In PNG, we have noticed that ants like to get into our food. While we do not appreciate ants eating our reserves, we do value aspects of their character, such as their preparation.1 We must also prepare well if our time and ministry among the Ama is to be effective.

Our sense that it is “preparation time” for our ministry to the Ama moved into high gear upon our initial return to PNG’s capital city, Port Moresby. From here, we ship food and other items to Ama. Living in the rainforest, we need to think ahead, sometimes a year at a time. We desire to have enough for us and to share.

I love to eat, and Joella is a great cook, but she needs ingredients. We have been looking for good-quality beans, rice, nuts and dried fruit (as some can be buggy or rancid). The capital offers access to what we cannot otherwise acquire in the remote Ama village or even in Vanimo, its closest port town (a 10-hour trip by road and river). Ama is a great place to get ferns, edible tree leaves, root crops and a few seasonal fruits. Vanimo is where we can get rice, noodles and flour (along with wiggly grubs, which I can not stomach the idea of eating). What we cannot find in either location, we do without until the rare occasion when we return to Port Moresby.

One U.S. dollar is now worth about 4.3 Kina (K), the currency of PNG. While shopping, we refueled the AFM transit vehicle with diesel at K4.23 per liter ($3.73 per gallon). Not bad, right? At a local stand with fresh fruit, we picked up a sweet, ripe pineapple for K10 ($2.32). But once we got to a supermarket, we found boxed cereals going for about $10 each, so not a box landed in our cart. This is why we opt for the lower-priced quick oats. We stocked up at K10.80 per kilogram ($1.72 per pound). We are seeking to be good stewards with what is available.

We carefully freeze, thaw and repackage some foods (especially nuts) to help reduce the risk of insect infestation. We then wrap everything in plastic to ensure safe shipping. We have learned that wrapping olive oil bottles in socks greatly reduces the risk of breakage. We are learning to plan and be creative with what we have.

Yet ministry preparation extends beyond the physical, encompassing the mental, emotional, spiritual and linguistic aspects as well. Mentally and emotionally, it feels so good to be back in Papua New Guinea.

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts and those of the Ama for what lies ahead. We look forward to applying what we have so far grasped of the trade language, Tok Pisin, as a bridge to learning Sawiyano, the Ama people’s heart language.

Your ongoing prayers and gifts are also essential in our preparation. We thank God for your partnership in this ministry to the Ama. May He be glorified as we persevere together like ants.

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