2013 Pictorial Year in Review



The year started out with Annakah turning 13, and a water slide party to celebrate!

Anna and Dad have really taken to rappelling together. 

Support Team

We were honored to be asked to be a few months ago to be asked to be a “support team” for a translation team. The  translation team is actually a husband and wife. Our first question was, “What do support teams do for translation teams?” Here is some of what we learned:

• They keep in contact with the translators while they are in the village, either through email, texting or radio skeds.(Set tome to communicate with short wave radio)
• The support team makes sure the translation team gets the supplies they need, either in the village or on their return to Ukarumpa.
• They relay any important news that has happened to the translation team while they are in the village.
• They deal with any emergencies that may come up while the translation team is in the village.
• The support team helps deal with transportation issues that may come up.

After some time of prayer and consideration, we gladly accepted the opportunity to be a support team for Jim and Joan Farr.

Let us introduce you to the translation team we get to support!

Joan on the left and Jim on the right

Jim and Joan have lived in PNG over a span of 42 years working in 3 different language groups. Jim and his first wife, Cindi, worked with the Karafe and the Baruga people.  Cindi and Jim were married for 39 years before Cindi passed away suddenly while in their village in 2008.

Things in Ukarumpa that make you say WHAT????

   One day while on recess duty, I come to the aid of a kindergartner who had fallen and had a puncture wound on the back of his head. Once we got him to the clinic and parents informed, I examined the area later only to find nothing that could have caused a puncture wound! But the little boy got 3 stitches and a slight concussion out of the invisible object.

   This is the week that we have Sports Day at the Primary Campus, so of course Construction decides that all the loose gravel pathways need sidewalks done now! Not to wait another week for this project to start. No one even knows how long this project has been on hold but the gravel pathways have been there for years.  The workmen don’t see why this could be an issue, no big deal with 100+kids and their families going up and down the hill through the middle of all their taped off areas and work.
In the process of starting the sidewalk project, the workmen got a truck stuck by one of the gates.

   Well to get the truck unstuck they brought over a tractor.  Guess what?  The tractor broke down, so now they have a truck and a tractor stuck inside this area (and all other tractors on center are broke down). They can’t close the gate for the evening cause its being blocked by the tractor, so the area around primary campus is not exactly secure tonight. 

   Then upon looking at a sore that middle daughter had been complaining about the day before, realized sh

WHY DO THINGS BREAK OR MALFUNCTION WHEN YOUR HUSBAND IS GONE?

How God answers prayers and takes care of the little things in life.
As many of you know Chad and Meliah went to the states to look at 4 colleges.  They were gone 29 days. In that 29 days the Lord showed me that no matter how small the problem, He cares and takes care of it.

• Even in a hopeless situation God can do amazing things.  Anna’s glasses broke: someone was going to Cairns and was able to get a replacement pair for only .50 cents more than the last pair.  The neighbor was able to bring them back with her when returning to PNG after just a couple weeks!
• God provides a sense of humor. Our newly acquired dog got off his run, less than 24 hrs after "the travelers" (Chad and Meliah) had left.  A neighbor was able to fix the cable.  Scout has gotten good at getting off but finding his way home. 
• God has given us knowledge.  Our tv/dvd remote died and Anna and I were able to swap out a different DVD player without any assistance.  

Kiery Reading to Scout our new dog!

• God knew before the event happened. The bread maker that had been dying a slow pitiful death and finally succumbed to its demise.  There was an almost new bread maker for sale on the UkaShop  (our online community "for sale" board) within a fe

The adventures of Term 4

The last 2 weeks of the term was hectic getting (Chad and Meliah) ready to go and making sure the lists for items to get were double checked and all the necessary paperwork was in order.  This is at an end of a school term that felt more like an entire school year and not just 10 weeks.  God has been guiding us throughout this whole journey but when you stop and think about all the things that went on in Term 4, we couldn't have done it without God or His grace. 

Many of you know that we had 3 extra girls living with us for almost a month. This is how we became the Brady Bunch.  That is also when we didn’t have a haus meri because of her son being in the haus sik (hospital). 
This was the term where not only Chad was trying to deploy an aviation upgrade and fulfill some significant commitments he had made, but he also took on the role of CTS manager, again as the current manger was taking on a different role within the branch.  So Chad was trying to balance all of that while trying to think ahead to the break.  

Right after the extra 3 girls left, we got word that my Grandma had entered her eternal home.  I was glad to know that we will all see her again with Jesus and she will be her spunky, stubborn, creative self again.  I was sad because I couldn’t be there to help my family go through the process.

Chad & Meliah's talk at New Horizons Community Church in Spokane

Meliah and I had the honor and privilege to speak at our sending church New Horizons Community Church at 5-mile in Spokane Washington this last Sunday. Here is the recording of our talk for your listening pleasure.

 NHCC Talk June 30th

Sorry that I don't have the slides for you to view... maybe I can get to that after we get back to PNG.

Thanks for all your support both financially and in prayer!

May God bless you and grant you peace,
-Chad

This is how we became 'The Brady Bunch'

To say that things have been busy around here would be the understatement of the year.  And it goes without saying that God has been with us, He has been our strength now, and forever more. He is how we have gotten through this crazy and busy time of our lives. 

As many of you know we live in an old childrens home/hostel.  We love the place and the space etc. 
Well, you have a big place and guess what?  You inherit extra kids!  I have always said I do little people (the requirement is they have to be shorter than me).  Well through a series of events we have ended up with 3 extra TEENAGERS.  Yes, start humming the Brady Bunch theme song.  The kids are great kids.  We love having them.  There are times where Chad and I look at each other and say, "how in the world are we doing this, with both of us have full time jobs and not having any more house help then we did before?” With other hostels that are open they have full time haus merris to do laundry and clean etc.  Well, since we aren’t technically a hostel in the system, I just have a haus merrie 1 day a week.  

Crockpot Jesus

Do you ever get the feeling that God is a procrastinator? Have you ever wished His timing was less like a crockpot and more like a microwave? In our “want it now” culture we have come to expect instant results and quick solutions.

 

I used to struggle with wanting to know what I should do or how things would end up. This anxiety and impatience was especially strong when life felt hard or I was suffering. I would cry out to God desperately wanting to know what He was cooking up in my life. I didn’t really care how He preferred to cook it, in a microwave or a crockpot; I just really wanted a taste. I wanted to know what the plan was so I could just do what He wanted me to. But He was procrastinating…

 

A picture blog to catch you up on the happenings in the Michael Family household.

Chad and Ruth ready for a "date" night.  A very rare but treasured occurance.

We add another daughter to our family for a few weeks every term.  She is a delight to have.