October 11. .3” rain last night and a big rain-wind storm this afternoon. But most of the day was sunny and nice for working. A hot day too — 89º at lunch time. And a busy day today.
After breakfast and quiet time, we started getting things ready to take up to the house. We had just barely gotten up when Eron came for a couple tools (around 6:00). He was going up to work on the north wall. Around 7:00 Daniel came and got one bilum full of tools. Then at 8:00 David came and said Silvia was cooking food, and as soon as he ate, he would come get some things. It was after 9:00, I think, when he came back and got the rolls of floor mat to carry up. Tomas came this morning too on his way down to the garden. He and his family worked in the garden today, and will probably come up tomorrow. Eric came to borrow the big tape measure. He was putting off building his own house so he could help us, but his house has started falling down. So he needs to get busy building a new one.
While we were waiting for someone to come carry things up the hill, I started working on checking Colossians. Finished checking chapter two and started chapter three. Checked more of chapter 3 this afternoon.
Around 9:30, Daddy and I went up the hill. The men had just finished the north wall and were getting ready to put it up. I went in and started sweeping out our bedroom. Eron called the kids in to help pick up the little chips of wood. It was kind of hard to sweep with 6 or 8 kids sitting in the middle of the floor. But soon we heard the roar of a plane engine, and the kids took off for the airstrip. The plane encountered a problem when it landed — a dog on the airstrip — so Daddy went up to talk to the pilot in case he decided to close the airstrip. I saw Amos outside so talked to him about finishing the work of digging the septic hole. Then I went and took some pictures of the men putting up the wall. Then I went back inside and started laying boxes on the bedroom floor for padding under the floor mat. The men all came in and started helping. Then Daddy came back from the airstrip, and everyone helped lay the floor mat.
By the time we did a few other little things, it was noon and time to go down for lunch. My, the morning went fast! All the men came down too and got things to carry back up — more boxes to put under the kitchen floor mat (Lord willing, we will lay that tomorrow), another bilum of tools, and bags with water, scones, and popo.
The pilot said that if the propeller had hit the dog, it would have destroyed the whole engine and would have cost K100,000 for a new one. SIL had brought in a music team, on their way to Tainaraba for some meetings. The pilot stayed and talked to the people about the dog. He said that if it happens once or twice again, SIL will never come in again to Owena. And they will have to put in a report at Moresby so if the other aviation groups see that, they can choose not to come in as well. After he talked to the people a while, he loaded up the plane with CLC coffee (that’s the group who came) and took off. We found out later that some of the boys had killed and eaten the dog. It was Opo’s and he told them to go ahead and kill it and throw it away. But they ate it. This was not the first time the dog had been on the airstrip, but the first time it was in the way and had to be dodged.
After lunch, I was good and ready for a nap. Daddy had a cat nap and went back up. They got the bedroom window in, put the door knob on the bathroom door, made holes in the floor for the toilet drain pipes, put wider boards on the steps, and put the railing on.
After nap and working on Colossians a bit, I started working on the kidznewzletter. Got the quiz done, and “Do You Know corner” done. Then I flattened some more boxes to be used under the floor mat. Then worked on enlarging the print in the Sios I Gat Glori book to make it easier for the people to read. Then Daddy came home, and I got supper.
While I was doing dishes, I enjoyed watching the full moon come up in the clear blue sky, and become brighter as the sky grew dark.
“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Mark 3:35
October 12. .2” rain last night. A beautiful day today. We didn’t get to go up and lay linoleum on the kitchen floor because Tomas didn’t come up from his garden, and the linoleum is in his house. Later Daddy thought that Jokapet probably had a key. But that’s okay, my body was really hurting today anyway.
It was 53º this morning. It was too cold to have quiet time in the back room so sat in the sunshine in the kitchen this morning and had quiet time. After that, I "shrunk" the kitchen table, packed up a few things, taped a few boxes, and piled them in the empty spot by the kitchen table. After that, I was ready to sit down a while. Finished checking Colossians 3 and checked Proverbs 11. Worked on the activity for the kidznewzletter and finished that. Then fixed spaghetti for dinner.
Enjoyed a nice long nap today. After nap, I worked on the toksave for Sunday. Then I made chocolate chip cookies and finished setting up the print file for Sios I Gat Glori. Got a copy of that printed out tonight for Daddy to proofread. Also printed David’s Bible school certificate and copies of the new ministry list.
NTM called early this afternoon and said there was a medivac in Simogu so they would be here in about an hour with our supplies. Daddy went up the airstrip and waited, but the plane never came. He finally called NTM, and found out that the Simogu people didn’t have the money for the medivac. NTM forgot to call Daddy back and tell him. So we are still praying and waiting for our cargo.
“23If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 24And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. 25For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” Mark 4:23-25
October 13. No rain last night. 54º this morning, but warmed up fairly quickly. The Lord gave us a sunny morning and sent us rain this afternoon.
After breakfast and quiet time this morning, I cleaned some stuff out of the drum that was in the bedroom so it wouldn’t be too heavy, and Wan took it up to the house. Janet took up the boxes I had flattened yesterday. Later on, we went up to lay the linoleum on the kitchen floor. It was really hard walking up the hill today, my legs hurt so much.
Wenke and Yenito were outside beating pitpit. Wamara was around, and he went with Daddy to get the linoleum from Tomas’s house. I was going to start sweeping the floor, but had to move out all the board pieces first. When they got back, Wamara helped move the boards, and I started sweeping. Then he took over sweeping and Daddy and I started laying boxes. After we got the boxes laid, Daddy and Wamara started rolling out the linoleum. Jastin came along, and he helped, and Wenke came in and helped too. It took quite a while to get all that done. There was plenty of linoleum to cover the whole kitchen and the office too. There is even some left over which we will probably use in the guest bedroom.
After that was done, we came back to the house. Jastin came down and got some tools and nails so they could nail a piece of plastic over the office window to keep the rain out until they get the outside layer of wall on. Then they can put a window in.
This afternoon, after nap, Daddy went back up. Jonaten was there with a pitpit wall he had completed for the north office wall. Some of the other men were there too. They got Jonaten’s wall put up. Then they fixed up a couple other walls. Wenke was still there working on pitpit.
While Daddy was up there, I got the ministry update done and an e-mail to Christy and Connie ready to go, plus the newsletters ready to go.
“Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” Mark 5:19