A Great Experience!

As we stated in the previous article, our family trip to Port Moresby (POM) was great and a lot of fun, but something else took place that was not expected. The Lord sometimes works in ways that we never anticipated! A few weeks ago Wantok (One-talk) Radio Light was supposed to visit here in the Highlands to talk about putting up an FM repeater antenna so that the Waghi Valley could receive their radio signal. They wanted to possibly put it on the hospital compound or the Bible College compound. We never heard from them. So, I talked with Pastor Daniel and got a phone number for Pawa Warena, station manger for Radio Light. While we were in POM I wanted to see if I could drop by and talk with him and see how serious they are about putting up an antenna. I gave him a call the first part of the week and set up a time for Friday morning since our plane to the Highlands was an afternoon flight. Pastor David Gham drove us out to Radio Light's studios to meet with Pawa. As we walked in the main door to the offices and studios there are large photos of the radio announcers for Radio Light. One of the pictures was of Pastor Jack who Pastor David tells us is a Nazarene, interesting! Pawa came out and talked with us and I was able to ask my burning question, are they serious about an antenna in the Highlands? Pawa took us around and showed us their new studio and offices because the last time I visited Pawa they were in a different location. Pawa took us to the FM studio, where Pastor Jack was on air. We were introduced to Pastor Jack and before we left him we were informed that he would like to do a live on-air interview of Susan and I about Nazarene Radio Ministry. So it was scheduled for just a little bit later in the morning. On we go with Pawa to talk with engineer Bob, who I did find out had been in the Highlands and did talk with someone from the hospital but I had not heard of it. They are serious about an antenna here and think that if Digicel (a cell phone company here in PNG, who by the way already has a tower on the hospital compound) will give them permission they could use the existing tower to attach their FM antenna. So things are looking good! They say it will take several months to get everything in order but, hey, when you have not had a radio station for nine years a few more months is not that long.
So, I ask you to pray with us that this will work out and it will take place. Things keep getting better! Pastor Daniel, Nazarene Radio Ministry Director, had told me that in his previous talk with Radio Light that they would provide a small radio studio so that for 2 hours a day we could broadcast our own programming then return to Radio Lights broadcast. This could be a great tool of ministry, both for teaching and for ministry's sake in reaching the lost of the Waghi Valley. Pray for God's will to be accomplished. After Pawa and Bob confirmed to me their desire for this it was about the time we were told to come back to the studio for the interview with Pastor Jack. What took place next can only be described as amazing and a wonderful opportunity. We have established a relationship with Radio Light over the years because they air 2 of our Radio Ministry programs, KBOM, (Krai Bilong Ol Merri, The cry of the Women) and KGS (Kirapim Gutpela Sindaun, To Start a New or Good Life). While we waited a few moments to go on air Pawa told me that while he was in Rabaul and man told him that he listens to the station and to the program KBOM and that it has ministered to him. That makes 2 men that I know of who have been impacted by our women's program KBOM, it is neat to see God using this program! It was neat to be able to talk and answer Pastor Jack's questions about Nazarene radio Ministry and especially his questions about KBOM and how the program came about, some of the history of the program. But the greatest reward was being able to quote John 3:16 and lead any listeners that wanted to know Christ in a sinner's prayer on the air. I pray that some who were listening gave their hearts to the Lord that morning. We were able to give Nazarene Radio Ministry contact information, address and phone number, so be assured that if we hear from anyone there will be a follow-up article show up. We have a truly amazing God and if we are willing to follow we have no idea what avenues of ministry He may open up!
Pic 1- Pastor Jack sitting at the controls of Radio Light broadcast studio.
Pic 2- Susan, Engineer Bob, Station Manager Pawa and Jeff at Radio Light.

The Last Hurrah of Summer!

It has been a fun-filled summer for our kids. Of course, in PNG the temperature is always summer-like with only two seasons, wet and dry. For us , we use "summer" to mean the time of year when our kids are not in school, just like back in Ohio. This summer we had a lot of visiting young people with various activities and events for them, along with our MKs, to enjoy. The Lord has really blessed our kids through these opportunities.

As our summer here for the kids was winding up (they start school tomorrow, Aug. 23rd), we decided to have one last hurrah. Susan and I have talked many times about learning to scuba dive and in the past our conversations basically were, "Who can we take along to watch the kids while we learn to scuba?" Well, time has passed and the kids are now both old enough to learn and become certified themselves, so we decided to do it as a family. We took the last week of summer as a family vacation and headed to Port Moresby (POM) to learn to scuba. The final event before school.

We did go to learn to scuba but the Lord blessed us with some other fun too, it was a fun packed 5 days in PNG's capitol city. We arrived Sunday and Sunday evening attended the Nazarene church that is a part of the Bible College Campus. It was a nice time worshipping with our POM Nazarene brothers and sisters.

Monday morning saw us up and out the door at 8:20 and headed to the Aviat. The Aviat is a sports club where our scuba diving instructor is based out of. The first two days are spent in video and classroom instruction along with times in the swimming pool to go over and learn the various techniques used in open water diving. Our instructor was an Aussie who lives in PNG. Joselyn was great! We could not have asked for a nicer person. She was very helpful and was willing to do all that was needed to help us succeed. In fact, each person we encountered from "The Dive Centre" was super nice and willing to do all they could to make this a fantastic time. Tuesday night the Radcliffes were in POM on their way home to the US for Home Assignment. We joined them for dinner, a special treat! It also was our chance to say a final goodbye to Cilla Radcliffe as she is heading home to start college. On Wednesday and Thursday we hit the open water of the Coral Sea. For you history buffs, the Coral Sea was the site of a major battle during WW II, between the US and Japan. We were out just past the islands that are around the coast of PNG. On our way out the Lord blessed us with a pod of dolphins (10 to 15) that came up and swam with our boat for several minutes on our way out to the first dive site. The first site was a mound of coral and was basically to initiate us in diving while we practiced some procedures in the open water. Our second dive was on a sunken sail boat. It was neat to swim around, up and over and you could even swim down onto the deck. Our second day out and our 4th day of instruction, was I believe, aside from the dolphins, the families favorite. Even though it most benefited Daddy everyone enjoyed it. Our third dive was on a WW II Aussie, twin prop, two seater bomber. It was in incredible condition for being in the sea for 65 or so years. Even the tail section would still move with the currents of the water. The Lord truly blessed us on this dive because when we came topside again and were on the boat, Joselyn and Richard, a second Dive Master, both said that is the clearest they have ever seen it. We could see the entire plane and they said there have been times when they could barely see wingtip to fuselage. So I do thank the Lord, it was cool to see. Our final dive was on a sunken tug boat. It was sunk to help create reef around Lyon Island. This was our final dive and even though we spent a few minutes around the tug our main objective was to finish our checking out on the techniques needed to be certified. It was a great time and a great family memory. I also thank the Lord for allowing us opportunity to pray with some of those we met from The Dive Centre.

On Wednesday night we had Pastor David Gham and his family, (wife, Wendy, and 2 girls Sissy and Patti) over for supper. We are very grateful for Pastor David's work and service in helping us with the various government offices that we need to work with in POM. Then on Thursday night Dr. Becky Morsch was traveling through POM on her way to the Solomon Islands with CBHC (Community Based Health Care) and so we enjoyed dinner out with her! It is great to be a part of the family of God!!

Pic 1- Joselyn our Dive master and Instructor and her eager pupils.

Pic 2- The eager pupils at about 8 feet under the surface of the sea. (Jessica, Ethan, Susan & Jeff)

Pic 3- Our pod of dolphins we were blessed to see twice.

Pic 4- Us and the Radcliffe family at supper (Ela Beach Hotel)

The Bitter and the Sweet!

Missionary life is filled with happy times and times that are not so happy. Hence the title "The Bitter and the Sweet." This past weekend (Aug. 7-8) was filled with with three events. You must realize that we take any and every opportunity to get together and party. So, on Saturday (we start with the sweet) we loaded up just about everyone in the 3 Land Cruisers and headed to Hagen and the Highlander Hotel to celebrate Dr. Tom Staton. Tom and Lois, affectionately known has Uncle Tom and Aunt Lois, have been coming to Nazarene hospital here in PNG for 10 straight years and yes, they are family. They are loved and appreciated by both the missionaries and the nationals that they serve and work with. So, this year they planned a big birthday bash at the Highlander to celebrate Tom's 70th birthday. The Highlander provided a very nice and delicious buffet for all of us to partake of. It was a lot of fun! The kids and some adults took advantage of the Highlander's pool and spent time splashing and playing in the water. We appreciate all Uncle Tom and Aunt Lois do for us and the people of PNG.

Next up, the MK's were asked by Pastor Phillip to sing in church Sunday. So, Rachel and Jordan Thompson worked with the kids on a song. Rachel is the High School teacher for the MKs. The sang the song "Amazing Love" and Jordan played the guitar for the group. They did a very nice job singing for the congregation and for the Lord. We got some really great MKs here!


Now comes the bitter. Although we like to get together we prefer to do it over happy times. One aspect of mission life that I will never get use to is missionaries (family) leaving. You are sure glad to know and have spent time with them (sweet), but it is sad to see them go (bitter). So, this weekend we spent time at a Carnival in honor of the Riggins family. The Hospitality team organized the event in order to have fun and spend time with the Riggins; Scot, Jill, Aden, Wiley and little Noah. They will be heading home in a few weeks and we will all be sad to see them go but we know that they will go with the Lord and that He will be leading them. The Carnival was a fun time with all kinds of games. There was face painting, lawn bowling, a bubble gum blowing contest and all sorts of other games. We had a fire and roasted wieners. Also on the menu was popcorn and funnel cakes with powdered sugar and strawberries. The funnel cakes were very good. It has been very dry here in the Highlands of PNG and for the first time in nine years I am witnessing the grass turning brown. So, as the clouds began to gather Saturday afternoon we didn't complain but just moved the party to the McCoy's porch which is very close by and enjoyed the rain under cover. We took time to share stories and memories of the Riggins. It was a good time but not without a few tears. We thank the Lord for His love, good friends and family. We will miss Scot, Jill and the boys, but we know that God will lead them into the next adventure He has for them!

Mt. Wilhelm Conquered!

This past weekend (July 30-Aug. 1) 12 missionaries and 2 Nationals took off on the Mt Wilhelm expedition, our youngest member being 12 and our oldest member at 55 years of age. We left Kudjip at 9 am on Friday, drove an hour to Kundiawa where we turned off the main highway in the Highlands and began a 3 hour drive in off-road conditions to reach the place where we would park our 2 vehicles and begin the ascent to base camp and ultimately reach the peak of Mt. Wilhelm. We crossed some very rough stretches of road and one very scary bridge, which was one of 15 bridges crossed in reaching our goal. Dr. Bill McCoy, a man among men, drove both vehicles across the scary bridge, which consisted of tire width planking running the length of the bridge, one for each side of the vehicle. Once past we continued on our way to the car park where we would leave our Land Cruisers for the weekend.

Shortly after our arrival it began to rain. Hiking for 3 hours to base camp in the rain is absolutely not our idea of fun! We tried to wait it out and it finally slowed down to a sprinkle. That was when we decided to get on with it and start the hike to base camp. The entourage of guides, packers and hikers put on their rain jackets and ponchos and strapped on back packs and gear. For those that draped their ponchos over their packs, they looked like a version of the hunchback of Notre Dame as we started down the trail! Keeping our backpacks and food dry was essential! In single file we entered the jungle trail that would eventually, 3 hours later, take us to base camp, some for the first time, not knowing what to expect and others who had been down this path before, literally, knowing full well, what was coming. When the goal is the top of the mountain everything before you, is uphill. So, for over an hour we hiked up cut-in steps before we reached a significantly level area that made walking easier, but only for a short time. After about another 1 1/2 hours, just a little ways before reaching base camp you come to a small water fall and a rather steep up hill climb before base camp comes into view. When you first see base camp, it is a most wonderful sight to behold. After three hours of hiking in the rain with the temperature slowly getting cooler you are more than ready to get the pack off, get into dry clothes and get a hot drink inside your belly. The evening's meal was the PNG version of Ramen Noodles with a PNG version of Spam mixed in for protein and crackers with more hot drink.

We went to bed around 8 pm and the morning wake-up call came shortly after 3 am. After a morning breakfast of oats along with raisins, crackers and peanut butter and yes, more hot drink we set off on the trail to the summit of Mt Wilhelm. Before we started up the mountain we had prayer and were divided into 3 groups of 4. So at around 4:30 am the assault on Mt. Wilhelm commenced! For Jeff, this was his shot at redemption, having failed on 2 previous attempts because at 45 he is not getting any younger; for Ethan, an opportunity to do something his daddy had not yet done and at 12 years of age no less! Jessica, the youngest female of our group at 15 yrs, came to complete what she started 2 years before when her daddy pulled her off the hike because he was ready to go back down the mountain, and Susan, the veteran of the Myers' family having made it to the top 8 years before, could she do it one more time at the age of ?? Each Myers' member having a form of motivation, and yet each unified in the final goal of getting a family photo on top of Mt Wilhelm!

So, in the dark we set off for the summit. The first couple of hours you are working your way through alpine type growth until it is gone and nothing is around you but rocks and cliffs. (I do need to say here, that I had prayed for 2 or so weeks that the Lord would make it overcast, warm and dry. Our 2 previous times it had either been very wet or very cold and I wanted the conditions to be ideal. So you can imagine my frustration when the adventure started out in the rain and then it rained all evening and into the night before quitting. I am glad we serve a loving and gracious God, who loves us even when we doubt and are frustrated because what we prayed for is not what is happening. Just being honest here! God does know what we need and He does know the desires of our hearts!) Because we were dressed to stay warm and were working hard in climbing very steep slopes we were working up a good sweat of exertion. By the time we cleared the alpine growth and started through the rocks the wind was picking up and we were freezing! One of the reasons I, Jeff, did not make it before is because when you're freezing, it just ain't no fun! At an elevation of 10,000 feet it starts to cool down pretty good. Susan took along her alarm clock, not because she planned a nap along the way but because it has a thermometer on it and at one point it read 40 degrees.

Now it is a mighty pretty sight to see the sun rise at that altitude. It mainly is streaks in the sky and on this day they were a pale blue and orange. That high up the sun rising does not take long. As the sun comes up, even if only imagined, it begins to feel warmer. It is a neat feeling as you get higher and higher to look back and see all that is now below you. The view was absolutely amazing! Now that we have reveled in God's majestic mountains, there is a summit to reach and it requires the next step. As much as you rejoice in each decline you walk down after having just covered a tough incline, in the back of your mind is the cold hard fact that what comes down must go back up! That is if your plan and goal is still the summit. Now, if you have not by this time, lost the hustle in your bustle, it can be a fun trail to follow, with cool rocks you have to cross, climb and scurry across. Rocks that are hanging on the edge with toe holds and lips that you put your feet on as the guides help to get you across. The first time I failed on my assault on the summit, was 8 years ago, it was my imagination working in perfect harmony with my fear of heights that got the best of me. But this time, and I thank the Lord, I did not feel any of that as we crossed these places that probably are better suited for Big Horn sheep. But onward we go, remember we need a family photo at the summit. As we continued it did not rain but the clouds were all around us and you could see the wind at times moving them around. One moment it would be cloudy and literally moments later a mountain would rise up right before your eyes, truly a fascinating thing to behold. It was also kind of funny when our guides would point at this curtain of white and tell us Mt Wilhelm is right over there...sure it is! But after one of our guides told us he had been to the summit 30 times, I'll take his word for it. I am not ashamed to say that I was ready a couple of times to say enough and head back down the mountain but then my kids would say come on dad you can do it and Susan would give me a snack and I would plod on. Jessica and I's motto was "baby steps, keep moving, baby steps." Susan and I are proud of the kids for staying at it and seeing it through. When we stopped to take a breather and the clouds blew past and Ben, our lead guide, pointed to a pinnacle of rock in front of us and said, it was Wilhelm, I am going to tell you I got down right emotional and shed some tears. What had eluded me on 2 previous occasions was now in front of me. After a hard climb up to that point and to see Mt Wilhelm before me, I was excited. As a family we had made it and we were going to get our family photo on top of ol' Mt. Wilhelm. Like a bloodhound on the scent I was not to be denied. To get to the summit we had to crawl through a small short tunnel (cave) and up and over some very large stones to get to the top, but it was absolutely worth every moment. To do it as a family was very sweet indeed. The sweetest part of all, and Susan would echo these sentiments, is now that we have done it as a family we don't need to do it ever again! I am also happy to report that everyone of our group who started out to reach Mt. Wilhelm summit was successful in reaching the goal. It took 5 hours to reach the summit from base camp and 4 hours to get back down the mountain. The temperature at the summit was 42 degrees and the elevation was 14,810 feet, the highest point in all of PNG. Bottom line is, it may not be what we have in mind, but the Lord knows what we need to get to the top, not only Mt Wilhelm but in our walk with Him. Uncle (Dr.) Bill quoted this verse and Scot Riggins had it on a note card that his wife had given him before he left for the trip, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights" (Hab. 3:19). Thank you Lord for deer feet!

Pic 1 - The team before leaving Kudjip

Pic 2 - The Scary Bridge

Pic 3 - A rest stop on the hike up to base camp

Pic 4 - Getting set-up for supper

Pic 5 - Sunrise in the mountains

Pic 6 - Part of the mountain trail

Pic 7 - The goal in view "Mt. Wilhelm"

Pic 8 - The prize! Family photo on top of Wilhelm

Pic 9 - Guides and my helpers, l to r, Jerry, Me, Willie & Ben (lead guide)