December 6. Mostly cool and cloudy today with a little bit of sunshine. The Lord sent us rain during the night. I woke up around 1:00; and as I walked through the kitchen on the way back to bed, I heard water run out of the silver paper. Oh, oh! I wondered how long it had been raining. There was quite a puddle on the floor so I got that mopped up and then got the tub in from the meeting room and put under the drip. Daddy never woke up the whole time. Took me a while to get back to sleep after that. It is raining again this evening.
We are thankful that men did come and finish cutting the grass on the airstrip this morning. We didn’t see anyone go up; but when Daddy found out they were there, he went up and helped.
Wenke worked on beating pitpit and will start weaving tomorrow. Matyu came later in the morning and finished the last wall of the generator shed. Now they just need to make a bed for the generator and a door. Wan got a good start on putting canopies on the east windows which should keep the rain from coming in those windows. Now he needs kunai to cover them with. Eron and Seth brought more fence posts.
Church folks went today and visited Romi and took her some food. They also helped Neomi’s mother dig a garden. David came by later in the morning and said that he talked with Dalas last night about baptism and he seemed to understand and is ready to get baptized, possibly the Sunday we are in town.
I spent a good part of the day answering the door and making fires. I made a fire for the tug of war game, and painted nine different size boxes with fire colors for the “fire jumping” game for New Year’s events. Daddy and I also worked on getting the paper shelf ready to put up in the office, but didn’t quite get done with it — lots of interruptions.
This evening at supper time, Kristina brought Daniela and Calvin to see me. Jason and Allen came along too. Daniela is really growing. She was all excited to come see me. They couldn’t stay long because they had left Rebecca alone. Ben is in town waiting for Betty to finish school so he can bring her back for the holidays. I gave Kristina some Maggi [noodles] and fish for Rebecca. Gave each of the other children a chocolate wafer bar (except for Calvin — he is only five months old). Found a dress for Daniela and a pair of trousers for Calvin.
Just before Kristina left, Erisapet came by. She wasn’t in church Sunday because she had a really bad toothache and that gave her a bad headache. Said she slept most of the day. I talked with her a while. Then walked outside with her to see the work that Matyu had done on the generator shed. Mandah was out there so said hello to her. Then I came back in, finished my supper, did dishes, and put water on to heat for a nice stand-in-the-tub bath. Ah, that was nice!
“1Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1,2
December 7. Lots of rain last night. Cool and cloudy most of the morning. Some sunshine this afternoon, and a little rain late in the afternoon.
People were somewhat later for lotu today, but there were a good number out. Ikwenayo from Aziana came to meet with us. He is staying with Eric. He asked prayer for the Aziana churches which are going through some problems. Obet and his family were also here for lotu. Kelly gave a prayer request regarding Kathryn and Wake – said they are talking about moving to Moresby. If they do, that will leave the Owena health center house in Goroka empty. Kelly said that if Kathryn leaves Goroka, Misek won’t have anyone to stay with to continue school in Goroka, so he and Janeth will probably leave Owena.
Wenke and Puki worked one layer of the small section of wall in Connie’s room and got that put up. Since the pitpit is still somewhat green, they are going to wait a few days for it to dry before putting up the second layer. Wamara came close to noon and started working on shelves in the storage room. When Wan came a little later, he helped Wamara.
After lotu this morning, there was laundry to wash and hang up. Then Daddy and I finally finished getting the paper shelf up in the office. I was able to unpack several boxes of paper items and load them on the shelves. Just before noon, I sent out a couple e-mails and spent a lot of time trying to get e-mails in. We had a really good connection today, but it seemed that Earth Link must have been having some problems. Daddy finally went into web mail and we copied our spreadsheet from there into an Excel file. Then we deleted that and the e-mails that had already come in. In the process, they took away one of our e-mails. (It came back the next day though, along with all the other e-mails we had just gotten.)
Worked this afternoon on revising and making corrections in New Year’s notes in the computer and got new copies printed out this evening. Printed copies of the little booklet on Islam and also three copies of the “Sios I Gat Glori” book. Dalas will need a copy, and Ikwenayo wants a copy. The other copy is extra, just to have on hand.
“14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10:14-18 John chapter 10 is such a comforting chapter of the Bible. Just to think that the Good Shepherd loves His silly sheep and was willing to lay down His life for them. To think that He knows us and we know Him, and that He takes care of us, provides our needs, and leads us in a safe path. What a joy!