Posted by Jeri on February 7, 2010 (2 days ago)
Living in the tropics has its perks. Living in an un-commercialized tropical place is even better. Selfishly, sometimes I’m glad PNG is so far away from everything else. There are some incredible places here you can go and be away from it all.
Hannah on the boat.
Elizabeth is napping in a bilum, a string bag made for carrying things.
Our mission team did just that this weekend. Our three families (Williamses, Reeses, and Fords) jumped onboard Leslie Williams’s boat and headed to Doini Island – about 1.5 hours from Alotau. The boat ride there was a bit rough and a few of our group endured seasickness. From Craig’s perspective, “Everyone needs a puking buddy, right?” But it was well worth it.
Everyone is excited to be off the boat!
We stayed at a guesthouse on the island – all 14 of us (8 of those being children – ages 10 and under!). We had a great time at the guesthouse, which had two double beds and four sets of bunk beds. It was perfect for our team! It was equipped with a full kitchen, so we were able to make our own breakfast and lunches there. We treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at the restaurant on Friday night. The meat was particularly delicious. I would’ve never known I was eating lamb until someone spilled the beans. The guesthouse had a huge veranda where the adults often sat and chatted while the kids used the bunks as a jungle gym. It was like one giant sleepover. All 8 kids were nestled in their beds shortly after 9:00 Friday night, while visions of waves and seashells danced in their heads. The adults enjoyed some good laughs and stories after that. I had no idea that Marcus and Diane could dance the jitterbug!
Pictured above: Leslie & Loopie Williams, Marcus & Diane, Faith Reese
Our little island beauties – Baylee, Rochelle, Hannah, and Hadassah
Caleb enjoying the bunk beds
The kids loved hearing Auntie Loopie’s stories before bedtime.
The island has white sandy beaches, as opposed to the rocky beaches we have near Alotau. The kids were especially thrilled to play in the sand and the ocean. They swam and collected seashells and swam some more. We also got to do some deep sea fishing. Leslie and Loopie are big fishermen, so they helped us out. Hannah Reese (age 10) was thrilled to catch her first fish – a huge mackerel! The fishing trip didn’t last much over an hour and a half on Saturday morning, considering we had a 5 year old, two 4 year olds, a 2 year old, and a 7 month old, as well as seasick 32 and 7 year olds on board for the adventure.
The beautiful beach at Doini Island
Craig helping Hannah Reese reel in her catch. It’s hard work catching a mackerel that weighs 7 kilos!
After we got our feet on solid ground, we took a trailer ride to some Skull Caves on the island. The view along the way was magnificent. Apparently some groups in PNG bury their dead upright. Some skulls have been collected and you can view them after a short hike up to this cave. It was interesting and educational, to say the least. Caleb kept asking me, “Do they have sharp teeth?” (That’s the same question he asks about sharks and other animals.)
The Skull Caves
We didn’t know if we’d be able to leave in the afternoon on Saturday because the sea was a bit rough. We waited for a while, then decided that the entire missionary team shouldn’t miss church on Sunday. We all ate ginger (which supposedly keeps seasickness at bay), then climbed onboard. Thankfully, not a single person got sick on the way back. To top it all off, we got to see a HUGE group of dolphins. They just kept jumping and playing all around our boat. If you’ve never seen a pod of dolphins in the wild, it is an amazing experience. If you’ve never seen a group of children see a pod of dolphins in the wild, it is even more amazing.
I wish I were a better photographer. This is the best picture I got of our dolphin experience.
So, 5 fish caught, lots of insect bites itching, and gobs of memories later, we are all safely back in Alotau … just waiting to plan our next adventure together.
Posted by Jeri on January 27, 2010 (2 weeks ago)
We are so happy that Caleb is up and running (and jumping) again. He was really sick with malaria a couple of weeks ago. While his immune system was weak, he ended up with an awful tropical ulcer on his leg. After 10 days of amoxicillin and a round of malaria treatment, he seems to be doing great. We thank God for healing him, and for the good health we generally have in our family.
He is enjoying being a big and little brother. Stuck in the middle of two sisters is a special thing. He and Hannah are quite good playmates. Caleb also loves playing with Elizabeth. Here he is putting Daddy’s hat on her.
Elizabeth doesn’t seem to mind too much. She continues to be such a good-natured baby. Since she’s very attached to me, it’s been hard to leave her with a sitter, however. She is definitely more content in our own home with her own family than when we leave her with someone else.
At just seven months old, she can already wear ponytails! That is simply amazing, especially considering her big bro and sis were basically bald for their first few months of life.
Here she is sporting her first set of ponytails! Caleb’s first reaction was, “She looks like a rabbit!” But later he said, “She looks cute, Mommy!”
Hannah is such an incredible helper around the house. She can entertain her little brother and sister easily when I’m trying to get something done. Her energy and excitement is contagious. When Caleb was sick, she was especially helpful. I even caught her doing dishes for me at one point. When I told her I’d probably have to hold Caleb a lot one day, she was so worried and wondered how I would get everything done. What a responsible 4 1/2 year old!
Hannah will start school in August. It’s so hard to believe. Just today she was reading and creating all kinds of “at” words for me with our alphabet magnets. She’ll be reading everything before we know it.
Aren’t children such a blessing to have? What do your children do that makes you smile?
Posted by Craig on January 26, 2010 (2 weeks ago)
I thought you might be interested in reading my post over at Money Help For Christians. It is a post on the rich and poor. In the post I talk about an interview I did with seven people from Alotau.
Posted by Craig on January 4, 2010
Our November – December 2009 Ford Family Newsletter is ready to download:
Nov - Dec 2009 Newsletter (45)
Posted by Craig on January 3, 2010
All in all, it has been a magnificent year. Thankfully, I can say that about many years of my life. Reflecting on days, months, and years allows us to see God’s work and the many blessings we have.
Here are some of our favorite memories from 2009:
-January: We attended (Craig officiated) the Ponifasio and Kirarata weddings – the first two Christian couples we’ve witnessed getting married since we moved here in 2006.
- February: Building a bunk bed was a great way for Craig and I to spend time together, and the kids love it!
- March: We found out that we were going to get internet at our house in a few months. This was incredible news, considering we didn’t even have electricity or running water when we first moved into our new house in May of 2007. (We have both now, of course!)
- April: We had our annual church Easter Camp, and then departed for furlough earlier than expected because of possible pregnancy complications.
- May: We had a wonderful time in Canada with Craig’s family – a holiday in Collingwood, trip to the Toronto Zoo, and spent LOTS of time at Art and Ruby’s house just waiting and waiting for baby #3 to arrive. Our family also took a vacation together to Quebec. Caleb learned to say, “Bonjour”, Hannah and Caleb had their first sleepover together, and even got to touch real snow.
- June: Thankfully, there were never pregnancy complications as suspected, and we were given another little blessing – Elizabeth Ruby – on June 18th. She stole our hearts from the beginning and is a beautiful addition to our family. My mother and youngest sister got to come to Canada at her birth. Craig also started his Christian personal finance blog (www.moneyhelpforchristians.com).
- July: We traveled to the Wyoming/Colorado area to visit my family. The weekend away to Denver with my family was a highlight – eating at Casa Bonita and going to the Denver Zoo. We celebrated Hannah and Caleb’s birthday with family. I got to meet one of my nieces, Lindsey, for the first time.
- August: We spent the month in Houston, TX with our overseeing congregation, the Church of Christ in Champions. We were welcomed, encouraged, and fed and fed and fed some more. We love the church family there and are grateful for their support.
- September: We spent a week in Wollongong, Australia with Jason and Nicole Whaley on our way back to PNG. They endured our jetlagged bodies and were gracious hosts. After being gone for a third of the year, we arrived back home. There’s no place like home. Craig’s Dad visited us for a few days this month. Elizabeth giggled her first real giggle!
- October: We just continued to get resettled and adjusted to a new schedule. Hannah started preschool once a week with her friend, Rochelle.
- November: A campaign group from Texas came. We enjoyed having them here for 10 days. Caleb successfully potty trained!
- December: Our weekend getaway was a highlight. Christmas was also a special time for our family. Hannah and Caleb were excited to sleep in their annual Christmas fort on Christmas Eve.
We look forward to another wonderful year ahead.
Happy New Year to you!
What are some of your favorite memories from 2009?
Posted by Jeri on December 19, 2009
We took a getaway this weekend to a place in Ulumani Village called Treetops Lodge. It’s about 1 1/2 hours drive from our house in Alotau – mainly due to the bumps in the road. This place is across the bay from where we live. It was such a great weekend for our family. Being in the middle of the jungle with a beach nearby and nobody to bother you is truly an amazing feeling.
Here is the view from our little guesthouse, which has power (from a generator) and even hot, running water – unlike many guesthouses around.
We enjoyed some hiking, though the mountain is very steep by the guesthouse. When you drive up the mountain, it feels like the truck is just going to tip over backwards! We enjoyed some of the many rivers around the area. Here’s Hannah playing near a small waterfall in the river.
We came to Treetops last year, but neither Hannah nor Caleb remember it. Here they are when they first saw the veranda of the house.
Time at Waga Waga Beach was one of the highlights. The beach is shaded by beautiful trees. There is a shipwreck there which makes for a great snorkeling adventure. Hannah really wanted to try snorkeling…
…But I think we’ll have to get some gear that’s just a little bit smaller for her.
Caleb loved getting “crocodile rides” from his Daddy.
Hiking was exciting, even for 6-month-old Elizabeth!
Though it’s hard for us to imagine having a white Christmas, we sure are enjoying our tropical hoildays!
Posted by Craig on December 12, 2009
We wish you a Merry Christmas! You can download a copy of our Christmas card to you below.
Christmas Greetings (77)
Posted by Jeri on November 30, 2009
No turkey for us this year. Instead, we enjoyed some chicken and pork along with mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and lots of wonderful watermelon, pineapple, and mango. We enjoyed the meal on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with our teammates, the Williamses and Reeses, and some SIL (Bible translators) people here in town. It was a wonderful day of food and fellowship. We’re thankful for our Papua New Guinean friends, but we’re also thankful for our American and Canadian friends working here with us.
Thanksgiving Day was extremely rainy. This is dry season (supposedly), but last week we just had so much rain. The picture below shows what our yard looked like during the day.
At our Thanksgiving meal, the missionary kids loved playing together. They all play together so well! Poor Caleb is the only boy, but he had a great time anyway.
I helped Hannah and Caleb make Thankfulness Turkeys on Thanksgiving. Hannah is thankful for rain, trees, nose, Grandma and Grandpa, plants, and a house. Caleb is thankful for Grandma Bullock and Kaitlyn, ducks, turtles, airplanes, house, and Hannah. (I think there are more than two turkeys in that picture!)
Elizabeth is 5 months old and enjoyed her first Thanksgiving this year. She is developing right along and likes to grab everything, giggle (especially at Hannah and Caleb), and read books.
We serve an amazing God and have so much for which to be grateful. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and will continue to thank God for his blessings.
(To our Canadian friends, sorry this is late!)
Posted by Jeri on November 17, 2009
A group of five wonderful people from Austin, TX were here for a World Bible School campaign last week. We were extremely busy with Bible studies nearly every evening and other activities throughout the day. On Saturday we decided to take a trip to the beach for a day of rest and fun. It was our first time to the beach since being home from furlough. We went to Biwa beach, which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from our house. If it weren’t for so many potholes in the road, we could probably make it in half the time. The scenery along the way is always beautiful (in spite of the awful roads!) – from jungle vegetation, to views of the bay, to village-style houses, to pigs in the road. It was a great day for our family and those who joined us. I especially enjoyed snorkeling. At Biwa, there are the most brilliant blue starfish and incredibly colorful coral reefs. I managed to only get away with pictures of the kids, however…
Craig and Caleb built a sand tower – much simpler than the common sand castle.
Elizabeth enjoyed her first beach experience. I didn’t put her in the water, but she sure enjoyed the outdoors.
Isn’t Caleb one handsome young boy?
Hannah played and played and played with her friends. She’s pictured here with Baylee, another MK.
It’s such a blessing to live in a beautiful place with great people.
Posted by Jeri on November 10, 2009
Each year in November there is a canoe festival in town. There are lots of people who come to town for the big event. There are canoe races, traditional dances, and people selling homemade stuff (food, wooden carvings, woven bags, etc.) in stalls. Our church had a stall and was promoting a World Bible School campaign that is going on this week. Here are some pictures from the festival.
I just had to get a shot of this little girl dressed in her grass skirt.
This is taken in front of our stall where our church members sold Bibles, song books, banana chips, popcorn, cake, and other yummy treats as a fundraiser for an event we’re hosting next year.
The traditional costumes are amazing! These are just a few pictures of some of the dances that were being performed. It’s really interesting to see the diversity in dances and dress that represent different parts of PNG. With over 800 languages in the country, there are just about as many cultures.
(Our children were a little frightened by the traditional dances, but were intrigued nonetheless.)
