Madang

 
Here we are, on a boat, on the way to a mostly secluded island. Kristen, Judy, Erin, Pam, me, Sam. Guessing about order.
 
Madang is on the East coast of PNG, 45 minute flight or 9 hour drive, we flew.
 
Madang is hot and humid, but some of the most beautiful snorkeling in the world! Really! Come and visit and we'll show you!
 
One of my favorite memories, other than not being called "mom" for four days, is these 2 kids running on the beach, so excited to wave and beaming with smiles.

Allie is 10 1/2.

 
I went to Madang May 16-20th- great time, details later, and when I came back, something strange has happened in the Dooley household!
Typically, mornings were me telling Allison four or five times to brush her hair before school. She has always wanted short hair, so she doesn't have to brush it too much. Now, after being gone four days, she gets up and fixes it all on her own accord! She has figured out how to put barettes in and she styles it all with out direction. What has happened to my little girl? I know that growing up happens much faster to kids in the states, but kids stay kids much longer in PNG! Just another step in our stairway of life. She is a great girl and I am proud to be her ma.

Amazing God!

 
After yesterday's blog, I wanted to share a praise story.
Wednesday night was the State of Origin (big rugby game in Australia-that PNGers are thrilled about). Scott was also on call Wed. night. This 16 year old guy, Kiap, came in to the ER after the game. He had been watching the game at a haus piksa (local "theater" that you pay to watch TV), and the other men were celebrating his team winning. One drunk guy went to shoot his gun in the air, but was to drunk to hold it steady and shot this kid in his side. The bullet went in Kiap's side below the ribs, and Scott could feel the bullet under the skin, on the other side of Kiap's body. As Scott was expecting the worst, during the ultrasound, he was surprised and amazed. The bullet missed Kiap's bowel, kidney, spine, spleen, everything!! I went up to the hospital to take a picture of him and told him that God was looking after his life last night!

Police car and looters

 

A Thursday in Paradise.

Our house is right above the Highlands highway, there is a sharp cliff past our front yard that goes down to the highway. 100 yards east, on the highway, there is a one lane bridge. About 1:30pm a flat bed truck and a semi with 2 overseas containers on back, met on the one lane bridge. No problem, right? The semi backs up and motions for the flat bed to go through. But this doesn't happen. People stop the flat bed from going through and they overtake the semi. They take the semi's keys and batteries.
 
Men with bush knives and axes, are on top of the container, trying to get it open. I get home at 2:30 and they have just gotten into the container and are throwing the cargo out to the multitudes waiting.
 
I don't know when I have been so heart broken by the choices of people. Notice in the picture, the dark blue police car just up from the looting. Police have no power, as they don't have the man power or the force to do anything. About 5 pm, the containers were empty and people started clearing out. It is now 6pm, and the traffic is getting through, but only one direction for the time being. What a place. I know that God's heart is heavier than mine as He sees the sins of people.
I watched from the safety of our station and behind our fence, with our national friends. We were not at risk. Thanks for your continued prayers and for the people of PNG.

Livy is 3!

May 14th, Olivia is now 3 years old! We celebrated on May 13th, which was also our anniversary (13 years, wahoo!) 
Olivia had a princess party with 3 invited guests and aunties, 2 sisters and 3 surprise guests. 
We decorated bags, found magic wands, found three gold coins, played ring-a-round the castle, played pass the crown (hot potato)made necklaces, took and printed photos, ate cake and colored pictures.Olivia picked most of the activites. It was a great party! 
The wonderful missionary friends watched the girls for the night, fed them supper and breakfast and got them off to school, so Scott and I could enjoy our anniversary alone. It was a great day!

They made it!

 
After a fun, adventurous, exhausting, terrifying, praising God they are alive day, the cavers returned home at 10pm. You'll have to ask Scott about the details. I kept praying Ps 121 for them all day, as I am studying the Psalms with Beth Moore, it was fresh on my mind.
Thank you for your prayers as well.

My climbers!

 
You can pray for Scott right now. He and a few friends have started off on a trek to uncharted territory. He planned the whole time we were in the states, how to get into this hole. They think that it goes 150 feet straight down and then into a cavern. No man has ever went in alive, rumor has it.

In preparation for this adventure, he hooked up his ropes in the tree in our yard. Allison and Emma needed to see if the could repel from the tree as well, following in Daddy's foot steps. Now all there is to do, is for me to stay home and pray!

First grade cooking class

 
Step one: wash hands!
 
Step 2: read the recipe!
 
Step 3: Enjoy!
I am helping Emma and a friend do some hands on math on Wednesday mornings. The first lesson was great with only one mishap of an egg flying all over the kitchen. We are all looking forward to next week's thumbprint cookie recipe.

Livy's clothes...

 

It seems like Olivia, who will turn 3 this week, has a horrible aversion to clothes. At first, while in the US, we thought it was just because the pants and shoes and coats and gloves were all new. But, this aversion has continued and it's a battle that I fight every day. The shorts will be falling off of her and she will cry "too tight!" Usually, she cries and just accepts the clothes as an unwelcome part of her day. Yesterday however, she continued to remove her pants. I told her she would have to stay in her room until she would leave the shorts on. We are reaching a new level of stubborness with this child as she stayed in her room for 1 1/2 hours, her lower half naked, playing happily. Eventually, she did comply, and stayed dressed until naptime. Such is the difficulities of being almost 3!

PNG wedding

 
David and Betty became husband and wife on Saturday, May 3rd. It was a beautiful occasion. It was quite a lot like a Western wedding, but some differences, like the flower ring. You can see it in the picture, surrounding the bride and groom, symbolizing a "banis" or fence/bond that they are not to break.
 
My friend, Lena and I got to talk for about an hour this morning about weddings and how important they are. Typically in PNG, a girl friend will go to live with a guy and his family for awhile and then go back home and back and forth. The official marriage time is not specific, usually whenever most of the bride price is paid. Lena said that this Christian wedding was a good witness to others of how a marriage should be started. It was fun to talk with her and get out my wedding album.

Happy May Day!

 
We wish you a very happy May Day!
 
Olivia and I had fun delivering May baskets of flowers to our friends on station this morning. We didn't try to run away, too much for a nearly 3 year old!
 
Of course, what tops any adventure better than splashing in puddles on our way home?