We've moved!

No, not physically, just the blog has moved...
After being increasingly frustrated with various aspects of Blogger, I've decided to give Wordpress a go...
Our new address at Wordpress (at least for the time being...)
http://feunekesfamily.wordpress.com/
See you there!

Easter Weekend....

Good Friday we went to church in the morning. After we came home Y came and told us that he was being baptized right then. So Hugo, Brynne and I hopped on Hugo's motorbike and headed up to the river where the baptisms were going to happen. The night before Y and a bunch of guys had laid a tarp in the river and put a dam of rocks behind it to creat a spot deep enough for immersion.

The kids gathered on the opposite bank to watch. Many of them are wearing clothes that we've donated...

Then we sang a song led by a guitarist and a guy on the tamborine. (having issues with putting photos in the proper order and not "losing" them on blogger... ugghh...) Anyways, then then pastor went in to the water and prayed and then Y went in and he had to say why he wanted to be baptized. Poor guy was very nervous and talked really softly so we couldn't hear what he said. Then he was baptized. We're happy for him as he is obviously choosing to live his life for God. Following the baptisms, the kids were told they could play in the water, so they did! Of course, some of them were "baptizing" eachother...

Easter Sunday we had the church service at our house and afterwards the kids formed teams. They had to name themselves as one of the disciples of Jesus. Then as a team they had to search for plastic eggs that Hugo had hidden that morning. Once all had been found the kids could exchange them for hard boiled eggs. Which all the local kids immediately ate and our kids put theirs in the fridge... Except Brynne... Each team also received a prize box containing snacks and little toys. Then we all ate lunch together. We grilled chicken as per usual and there was rice, fish, a green leafy vegetable dish, fried noodles, krupuk, an Indonesian salad, and fruit. Yum! It's so nice to get together as a church and fellowship!

Bits and Bites...

A couple weeks ago the interior village of Ilaga received Bibles that had been translated into their mother tongue. Delivered of course, by MAF airplane...
So glad this popcorn is food quality... is there any other kind???
Apparently, flour is power!

It's been an insanely long time since I last posted... I've tried to post, but have been unsuccessful in my efforts to keep you all up-to-date on the happenings down here.

A week and a half ago I went with the grade 2 teacher (who has a degree in teaching the deaf and hard of hearing) to the the school for the deaf and hard of hearing in Abe. We met some really fun and enthusiastic kids that morning! We were like celebrities... The school hasn't changed since my last visit about 1.5 years ago. There's still not one single child with a hearing aid.

This past weekend we had a student from a school here that has a discipleship and training program. Each year the school accepts eights guys and eight gals to stay in the dormitory. There's always a lot of applicants but only those who have a bit of a basis of English already and have a clear goal are accepted. By the end of the year they can speak quite decent English. Each year around this time all the students get to stay with a Western family for a weekend to experience the Western culture up close and personal and to practice their English. We had a really fun time with our girl and she was very enthusiastic about her first time ever staying with Westerners.

Hugo continues to be super busy in the hangar. There's always a ton of paperwork. Next week he hopes to go to an interior village where our broken airplane is sitting waiting for a replacement engine. Hugo and some of the guys will install the engine and run it through its paces before the pilot flies it back.

Last night we went to Jayapura for drinks and appy's with the Dutch embassador to Indo. It was an interesting evening and we made contacts with Dutch folks we had no idea were living here! Fun times!

Last month we were all very hopeful. Some of the guys were fixing the potholes on the road. Then suddenly the work stopped and hasn't started since. As it turns out, one of the guys who lives up here and considers himself above the law, has stolen the funds and cement that were given by the gov't to the people to repair the roads. He now has a nice new driveway and porch... In addition, he has begun selling strong drink from his home... Sunday he gave "I's" husband a free bottle and he naturally consumed it and became inebriated and punched I and her mom. They ran to her sister's house where they took refuge until he broke the door... Since the event, he has disappeared and not returned...

10 days since I last posted! You'd almost think nothing exciting ever happened out here...
I've just been trying for an exhorbitant length of time to post some interesting photos and it isn't working...

So this post will be a bit boring...

Our church has been "fixed" and so we were able to use it again on Sunday. They have cut down nearly every single tree on the property rendering it looking as though a bomb went off... Clean up is well on the way though so that's good.

On Sunday night both Marc and Brynne came down with a nasty virus which caused fever, sore throat, stuffed sinuses etc... Marc went to school today just for the morning. Brynne has yet to go to school. This virus has left them rather pooped... I just hope no one else gets it!
There are work permit issues with some of our teachers so some are not teaching right now and it is SAT's week... no fun...

The volleyball tournament has yet to resume. The organizers are waiting for police approval to start up again.

Bits and Bites...

There was a bit of a riot in town yesterday. There's been a volleyball tournament going on at a field in the middle of town. There are 30 men's teams and 30 women's teams participating. Hugo is on a team of white guys also taking part. So far they've lost both their matches... Anyways, last night there was a local team playing against a team of guys from the mountains. The ref was obviously favouring the local team in all his calls and the mountain team and fans took offense to this (justifiably) and decided to let their displeasure be known. So a bit of a riot broke out and things were being thrown and people being beat up and windows were smashed... A friend of ours happened to be at a salon across the road when the whole thing began. She finished up her appointment and was brought by police to the MAF compound where she waited for her hubby to pick her up. Thankfully she had not parked her car or motorbike in front of the salon or it most likely would have been stolen/vandalized. Brynne has malaria. Thursday evening just before supper she complained of a headache and had a fever. I made a blood slide and started her on meds. The recovery time is much quicker the earlier meds are started so I decided to do so before even having a positive result. I received the results Friday evening. She's doing much better now! Today we had church in the bottom of our pastors house due to the damage that was done to the building we normally meet in. We also met in our pastors home because some mountain people had been causing problems this past week. About 6 years ago an expat missionary had an accident with one of their people who was laying drunk across the expat's driveway. That expat lived at the old dorm. An obscene amount of money was paid at that time to the man because he was rendered paralyzed following the accident. The family of the paralyzed man has periodically returned and demanded more funds in spite of the fact that there is a signed document stating that everything has been paid and no more will be paid. They often resort to threats. Now that trees are being cut down, there's a rumour that the land will be developed so people think there are funds to be had. Not true! Just cutting down trees that posed a risk to fall in a wind storm.

The Dutch Organization Ceveo owns the property where the building that our church meets in is located. Years and years ago my aunt and uncle were dorm parents in that large building in the center of the photo below. Just over half a year ago people managed to get into the house and have since vandalized it and stolen parts of the building. So Ceveo got in a bunch of guys to take the roof off to make it a less inviting place to "party". Also on the property were a large number of very tall trees. It was time to cut them down before they fell down on someones home... This has rendered the property looking as though an explosion occurred... And whoops, one of the trees hit our "church building"...

This Yokben, our faithful guard/yard man. He was born without all of his right foot. Recently he went to an orthopedic doctor in Jayapura and inquired as to what he could do about this. As things are now, he can get around just fine, but he can't wear shoes. The doctor told him that a prosthetic foot with a pair of special shoes would cost around 6.5 million rupiah (roughly $750 CAD). We'd like to help him, but we can't fund that entire amount... if you are willing/able to help out, contact me at the email address listed on the side of the page.

There are many delicacies in Singapore... Of course, some are more appealing than others...

Christiaan and I flew there with Garuda Indonesia. On brand new planes the whole way I might add!! Yes, there were little tv screens, but no, there wasn't much to watch. The only thing watchable was "Just For Laughs Gags".

This is on the tarmac in Makassar. The plane always stops in Biak and Makassar. On the flights during the day, everyone has to get out and go into the terminal, go through security and wait in the waiting room for a few minutes, maybe use the restroom, and then walk back out to the plane. When we were going back home, a flight that leaves at 11:00pm, we could stay on the plane thankfully.

We had a good trip. Christiaan's appointments went well and I was able to get new glasses. My prescription has been reduced again! Yay! We also enjoyed eating North American food there and we did a bunch of shopping... There are a million malls in Singapore and many are connected by underground tunnels to the subway system. Pretty amazing! But it is good to be home again!

On Saturday we hiked up the mountain to the base of the water fall. We started the walk from our house, followed the road up until we came to the jungle. Then we entered the jungle and walked up a path until we were able to get down to this little water fall. About 45 minutes later we were joined by at least 50 school kids who had just planted plants and trees somewhere else on the mountain. It got a little crowded there... By then Mikah and her class had climbed up higher to a cave found under an incredibly large rock. I did not lug my big camera up the mountain so we only have these two little photos from our phones as proof... Fun times on the moutain!
Tomorrow morning I am planning to go to Singapore with Christiaan for his annual hearing check-up and new ear molds. Looking forward to some hamburger consumption... :-)

Mikah's birthday....

Today Mikah turned 13. We offically have our first teenager... yikes... But we love her and are very thankful for God's guidance and protection in her life!As per tradition, Mikah requested a trifle for her birthday cake and I was more than happy to fulfill that request! I've been saving chocolate pudding, dream whip, and some caramilk squares from Canada for this very day... YUM!!Mikah with two of her good friends L and E.

Correction: Yesterday I said that the child who passed away was the young couples first child but in actual fact it is their third child. Hugo attended one of the funeral services yesterday. There are usually a couple services when someone dies, before and after the burial. Apparently the boy died of cerebral malaria.

There was a wave that hit Jayapura on Friday night at about 8:30. It caused damage in an area farther up the coastline from where we were. About 15 minutes drive. You can see photos here
The day after the tsunami, a group of guys from the high school went to the beach and swam in post-tsunami waves. Apparently the water level went up and down dramatically every 10-15 minutes.

Yesterday one of our aircraft experienced a landing accident. One of the tires was blown and the plane veered into the ditch alongside the runway. The plane was only travelling at 10 knots when it hit the ditch. There were no injuries sustained by any of the 9 passengers or the pilot. The plane however, sustained significant damage and will be out of commission for some time. We are thankful for God's protection! Please pray for our pilots out here who fly in crazy areas all the time!
Yesterday myself and three friends were in Jayapura to spend the night at the Swiss Bel hotel to celebrate a birthday. We heard before supper time that there'd been an earthquake in Japan and that there was a tsunami watch for Papua. We decided to go to our rooms and retrieve our valuables and clothes and head for higher ground to eat dinner and wait out the watch. As we were leaving with our stuff we observed a group of people meeting in the lobby of the hotel. We didn't think much of it. Later we found out that our entire hotel was evacuated and some people were sent to the very restaurant we went to. The manager of the hotel met us there after we'd eaten supper and told us it was not yet safe for us to return. After about 15 minutes he told us we could return. So we did and as we were exiting our vehicle we heard a warning siren and it was rather dark and quiet at the hotel. Some people went by and told us that we had to leave again. So we did. We drove up a ways and watched the harbour from there and we saw nothing. There was no noticeable wave. Thankfully... It was however, another adventure... No trip to Jayapura is completely void of adventure!
One of our group is a woman from Japan and her family is safe but are experiencing after-shocks. Our prayers are with the Japanese victims and may they find hope with the only One within whom hope and comfort may be found.
Yesterday the 10 month old son of one of our loading guys passed away. He'd been sick for a little while and they thought he was getting better but he took a sudden turn and passed away. Please pray for this young couple who lost their only child.

So our yard man/guard came back to Sentani on the weekend. It turns out his brothers didn't really know the real reason why he went up to Pyramid. "Y" went up there to finalize his divorce from "M". When he married her, he paid her family 13 pigs. Now that they are divorcing, his family is supposed to pay back the dowry. However, they did have a son who died at 3 months of age so the family took off 5 pigs from the re-payment.... I assume Y left the pigs in the care of his relatives there. Currently, large pigs are worth (according to "I") 15 million rupiah ($1,500). They used to be worth 10 million rupiah but because the price of rice has gone up, the price of pigs has gone up by 50%.... seems a little extreme to me... Y said that his (ex) wife was crying and asking him to take her back but he refused... I wanted to say a lot to him, but it wasn't the time or the place as I was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and had food cooking on the stove. He brought us a big bag of vegetables from Wamena. It's very touching that he does this. He told me that he really missed us while he was gone...
There was a widow with three young children living with I and her dad. This woman is quite the character and had basically chased away another widow with daughter who had also been living with them. This woman is addicted to beetle nut and seems to care not a whit about her children. A couple years ago I first saw her older son. He had a very large open wound on the back of his neck. I asked the mom if she was able to bring him to the doctor. She said yes she was, but a health worker had already given him a needle. She didn't bring the boy to a doctor. Eventually the wound healed up. However, a few months ago he began to swell up. She did not bring him to the doctor even though "I" encouraged her to do so. Finally, she brought him to the Catholic hospital in Waena. The most expensive hospital; and she has no money or insurance. I and her husband went there to visit and they brought rice and drinking water but all the mother could say was, "Do you have money for beetle nut?" and "I went to the witch doctor and he told me who made my son sick." When asked if the doctor had given her son medicine, she ignored the question and asked for money to buy beetle nut. When the hospital realized she was not going to pay, they took her cellphone and sent them to the public hospital in Jayapura. On Saturday night the boy passed away. The mother decided to bury him in Jayapura. A strange decision as his father is buried in the graveyard near our house and that is so much closer. A group of people from the community here went to Jayapura on Saturday. They wanted to talk to the mother about her decision and tell her not to come back to live here on Pos 7. The people here are sick of being used by her. But when they arrived, the body had not yet been buried and as long as there is a body, they cannot discuss anything. So I told me that tomorrow when they do the final funeral service (4 days following death) the people plan to tell her their decision. Throughtout this whole ordeal, the 5 year old twins were living with I... What a sad, sad situation...

Bits and bites....

The other day I opened a bag of mentos that I'd bought and we won 100 rupiah!!! That's like 1 cent!!! Whoohoo!!!

The other day the boys participated in world math day and competed against kids from all around the world. I think they held their own!

Doesn't that flavour just sound soooo tasty???

This is the bug that interupted the kindergarten PE class.... justifiably so...

Coconut...

I needed grated coconut for my granola the other day so I made my way to the little market. It's been recently renovated. Someone with funds paved the road and helped the vendors build wooden stalls out of which they can sell their goods. It's so nice, I can drive by the stalls on my motorbike and stop at the ones that look promising and simply pass by the other ones. I decided to buy coconut from this fun lady (mostly cause she's the only one selling it there...). She's from Manado. I asked her to peel most of the brown stuff off the coconuts before grating them. She first "washed" them in that bucket of water... Once they were ready she started the motor of her grater. It's a pull-start, like a lawn mower, I love it! A few seconds later I had three grated coconuts in that black plastic bag. I had a fun chat with her while she was working. She has 2 children and 5 grandchildren. She asked me if I had grandchildren too...