Weary traveller arrives home

Doug made the trip home in two days. He got on a boat again and went to the
city of Madang, stayed the night, and got on a PMV (public motor vehicle)
home. It was about a 5 hour drive. He was wet and tired, but so excited
about the trip. He really felt it had been a time of building relationships
and making connections with the people on the Rai Coast.

Miscellaneous pictures

Market Day

Once a week, nationals come to sell their produce at the market.

Translation office

This is the central office where the translators keep their supplies.
Although Doug doesn't consider himself computer savvy, he was glad to be
able to help them with some computer questions, and get their printer in
working order.

Sunday worship

On Sunday, Doug was asked to give a little talk on why he was there. He took
the opportunity to build awareness for Bible translation, and the importance
of the work that Nafian, Roman, Noel and Martin are engaged in. It is
important for the villagers to feel like they are part of the project also.

Martin

One day Nafian and Doug went to visit Martin and his family, another
translator we've become good friends with. Martin is the one who fell off
the roof of a new house he was building (pictured) and suffered a
compression fracture in June. His back is still giving him troubles, and
his wife is working hard to help complete the house they began. Martin's
little girl, also pictured, had heart surgery a few years ago.

Roman and Noel

Roman and Noel are the other two translators working on the Rai coast that
we have gotten to know.

Cocoa beans

Cocoa beans are being dried in this cocoa dryer. The difficult part is
getting the beans to town to be processed.

Movie night

On two evenings they got out a generator and old T.V and watched a Michael
W. Smith concert. They were surprised when Doug told them that when he was
in college he had gone to a Michael W. Smith concert. "That can't be. He
can't be that old", they said.

Literacy

Lucas, shown with his family, is one of the literacy workers in the
community.

Yam garden

Nafian and Doug worked a bit in Nafian's yam garden. Yams are a staple food
for Papua New Guianeans.

Runway

This is a airplane runway used during WWII. It the locals would keep the
grass cut it could still be used as a runway today.

Cell phones

I had the habit of calling Doug at the most inopportune times. Actually,
most of the time we didn't have a good signal, and the calls kept dropping,
but at least he could check in with us almost every day.

Papaya

The coast has the juciest fruit you can imagine (especially when you're hot
and thirsty it tastes so good). This is a papaya. Although we grow papaya
in the highlands, they are not near as big or sweet.

Vanilla crops

Vanilla crops are one kind of cash crop in PNG. Roman, Nafian's brother,
also a translator, is seen here pollinating the vanilla pods.

Others in the village

Nafian's mother is an elderly lady that is almost blind. A "nursing home" is
a very strange concept to Papua New Guineans. Their elderly parents are
taken care of by the family and clan.

The shower

Using bamboo cut in half, water drains from a far away stream, down the
bamboo, into a barrel. This was one of the washing places; they often use
the river, but thought it was too far away for Doug to walk to.