Log-5 "Let the Work Begin"

ready to roll...

Ride over Jordan... OK not sure of the river name but Matt took this while I sat on top of the truck and took some video images. Not the most comfortable feeling but we made it safely!

As I sit here at 4AM listening to crickets chirp and eating a piece of pumpkin cheesecake, I realized two things. 1)All the worry I had about what I would eat while I was here in PNG was wasted energy 2)My goal of using this trip as a platform for a much needed shift in my diet has been thwarted, thanks to Amy and her kitchen skills. Oh well, going into the Holidays is never a good time to start a diet, guess I'll wait for January 1st again just like the last 15 years. I've never been the same since my high school metabolism fled my body, presumably angry because I had ousted my 21 inch Murry push mower for the luxurious Craftsman riding mower used in D&D lawn service.

Entrance to Bank... metal detector gig for each customer

"Rover" and master... part of the bank security team

Yesterday here in PNG was profitable (Monday, November 29th.) We spent the morning having waffles and drinking lattes that Amy makes with her single shot espresso machine (Kraig Tass, you would be proud of her.) Then we had to go into town to run some business errands for the college which consisted of paying some bills, mailing some letters and going to the bank. Downtown is definitely unique and a little disconcerting since there are many stories of crime and threats about past missionaries and those currently here on the field. The bank was our first stop and I knew we weren't in Iron Mountain any more once I saw the 5 police guards and a German Shepherd pacing around the bank entrance (of course the above freezing temps in November also helped verify this.) We arrived early, before the bank opened (not the plan) so we stood outside around 8:30AM to wait the 15 minutes or so before the bank was supposed to open. In that 15 minutes I decided to stay close to the bank with Dan (something felt right about staying close to the uniformed security guys) while Jake and Matt wandered a short way down the street where hundreds of "vendors" are displaying nick-knacks and bags, etc. The stream of people on the streets continued to ebb and flow but each swell seemed to get bigger. I had the feeling I was at the beach about ankle high in the water and the waves kept creeping higher each time a new swell approached. Yes, there were lulls in between, but more people kept coming from seemingly no-where and before long by mid-morning the town streets were white capping with people EVERYWHERE! All of them staring at the white folk from America. Thankfully we managed to make all the errands in record time according to Dan and get back to the house to prep for work.

It was about 11AM by now and once we were geared-up and had the SPF5000 sun lotion and bug spray on and smelled like a Pfizer lab experiment, we decided to load the truck with the supplies, get some lunch at the house, and off we were.

Thank you to those that prayed for my life as Dan drove to the church in the Mazda flatbed truck with me in the back. Recipe for success for stardom here is quite simple. Be white, look absolutely clueless, hold a video camera and sit in the back of a flatbed truck with a giant round water container and two other white guys as your chauffeur = Guaranteed fame. Matt decided to join me and we felt like movie stars driving through LA (minus the nice cars) with natives the entire way waving and occasionally shouting "White Man!" I guess my tan hasn't had time to "cure" yet, I'm thinking by next week I should blend in and will have lost my "star" status:)!

Once we arrived to the church we unloaded the water container which for the people in the community will be a HUGE blessing. With the church being the largest building in this particular local village area and perched on the side of the mountain. The large metal roof should fill the tank quickly if the rains continue to sustain. Our task list for the next ten days includes the following...

• Stain facia, trim and doors
• Install gutter and plumb the water container
• Make 30 pews out of the milled wood Dan made last year
• Paint the inside plywood walls of the church
• Install plywood on the walls and paint the office and storage areas
• Install plywood on the walls of the new house built for the Pastor next to the church
• Create a front door step
• Landscape around the perimeter of the building

Jake and Quiro staining

There was plenty of willing help there today but not much skilled labor and not enough tools/equipment. Jake and I worked on staining with the help of a local named Quiro, while Matt worked on the pew project with a

Dan staining corner trim

couple of others, creating the first prototype and getting a plan together to speed up the remaining ones he needs to make. Dan is "foreman" and was busy tending to the needs of our "crews" getting us the supplies, etc. and then chipped in helping stain the windows. Trying to beat the rain, we started on the outside and before long Dan asked me to do the inside windows while Jake and team worked on the outside. At one point while he was watching I got a little stain on the plywood surrounding the window (which will be covered in white paint mind you!) Dan got on me and I made the case that the stain was like tinted water and the brush was like using a broom (only have 3 or 4 inch brushes to choose from) trying to be put on 2" window casings! He of course didn't believe me, but my sinful pride did feel a bit redeemed when an hour later, while helping me inside, he doused a nice red stain trim around the base of a window! I could only smile:)!

Finished stained fascia and window trim

Matt with some help, sawing some pew parts

After finishing the fascia and the windows on one side of the church and Matt completed the first pew, we decided to head out for the day and get an early start today. Now that everything is staged and the tools and supplies are delivered we should be able to have an enclosed ride to the church for everyone and get a lot more done today! Thanks for your prayers and comments here and on facebook. They are greatly appreciated and encouraging.

 

Shout out to Uncle Na Na... Twoods goes Global baby! Did you come up with that logo yourself:)?