Living in PNG

Well, we have been in PNG a few weeks now.... and people keep asking me what's it like? Do I like it? Have I adjusted?

Well... this blog post can't answer those questions completely, because I'm never quite sure of the answer myself at any given time! But I shall try.

PNG is awesome.... I still am glad that this move took place before I have to leave for university, so that I am getting a chance to be in the place where my parents and brother will live after I leave.

This place is very different from Fiji.... probably more similar to Fiji than to the States, but still, very different. Much of the cultural protocol I grew up with doesn't apply here. The language I learned to stumble through with much sweat and tears is met here with blank looks. The friends which I am used to seeing twice or three times in a week, are suddenly nowhere to be found.

However, I am learning new cultural protocol. I am learning a new language (Tok Pisin is much easier than Fijian, let me tell you!) I am learning to love a new people, and am making new friends. This country will never replace the one that raised me. These friends will never replace the ones that have put up with me through my teens. But I'm coming to accept that perhaps they don't have to. Perhaps.... I don't have to let go of the old country to embrace the new. Perhaps they both can have a place in me. I already have two homes. Maybe it's time to add another.

Over the last few weeks, I have cried... But I have also laughed... so hard that I cried! What a wonderful life God has given me.

I have been keeping pretty busy over the past few weeks... school, of course, in the MK highschool, which I have enjoyed after having been homeschooled all my life. (Of course, I'm still using Sonlight Curriculum, Luke, don't worry.) I have shadowed Uncle Andy several times... if I keep enjoying it as much as I have been, I will simply have to go into the medical field! I have made a trip into Mt. Hagen and to the market... pretty awesome market there. It's a bit bigger than Suva market and Singatoka market; but along those same lines. Only lots more variety. Even strawberries!

Yesterday we had a farewell service for the Sweseys and Thrashers, who have been missionaries to PNG for 10 years (Sweseys) and 20 years (Thrashers). Also present at the farewell was a mumu... the PNG version of a lovo. The food was about the same as is present at a Fijian lovo, with the exeption of the sweet kaukau replacing the dalo. I think I like kaukau better (sorry, Fiji).

Last night we had a movie night over at Uncle Andy and Aunt Judy's house with a bunch of the missionaries. We all took snacks, of course! We watched The Princess Bride, which looks like a sappy movie from the cover, but is actually really funny. And did you know that the title on the cover of the DVD is the same right-side-up and up-side-down? No seriously! Look at it next time you happen to see it. Quite clever, these movie peoples.

Also, this last week was my friend Oliver's birthday. I couldn't post a happy birthday blog ON his birthday, so I'm putting in in here today. Happy Birthday Olli!

Well, that is all I have time for this morning [audience breathes a sigh of relief].
From the ends of the earth,
Danielle

Call Me Shadow

Just wait a few paragraphs, and I'll explain the title. We probably need a little background first.

Background Fact 1: Our family has moved to Papua New Guinea.

Background Fact 2: We are currently living on the mission station at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital.

Background Fact 3: This is near Mt. Hagen, in case you want to pull out your map of PNG. (you do have a map of PNG, don't you?)

Background Fact 4: It's really cold here. ... That is totally irrelevant, but I thought you might like to know.

Background Fact 5: I am quite interested in the medical field, trying to decide whether to go into it myself and if I do, what to go into it AS. So, living here is a dream-come-true for me.

NOW we get to the title. Uncle Andy Bennett (that's a link to his blog, which is awesome, go check it out, that's an order) gave us a tour of the hospital soon after we got here. At the end he mentioned that if we wanted to "shadow" a doctor we were welcome to... we could follow them around all day as they did rounds and saw patients. Thinks I to myself, omgosh, I would love to do that.

Sooo, yesterday I shadowed Uncle Andy. I had an awesome time! I didn't get queasy all day, which, if I'm going into medicine, is a good thing. Now, Mum and Dad got queasy when I was telling them about my day........
I'm trying now to figure out what is the minimum amount of days I can squeeze the last of my school classes into so that I can spend the most amount of days at the hospital. I think Uncle Andy may be stuck with a new shadow.
Ehm, small clarification here, .... that is not to be construed as meaning that I don't like the MK highschool, I love it, and Katie (the teacher) is awesome.

Now, I would love to post pictures of our house, and the hospital, and all that, but I am prevented because my camera batteries decided to die, and my camera decided not to like the new batteries that I have. It wants different ones. I tried to reason with it, and tell it that it didn't need fancy special batteries EVERY SINGLE time; it could compromise and take next-level-down batteries once in a while, couldn't it? But it would not listen, and held firmly to it's attitude, which is really selfish of it. So. Until such time as I can get the batteries that my camera wants, I guess there shall be no pictures. Sorry, people. Blame my camera, not me. I tried.

And now this First Blog Post from Papua New Guinea shall come to an end....
I love it here, I think God has blessed our family greatly by calling us here, and I'm so glad that we came before I leave for university.
I do, of course, miss Fiji... after all, it was my home for 8 and a half years, since I was 9.
I miss my friends terribly; but have only cried about that once.
But God knows what He is doing, and I do love the place He has brought me to for this time in my life, and the people He is allowing me to get to know. I'm so glad He is in control of my life!.... He seems to be doing a pretty good job.

Love from the ends of the earth,
Danielle

When God Whispers

I'm not the kind of person that normally listens to hymns. My iPod pretty much has the same songs on it as the internet radio station TheBlast.fm (that's Christian Rock; don't follow that link unless you like fairly hard music). My favorite bands are Disciple, Skillet, etc.... you get the point. 

But, I play the piano, and one of my favorite pastimes is to play... hymns! I have this big ol' hymnal (the large version of "Sing To the Lord" by the Nazarene church, for those of you who are interested)  and I'll play for hours, just turning the pages and playing whatever comes up. Usually, I do this when I'm stressed... or frustrated... or tired. Some of my best times with God have been while playing hymns on the piano. I guess, because it's different than what I normally listen to, it's something special... and the words to some of those classic hymns are incredible. 

I have my old favorites... How Firm a Foundation (you have to sing every verse to that song); Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus (love the tune to that one)... but once in a while I'll find a brand-new one that I have never heard before. And sometimes the words will just hit me over the head... it's like God just reaches down, taps me on the shoulder, and goes "I have something to say to you right now. Listen to this." 

That happened this afternoon. 

I've been a bit stressed lately. I'm extremely excited about this next chapter of life, but today, nevertheless, I was stressed. Several things play into that. Moving is a stress anytime. Add that to moving away from where I grew up. To a brand new country. To be followed closely by another move and the start of college. Leaving friends (that is proving pretty difficult for me). Annnd then... a close friend of mine's dad passed away a few days ago. 

Add that to stupidly small things, like frustrations of trying to work out plane reservations on the phone, and making sure my suitcase is under 20kg; and you have a very stressed Danielle sitting down to the keyboard this evening. Ehh... maybe God just thought it was time to remind me of a few truths.

I was playing a favorite (Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah), and then turned the page to hymn number 97. I'd never seen it before, but just started playing at the beginning without reading the words first... reading them for the first time as I played.

Well, the tune is amazing too; but I can't put it on my blog easily; so the words will have to do. I started crying halfway through the first verse.

Be still my soul; the Lord is on thy side. 

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know 

His vioce who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on 

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Perfect Struggle

I keep thinking I'm gonna have it all together one of these days. You know, wake up and suddenly I am the amazingly wonderfully perfect person that I want everyone to think I am. Uh... don't they?

But it hasn't happened yet (sorry to disappoint you!)... and I'm beginning to think it never will. And I'm beginning to wonder if... maybe... just maybe... that isn't the point. Maybe, the point of life isn't to become perfect, or to get it all together. Maybe... just maybe... the point... is the struggle. Allow me to clarify.

Sometimes I look at the circumstances around me; the questions I'm wrestling with; the issues I'm dealing with, and I just have to say to God-- Couldn't You have made this easier? Couldn't You have made this clearer? More black-and-

white? More obvious? I can think of at least 1253 ways that You could have worked this out so that it was more clear, and less of a struggle!

Following the logic that I am not smarter than my Creator, I am sure that He could think of even more ways to make the answers more obvious. You know, a writing-on-the-wall kind of thing? And sometimes I just have to wonder... why didn't He? 

And I wonder if maybe... just maybe... the point... is the struggle. Maybe... the point of life isn't to become perfect, but to become close to God. Maybe... maybe He chooses the less-than-obvious pathway to force us to come face-to-face with Him again? Force us to once more wrestle with Him as He shows us the seemingly hidden trail? Perhaps the point of this struggle is not the

 answer to the question, but the close inspection of the Face of God.  And perhaps... it's not wrong to wrestle with questions... maybe... just maybe... the point... is the struggle.

Big girl, don't cry; perfect princess, don't fall

Big boy, don't stumble; don't blink at all--

Fulfill perceptions; nine-tenths of the law

'Cuz God's in heaven-- on earth no flaw.

Denied confusion now fills my ears--

"I have no struggles; I shed no tears"

Can't allow these questions after all these years

'Cuz God's in heaven -- I'm perfect down here.

Now shed facades; break secret fears

In honest condition, He draws me near

This conflict is what makes me real

Though God's in heaven, He meets me here.

This desperately searching through pathways confused

Recurring undoing; this grasping for truth;

This molding, this breaking, this healing, this shaping,

This conflict, this question-- my child,

You're perfect.... in the struggle.

It's a Small World

It is! They (the omnicsient They) say that every person is only six people away from everyone else in the world.... So, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone... and in six layers out, you know the whole earth. I think an exception must be made, though, for missionary kids... I mean, the sheer volume of people we know.... in the number of countries we know them in. Rarely does someone mention a country that I do not say "hey, I have a friend there!" (or at least think it) I mean, I have friends from everywhere from France to Argentina to Switzerland (hi Rachel!) to Dungog, Australia. (you knew that was coming, Olli.) 

Well, anyway, where I was going with this is that it's about time to leave Fiji, because we can't walk a block in town without stopping to chat with someone we know.... day before yesterday, in Suva, in one store-complex (what we call a mall...a tiny, tiny mall) we met 7 people that we knew... stopped and talked with, found out how their cousin-brothers were doing, etc. By the time we got to the car, we were laughing and saying that it was about time to leave this country and go make some new friends... we know everyone here! 

So, yeah, that's my random thought of the day.