What questions would you ask your favorite missionary? Since we have been in the States, we have been asked some good questions. Here are a few that we are consistently asked.

What foods can you get in Papua New Guinea?
In Port Moresby, where we shop, we are able to get wonderful Thai brown jasmine rice, dry beans and nuts, which make for nutritious meals. The expatriate community ensures that we can buy soy milk, peanut butter and boxed breakfast cereals — although boxed cereals are expensive enough that we reserve them for Christmas and birthdays. A lot of foods are like that — they exist, but we can’t afford to eat them! Many times, wholemeal flour is unavailable, but if I said anything more about that, I would sound ungrateful.

What do you eat?
In the village, we eat a lot of brown rice and stew for lunch. Our village friends come to our door selling greens, sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkins and green beans. These make for lovely stews. Hot stew for lunch doesn’t appeal when the weather is hottest, so then we often settle for granola or hummus on bread. (I have to bake any bread we eat, so we don’t eat as much bread as we would like.)

What do you miss about America?
We each have a different answer. I miss being able to order anything I need online and have it delivered to my door. Jason misses anonymity and being able to go on a hike with just the family any time he wants. I think the children miss friends and family most.

How do you educate the children?
We homeschool. It is the most flexible option, and so far, we have been able to use the books we brought with us, along with books I have downloaded from the internet. Still, homeschooling is the hardest part of living in a remote place. Please pray that our children will end up educated!

How are the children adjusting?
Honestly, the first two years were pretty rough! The combination of living in an unfamiliar environment and culture and missing friends and family was hard. Now the children know what to expect (as much as they can in “The Land of the Unexpected”), and they are each finding their niche in our new community. Also, swimming in the river has been a saving grace from the beginning. I am so glad we don’t have crocodiles where we live!

What is your favorite aspect of being a missionary?
We experience many wonderful things, but I think the best part is how missionary life focuses us on what is truly important: God and people. Living in PNG, a nice house, clothes, hairstyle, popular culture and entertainment seem very distant and trivial. We are forced to pay attention to the spiritual battles at hand, pleading with God for help and courage — and always finding Him faithful. I have told a few people that whenever circumstances are especially difficult, God makes up for it with His presence and the joy of watching Him work!

Are you going back?
Yes, we are going back! We are excited because we believe God is doing something extraordinary among the Gogodala tribe.

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