Tyler and Emily in PNG

Once again, I took the opportunity to rent a kayak and paddle out to beautiful Krangket Island. I hope you can enjoy the views as much as I could.

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This past week I started to read a popular book and a very much recommended reading by John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life.

I have read the first two chapters and now need to pause, reflect, and mediate over the words of Piper. Here is a brief quote from Chapter 2:

God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work, not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives. Piper (Chapter 2)

One of the driving and repeated phrases Piper uses is: to bring honor, glory, value, and magnify the name of Jesus Christ. Piper recalls Paul’s ministry to the church:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31 ESV

While searching for information on John Piper, I found this full length free sermon titled, Don’t Waste Your Life. John is a very passionate man and has an urgency to live a life not wasted, spun out of control, or spinning down the toilet. Rather, choose a life that is not wasted. What is a life not wasted? A life that displays the supreme value of Jesus Christ. John draws our attention to the works of Paul again in Philippians.

What does life mean to Paul?

Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ. If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. v 20-21 CEV

Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. v 27 CEV

I look forward to spending the next few weeks and months, reading this book which challenges me to live a life not wasted but live a life to the glory of God in whatever I do.

Resources:

Full Sermon – MP3 Link You can download by clicking on the MP3 button

Desiring God blog

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This date marks the Independence Day for Papua New Guinea. The 36th year of Independence from the Commonwealth of Australia. As PNG still remains a young, and developing country it has placed precedent on being called a Christian nation.

On Friday, I attend the Madang Technical School’s Cultural Show. It was very similar to the cultural show that I attend last month. However, this show was not as well organized. It was neat to observe how local people here celebrate their independence day. On Thursday, I saw many small PNG flags around town. Some were on car antennas, others on bikes, and some even stuck in the ladies thick black hair. I wanted to get a small flag so I went to Papindo the store apparently selling the flags. When I got there, they told me they just sold out. I went to two other stories and the same thing. No flags.

As I walked the streets, many of the businesses were flying flags, some had balloons and independence day sales. On Friday, as suspected businesses and the market was closed in observance. It seemed to me that people were taking time to celebrate and were proudly displaying their country colors (yellow, red, and black).

As I reflect, being outside the confines of the USA, you come to realize pretty fast that USA holidays that you once celebrated are not celebrated here. It gives you a sense of loneliness or abandonment. However, I strive to embrace the local culture and the host country’s national holidays.

Continue to pray for this country and for the national leaders. Currently we are in limbo between Prime Minister’s and next year is an election year. Pray for God to raise up Christian leaders who will stand strong against deceit and corruption.

Extras:

For your viewing pleasure: Wan Kantri. This is a hit song about PNG becoming one country, one nation, one family, one people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEMBUrczQGs

US Dept of State releases diplomacy statement: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/09/172465.htm

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There are some days where I just can’t wait to bust out of the office and do anything but IT computer related stuff. (Yes, shelling peanuts would be an alternative in the anything else category.) Well, last Thursday I turned to Tech Services and offered my help for the day. Tech Services is responsibility for all maintenance and grounds of all PBT property either vehicles or homes.

Bob, our head Tech Services man who oversees two national workmen had a job scheduled on Thursday to wash a house that was very long overdue. I met Bob and the guys at the workshop, got our gear ready and headed over to the Modilon house. This house is located along the main road/highway in town. It is a two story, white house most recently turned grunge and filthy.

Gosel and I got our brushes, water bucks, and hose along with ladders positioned to wash the house. I let Gosel, a national workman, climb the ladder to wash the upper half while I washed the bottom half. We started with bleach water but soon found out we were washing off the paint. We then just stuck with water and a brush. The house was plenty dirty and a good brush job was going to be just fine.

Once we finished one side, we broke for lunch, then after lunch we started on the backside. One particular spot was nearly completely black. I decided to capture a few and rather disgusting pictures of the house and project. I told Bob, I am ashamed and embarrassed to represent the Kingdom of God in this manner. What an embarrassment to Kingdom work.

As I washed and washed, I had a sense of accomplishment for that day. It doesn’t matter if I am serving missionaries and national translators by supporting computer issues or if I can lead my hand and energy to create a clean and representable atmosphere for Christ, the bottom line is helping others with a humble and contrite heart.

I find pleasure in the simple things. I also enjoy getting dirty from time to time and joining the workmen. As the labor is light and the demand is high for repairs, I will try to offer assistance to the Tech Services team once a week. On the mission field there are many needs and it seems less and less helping hands. Please continue to pray for me and the team based in Papua New Guinea to be the hands and feet of Christ no matter where they may go.

If you or a team from your church would be interested in helping one of the many ongoing projects here in Papua New Guinea, please let me know.

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The past two weeks my dear friends left me to go teach at Gandep Bible College in the bush of Papua New Guinea. Before they left, they plugged a project idea in my mind. They (Bethaney and Emily) wanted a shelf unit built for their house. They have overflows of kitchen items and gadgets which have no home. They wanted me, Mr. IT Man to make them a shelf. Well, I told them I would think about it.

After they left I started to ponder and draft ideas for this shelf. I thought it would be a good surprise to them if I did somehow make this shelf. Then I heard that there was an undisclosed bet under the table that I would not make the shelf. This is what really set off the desire to build and complete this project before the two got home from the bush.

I drafted my plans, I consulted with others, then I went to the hardware to buy the materials. An experience in itself to go buy 3/4” plywood 8×4 sheet. In the metric world, a true 8×4 sheet of plywood is not 8×4 but 120 cm x 240 cm. 3/4” is 17 mm. The conversion from the English system to Metric takes adjustment from buying 1.5” screws to a sheet of plywood. Nonetheless, all materials were purchases and ready for assembly.

Bob, our Technical Services handy man of sorts, helped me measure, align, and cut the wood to various dimensions with the table saw. We pre-drilled and counter sunk all holes then I wanted to paint before final assembly of product. I got very intimate with all sides and corners of these boards. I paint four times, twice on each side rotating and flipping them over a course of two days.

I had one modification to make as the two of the shelves were not pre-drilled on center so I had to re-drill and properly align in process. Nothing that a little wood putty would not hide afterwards. I got the shelf finally put together after working many evenings in their house during their absence.

Emily was very excited and surprised to see the finished product when she came in the house. I think Bethaney will be just as surprised also once she comes back to town. One thing I did learn during this two week undertaking was I am not skilled in this particular trade. I did enjoy making it however I would not enjoy it as my career.

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