Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here in Ukarumpa we are all enjoying a two-week break from work.  Andrew and I were both very busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so are grateful for this time of rest. 

We have also had the excitement of a visit from my parents:
             

Thank you very much for your encouragement throughout 2015.     

One Way to Wash your Clothes during a Drought

Step 1: Add clothes and detergent to your washing machine (which, as you will see from steps 5 and 7 below, will already be full of water) and turn it on.

Step 2: Open the lid when the final rinse cycle begins.  Pour in water collected from the dripping tap.  Close lid.



Step 3: Gather as many buckets and other containers as you can find

Step 4: Collect the rinse water in buckets until the cycle finishes.


Step 5: Take clothes out of washing machine. 

Step 6: Refill washing machine with the water from the buckets.  Save the water that came out first (ie the dirtier, smellier water) for flushing the toilet.


Step 7: When showering, collect as much water as possible into buckets and pour it into the washing machine (while feeling grateful that your solar-heated shower is hot, which is often not the case during more usual weather patterns).

Step 8: Wait until you have a full load of laundry (which will take longer than usual, as you will wait until your clothes are really dirty before washing them, and you have stopped using cloth nappies/diapers).  Go back to step 1.

Ironically, after these photos were taken it rained so much that our tank overflowed.  We are rejoicing that it has been raining regularly over the last couple of weeks.  The weather is certainly not back to normal yet though; even if the rain continues it will be a long time before food production returns to normal levels. 

Video of us, plus Financial and Drought Update

We put a video together to show you what we do here in Papua New Guinea:

We would appreciate prayer regarding our financial situation.  It has become clear lately that our income has dropped to around only 90% of our needs.  The Wycliffe UK Personnel team are concerned for us and have recently been in touch and advised us to bring this to the attention of our supporters.  If you would like more information about this please let us know or visit our website.

We know many of you are concerned with us regarding the drought here.  This unusually dry period is expected to peak between now and December.  Please continue to pray for the people of Papua New Guinea at this time.   

Land Cruiser and Land Drought

Have you ever wondered what Andrew does to relax after a busy week of fixing engines, helping to run a department, and attending Executive Committee meetings as well as Pacific Orientation Oversight Committee meetings?!  (OK - so fortunately he doesn't usually have to do all of them in any one week).

Here is a clue:



Andrew's latest leisure activity is working on the 1979 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 pick-up truck/ute that he was recently given.  For the full story (or just the pictures), click over to his blog post 'Why I almost never turn down free junk'.

On a more sombre note, we are now several weeks into a period of very little rain and are experiencing drought conditions.  Not only does this mean that our usual source of drinking water is in danger of drying up (ie rain water that has fallen onto our house), it also has serious consequences for the vegetable gardens of our PNG friends and colleagues.   For many Papua New Guineans, the vast majority of their diet comes from their own gardens. 

Please pray for rain, and that the people of PNG would continue to have food to eat.  Please also pray for wisdom as we consider how best to support those around us whose food sources are starting to dwindle.

End of School Year and Film Recommendation

It's the end of the school year here in Ukarumpa. 

This means:

*Friends are leaving, some of them for good.
*Other friends are returning from home leave.
*I (Clare) have finished my semester of teaching Kindergarten part-time (phew!)
*Levi and Heidi are enjoying a five week school break before starting Grade One and Preschool in July.
*Andrew's various jobs continue to keep him busy.  This week his work has included Executive Committee business, rescuing a vehicle that broke down an hour away from our centre, ordering parts for motorbikes, helping newcomers learn about life in PNG and a two-day trip to the town of Lae on Autoshop business.

We have often mentioned the Aitape West Translation Project, which we help to support in different ways.  Wycliffe USA has produced an excellent documentary about this multi-language project, including the moving story of how it got started.  The video can be found at www.wycliffe.org/arop.

And finally, here is this month's photo. Eowyn now loves to join in fully with our daily walks.

A Not So Typical Day After All

What's in the Box?

The box below is carried on the back of the 'Jesus Video Bike', a motorbike that Andrew often works on.  The Papua New Guinean book-salesman has travelled over 50,000 miles in the last few years distributing hymn books, Audibibles and school supplies to speakers of the Kamano Kafe and Agarabi languages.  Recently a waterproof Kamano Kafe New Testament has also become available to purchase - with a banana leaf design on the cover.  (It's been discovered that if Bibles are simply given away they tend not to be valued; so they are sold for a subsidised fee, which also helps to cover the printing costs.)

We are having a very busy year so far.  Andrew has been attending many meetings recently (last week he had one set of meetings in the mornings and another set in the afternoons!).  Next month, we also have the biennial conference for all members of our organisation here in PNG.

I am enjoying teaching Levi's Kindergarten class.  Heidi and Eowyn are being well cared for by our cleaner/babysitter one morning a week and at the Ukarumpa daycare on the other morning that I teach.  I'm also keeping busy with teacher recruitment.  Recently this has involved facilitating trips being taken by student teachers and other visitors who want to investigate opportunities to teach here.

Eowyn and I will be back in Brisbane from 11th - 16th March for a check-up with the the kidney specialist.  I'm looking forward to that little break!

We greatly value your prayer.  Here are some pointers:

* The Jesus Video Bike travels on lots of remote dirt roads. When it rains these roads quickly become dangerous mud pits. Pray for safety for Franky our book salesman and wisdom and creativity for Andrew in finding parts to maintain the motorbike.

* Pray that those people who are hungry for God’s Word would have the money and see the motorbike as it travels to 22 different open air markets.
      

* Please pray that Clare and Eowyn make all their connections on their trip to Brisbane and back on 11th and 16th March, and that Eowyn's kidneys and urinary tract would continue to show improvement.   We also pray that the rest of the family left in Ukarumpa will do fine.

     

*Pray for wise decisions to be made at our conference, including the decision about whether to re-elect Andrew to the 'Executive Committee'!