In Papua New Guinea

The first leg of our trip to Bougainville has been successful.  I am now sitting in lovely 90 degree heat in Port Moresby, PNG.  The trip has gone amazingly well - both of our flights left and arrived early.  All my luggage made it through.  Utterly revolutionary.  Are we sure the US is a civilized nation?  

The country is beautiful.  Rugged hills and mountains, winding rivers and the colors one expects in a tropical country.  We were met at the airport by a quartet singing to greet us.  Coming through customs was a breeze and the greeting by the people friendly and warm.  

We are spending the night at a mission house in Port Moresby and then off to Bougainville in the morning.  Right now, we are relaxing in the lounge talking with other missionaries who are in transit.  It was interesting reading a local newspaper and find how much our culture influences fairly remote places.  Other things strike you as different and let you know you are in a very different place.  One of the interesting bits was a plan for a funeral service, starting with the casket leaving the home, at what time it would arrive at the church, etc..  

The country is very clean and the people show great pride in their homes and city.  A huge contrast to a couple Carribean island nations I’ve been too.  It is incredibly warm here - about 90 right now, but there is a light breeze that carries with it the scent of the charcoal fires from the neighboring area.  

So far a delightful trip.  I probably won’t be able to update until we return to this mission home on the way home on Saturday, February 7.

I Felt Right At Home

I went out for a bike ride yesterday morning.  The hills are still amazing, but I'm getting the hang of them again.  I rode out to the shore and then back out.  A climb of 300+ feet in about a kilometer.  So I am beginning to feel a bit more at home.

What made me feel like I was home were a couple other incidents.  Twice I had trucks pass uncomfortably close.  In both cases, I looked up to see they were from Waste Management.  I felt like I was right back climbing the hill on Wood Rd!  They are a plague upon the earth.

The other event happened on a lovely quiet road that is exceptionally hilly.  I had just finished climbing a quite steep hill (lowest gear at about 7 mph) and was enjoying a short coast down the other side.  Ahead of me was another rather picturesque climb that was quite steep with several curves back and forth.  About halfway up the hill (1/4 mile away) I saw two exceedingly large creatures walk into the roadway.   I didn’t recognize what they were until I got much closer.  Rottweilers!  

As I approached one moved off the road as if to let me pass.  Instead, he was waiting in a rather

 un-obscure ambush.  The dog’s head had to be close to a foot across, he was enormous!  I pulled along side and he jumped out into the road barking in a very unfriendly way.  It is impossible, at my level of cycling, to outrun a Rottweiler uphill.  So, I talked to him.  “Have you had breakfast?”  He seemed entertained enough by this to not take a chunk out of my leg, so I continued to talk, he continued to bark and we, together, made our way up the hill.  The other dog must have been an apprentice Rottweiler, because it just watched and took notes, thankfully, because I really can only engage one oversized canine at a time.  I heard a brief whistle and both animals turned for home as I sprinted away - at 6 mph.

38:29:44

As we left our home in DeWitt on Monday morning around 10:00 a.m. to fly to New Zealand  I punched the start button on my stopwatch just for giggles - by the end of the trip, I wasn't giggling anymore.  The trip promised to be a long one - about 26 hours, it ended up being much longer.  This is our story (roll "Dragnet" theme music).

Monday, 10:00 a.m.  DeWitt, Michigan.  There had been a bit of snow overnight, but not much and the roads were in good condition which gave us hope.  The trip to Grand Rapids was uneventful, we checked in without waiting in line and only had to remove one item from one suitcase to make weight limits.  All our bags weighed in within 1 1/2 pounds of the 50# limit.  

We drove across town to pick up Jill and Cole.  Kent and Jill are car sitting while we are away.  We had a delightful lunch with them and they dropped us off at the airport in perfect time.  We waited with the only worry being the short (40 minute) lay over in Chicago.  Then the delay notice came up - 15 minutes.    We boarded and found out basically the battery was dead in our plane and we needed a jump.  They finally got the engines started and off we went.

Arriving in Chicago, to the credit of American Airlines, only a few minutes late, we dashed down one concourse, over two and back up.  As we were between concourses, we heard the last call for our flight.  As we arrived at the gate, both breathless, we saw them pulling the jetway away from the plane.  The ticket agent, seeing we were international went to work to get us on the plane - what a thrill to be that guy - the one everyone looks at thinking, "So you are who we've been waiting for!"  And where are our seats?  Last row!  

We backed away from the gate and got de-iced.  Then pulled back up to the gate, because the flaps were no longer working properly.  We waited about an hour and had the pilot tell us several different versions of what was going on and how they were going to get us on another plane if this one couldn't take off - none of which turned out to be right.   We deplaned and headed out to the gate where they told us to wait only to find out that was the wrong gate.  We went to the right gate and found out there wasn't a plane waiting there, just one harried AA ticket agent.  Someone suggested calling AA and so I did.  To my amazement, I got connected right away and before I could get to the front of the line, they had us booked on a United flight to L.A. and then - big change - a Quantas flight to Sydney and then to Auckland that would get us to Auckland around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday instead of our original 6:00 a.m., but it was still better than an overnight in either Chicago or LA and then arriving on Thursday.

To get to the United ticketing agents we had to go from Terminal 3 to 1 - a walk of nearly a mile.  We got in line behind a family from Germany with an adorable little girl who kept us engaged and helped pass time.  We finally got our tickets and headed for our second security check of the day.  We had plenty of time - until....

Because of the number of cancellations and quick bookings, the number of "random" extra security checks went way up.  I was one of the lucky ones.  I asked the right question: "Do I need to do anything more with my carry on than take out my laptop?" and got the wrong answer, "no".  It took 1/2 an hour for the line to move through and when I did get in place, they took my backpack through three times and delayed us even more.  By this time our time cushion had evaporated and I sent Marcia ahead to the gate with the intention of catching up.  I finally made it and the jetway gate closed behind us as we got onboard.  For the second time that day in Chicago I got to be "that guy".  

It was 7 pm and the snow was falling heavily.  The wings were covered in snow (my fault probably) and so we had to de-ice once again.  Half an hour later we pulled away on a snow covered taxiway.  The runway wasn't much better and after we got away I was thankful that we didn't have to land there.  10 hours after leaving home, we had only covered about 200 miles of our 18,000 mile trip.

We arrived in LA @ 9:45 p.m. local time (12:45 on our body-clock) and had to find our way to the Quantas ticket desk.  This involved a shuttle bus ride, getting off at the wrong spot and walking nearly a mile again.  The agents were relatively helpful and did finally manage to get us seats together.  We were, however, chastised for not having arrived sooner if we had wanted se

ats together:  An indication of Aussie hospitality that was going to become far too familiar in the next several hours.  

We actually had time to wait before boarding in LA.  As I was getting on the plane they stopped me and told me I had to check my carry on because it was too large - never mind that it was smaller than Marcia's.  Regardless, I had to check it through.  I assumed it would be placed in the front of the plane and I would reclaim it as I got off in Sydney - they didn't ask me for my final destination.  Arriving in Sydney I was told I had to go to the transfer desk and get it sent to the right plane.  

I stood in line for 45 minutes waiting to talk to the transfer agent.  When I finally got to the desk the agent told me "You will have to put in a lost baggage claim for it when you get to Auckland.  It's too hard for us to try to find it."   There was a woman of Indian descent right behind us and she was told the same thing.  She had had a similar experience to ours with rerouting of her flights and had been trying to get to her destination about the same duration.  

We arrived in Auckland finally and found a very welcoming environment.  The immigration stop was well manned and therefore had short lines.  The agent who took care of us was friendly and efficient.  While waited for our baggage on to come off the belt we had a very nice lady talking to us.  Later when it turned out that NONE of our luggage arrived, she directed us to the next very helpful person who put in the report.  Our large luggage is to arrive today (Thursday) and my carry on....not too sure.

So, I'm setting here finishing this long entry after a good night's rest, but without a change of clothes since Monday morning.  (Be thankful that technology hasn't advanced to the point of sharing odors!)  The total time upon arrival at Brett & Kristen's new home:  38 hours, 29 minutes, 44 seconds.  

But this makes it all worth it!  

Our Christmas Letter - a.k.a. - The History of Our Lives

Last year I posted Marcia's Christmas letter here and will do the same again.  Among ou friends, her annual update is anticipated because of its humor and down-home charm.  It is long, so grab a cup of hot chocolate, or egg nogg and read on.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS, 2008

Dear Family & Friends,

We trust your year has gone well.  Ours has had its share of ups and downs but we are very 

thankful for many blessings from the Lord, even in the not-so-good times.  For us, 2008 began with Kristen and her family here from December 18-January 10.  The Sunday before they left for home, we were all together one final time at our former church in Grand Rapids.  Chris had 

the privilege of dedicating Raegan, Pixie, and Cole; then after the church service a photographer friend of ours took photos of all six grands and family photos.  It was a madhouse trying to get everyone seated and looking at the camera.  Uncle Brett discovered a way to entertain the kids, though, after a ½ hour of unsuccessful attempts to control the squirms: he looks very funny when he does the Chicken Dance!  And seven week old Baby Cole just slept through all the pandemonium.  When we took Kristen & Brett and the kids to the Lansing Airport to see them off, we had lunch in the airport café before they boarded.  As we ate, Brett was trying to make conversation, and innocently said, “So Rhys, what was your favorite part about visiting the States this Christmas?”  Without hesitation, Rhys replied, “Playing with Granny!”  Kristen and I quickly swung away from Rhys so he couldn’t see us crying.  We knew that we would not see them again for an entire year so this ‘good-bye’ was a tough one.  (Chris and I are heading to NZ January 12-February 23, 2009; 4 weeks vacation for Chris, with a 2 week trip to Bougainville.  I will be staying in NZ the entire

 time.  At Thanksgiving, Lily saw what I have already packed and said, “I want to go to New 

Zealing, too.”  I’m afraid she would be terribly homesick, though.)

      

AND WE’RE OFF...

Chris writes:  Once we had our plans for New Zealand in the works, I contacted my friend, Jeff Fussner who is Global Partners (Wesleyan Church) area director for the South Pacific.  I asked if he might have a side trip that we could make together.  He invited me to teach homiletics (the art and science of preaching) in Bougainville.  Where?  Bougainville.  It is a small island in the Solomon chain off the east end of Papua New Guinea.  Jeff & I will be traveling there at the end of January.  I’m looking forward to the challenge of teaching in a very different culture.  If you

 want to know more and follow my adventures in B-ville (as well as other entries/videos of our grandchildren, my head being shaved, etc.), see below...

- In April, we took a to Jamaica to work with ‘My Father’s House’, a home for children at risk.  (Several friends said, “A missions trip in Jamaica?  Oh right!”  Believe me, we saw a side to Jamaica that you don’t see at Sandals Resort.)  I served as the team leader, which meant

 herding the 16 volunteers and dealing with problems.  All in all, it was a great trip, doing lots of repairs around the compound.  We also served a rural community by carrying water up the 

mountain to fill reservoirs (barrels).  My favorite story from that trip involves a 4 year old boy named Felix, who loves Spiderman.  I had gotten my computer out to update my blog when Felix came over to help.   He saw a picture of Rhys wearing a Halloween Spiderman costume. 

 Felix said, “That’s me.  (Pause) That’s

 me...when I was white.”

- It’s no surprise that I spent a considerable amount of time on my bike (I will log over 7,000

 miles by the end of the year).  What is impressive is Marcia’s 50 mile day on DALMAC.  I have ridden this 5-Day tour several times but this year Marcia rode the majority of the first day with me on the tandem - beginning in DeWitt and finishing north of Alma.  We had a great time together, but Marcia was glad she

 wasn’t going on for the remainder of the week.

      

OUR GRANDS – THE BRIGHT SPOTS IN OUR LIVES...

- Faith is 8 years old and in the 3rd grade.  She had a big year in that her tonsils were removed in the spring before she could begin orthodontic work.  The doctor measured her tonsils by placing them on a ruler, then taking a photo.  Great memento - not!   (When Lily saw it, she called them ‘bloody meatballs’ and told us she is going to have her bloody meatballs taken out when she’s 7 ½ like Faithie. ☺)  Faith also is in dance class again after being away for 3 years while they lived in Florida.  Her dance recital was in June and we were so proud of her.  She looked graceful and beautiful.  She is beautiful from within, too.  She loves babies and was a great help taking care of Raegan last Christmas and always in taking care of Cole when we’re together.  Faith can get Cole to laugh even when he’s tired.  It’s no surprise that she named one of her dolls Raegan and another Cole.  And on most days, Pixie 

enjoys being ‘mothered’ by Faith, too.

- Lily turned 4 at the end of October.  She is a little clothes freak and loves to play dress up or create her own style, sometimes layering 2 or 3 outfits at the same time.  Lil loved having her Auntie K here.   She had a shirt and pants that were similar in style to one that Kristen wore so she called it her “Auntie K outfit” and wore it nearly daily until she outgrew it!   As I was helping Lily get dressed one day last summer, she said, “I’ll choose an outfit for Pixie, too, so she can look fab-LEE-us like me.”  Lily also loved ‘Baby Raegan’ and when her maternal grandmother bought ballet shoes for all 3 girls, Lil insisted that Baby Raegan needed ballet shoes, too, so Gram bought the shoes and Granny mailed them to NZ. (Both Lily and Pixie started ballet class in September so next June’s recital should be triple the fun!)  When Lily sets her mind on something there isn’t much chance of changing her mind.   When they visited at Thanksgiving, 

Lily asked, “Granny, can I help you cook?  You’ll cook more faster if I help you.”

- Rhys celebrated his 3rd birthday in March.  He is quite articulate, often sounding older than his years.   I was talking to Kristen one day, telling her about hitting a deer on our way to church.  Kristen was commenting and when Rhys overheard what had happened, he got on the phone and asked, “Did Papa hit a deer?   I don’t believe it!”  He acted like he had heard the most shocking news.  The Jones family moved in November from a 2 bedroom to a 4 bedroom home.  Rhys is a ‘homebody’ so he was persistent in saying, “I’m NOT going!”  I tried my hand at encouraging h

im to move by asking, “Where will granny sleep when we come to visit?”  “With me in my bed,” Rhys answered.  “But where will papa sleep?” I asked.  His solution:  “With mama in her bed.”  Thankfully Rhys did move so Granny won’t have to sleep in a twin bed with Rhys and Brett & Kristen won’t have to share a bed with Papa.  Kristen and Brett are expecting Baby #3 in May.  They went for an ultrasound last week but don’t plan to find out the gender of the newest Jones.  However,  Rhys is quite sure – he told us: “She’s a boy”.

- Pixie, who turned 3 years at the end of September, lives up to her name – she’s an adorable,

 affectionate little pixie.   She has very expressive eyes that dance when she’s happy and that look like thunderclouds when she’s unhappy.  One day 

I told the girls on the phone that I wanted them to help me decorate our 

Christmas tree when they came down after Thanksgiving.  Then I heard this scream in the background.  It was Pixie; she was delighted!  And I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed decorating a tree more than I did this year.  The girls ooh-ed and aah-ed over every ornament, running them over to show their mom before placing them on the tree.  Some branches have 3 or 4 ornaments hanging in the same spot.  I didn’t move a thing.  To me the tree looks beautiful just the way it is!   During that same visit, we were playing with the toy doctor kit downstairs.  Pixie had just been treated 10 days earlier for a double ear infection so when it was her turn to be the doctor, she took the otoscope, very gently pushed Lily’s hair back, and said, “Let’s take a peek in your ear.”  I asked, 

“What do you see, doctor?”  Dr. Pixie:  “Uh, plus.”  Me:  “Do you me

an pus?”  Dr. Pixie: “No, plus.”  There you have it: Lily has ear plus!

-

 Raegan, who was 1 year old in July, is a tiny dynamo.  For her hefty start at birth, she is a

 petite little girl, absolutely beautiful with long dark hair,  blue eyes, and a ready smile.  Don’t let that innocent look fool you, though: she is extremely active, always on the move.  Raegan loves music; one day Kristen found her playing in her toy 

kitchen, trying to sing their ‘thank You, Lord’ grace song as she ‘prepared’ a meal.  One of her first words was ‘amen’ and Brett says it’s not because she is overly spiritual but rather because she enjoys food so much.  We try to visit on-line as often as possible so Raegan now thinks we live in the computer.  When she hears the Skype ring, she walks over to the computer and says “Papa”.  We’re anxious to actually get to cuddle her in about 3 short weeks!

- Cole celebrated his first birthday in November.  He lives the closest to us out of all the other grands and we love having him nearby.  He came to stay with us for a week in September while Kent & Jill went to Wisconsin where Kent took a one week class at U of W for his job; it was fun to have a baby in the house.  Unlike Raegan, Cole is a big boy.  (His mommy is so tiny, but she’s young and has lots of energy for toting him around!)  Life has taken on a new turn since Cole took his first steps about 2 ½ weeks before his birthday and he has successfully climbed a flight of steps.  No more leaving the door or gate open at their house!   Cole’s talents include: making ‘motor’ sounds when he’s playing with cars or trucks, making a ‘popping’ sound until his mouth dries out (there’s a video of that on Chris’ blog, October 25 entry), and saying ‘whoa’ or ‘wow’ when something amazes him.  Very funny little guy!

      

GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR EVERY NEED...

Chris:  Cancer has reared its ugly head this year in ways we didn’t anticipate - but before all that happened, I shaved my (not so ugly, by the comments I received) head in the cause of children’s cancer.  My friend, Doug, lost a son to childhood cancer two years ago.  The St. Baldrick’s foundation raises funds for childhood cancer research.  I raised $880.00 - less than my goal of $1,000 - but close enough.  To see pictures and a video of the ‘shaving’ process - go to my blog:  http://bicynicalist.blogspot.com/2008/03/id-pay-to-see-that-movie.html

Marcia: I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in September, had a total thyroidectomy in October, and completed treatment on December 9.  (The treatment was easy: one radiated iodine pill to kill residual thyroid cells, which required 4 days of isolation at home - I called it ‘house arrest’ - due to my being radioactive.)  With this type of cancer, no chemo is necessary and the cure rate is 96%.  But cancer is cancer and we found ourselves totally depending on God’s grace, peace, and strength.  There is a line from a song recorded by The Martins that I found especially comforting, “But the will of God won’t lead you where the grace of God can’t keep you.  You will never be out of His care.”  And around the time of my diagnosis, two of our dear friends were diagnosed, one with melanoma in his lung, and the other with esophageal cancer.  We also found out that my dad’s prostate cancer has spread to his ribs, spine, and hips.  The day before my surgery we (my siblings) went to the doctor with my folks to get the report of Dad’s bone scan.  When I awoke that morning, the song, "We stand and lift up our hands for the joy of the Lord is our strength.  We bow down and worship Him now; how great, how awesome is He!  And together we sing, 'Holy is the Lord God Almighty.  The earth is filled with His glory...'" was 'playing' in my head.  Then the words of Jesus from John 16:33 came to me:  "In this world you WILL have trouble.  But TAKE HEART.  I have OVERCOME the world."  Let me tell you the Spirit of God washed over me in a powerful way and He filled me with His grace to face what looked like could potentially be the worst two days of my life.  I climbed out of my bed, ready to face what was lying ahead.  So we are walking a path right now where we wish we weren’t traveling, but we are not alone.  There is One who walks with us, even carrying us when we don’t feel as if we can keep going.  How I praise Him for comfort and release from fear.

      

We realize that many of you have faced struggles, too, this past year.  If there is a specific way we can pray for you, please e-mail us at chinterman@juno.com.  We hold you close in our hearts, dear family and friends.

      

Love,

Marcia and Chris

Bougainville Update

I spoke with Jeff Fussner, area director for the Pacific Area for Global Partners on skype - (what a great tool!)  We will probably be spending a couple days in Paupua New Guinea on our way to meet with the Keilholtz and then on to Bouganville from there - so I will get a little extra experience out of this trip.  

I will be teaching in the morning for three hours each day Monday through Friday and then we will be visiting churches on the weekends.  This means I will probably be preaching in a couple places (more experience!).  I will also have to wear a tie on Sundays - I think I know where I put them - Fortunately, no suit is required.  It is supposed to be really hot!

I may also get some snorkeling in - more ocean time in!  I got to get into the east side of the Pacific in November when the staff from Faith went out to SanDiego for an outreach conference.  I surfed!  Well, I was up for 5 to 10 feet, but it was witnessed by Scott Ferguson, so it is official.  I had much better luck just riding the board in on my belly.  

I'm getting into water sports, apparently, because I also just bought a kayak.  I wasn't brave enough to try it before the river froze over because I'm pretty sure I WILL tip it over a time or two before I get the hang of it.  I got hooked in October when our friends, Will and Johanna Bennetts brought their three person canoe out and we floated the Looking Glass River from downtown DeWitt to near our home.  What a great day - I want to do more of that.  I so enjoyed the tranquility - and, unlike my bicycle - no gravel trucks passing two feet away.  

We leave for New Zealand on January 12, so I will keep posted here and on Facebook what is happening.

Bougainville Bound...

I want to let you know about the next adventure in my life and to invite you to partner with me in it.  From January 25 to February 8, 2009 I and my friend, Jeff Fussner, will be in Bougainville to teach a two week course at the Bible College there.  I will be teaching practical message preparation (aka: homiletics).  It’s a great opportunity for me to share my 30+ years of experience with developing pastors and to learn from them as well.

 

So....where is Bougainville?   It is a remote island in the Solomon Island chain near Papua New Guinea (PNG).  I’ve been telling people that we fly into PNG and then go somewhere more remote.  The people of Bougainville have been the subject of oppression for sometime and in the last decade have won a measure of autonomy and relief. 

I will be posting updates here as the time draws nearer and a detailed report once I return.  

Funds needed:  $1,800.00   

Raised to date: $1,840.00    We've exceeded the goal by $40.00! - thanks for your support!  WOW!  Extra funds will be put to use to help students at the Bible School.

Bougainville

Facts:

 

Area: 3,590 sq mi (slightly smaller than Jamaica)  The most northerly of the Solomon Islands but arbitrarily linked in colonial times to PNG.

 

Population: 160,000 about 20,000 lost their lives in the fighting during the 1990’s.  An additional 40,000 became refugees.

 

Economy: A large copper mine opened in 1972 provided 35% of the national income to the PNG central government but severely damaged the ecology of the island.  The mine was closed in 1989.

 

Politics: Local opposition to incorporation in PNG at independence in 1975 led to a war for Bougainville’s independence in 1988.  After intense fighting, a cease fire was finalized in 1998.  In 2000 negotiations about the future status of Bougainville commenced.

 

Religion:  Almost entirely Christian.  Roman Catholics 80%, United Church 10%, also Seventh Day Adventist.  Many are nominal with much syncretism. 

 

(Data taken from Operation World 21st Century Edition)

 

FOR MORE ON BOUGAINVILLE AND THE HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT THERE:  http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jfadt/bougainville/bv_chap2.htm

 

My Talented Grandkids

Given the giftedness of their granddad, it shouldn't be too surprising that my grandchildren also have amazing talents.  A couple videos bear this out.  The first is the oldest, Faith at her dance recital last June.  The second is a talent much closer to my kind of gifting: Cole showing off his amazing noise making ability.