From our archived blog:
Unlike last week, this week I had the opportunity to take lots of pictures! Because there were too many good ones to narrow it down, I'm just sharing from one unusual experience I had last weekend.
Saturday morning, bright and early, I headed out for my first "Lae in a Day" trip. Lae is a city a 3-4 hour drive from here, on the coast of PNG. Since we needed time to drive to Lae, shop, eat lunch, and get back before dark, we left early.
Yes. That's what time I left my house. The moon was still up, people. I am not a morning person. If I hadn't been going with several other ladies, and if one of them wasn't a wonderful planner, this would never have happened ;)
The drive is an experience in itself. Windy mountain roads down the Kassam Pass, with spectacular views that are hard to capture, since there are very few pull-offs.
After a year spent in Ukarumpa, which has a population of around 1,000, Lae feels like a gigantic city. The traffic, sites, and people really overwhelmed me. Not to mention the stores! But I loved these murals, found on a lot of the walls around Lae.
The selection in the stores was really impressive. It was a lot to process, after shopping at our store here on center. I couldn't get any pictures because I was to busy not crying deciding what to buy. Turns out the stories I've heard about missionaries breaking down in the cheese aisle at Wal-Mart because there are so many choices are not. made. up. I was very thankful that we squeezed in a calming lunch at the Lae Yacht Club between stores.
Cappuccino?! A real, beautiful, delicious, cappuccino. It's true, I miss gourmet coffee....
The closest I've gotten to the ocean since we arrived on this island. I confess to being more of a mountain girl, but it was amazing to see the ocean here.
Speaking of mountains :) These were taken on the trip home. The country side of Papua New Guinea is as diverse as her people. These pictures were taken in Markham Valley. I'm amazed at the flat ground, walled in by mountains. Ukarumpa is located in Aiyura Valley. Here, it's almost impossible to find a flat stretch of ground. Instead the ground rises and falls and flows up and down towards our mountains.
My shopping was successful. You never know what you will find in "The Land of the Unexpected." But I brought home lots and lots of cheese at a great price, olive oil, and some fun novelties we don't normally find here.
Talia loved the sultanes (raisins) and dried applies.
Nehemiah thinks saltine crackers go great with mom's chili!
Balloons. Because... obviously.
Shhh. I didn't share these with the kids :o
There are even more great pictures (and a video) from this week, but this post is long enough. Look for them on our facebook page soon!