August 27. The day began with clouds and several attempts at rain. There was some fog, but it was thin and moved on quickly. After breakfast and quiet time this morning, I started getting a few things ready for meals and snacks to have with our guests who would soon be arriving.
At 8:00, we started school. All the students were here today. We finished lesson 3 of Daniel and then looked some more at the drama for the end of the school year. We had just gotten started in phonics class when we heard the roar of the plane engine. The students wanted to give a “royal” welcome to our guests so they took the PNG flags up to the airstrip and escorted our visitors down to the house. It was a joy to meet Heinz and Gill Venter. Brad spent a little time with us also, and there was a young man named Philemon who was also with them. He grew up in Lae, but now lives in Switzerland – is just in the country for a visit.
They did bring our generator back, praise the Lord. Daddy and the men put the new voltage regulator in it, but when they tried it out, it wouldn’t work. So they took it out and put the old one back in. It has been a blessing to have power again this evening after being without it for about a month and a half.
I talked with Gill a little bit and then went back to finish phonics class. At recess time, I fixed the visitors some coffee, and they sat down for a coffee break while I went back to do math class. Then we had a short break and had spelling class since we didn’t have it yesterday.
After that, I busied myself getting lunch and talking to Gill. We had soup (which I had made yesterday), egg salad sandwiches, cucumber, and avocado. After dinner, we talked for a while. Then Heinz and Gill went for a rest and Graham and Steve did dishes. While I was getting lunch they also peeled and cut up carrots which would be cooked later for supper. And while we were eating, they went down to Janeth’s and brought up the rest of our freezer items that were down there.
After they were done, Daddy and I had our naps. Right after nap, I started supper preparations. It was already 3:30. Cooked the chicken in the pressure cooker. Cut up some broccoli and cooked it with the carrots. Made a pie crust. Then sat and talked with Heinz and Gill about their program for tomorrow and their ideas for teaching oral English. Then I got the chicken pot pie made and put into the oven for supper, and Heinz and Gill cut up fruit for a fruit salad. Michelle had sent us some strawberries which made a wonderful addition to popo and bananas for fruit salad. Michelle had also sent homemade chocolate chip cookies and homemade fudge with nuts and cherries. They tasted very good.
The Venters brought us extra meat and veggies as well. Heinz and Gill gave Daddy and I gifts of pens and writing pads. And a church book club from South Africa sent us some chocolate bars (including an organic milk chocolate bar) and also sent a few school supplies such as pens, mechanical pencils, thumb tacks, paper clips, lollies, and stickers for their schoolwork. I will need to write thank you notes to all of these people.
We ate supper around 5:30, enjoyed a cup of rooibos tea, cleaned up the supper table and put food away. Then we sat and chatted in the office area until the Venters went to bed (a little before 9:00). Sosthenes and Phinehas came a little after 7:00 and did the dishes. I also had them take dried corn off the cobs. And I let them try some strawberries. They liked them enough to have more, but there weren’t enough to give them more.
Now it is a little after 9:30. Daddy just turned the generator off a few minutes ago, and the house is quiet. I will wash up soon and go to bed too. Need to get up early in the morning and fix breakfast.
“8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:8,10
August 28. Going on 10:00 p.m. It has been a long but fun day. The Lord gave us warmth and sunshine. I was up before 6:00 so I could finish making the banana muffins and get them into the oven. That would be our breakfast, along with fruit - popo and apples. After breakfast, Gill was a blessing and washed the dishes so I was able to get the bed made and read my Bible before lotu. Amos taught on Acts 1:12-14 in lotu.
Right after lotu, Heinz and Gill started setting up for school. They did not wait until the people left so all the people, of course, wanted to stay and see what was going on. First they taught the students some facts about air and did some experiments to show them that air has weight (air pressure) and takes up space. Then we had an early recess, and after recess, Heinz taught them some things about South Africa. After he finished teaching, he had them play a game matching some South African animals with the names to see if they remembered what they were taught. The nine students were divided into three teams and each team had a turn to match the names while Heinz timed them to see which team did it in the shortest amount of time. After that, Gill told a story and I translated it. Then they all made friendship bracelets with bead kits that the Venters had brought with them. Even the five fathers were able to make a bracelet. There are a couple more colors than the wordless book, but they can still all be used to share the Gospel.
While they were doing the bracelets, I got things ready for lunch so we were able to eat a bit earlier today. We also had nap a bit earlier - since there weren’t many dishes, I didn’t have the boys come at noon. They came this evening instead.
After nap, I heated the oven and put the rolls in that I had made before lunch. They would go with our supper. While the rolls were baking, I went for a little stretch in the sunshine with Heinz and Gill. They wanted to walk further on up the mountain, however, so I left them and came back to the house. When they came back, we all sat and talked a while. Then Gill peeled carrots for me while I got ingredients together for ranch style beans. Our supper was ranch style beans, carrots, and rolls.
Got the kitchen cleaned up and then sat around and talked some more. Bethuel and Dallas came to do the dishes. I got dishes put away as they washed them. Gradually people drifted in for a special meeting with Heinz and Gill. They were given this time to ask them questions about themselves, South Africa, or anything else they wanted to ask about. I did not go to the meeting - too much to do. I wrote some thank you notes for Gill to deliver for me, photo-copied the story Gill had told today, cut flash cards for the kids to make their 9 division cards tomorrow, and did a few other odd jobs.
Now it is after 10:00. I am tired and am going to go brush my teeth, wash up a bit, and crawl into bed.
“11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:11-14