January 11. The blue patches of sky we saw briefly late yesterday afternoon were definitely not an indication that the storm was coming to an end. Although the high today was 67º, 4º higher than yesterday, the winds were colder and stronger, and there was rain most of the day, making it feel very icy in the house. The wood stove is barely putting out any heat with the bad firewood we’re burning.
It was very late before people arrived for lotu this morning. We can hardly blame them in this weather. Nobody wants to leave their houses. Matthew preached this morning on Galatians 3:13-18, and in the afternoon on verses 19-23. Since it was too cold to go outside between meetings, they decided to just have a five to ten-minute break, have the second meeting, and then go home. That five to ten minutes translated into PNG time was about 45 to 50 minutes. :-)
Had plenty of time after breakfast and quiet time to work on math review lessons for the first week of school. Worked on the same this afternoon, and finished up just a few minutes ago.
Also wrote another e-mail this morning and tried to send e-mails, but no connection. Daddy has no bars on his phone either. All communications with the outside world are cut off right now.
“77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:77-79
January 12. Can the weather get worse? Can the weather get colder? What a day it has been! We wondered if it would even get up to 60 today. Then around noon, it managed to push its way up to 63, only to stay a few minutes and then start it’s fall back down into the 50’s. Rainy most of the day too, with the same strong, gusty winds. A good part of the roof is off the wood-cutting gazebo now.
I think the kids are getting tired of being cooped up in their houses. A lot of them were out playing today, no matter what the weather, and seemed to be having a good time. According to the news, a number of people have been lost at sea in the small islands and other coastal areas. Apparently this storm system is all over the country - a mixture of two systems, one stemming from Solomon Islands and the other from Queensland.
After breakfast and quiet time this morning, I started cutting the papers for the students’ sermon notes booklets and getting the booklets stapled together. Got about three quarters of them done before we started meeting with Daniel and Apekio and Thania and family. We didn’t know they were coming. They just started showing up some time after 8:30. It was after 9:00 before everyone was here.
After everyone left, I finished getting the sermon notes booklets together. We still have no phone connection. Then we made up a small shopping list too to send out to Melanie.
We thank the Lord for a handful of uxai that Desi brought us this morning. That allowed us each a small serving of veggie with our lunch.
This afternoon, I got the answers written on the first week’s math review lessons and made a couple corrections on the lessons. Also proofread the introductory PNG history/geography lesson which I printed last night.
After supper, I took a very fast bath right away while there was a lull in the wind and the house didn’t feel so icy cold. Then I started getting the music together for the songs in the new song book until Daddy turned on the generator.