Update #61

Picking up from my update on Tembari Troubles...first no teacher has had to leave...computer which was being help as a form of protest by teachers was returned without the charger...and finally charger was located in the original box.  Miracles do happen...just takes a couple weeks.  Next day, I spent from 10 - 3 teaching word processing to some pretty excited teaches.  Only 2 of the 9 had ever even typed.  Joe, the youngest, obviously had experience...he too was thrilled & teased others saying lessons would only cost $2.  For the 3rd time, we asked Hayward if the locked area to store the computer & printer where teachers could access it was ready...I'll ask Penny...same answer.  Next day, after I'd covered for the K teacher & Rog taught another science lesson, we started working with teachers whose students leave at 10, on the computer.  Then an assembly was called for all students so they could elect a student leader...something they told the kids about last week & kids were selected as candidates.  I continued teaching word processing & Rog went to the assembly.  Teachers used the clapping technique we'd taught them to quiet the group, had the list of candidates on a large paper & a box for votes...that's when Hayward interrupted the assembly...told the kids the teachers had misbehaved & sent kids home.  Guess he had not approved the assembly...though he is seldom around.  Rog said watching the shock & humiliation on the teachers' faces was painful.  I joined him and we went to get the printer from Hayward's office as we'd lost confidence in him & Penny.  The security guard...who has been with Tembari for many years...said he'd store both at his house & allow teachers to use there.  When Hayward heard--he exploded.  Accused us of trying to take over, alternative motives for coming, white people not understanding PNG, trying to rush, rush, rush him...etc.  It was rude & ugly.  Rog actually got mad & told him we had only come to help & walked away.  Hayward continue to shout at me as I sat silent.  Finally I said we'd seen many donations end up not in the hands they were meant to be & we wanted the comp & printer in the teachers' hands.  He left saying we'd discuss in a meeting the next morning after the kids left at 10.  The teachers kept apologizing to us....like teaching in such horrid conditions isn't bad enough they have to put u with a control nut!!  We showed up at 8:30 the next morning...big sign on classroom doors...NO SCHOOL FOR 2 WEEKS.  We sat with the teachers...still apologizing.  They said the fight had happened before we got there...Gordon (5 yr teacher, cousin of Penny) had walked away after Penny threaten to call police.  Rog went to find & talk to him.  He was so ashamed,  anger, frustrated...of how we & the other teachers were treated.  He said he was going to quit & return to his village.  I sat with the other teachers & passed out our teaching supplies that we'd been using...books, playing cards, tablets ...since we won't need them Mon, which was to be our last day...& gave the cooks a bag of M & M's. Finally around 11, H & P served us a delicious picnic lunch of potato salad, coleslaw, sausage, rolls, fruit, chocolate bars & Coke.  All sat around telling jokes & enjoying the meal.  H & P gave us three ORO fabric bags & a photo of the kids.  No meeting was held.  Mindex & Jr arrived and we had a tearful goodbye with the female teachers & cooks, hugged the males & shook hands with H & P--who said, "Thank you for coming.  Understand in PNG no one likes to see another have more money...if they do, they will kill them."  Heavy words!  So we're bringing the computer home (can't take it back) and giving the printer to Jr.    So ends the saga of the computer & printer.

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Update #60

I At around 4pm weekdays, the cooks gather around 150-200 kids in a that have been milling around the area.  They sing:  We Are Family, Jesus Loves the Little Children & a few other in Pidgin. Then they recite the Our Father & the cooks start passing out bowls from a huge pot cooked over a wood fire.  Rice or noodles with a touch of meat & vege.  We're told the kids are orphans, homeless or just dirt poor.  This feeding program started about 15 years ago...the school a few years later.  Tembari means Traveler/Temporary...so many that live around here & PM are just that.  Though we haven't seen it or felt it--somewhere or sometime in Hayward & Penny's heart there must be a caring & kind spot.  We know there are many who sponsor Tembari...one reason we decided to come...and don't have any idea how much the donation amount to.  Many have told us they get far more than they spend on food & the school.  The need is obvious.  Kids are hungry.  So we decided to purchase some food.  Hayward gave us a hefty list...we chose to purchase the canned meat.  Jr went & got the best deal he could & delivered it to Tembari.  (No thanks given to him or us from Hayward...that's another story).  It was the right thing to do for the kids & sure made the cooks' day!

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Update #59

We feel like many PNG see us as the Great White Hope.  Tonight it was Bob--landlord's son. He came to talk to us about investing in his coffee crop.  Basically, help him buy license to sell & export green coffee beans to us in USA.  He spoke with such enthusiasm...it was difficult to tell him we and no one we knew was in a position to help him.  Though you could feel his Hope evaporate ...he was thankful that we'd listened.  Bob was the 3rd or 4th who'd come to us with their dream.  Then Bob spoke with anger about the Malaysians & Australians who have come to PNG & are making "millions"--right under their noises...while they beg for jobs.  Jr recently expressed the same anger.  Both said Australians won't even let a PNG enter their offices.  We were relieved to hear both say they love Americans & feel well treated by them. What a shame that those who might be able to invest will probably never meet these PNG hopefuls.

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Update #58

We never know what our day at Tembari school will bring.  No two have been the same.  Many teachers have been sick...so we're subs somedays coming up with lessons on the spot.  With Kindergarten, I've never seen such chaos...even getting their attention for 2 min is tough!  They probably don't understand English & think nothing of wrestling, poking each other, leaving to get an icy pop, throwing paper wads, etc...all in a group of 60+ in a 6 x 10 hotter than xxxx shipping crate.  I usually end up taking them outside...then it's dirt they throw & other wandering students come to harasses...you get the picture...add runny noses with no tissue.   Fortunately the upper grades each get a bit better and teaching in the 4 & 5 really happens...sparks fly a few times!  By this grade, many of the kids are 13 or more.  Our lesson plans have included:  reading alouds, skip counting, poems & teaching songs like:
Down by the Bay (rhyming words) and There Was A Tree (science).  We never know when the day will end...too hot, no water, rain coming, upset owner....each day is unique but always filled with so many hugs & smiles.

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Update #57

Tonight we found ourselves (at our landlord, Joel's encouragement) in the middle of a field sitting under a tarp in the pouring rain with a crowd of locals.  A massive amount of cooked pig and other cooked greens were laid out on banana leaves & then covered with banana leaves.  We were at a House Cry.  Behind us sat the window--her husband had been the chief of the clan.  I sat next to a man (and also under a hole in the tarp) who was pleased to translate for me & thanked me for experiencing some of his culture.  One at a time, men got up to thank people for the food and donations.  Joel was especially thanked as "he is not one of our tribe an but walked many miles with our chief.  Tell your clan about Joel's gifts so all know."  (The gathering was on Joel's land & he'd provided lots of the food.). At one point, a late arriving group of relatives came walking up the muddy drive...a distant wailing increased in volume as they came closer.  Then the widow and a few others began to wail.  A high pitch, mournful sound that pierced your heart.  The wailing turned into a song sang with such grief:  "Who will I walk with?  Who will I talk to?  Who will hunt? My Chief.  My Chief."  When the wailing softened, a man told us how much $$ was collected (about $2800) & exactly how it was going to be spent:  $$ for transporting body to home village, $$ for widow's plant tkt, etc..  Next the food was to be divided among the clans--with the deceased's mother's family clan first.  I gave the widow a long hug.  Many thanked us for coming...and we told them we were honored to be there.   We quietly slipped...actually almost literally slipped in the wet, red mud...away with Ruby & a man who offered to drive us home.   Got home @ 10...soaked, muddy, but with memories of a unique cultural event:  a House Cry.  This is the way they share their grief.   Had it been their child who died, they would have cut off a finger...or even a hand.  And had the House Cry taken place in their home village,  many men would be covered with dirt to signify from dust to dust...and would run around with swords & axes charging at others...and this would last for days...each louder & more intense.  PNG is but a blink away from the days when only tribal ways ruled.  Just 35 years ago, the kina shell was the currency.  We see glimpses of it often and feel its overwhelming presence everywhere.  

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Update #55

Bikus Yu
Bikpela Jisas
Olsum Yu
Bikpela Tumas
Lookim

Translation:
Because of You
Big Fellow Jesus
Awesome You
Big Fellow Too Much (expression for God)
Look at Him

It always gives me goosebumps to sing & praise God with a church full of locals...mostly woman.  We sang the above song in Pidgin English and then in English we sang a song we sing at DUMC--Here I Am to Worship.  A butterfly flew by while we were singing--always a sign to me that my Mom is close.  Big goosebumps!    Though we were the only whites, we felt so connected.  The sermon was on God's awesome love for us--pretty easy for me to believe as He has blessed me so much...but I wondered how those around me felt.  A quote in the bulletin popped out at me:
Praise God for "challenges" in life...it is during these times that we truly experience His power and presence in our lives and protection over us His children.  Thank you Father for this gift of life in all its fullness."  Kiri
I know this to be true and have seen how strong faith is in so many dire situations we have seen in our travels.  My prayer today was that these people surrounding me would truly feel His amazing love.  The minister ended his message reminding us that we much show we're Christians by our actions, words & how we live our lives...a true challenge to those who have so little...and thus of us that have so much.
The praise band was excellent & sincere.  The church itself was a large metal shed, cement floor, mic, big screen & lots of fans...thank goodness.  Bulletin reported last week's collection was almost $6000.  Wow!  At one point it started to pour...the rain on the metal roof made it impossible to hear the minister even with his mic...but the sermon went on.  At the end, 8 young people came to the front as they were going to be baptized.  They were asked to answer 3 questions--but just like in our classes--not one answered...so the minister said, "I do."  Then into the pouring rain they went to the baptismal pool where they were dunked.  Kinda a double baptism.  
As we sat waiting for our ride, a man came up to talk to us about the church's vision of cell groups...based on The Purpose Driven Life...same book our church studied.  It really is a small world which is trying in any ways to be more united.  The man shook his head looking amazed as he was leaving & said, "Imagine, I was just talking to people from half way around the world!"

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Update #54

Saturday plans changed...no surprise...Kay's daughter sick.  So when Rog noticed the women doing the wash...out I went.  The scene:  right behind the bathroom, a mountain of clothes, a young girl (Anna, daughter-in-law of Grace) scrubbing vigorously with bar soap & brush in a tub of water, hose with running water in a basket of washed clothes:  Grace sitting crossed legged on a raised platform (probably septic tank) covered with old can, dried paintbrushes & a variety of other junk:  looking in a broken triangular shaped mirror propped up with point down on an old paint can where her cell phone sat and cutting her hair with scissors;  Grace's sister rocking her naked sleeping child.  How could I not jump right into that scene???  Refusing to listen to their protest, I picked up a brush & started scrubbing.  Anna looked at me and asked, "In America, you have washing machine."  "Yes, but in PNG I have pail & brush."  Everyone belly laughed.  We had a great time learning more about each other.  I heard all about Anna's future wedding party...here the groom's family pays for the bride to her family.  (Later heard one guy paid almost $7000 plus pigs, flour etc).  Anna also talked about college classes she is taking. Then Grace grabbed the hose, pulled down the top of her muu muu & lathered herself up. She shouted, "Miss Jane, snap (take picture) me!!" And stuck out her tongue & popped out her eyes.  Sure wish I'd had my camera!!  She is such a nut.  After she rinsed off, she opened a bottle of dark dye & applied it with a plastic bag around her hand.  Anna evidently was doing was for her extended family. She worked diligently and with much energy.  After about an hour, I was tired & hungry.  As I was saying goodbye, Grace spoke in her broken English words I will treasure:   "Miss Jane.  I have memory of you...white girl washing clothes.  You smile.  You laugh.  You share.  You Christian.  Other whites no smile.  Look away."  

Update #50

Here's a bunch of random notes I've jotted down:

-Grace rides to/from school with her daughter, Joyce on the bus as kids are kidnapped for $$.

-Indians & Asians are coming to PNG to be chefs so lots of Indian & Chinese food on menus.

-Malaysians are the biggest land buys & are building lots of factories here.  They hire PNG to do the low pay, short term grunt jobs only.

-Rog & I have more food stored in the landlords frig than they do...and they feed about 8 - 10 people every day!

-The cleaning lady's son recently died so Grace prepared a huge pot of food for them.   Since they are also from Mt. Hagen area...the food was their traditional food.  Grace brought us a huge bowl of it also...which we devoured...beat pbj sandwiches!!  First she built a wood fire, filled a pot with water.  When it started to boil, she added ferns, then topped it with chicken, sweet potatoes, bananas & finally, grated coconut.  When you eat the fern, you strip the vine with your fingers which leaves you with a small bunch of greens.  The bananas tasted very much like potatoes.  We are lucky to be with such generous & friendly people!

-Jr's  matter-of-factly advise to us before we entered a market:  Do not go count your money or someone will surely poke you with a knife.  We heeded his advise.

-Ants do not respect teachers while they are teaching and will bite their toes causing much pain & blisters.  I know from first hand experience.