On Field Conference

 The second day into the conference I was still mostly out of commission. I did spend more time out of bed and began to feel a bit more interested in what was going on. I got to check in on the kids' various activities as I left my air conditioned bedroom to use the bathroom.

 They certainly kept busy!

 It was nicer to be in the shade indoors once the sun got nearer to being overhead. The kids growing up in PNG also were enjoying shade, so it wasn't just me. But I felt that my luxurious air conditioning was an absolute must for my feeble self to speed on the road to recovery. But boy did I feel awful when I stepped out of my cool zone at midday!

 How many kids can you fit around a laptop to watch a movie?

 Daniel also appreciated the cool room. And once he was starting to feel better, he also enjoyed all the Asterix books that were in the room. His recovery time coincided with the time it took to read the Kleyn's entire set of comics.

 As in some previous posts, I once again am borrowing pictures taken from other folks who were also at the campus. The conference folks posed for a group shot.

 Spouses were told to join in, so I attempted to look cheerful. I was feeling a fair bit better by now!

 Kitchen and babysitting help also posed. Some of these ladies brought several frozen cakes over to PNG by plane to be enjoyed (very thoughtful ahead, not wanting the ovens baking all day!) and there were more than enough cakes to last for the duration of our stay. Yum!

 The conference went on steady for three full days. Lots of talking and discussion happened. The time was very much appreciated. New Zealand, Australian and Canadian sending churches were all able to come and the Mission Worker and Missionary families could all converse together about the work and make/work on a vision for the future.

 They worked hard at keeping on schedule with all the items on their agenda, and even the more challenging items were all discussed together in a mutually appreciated way. In three years time the plan is to get together again for another powwow.

 The kids certainly made use of the time of all being together on the Bible college campus. They don't often get to all hang out together, so they made the best of their time!

 The conference attendees got a guided tour of the campus led by Richard, getting the explanation of the set up, who is staying where, and what plans there are for future buildings.

 Joe and his family live in the first of a row of student houses. The houses are almost all the same, clean and simple, but for some students it is still an upgrade from home.

 This is called, I think, the Ablution Block. The water is for laundry, showers and toilets. This water isn't fit for drinking, and is pumped in from the river (more on the river later).

 This is one of the first houses built for the students at the college. The newer houses are not split like this one, to be shared by two families, but are a single family unit. Sharing the patio/middle space was not an ideal setup, so the newer houses are designed differently.

 The kids just keep playing baseball as the tour goes on.

 I was hanging out with the kids too, checking out their activities.

 

 It's interesting to watch how the kids make everything into a toy. The construction material becomes ramps for bikes and places to roll balls.

 Here is housing for the students who don't come with families. That is the "bachelor's cabin", where I believe they have bunkbeds set up, so they can house a fair number of students comfortably.

 The students all take care of a garden in front of their house, and they do a great job. On top of that they are responsible for produce in the garden blocks, where they are expected to grow food for themselves, as well as for selling in the markets. They grow a lot of different things, from peanuts and greens to bananas potatoes corn and papaya.

Behind this building under construction (another ablution block) is one of the two student garden sections. Beyond that yet is the river. The whole campus is surrounded by a chain link fence, and to get out through the back you need the key. I can't remember if the whole property was a 10 acre or 20 acre block. It's a nice sized space with room for a big field to play rugby (PNG's favourite sport) or volleyball or baseball. Room for the gardens to expand. Room for more student housing. Being all together is a good opportunity for the students that come from different tribal areas to mingle, and they are not allowed to use their "Tok Place" (tribal language) but must use Tok Pizin. It's a hard transition for some families, but it helps promote unity!