like!

    Yesterday we received a few books in the mail that we will be reading together to help prepare for our move as well as the change in culture and work. One of the books, Transitions, shares a quote by T.S. Eliot: "What we call the beginning is often the end, and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." As we approach all of the upcoming transitions, we are looking forward to the beginnings while at the same time feeling apprehensive about the endings. Like we said at the beginning, even if you choose it, "change brings both opportunities and turmoil."  

A Year of Firsts

Just like that, 2021 is over! It was a year filled with some of the biggest changes of our lives, and also included many firsts; our first anniversary, our first child, and Nova's first airplane ride (and her first snow experience, which is notable since she may not see snow for a few years!).

We were able to end the year with a restful Christmas and a break from our meetings, spending quality time with our families. It was great to enjoy family dinners and sing-a-long evenings together with those closest to us, since it may be a while before we share this special time of year with family again. Some of our 2021 highlights include a Grade 3 goodbye party, a chance to fly three new types of airplanes, a trip to Ontario that made our work with MAF official, giggles with Nova (and many other milestones), a surprise visit from our favourite aunt, and many board game nights! 

2022 promises to be another year of firsts, the Lord willing. We hope this will be the year that we make Papua New Guinea our new home -- the anticipation of this move is very exciting, but as it become more real there are many emotions that get thrown into the mix. As we continue meeting people, sharing about our passion, and seeing our support levels rise and our departure time approach, I'm sure that even more emotions will appear. There are things that will be very difficult about this transition, but we are able to look forward to it as something that we truly feel called to do. This year will have many firsts -- and we don't even know what they will all be -- but we are ready to take this step. As we do this, we will continue to hold our wedding text close to our hearts, trusting God to direct our paths: "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:6)