School will be starting soon. The exact date is still up in the air. Originally we were to have orientation for the new students this week with classes starting next week. However, it has all been postponed a week or two. We had a campus crisis in early January and the needed preparations did not happen. The crisis had to do with getting a former staff member and his family to move out. Here housing is often provided as part of the job. When a staff member stops working it can be hard to get them out of the house. I know this is a problem at church headquarters and with the post office here. The seminary finally served the family with an eviction notice but had trouble enforcing it. The local police say they have no car or truck that can get up to the seminary. Fortunately. with the help of other church leaders, they were persuaded to go.
I will be teaching two English classes this semester. I will also be helping with the supervision of students giving religion classes in the schools. My Pigin is still not strong, so I have been paired with another faculty member for the supervision. I will also get the library up and running again. I am somewhat nervous about the English teaching, but am also excited to get started.
In early January I went to stay in the village of Suqang. It was very interesting to see the rhythms of their life. The is a lot of physical labor involved - growing food and gathering fire wood - but also a lot of time to talk to each other. The family I stayed with had a flush toilet, so it was not completely authentic, but that was OK by me. I was also asked to preach (with a translator). That was fun and a surprise to the congregation as they had never seen a woman pastor before.
I had an interesting experience riding the ferry back from Lae last Saturday. While the ferry stops in the village of Booki, one of the passengers asked me if I was going to Finschhafen or Butaweng. Butaweng is the site of a Lutheran hospital that includes missionary doctors on their staff. So, I guess my role as missionary was clear. The only question was whether I was a doctor or a teacher.
I will be teaching two English classes this semester. I will also be helping with the supervision of students giving religion classes in the schools. My Pigin is still not strong, so I have been paired with another faculty member for the supervision. I will also get the library up and running again. I am somewhat nervous about the English teaching, but am also excited to get started.
In early January I went to stay in the village of Suqang. It was very interesting to see the rhythms of their life. The is a lot of physical labor involved - growing food and gathering fire wood - but also a lot of time to talk to each other. The family I stayed with had a flush toilet, so it was not completely authentic, but that was OK by me. I was also asked to preach (with a translator). That was fun and a surprise to the congregation as they had never seen a woman pastor before.
I had an interesting experience riding the ferry back from Lae last Saturday. While the ferry stops in the village of Booki, one of the passengers asked me if I was going to Finschhafen or Butaweng. Butaweng is the site of a Lutheran hospital that includes missionary doctors on their staff. So, I guess my role as missionary was clear. The only question was whether I was a doctor or a teacher.
Ann, I am amazed and inspired by your adventures! I am sure you will do an excellent job teaching English, and you will no doubt bring much-needed care and organization to the library. Keep posting, it is always interesting!
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