Tyler and Emily in PNG

There is pretty much one constant in our lives here in PNG. We regularly produce a monthly newsletter. Time seems to fly and it is an embarrassment to see the last blog post was from the end of June. Well, it has been a very busy past six weeks.

Starting the first of July we hosted two guests who came to remodel a house. They were tasked with flipping a large 3 bedroom house into two, two bedroom apartments. We did however contract out the plumbing and electrical work. Bob and Andy did the framing, built a new kitchen, and all the finish work such as installing doors, tiling, and much more. Bob and Andy left PNG a week ago Monday. The majority of the work is completed but we are still waiting for the electricians to finish their work as well as paint and finish the floors.

My part in all of this was to be the buyer of materials and at times I felt like the superintendent. All I need was a white hard hat to complete the image. Bob sent an initial list of supplies which I was able to purchase before the job started. However, as the project kept moving forward they still needed supplies. It was my job to keep them supplied. It was not infrequent for me to visit three hardware stores in a day and write that many of checks as well. I got to be a familiar face in all the hardware stores in town which helps with getting good discounts as well. Building a good rapport with the local businesses is crucial.

From the first of July till now, it has been guns blazing with getting the job done. The reason behind all of this is our team is growing and we need more housing. Praise God! We have been praying for more workers and we all know ‘the harvest fields are ripe but the laborers are few.’ As we prepare for those to come we need to think forward and have the basic need of shelter available. Though the project is not finished, the end in in sight as soon as the paint dries.

What is coming up next?

Emily and I will be going back to Gandep Bible College, Sept 5 – 14.