Saturday, September 29, 2007

Footy Fever


Today we had a gathering at our house to watch the Australian Rules Football final, Geelong Vs Port Adelaid. Friends came with their projector and big screen, about 25 of us squished into our lounge, and we watched the game in style. Geelong won by a mile, and i am told played the best footy ever! (- my hubby is a big fan).
A great afternoon of entertainment!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

International Prayer Day



Wednesday was the Mission Aviation Fellowship International Prayer Day, and as all the staff gathered out at the airport to pray together, some of us Mums celebrated Prayer Day with an afternoon designed for our kids. It was a wonderful to hear the prayers of our children, as they prayed with love and concern for their friends around P.N.G. Afterwards, they wrote cards of encouragement to all the children at the other bases. A lovely afternoon. We are blessed to be a part of such a great community up here.

The Joy of Fresh Food


One of my favorite things to do each week is to organize veggies for my outstation family. Each MAF town family has an outstation family who they keep in touch with (email...via satellite or radio), and buy fresh fruit and vegetables for each week. Many of the outstations have very limited supplies for fresh food, so it makes all the difference in the world to receive a cold box full of lovely fresh food. It is such a joy to be able to help out our friends in this very small way.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Mt Hagen Heats Up



On Thursday, we experienced our first full security lock-down in Mt Hagen due to rioting in town. This meant that we had to remain on our compounds, and have passports and another important items on hand in case things escalated and we needed to be evacuate out of town. Thankfully, it only lasted for a few hours and as things calmed down, the lock down was lifted. We all felt safe and calm as the trouble in town was away from any MAF housing and seemed related to just the shops in town. As we did school with our kids, we could hear a lot of gun fired and see the smoke from the fires in town.

The following is an acticle from one of the local PNG newspapers describing the events of the day...

FIRE CHAOS

MOUNT Hagen City was in chaos yesterday as looters and policemen battled on the streets while ill equipped firemen realised their worst nightmare with two buildings going up in flames.
The city virtually came to a standstill. Traffic jams, gunshot exchanges with stone throwers, teargas and looting became the order for three hours from 7.30 to 10.30am.
Most of the major business houses and government departments remained closed all day.
Only a few shops opened doors in the afternoon after firemen contained the flames from spreading.
All businesses closed in fear of the large rowdy crowd that looted the two adjoining burning Tang Fe buildings and several others in the city’s Waghi Parade.
Others offices and stores put under threat by the spreading fire when the city’s only operating fire truck arrived about half an hour later were the National Development Bank, PNG Power administration block and several other stores including the newly opened PC & JY Woo store.
The Mt Hagen fire station is right in the city and less than a minute’s drive from the fire.
The fire allegedly started between 6.30 and 7.30am in the kitchen of one of the buildings and was fanned by the wind to the adjoining building.
The owner of the shops, Robin Fong who lives in one of the buildings, was still inside with his family suffocating from the smoke when police ordered security personnel to break the doors and rescue them.
While fire fighters were battling with the flames, looters flooded into the buildings while overhead, the flames soared.
The looters by this time numbering in thousands succeeded in completely ransacking the two burning Tang Fe and nearby Friendship.
The buildings were completed gutted but the fire was prevented from spreading.
During the early stages of the fire, shop owners in the block, especially Asians, battled with looters who outnumbered them and ransacked all stocks.
Attempts by police to prevent the looting failed earlier until reinforcement arrived.
Sporadic battles between police and looters flared up along Waghi Parade and Ninji Drive – the city’s main streets.
The drama sent students scattering all over the city. Many students were seen fleeing out of the burning stores along with other looters with arms full of store goods.
Police, unable to quell the larger group after repeated attempts with automatic gunshots into the air and teargases, physically manhandled the few they were able to grab hold of.
The main Highlands Highway was blocked off by the large number of spectators and looters. The city’s other main streets were jammed with people.
First photo :Derrick Buntrock
Second :The National

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Latest Prayer notes...

Hi Everyone, we are so happy to be back in our little home in Mt Hagen, especially after an interesting trip back. We had a 12 hour journey that due to delays, a missed flight (because of delays) and more delays took us 36 hours. The airlines put us up in Morsbey in a nice hotel, and provided food for the duration, so we came back not too badly traumatized :)

Here is our latest prayer notes...

Dear Friends,
Yesterday at lunch I ripped open a packed of dry pasta and dumped it into a pot of boiling water. As the water bubbled away, about 30 little dead weevils floated straight to the top. I smiled and thought, ‘ …yes, we are definitely back in Papua New Guinea’. Despite the weevils, it is wonderful to be back home again. Thanks to all who prayed for us while we were on the road these past two months.

Thanks also to all those who have prayed regarding the elections here in Papua New Guinea. There have been a few incidents of violence, but on the whole this election was declared fair and peaceful. Now that elections are over, things have quietened down in Mt Hagen, and we are back to the usual buzz and flow of city life.

We give thanks to God for peace in P.N.G over this time, and for his protection over our local staff and their families, and the M.A.F properties (our homes and the hangar and office facilities) over the election period.

Our time in South Africa and Australia went well, and although it is always hard living out of suitcases and trying to home school on the move, we really enjoyed the time we had with family and friends. Thank you to all who prayed for us while we travelled.

It is good to be back in our own home and busy again with life here. Sandy has got back into his work flying half the week, and helping out with the flights operation office the rest of the time. Operating in P.N.G provide never-ending challenges on just about every level. Please pray for Sandy, and the whole staff here as we deal with the often complicated obstacles to daily operations. Please pray for wisdom, patience and sensitivity to Gods leading. Please also continue to pray for safety in the air for our pilots.

I am back in the schoolroom with Rachel and Megan, and picking up on my M.A.F responsibilities. Some friends and I decided to start an informal ladies bible study, and I have offered to have it at our house one afternoon a week. Please pray that this would be an encouragement to the ladies that attend. While we were in Australia, I started some correspondence study that will qualify me as a Teachers Aide (to help me with home schooling, but hopefully also in aid of employment when we go back home one day). It is just a one-year course, but I am excited to shake the dust balls out of my brain, and enjoy the discipline of study again.
Please pray for Narelle, Rachel and Megan as they move around town and work at home, for safety and opportunity to serve our neighbors and encourage and support our fellow M.A.F workers.

We would love to hear from you, please let us know how we can pray for you.
With much love, and heartfelt thanks,
Narelle, Sandy, Rachel and Megan Wilson.
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Papua New Guinea

"Pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy, so that it all amounts to something."
2 Thessalonians 1