Looks Bad and Feels Cold

September 27, 2019

This Doesn’t Look Good… Aaron and I both listened attentively to the Patpatar Pastor as he was talking to us through the phone. “I have had this pain over the last few months. It happens to me. I have this terrible pain like something is stabbing me and burning me all at the same time. […]

The Best Terrible News from Home

August 12, 2017

We’ve been back in the States for a few weeks now and it’s been awhile since we’ve heard from anybody in the church in Patpatar. One of the elders of the church named Tokiung called me from a small town almost an hour from the village. He was waiting there with his family and all […]

Hello and Goodbye

July 3, 2017

Goodbye to the Patpatar After over 14 years in the tribe, we are saying goodbye to our Patpatar friends and family. In 2003, we move into a the village not knowing the Patpatar language and culture. Our goal was to learn from them and build relationships. We wanted to be able to eventually create a […]

Living out of a Box

January 27, 2017

As I piled into the boat with Aaron and my girls, I shook my head and felt like crying. I thought I’d have another week for this transition. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the Patpatar behind yet. … This is just one illustration of some of the things that have been happening in our […]

College Kids, Our Kids, and the Patpatar

September 19, 2016

We have been back in the tribe for almost a month enjoying doing ³Patpatar ministry² after a great summer being able to help out with other ministries here in Papua New Guinea. One of those ministries was a program called Interface. Interface is a short term college level missions program offered each year here in […]

Face to Face…Digitally

June 1, 2016

Living in a village on an island far removed from technology has limited my ability to connect with the ever growing social network across the world. But times are changing, even in these remote jungle corners. Now, while walking with the Patpatar people down a muddy road through the village or on a narrow path […]

Shaken and Changed

May 23, 2016

As I sat with Aaron contemplating the scene that was before me I felt tears well up in my eyes. My Patpatar friend sat holding her 14 year old boy, Jordan on her lap tightly trying to keep him from hurting himself. Just a minute earlier I had noticed him put his head on his […]

Broken Bones

January 27, 2016

One of the leaders of the clan told them that they would have to move out of the hamlet and that the teaching of God’s Word would no longer be allowed to happen there. Tokiung’s uncle was ‘at it again’ and this time it was even more severe. Tokiung, the pastor of the Patpatar church, […]

Cupcake Fail and Rotting Rats

November 27, 2015

It’s 9:00pm, I just walked my coworker home just in case the drunk guys out on the trail between our houses were still there. It turns out they had moved on and she was able to walk to her house under the light of the full moon by herself, letting herself into her house in […]

Poison Man to Pastor

November 8, 2015

In some parts of the world they are referred to as sorcerers or witch doctors, here they are known as poison men. Men who can, through the use of incantations and potions, cast spells to either help, harm, or even kill other people. Kiung was one of them. He used to be sought out my […]