Author: Chris and Maggie Hostetter

So, today was my first evaluation to check to see how I am progressing in learning Tok Pisin.  I met up with Terry (the boss man) and Ben (a PNG man and friend) at the gate and we took off into the jungle.  Terry listened and took notes as I conversed with Ben and often […]

(from Monday, October 31) I hiked alone from our house, out through the gate that surrounds the center, accompanied only by my newly acquired bush knife and bilum.  The sun was shining and the clouds disappearing.  I knew it was going to be hot. I followed an old road that is now only a path […]

Today Maggie, myself, and Bailey (we left the other three with a sitter) walked to Ben and Tom’s place again.  They showed us a new way to cook.  We stuffed hollow bamboo with greens and cut up chicken and then placed the bamboo on the fire.  As it cooked the juices from the chicken soaked […]

Yesterday, our whole family hiked out (maybe a forty-minute hike) to Tom’s place.  (Don’t be fooled by the name.  He’s not American.  He’s a PNG citizen.)  A hike by his place the previous week led to an invitation to come learn pidgin from his family and eat with them.  Maggie carried Bailey on her back, […]

Me: “Where are we going?” Another Missionary: “Pungwa’s place.” Me: “Where’s that?” Him: “I don’t know.” Me: “When are we coming back?” Him: “I don’t know.” Myself and the three other guys also in the pidgin learning stage were invited to one of the national’s house this past Saturday.  We didn’t really know where we […]

I woke up this morning to find two different beetles (one is now in the bug cage) and a praying mantis on our porch.  Micah stepped on one of these beetles a week ago, and while they don’t bite, its claw-like little feet latched onto his foot and he did a nice little scream and […]

11 October, 2011 I was always taught that the “honeymoon” period of cross-cultural experiences lasts a month or two. It does not. It lasts exactly 7 days. Today I entered the “contemplating divorce” period. No, it wasn’t that bad. But I did feel very overwhelmed and really wished that I could run to Walmart because […]

A PNG man left a book at our house and so yesterday morning Maggie and I gathered up all our kids and went for a walk to his house to return the book.  Niki was not home but his brother and sister were.  We stayed and talked for a while; us in English and a […]

Today is our 5th full day here and it already seems as if we’ve been here weeks.  Sleep has steadily improved through the week as our bodies are adjusting to a whole new world.  We’ve entered a beautiful new world and are learning to make it home.  All around us are new things, foods, bugs, […]

Plane 1 MN-LA We arrived at Minneapolis Airport shortly after 9 in the morning.  We loaded our 10, yes 10, suitcases onto a cart and our carry-ons onto our backs.  We had zero free hands until Maggie smartly decided to strap Maisie’s car seat into the stroller and then strap Bailey into that.  This contraption […]