"Enjoy the heat! Ah, you'll get used to it in no time. It will really start to grow on you. The mold too..." These words of farewell from a fellow pilot who had spent several years living in the lowlands of PNG were our final greeting before climbing into the plane. With our belongings packed in suitcases, totes, and cardboard boxes and stowed under a net, we were all ready to take off on the hour flight to our new home in Balimo. Nova was thrilled to be in an airplane again (she absolutely LOVES flying!), and Ezra seemed okay with the prospects of spending his first of many MAF flights on Mom's lap.
Our first few days in Balimo were a blur of changes and activity, trying to juggle the demands of two small children with the task of unpacking and finding a place for our belongings. The strategy: first put everything in the correct room in boxes and totes, and then unpack the boxes one room at a time, starting with the rooms we spend the most time in! This seemed to work reasonably well (just Ezra's bedroom needs some attention), and we are all starting to feel at home.When we are busy running on overdrive and adrenaline, we can often judge the size of a transition by how much of an effect it has on our kids. Nova has been incredibly flexible with the countless changes and constant uncertainty in her life, but this last move was the most difficult for her. Even though we don't respond to the changes in the same way as a two year-old, reading her as a gauge also helps us to realize our probable stress levels. In times like these, it takes a bit more effort to be patient, a bit more effort to respond with grace, and a bit more effort to find time to relax together and develop our normal family routines -- but even though it takes more effort, we have found that it is so important to invest the energy in having happy children and a healthy family.
As we settle into new routines and Brandon has returned to flying, we have both realized that life in Balimo is more tiring than any other stage in life we've met with so far. That's not to say we aren't enjoying it, of course; as we've said to each other, everything feels like "work," but it's the most fulfilling work we could ask for. With an average afternoon temperature in the mid-30s, and an average humidity of 80-90%, we are starting to get used to feeling hot and sticky all the time.
When I (Brandon) started flying in PNG, with the rugged landscape and difficult airstrips, I couldn't quite imagine saying what I'm about to say: the flying part is usually the most relaxing part of my day. At several thousand feet, the air is cooler and I can just do what I do best. On the ground, my mind and body are in overdrive. After one flight in particular, I remember feeling exactly how physically demanding my work can be. I had just flown a lawnmower, fuel drum, and some other supplies to a village called Sesareme so that they could keep their airstrip in good enough shape for us to keep serving them. After unloading about 400 kilos of supplies in the heat of the tropical sun, I was drenched with sweat. With an empty plane, my work was not done: next, I put all of the seats back into the plane (from the storage pods below) to prepare for the health team waiting to head back to Balimo. They had spent the last week providing health care to the communities in and around Sesareme, and were ready to head back for a weekend in Balimo. As I took off and climbed to cooler temperatures (and my shirt started to dry a bit), I could finally settle into my seat to "relax" before my next stop in 12 minutes.
While some flights are physically taxing, others are an emotional and decision making test. I arrived in Balimo to pick up a load of passengers headed to Daru, the capital city of the Western Province. One was a worker with a large amount of tools and supplies to fix solar panels to provide better power; three people from World Vision were going to help at the hospital in Daru; a sick pregnant lady with a family member needed to get to the hospital (there is a hospital in Balimo, but no doctors); a student had to write his high school exams the next day, which are crucial for being able to enrol in the next year of schooling; and a lady involved with the Development Program we are partnered with in much of the work we do also needed to get to Daru. Each of them had a valid reason to be on my flight, but after looking at the numbers for my weight, I realized the flight was overbooked. Too much weight meant that someone (or some luggage) would have to stay behind. Once the passengers realized this, they started arguing with each other about why they needed to go. Together with the Balimo traffic officer, we approached the passengers to ask for a volunteer to stay behind today and take the next flight to Daru. As expected, nobody volunteered. I called the MAF Headquarters to ask what I should do. They suggested to check which passengers had booked a seat on the flight, and which had come without prebooking, and then to remove one of the walk-ons from the list. The only unbooked passenger was the student going to write his exams, and the traffic officer insisted he needed to be on the flight. Eventually, the situation was resolved and we were able to take off from Balimo. As Dr. Seuss would end the story: 'I had to decide but didn't know what to do -- what decision would be made if it was up to you?'
While each flight is fulfilling in a different way, some flights definitely stand out more than others. This week I was able to sell reading glasses and Bibles to local people at some of the airstrips I landed at. It is incredible how people living in the bush thirst for the Word of God -- they are always very excited to see me pull out my "Bible Box." I helped a few elderly people try on reading glasses to find the best prescription, trying to emphasize that a good prescription was more important than a fancy looking case, which only came with some of the glasses.
On the ground, I (Nellicia) feel like my to-do list is always longer than the time left in a day. From washing laundry often so it doesn't sprout mold, to baking everything by hand and from scratch, to giving both kids daily (or sometimes twice daily) showers and baths to minimize heat rash, to putting kids to bed for naps (four for Ezra, one for Nova), to cooking meals big enough to host pilots for dinner who are spending the night in Balimo, it seems there isn't a chance to sit down and rest until after both kids are in bed and I've had a much needed shower. By that point, it feels like bedtime for me too!
As a family, we are starting to settle into a rhythm that we hope will eventually allow for some more time to relax. We all enjoy sunset walks down the road in the cooler evening temperatures, and are starting to get to know some of the faces and names of passersby. We are excited for the many opportunities we know will exist for all of us in Balimo, and are looking forward to making this place our home!
After just having a few days of heavy rain, I'll end with some of the pros and cons of rain in this 'Land of Dust or Mud':
Pro #1: It's much cooler outside! (only 26 degrees) -- but still warm enough to play in, of course!
Con #1: Flying is more difficult, and sometimes impossible
Pro #2: The toads come out, which are (apparently) very fun to chase, and there are lots of puddles to jump in and mud to play with
Con #2: Our hot water, which is solar heated, disappears quickly
Pro #3: For everyone who relies on rain water to drink, they don't have to worry about tanks and buckets going empty
Con #3: The humidity is 100%, and everything is at risk of going moldy (yes, I really mean everything)
Pro #4: The sound of rain on a tin roof is one of our new favourites
