I am writing this on Sunday afternoon, and it is a beautiful day. It's overcast, but it has not rained, and I got to go to church this morning, which was very good. I had expected it to be unlike any church service I had ever attended before, and was surprised to find out that it really wasn't very different at all; the most different thing was that people's attire was more casual than I was used to.
Now, let me go back and fill in on the rest of my week. Thursday after buying groceries and such I just settled in at the house, did some emailing, took some pictures, and read for awhile. Friday I went down to the market, to learn proper market etiquette from Mr. Smith and to pick up some vegetables. It was interesting to learn the etiquette - things such as there is to be absolutely no attempting to talk down the price on any vegetables, but with handcrafts and such it is acceptable to ask for "second price". I found it interesting that one of the nationals was trying to sell two American $1 bills - for either 4 or 5 Kina each, I forget which. The current exchange rate makes one dollar equal to about 2.80 Kina - naturally, I decided to pass on the dollar bills.
Friday evening Daniel and I went over to the Weavers' house for dinner, two houses down the street. We spent about three or three and a half hours there, visiting with them and enjoying being with Mr. and Mrs. Weaver and their four young children.
Saturday morning a group of six of us went to Kainantu and visited the cultural center, as well as several stores. One of the places that Mr. Smith made sure to take us was the coffin makers; a hand-crafted coffin here sells for about 300 Kina - not as fancy as what you find in America, but much, much cheaper.
I went down to church, and it wasn't very full yet, so I found a seat about 15-20 rows back. I then later found out that, although others were welcome to sit there, I was sitting back in the area where all of the families with young children sit, so it was a bit louder back there, but I was still able to hear and focus on the message, which was very good. The speaker this morning graduated from the University of Southern California last month, and is back here where he grew up. He spoke on Ephesians 6:10-18, and it was a very good message.
After church I walked back up to the house, met up with Daniel Jezowski, the other Daniel already living here, then we went down to a single's pot-luck/auction. (no, they weren't auctioning off the singles.) Apparently these events take place when a single is going finish, or sometimes going on furlough. I could definitely tell I was not at LeTourneau, as there were 20+ people there, and three of us were guys. The auction was interesting, because it involves no money. Anything that the person leaving doesn't want to take, they "auction off" - everyone sits down on the ground, and when an item is brought up, if you raise your hand first, it's yours. Or, in some cases, if nobody wants it, if you open your mouth and say anything at all, or they decide that it should go to you, you get it - whether you want it or not.
Daniel and I just got back from the singles' auction a little while ago, and I think the plan is to just spend the rest of the day around the house. Tomorrow I will go down to Aviation with Daniel and start working - well, start into all of the reading that I have to do before I can actually start working. Daniel Holtz, the other aviation intern, who will be living with Daniel Jezowski and myself, should be arriving tomorrow.
Please pray that the reading and getting ready to work goes quickly for me, and that I am able to recall everything I read and get started working soon.
As always, feel free to email me at d.miller@ukanet.net - I would love to hear from you.
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