Visas, Visitors and a Medical Update

'When are you heading back to PNG?' seems to be the question we are asked most often. 

The short answer: 'We don't know'. 

The long answer:
Firstly, we are waiting for our new PNG visas to be approved, as the current ones run out at the end of this month.  This will take at least three weeks and possibly a lot longer.

Secondly, Eowyn is undergoing tests for a kidney issue that was identified before she was born (technical details of the condition can be found in this document).  She is completely healthy at the moment (and in fact is a delightfully easy baby!), but the doctors need to work out what's going on and whether treatment is needed at this stage.  She is supposed to be seeing a paediatric urologist in London for her next test, probably in March.

Another issue is that Andrew's six months in the UK will end in mid-April.  This time limit can only be extended in the case of exceptional compassionate circumstances.

At the moment we are just waiting, but we may soon be facing decisions regarding the timing of our return to PNG.  Your prayers are certainly appreciated.

Moving on to some positive news:
Thank you for praying for our housing situation.  We now have a house to stay in until we leave the country.  We'll be moving to Haslemere, Surrey next week and will be glad to have the chance to spend time with friends and family in that area.  We are appreciating having a break from the pressures of our work overseas, and we think this time in the UK will help us return refreshed to PNG. 

We are happy that Andrew's parents are currently visiting us for a couple of weeks! 



Thanks for all your support and encouragement; it means so much to us.

Greetings from England!

There are a lot of things to enjoy about living here in the UK:
 1) Seeing family and friends who we rarely get to spend time with.  We've already taken part in four family celebrations.

2) Experiences that we don't normally have.  Can you spot Andrew and Levi on the pirate ship?

3) Being able to buy the ingredients that the recipes in our cookbooks call for, as well as the occasional take-away for a special treat.

Our baby is due on 8th December, so hopefully not much longer to wait! 

We then will need to obtain the baby's birth certificate and passport quickly so that we can all apply for new PNG visas.  We will apply for these in early January.  Please pray for the visas to be granted quickly so that we can return to Papua New Guinea as soon as possible.  We have a house to stay in until the end of January, but would appreciate prayer that we will have somewhere to live until the time we leave for PNG.   Thank you!

Sending Sabers

As you may know, we are the support team for Beth Fuller, who works in the Aitape West Translation Project.  Over the last few months, this has involved sending medication, groceries and Sabers out to her.  "What's a Saber?", you may be asking.  It's a small audio player that is powered by a hand-crank mechanism, and includes an amplifier strong enough for a whole group to listen to at once.   Sabers are used here in Papua New Guinea for listening to vernacular scripture.

Beth and some colleagues are currently visiting villages where the languages being translated are spoken.  Mother-tongue speakers of these languages are teaching reading and Bible study skills during these visits and distributing printed copies of Luke, Acts and the Christmas and Easter stories.

This woman was first in line to purchase an AudiBible for her family to listen to.  Like the Sabers that were also sold in her village, the AudiBible allows listeners to hear the book of Luke read aloud in the language that speaks to their heart. (Photograph by Beth Fuller)

Here is what some other speakers of the Sissano language had to say about the Scripture distribution and teaching sessions:
      
                    

"God's talk was a long way from us before, but now it has come close to us."

"When we first started to read [Luke] in our language it was hard.  Now, look!  We practised two days and we are reading!"                
                               
                           "I am so happy, my happiness is overflowing..." (This comment was made by one of the translators, overjoyed at how well the reading and oral Bible study training went for the people who attended).

As always, we greatly value your prayers.  Here are some prayer suggestions:

*Praise God that people in the Aitape West area now have greater access to God's Word. Pray for stamina for Beth and her two colleagues, who will be spending two more weeks travelling between different villages, often on foot. 

*Please pray for us as we prepare to temporarily leave our work and life here and travel to the UK.  I (Clare) am now six months pregnant and not sleeping well, so would appreciate prayer for sleep, strength and patience.  Andrew has more work than he could possibly do in the next four weeks, but would like to at least get as much done as he can in that time.   Levi and Heidi are very excited about seeing family, but the next few months are also likely to be challenging as they adjust to living away from the surroundings, people and climate they are so familiar with.

*Please pray for uneventful travel and entry into the UK from 18-21 October, and that the extra paperwork involved with flying when 33 weeks pregnant would be processed easily.  (Look out for short updates at www.facebook.com/andrewandclare).
           

Family Photo 2013

Greetings from Ukarumpa!

We had this photo taken so that we could send it to 'Ken's Cycle Center' in Tennessee, which is where Andrew worked before he came to Papua New Guinea and also where the T-shirts came from.

These are Andrew's two vehicles that currently run.  We affectionately refer to the 1963 Landrover as the 'Coconut Car' because 'Powered by Coconut' is written on the side. Andrew won't be driving this car very much over the next few weeks though: Once again, the bridge to Kainantu (our nearest town and our only access point to the 'Highlands Highway') is in a bad state of repair.  At the moment, small vehicles are still driving over it (if the owners are willing to take the risk) but it means that it's increasingly difficult to obtain supplies.  Diesel and petrol/gas are usually sold at the Autoshop but last week Andrew had to put out a notice saying that sales would be limited for the foreseeable future.

It wouldn't help if the 'Coconut Car' really was powered by coconuts because coconuts only grow in coastal areas, which we'd have to cross the bridge to get to!


To find out what this photo is about, see Andrew's latest blog post!

Prayer Points:

- We praise God that the first five months of Clare's pregnancy have gone very well.

- We have have had several months of good health.  Levi and Heidi are both doing well, with Levi enjoying his new preschool class.

- Andrew has a lot of engines to work on at the Autoshop, but not a lot of time to work on them.  He has 'Executive Committee' meetings for the next two weeks, and then we'll be leaving for the UK in a little over two months.  Please pray that he will prioritise well and not get discouraged.

- Please pray that more people will join our team of financial supporters so that we are able to cover all of our regular expenses for the rest of this year and in the future too.