These last 4 months back here in Papua New Guinea, has been some of the hardest for me, maybe because we just had a too long furlough in South Africa, maybe I just forgot what life in PNG is like and that in years past we also went through struggles and sickness.
Whatever the case may be, I thought of just reminding you that we need and appreciate your prayer and support more than ever as we are carrying this load and juggling life here in the jungle…
I AM MISSING YOU GUYS…..
I thought that in about 2 years from now, I will start pulling memories from time spent with you all, to the surface, only in two year’s time will I start dwelling on fun times we HAD with you all… but it is not the case. When it is Friday night, like tonight, we find ourselves down memory lane and recall taking kids to youth and are planning a braai with someone… The other day the plane came in to bring supplies and I told Lourens that I am not ready to face the pilot- what if this missionary lady give the pilot a BIG hug and start crying and telling him how nice it is to see a visitor!!! I miss having conversations about other stuff than “Church Planting” or village people that is drinking all my coffee… wish I liked Skype and email more…and this time around, we don’t have co-workers with us here in the bush…another reason for me feeling more lonely…man I should have appreciated my coworkers, Judy and Annika and Becky and Keri more when I had them…
WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ALLOT OF SICKNESS LATELY….
….So much so that Lourens said the other day, “Man- I can’t send out another prayer request about us being sick???!!!!” In the last few months we had 2 serious cases of athletes’ feet, they say its our soil that has the parasites in it…poor Liam… it was one of those photos, that when you put it on fb, you might get reported for posting inappropriate content… and then he got into some chillies, and then we had a bad case of malaria on New Years Day and we all had a bad stomach/ nausea bug and one of us had an amoeba parasite…2 throat infections, not to mention the 1000’s of bandaids and antibiotic ointment we are going through, for little sores that turns into tropical boils if left untreated…
This is the physical side of things, but then there is our emotional wellbeing…
Sometimes you wake up in the morning and wish for a pill that can make you happy. A pill that can make you happy that your living space is one square kilometre. Even the kids are experiencing this as they said, “Mom- our lives consists of school, sleep and eat…” Maybe yours too, but maybe the difference is the quick stop you can make at Pick and Pay on your way to school or a different car that can be sitting before you in traffic. This monotonous life is HARD. And then there is the rain and mould, it sometimes also stream down your cheeks in the form of tears and grow on your heart and makes you feel like you are suffocating…
And then there are our finances…
This is a hard one. The thing that gives us as missionaries the most headaches, but the one you are not allowed the mention at all. One gets so tired of checking internet banking to see if x has paid in his money already. And actually you are not even sure if x committed himself to give that money every m onth…maybe x just wanted to bless you for a couple of months…but what x doesn’t know is that in the meanwhile his little gift has become something you cant live without any more… and you can’t write and ask about it because, I don’t know! And then you end up asking God to remind x that you need his money.
And since I am South African, I have to mention FOOD…
Within the first weeks back here in PNG I was reminded of the fact that my luxurious eating habits must come to an end. For a while now we couldn’t find chocolate in “town”… be thankful if the ONLY cheese on the shelf is thin squares of processed ones, be satisfied with stale Corn Flakes, if you have gas for your oven you can crisp them up again… how must I tell my tastebuds, that was also programmed since babyhood, that they must all of a sudden be happy with sweet potato 4 meals a week, sweet potato that I had to buy from the villagers that cost me R30 for about 7… One of my friends found me some almonds in town, I was soooo sad when they tasted like washing powder…this happens with imported stuff… everything I like is always shipped in the same crate as washing powder!!! And then there are weevils and ants and sky high food prices… Let me mention a few…
-Sugar, 1 kg pack: R23
– Instant coffee, a 75 g pack: R41.70
-Rice, 1kg bag: R23
-Milk, we only get powdered or long life, 1l:R30.20
-Flour, 1kg: R24.40
-Veggies- oh- we have no veggies where we live…
-Chicken legs, 700g: R82
-Cheese, 500g: R175
– and many believe missionaries should eat beans… they are R81.20 for a 500g pack, if you can find them, since they are imported from Aus too
-The flight to fly in all of the above cost us R12 992. This will be for 800kgs.
-Gasbottle costs us:R2766, and will last us 7 weeks
-Our share of internet costs for one month is R2330… and lately so bad you can be happy if you see the fb photo with the comment…
-We have to save over R5000 a month in order to yearly renew our medical aid, a must for living in PNG and in order to buy new school curriculum for the kids…
Ok, I will stop here, since I forgot I am speaking about food…
Thanks!
Okei – the mail was a good one to write, maybe more for my own heart than for yours… All off the above info is true, but what is also true, is that we have survived here for almost 9 years now…WHY and HOW??? Because God is faithful and he displays this faithfulness through you, his children and our co-workers…And yes, your R50 makes a huge difference and your prayer carry us through those mornings when you feel like you can not face another jungle day.
Love and thanks!
Marie
If you have time, read PSALM 37. It blesses my heart today again
Lourens Laureti says
Dankie Mamma – Mamam weet dat dit by tye moeilik is maar aan die einde van die dag is dit die moeite werd!
Lief vir julle!
Lourens
Connie says
Liewe Lourens en Marie, my hart gaan uit Na julle. Die opoffering, swaarkry en gemis Na mense, geselskap en ietsie lekkers Om Te eet of Te doen. Net Om iets Anders re sien en Te doen. Ons Sal seker nooit regtig verstaan hoe moeilik dit werklik is nie maar ons kan julle net voor die voete van die Here plaas. Baie dankie vir jul bereidwilligheid Om alles Te gee Om evangelie aan die Mengen volk Te bring. Mag die Here julle seen en al jul behoeftes voorsien. Baie liefde , Ma Connie.
Lourens Laureti says
Hi there! Its so good to be able to share with you about how we are feeling and knowing that you are hearing our hearts and praying for us. I am praying for you today and thanking the Lord for you! Lots of love Marie
Lourens Laureti says
Thanks guys, its so good to be able to share with you guys. I am so glad we met you in SA and that we could be part of this team reaching the unreached. Lots of love Marie
Lourens Laureti says
Thanks Emma, its so good to be able to share with guys like you guys who are going through similar struggles! I am praying for you today and thanks so much for being faithful! Lots of love Marie
Zetone Lopes says
Dear Marie and Lourens, i carry you in prayer. Your service in Christ is such an inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing the normal life of a missionary with us. It is tough! But you do amazing work! Thanks be to The Lord for HIs provision. Love from your SIster in Christ.
Ian says
Thank you Marie for this blog. It has certainly opened my eyes to understand your needs even more. We will certainly keep you in our prayers and will trust the Lord to meet your every need through what ever means. God bless you guys out there.
Ian and Barbara.
Emma says
Oh, Marie! We aren’t even back in PNG yet but I’m already stressing over many of those things you mentioned and feeling un-enthused about returning after nearly 2 years in civilization 🙁 It’s so much harder to return when you know what you are going back to (instead of the starry-eyed romance we knew wasn’t real on the way over the first time but held to anyways…). You are in my prayers!
~Emma