PNG People

Another day in paradise is at a close and I thought I might reflect on the people and some of their idiosyncrasies. People here are much the same as elsewhere around the world. Some things about them reflect well and others not so good. Sounds like home, doesn't it?
Most of the folks in our area of Kudjip are called highlanders. They are a mixture of Solomon Islander and Aboriginal. These people have occupied the highland area for close to 50 thousand years. I don't think there was much change until the last 60-70 years. These people are only one or two generations out of the stone age.
The original highlanders have a rather primitive look about them with sloping foreheads and prominent brows. Their skin is medium dark and hair is bushy and black, although the children often have light colored hair, secondary to protein deficiency. They are very clan and tribe oriented. For many centuries, they have lived rather segregated lives in small villages. The villages often had only limited contact, usually, related to tribal warfare. For this reason, there was a lot of inbreeding and most people, male and female tend to look a lot alike. This is a real problem for me in clinic and on rounds. I keep thinking I have already seen this person, when it was really their neighbor.
The tribal thing is very prominent in elections and disputes. They seem to always take the side of their clan no matter what, even if the person is not particularly good or representative of their views. They will still vote for them, simply because they are from their tribe. (Tyronza thinks this is similar to Republicans and Democrats back home!) This leads to conflict and tribal warfare and machete injuries.
The favorite weapon and tool here is the machete. They are always attacking one another or someone from another tribe. This keeps the Emergency Room busy with "chop" injuries. One fellow had both feet amputated - courtesy of the neighboring tribe. (He was drunk and went into another village bragging about being involved in another chopping incident on one of their tribesmen. They retaliated!) Most people seem to survive the chop injuries. Thank the Lord there are few guns!
The children here seem very happy, even in abject poverty. Most are well cared for by parents, relatives, or other members of the village. Childhood mortality is high, secondary to illness (i.e. pneumonia, dysentery, typhoid and malaria). In the clinic, we see the usual illnesses, but also some of the worst skin ulcers and infections I have ever seen. Newly diagnosed osteomylitis is a daily event around here. Some of the injuries are also rather spectacular. I believe I already told you about the young boy who impaled his chest falling out of a guava tree. He recovered and has already gone home.
Most of you would not like the average highlander PNG diet. Meat is fairly rare, but fruit and fresh vegetables abound. The staple is the "yam" or "kaukau". This is similar to the sweet potato, but much more bland and starchy. Other things commonly grown include: pineapple, coconut, banana, guava, mango, greens, beans, tomato, tree tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, english (white) potatoes, onions, corn, avocado, asparagus and squash. They do raise chickens and pigs, but are more likely to sell them rather than eat them themselves - same with the vegetables, other than "kaukau" and corn.
Pork if usually consumed at a feast or "mumu". The pig is roasted in the ground with hot rocks and vegetables. This can lead to a condition called "pig-bel" in the young children. Sudden consumption of a large amount of poorly cooked pork is the cause. When the body does not see much meat it lacks the enzymes to digest the meat. As a result the undigested meat sits in the small intestine and grows gas-gangrene organisms, which invade the gut wall and makes the child sick. This problem may require surgery and can cause death. I have seen two cases since my arrival.
The women here in the highlands are a sad story. Most are purchased for "bride-price" from their father for a few pigs and several thousand kina. A kina is currently worth $0.40 and is similar to our dollar. In years past, a kina was actually a sea shell that was used to adorn the neck. The bride-price is usually paid by an older villager, usually from a neighboring village or tribe. A man's wealth is determined by his kina and also by the number of wives and children. The wife seems to be responsible for most of the cooking, cleaning, gardening and child care. If the woman is not able to bear children, they are often cast aside or replaced with a new bride. Most infertility is the result of pelvic infection, probably courtesy of the husband. If the husband is displeased with the woman's performance, she may be beaten. This results in cuts and bruises and may also result in a ruptured spleen. I have been involved in several spleenectomies since my arrival. I have also helped repair several machete wounds to the woman. The favorite injury seems to be a chop across the achilles tendon. Domestic violence is also a major contributor to tribal violence when the woman comes from a different tribe as the husband. Not all domestic violence is from the husband, much is a result of polygamy. The "sister" wives can really have it in for each other! They also know how to use machetes.
So long from PNG. "I will catch you later." (Mi bi kissim yu behain.)
Dr. P
pictures are posted at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.114388571969856.19532.100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.114240695317977.19428.100001961413037&l=a20582723c

Girls Day Out

Last week I had two special opportunities to further experience the culture. On Wednesday, Dr. Stephanie Doenges (medical missionary), Pamela West (volunteer x-ray technician from South Africa) and I went into town, Mt. Hagen, for a girls day out.
The drive to town takes approximately 30-40 minutes and there are numerous potholes that have to be dodged on the narrow two lane road. This road is the highway between the coast and the interior; it is basically the only main road. The driving here is done on the left hand side of the road; however, due to the pothole situation much of the actual driving is in either the middle or right side of the road. There are also numerous (hundreds) of people walking along the edge of the road, or have their vehicles stopped along one side to load or unload cargo or people. It is quite precarious and I am glad that I did not have to drive. There are a number of car accidents and hit pedestrians, but not nearly as many as you would think from the driving conditions. Before we leave the compound, if it is only women going to town, we have to pick up a watch man. This is usually a man from the maintenance area of the hospital with a baseball bat. He will remain with the vehicle to guard it, and us, and to offer any assistance we might need. This sounds rather ominous, but I have never felt threatened or at risk.
Stephanie had made a hair appointment in Mt. Hagen for Wednesday afternoon. She and Pamela were going to make a day off it, with shopping and eating at one of the few restaurants in town. I asked if I could tag along and also get a hair appointment. The three of us left for Mt. Hagen about 8:30 in the morning. We drove the 30-40 minutes and did our shopping at the grocery store.
It was lunch time by then and we headed to the Highlander Restaurant which is located in a hotel. The hotel is under remodeling construction, but the restaurant was open and we had a great lunch - club sandwiches and french fries. It was great and I didn't have to cook it myself, or clean it up afterward! Fantastic!
After lunch, we had time for a little shopping and headed for a thrift shop, where we had fun looking through used clothing! Pamela found a couple of things that worked for her and Stephanie found a large t shirt for sleeping. Then it was on to a stationery shop where I found several articles about PNG that I purchased and hope to share with you when we return home.

In the afternoon we had our hair appointments at Jeyleen's hair salon. It was a rather interesting place, a one person shop. Both Stephanie and I received haircuts and were very pleased with them. It was great to be rid of the shaggy look I had been seeing in the mirror for the past couple of weeks. After the hair appointments, we had time for a quick stop at the local market. We purchased fresh vegetables and also another bilum (purse). There is usually a good selection of both at the market.
By that time, it was close to 5 pm and we needed to be back at the hospital compound before dark. The missionaries try not to have anyone out driving after dark unless absolutely necessary. Both the road conditions and bands of young trouble making men, called rascals, can be a problem best avoided. All together it was a fun day and I really enjoyed getting better acquainted with Stephanie and Pamela.
On Saturday of the same week, I was given the opportunity of flying with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). They are a nonprofit, nondenominational group of pilots and mechanics that fly support to mission stations.
I was able to fly two different circuits. I had to hang around the MAF terminal until there was a flight that had room for me. I few first from Mt. Hagen to Simbai to Kamanbu and back to Mt. Hagen. The two locations were at bush airstrips, mainly grass and mud. I flew with pilot, Mike Bottrell (from Australia), in an Air Van. The airstrip at Kamanbu was 437 meters, a less than 1,500 feet with a 2 1/2% slope. I was glad to just be along for the ride and not trying to land. On takeoff, we were airborne in the last 20 feet.
The second flight was after lunch. Again, I had to hang around the airport until there was an available flight. It was fun visiting with both the MAF pilots and the PNG staff that work with them. They thought a female pilot was rather strange and unusual. The second time around, I flew in a Cessna 206 with Phillip Sutterer; he and his wife are from Switzerland. We flew from Mt. Hagen to Dusin; a grass strip on the peak of the mountain with 460 meters of runway, a 10% slope and at 5,800 ft elevation. The next stop was Singabe and then back to Mt. Hagen.
The weather was rather cloudy and the last two stops had drizzle; I hope to be able to right seat another couple of flights when we return next year. It was great fun and I really appreciate the training and the dedication of the MAF pilots.

I will be posting pictures with a link from facebook. I hope you will be able to see them. We are having a wonderful time with new experiences, new foods and of course, new friends. It is hard to believe we will be returning home in three weeks. We look forward to seeing our Cape friends and family and sharing our tales and photos.
Tyronza (not Dr. P)
pictures can be view at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.114240695317977.19428.100001961413037&l=a20582723c
and
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.114388571969856.19532.100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

Easter

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday, with the week leading into Easter Sunday. I thought I would take some time to share about the beauty of this place. Please take a moment to study the picture I have taken of the "resurrection flower." Look carefully at the cross and you will see the tiny face in God's creation, to act as a reminder of why we are so privileged to serve in his name.
This country is so diverse in both its climate and topography that allowances have been made for many different species of plants and animals. The elevation varies from sea level to 14,780 feet, the top of Mt. Wilhelm.
Beginning at the sea, Papua New Guinea is well known for its coral and beautiful fish and sea life. There are over 60 species of colorful parrot fish, along with many shades of star fish and sponges. Tyronza and I are hoping to go on a short scuba trip before we return, but that depends a great deal on the call schedule. We don't have that worked out yet. (We will definitely plan for scuba on our return trips.)
Inland from the coast is a vast network on marshes and swamps that are inhabited by monkeys and other swamp life. Not many humans live it this area because of the mosquitoes. This area is fed by multiple streams that drain down from the mountains. The largest of these streams is the mighty Sepik River, which allows for navigation far inland from the north coast. Most of the swamps are mangroves which act as a breeding ground for various marine life, including the salt water crocodile.
Along the rivers are the tropical rainforests with towering mahogany and other rainforest trees. Some of the world's largest ferns grow in these areas. There are even some humans that live in the tops of these trees, though they are mostly on the Indonesia side of the island.
The rainforests continue up the mountains so thick that land navigation is nearly impossible, until you get to the high valleys at about 3,000 feet. These high valleys continue up to 8,000 feet and act as the perfect living area for over half of the population of New Guinea.
It is in one of the valleys that the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital is situated. We are at 5-6,000 feet, and are surrounded by vast areas of coffee and tea plantations. Both the coffee and tea grown in this area are very tasty. Every morning I have a big mug of PNG #1 black tea. It is very strong with caffeine and the first brewing is darker than most cups of coffee! Most of the people live in this area, because the climate is so perfect, 60 degrees each night and 80-85 degrees each day. The sun shines most days and it usually rains only at night. This valley is beautiful with all of the tropical foliage and vegetable and flower gardens of the native folks. It is called the Wagi Valley and it was first discovered by explorers in 1930. If you are interested in more information, you can read about it in the book, "First Contact". There are still a few elderly people around who remember that first contact.
Further up the mountainsides, the foliage thins out. The mountains are covered with many small streams of clear, very cold water. At about 10,000 feet, the trees change to evergreen conifers. It occasionally freezes above 10,000 feet and at higher elevations there is a chance of snow. It is rare to see the peaks, as most are cloud or fog covered.
Animals are few and far between here in the Wagi Valley. A tree opossum called a cuscus is common and is eaten or kept as a pet by the natives. There is also a very large bird in the area called a cassowary. It lives in the forest and has been known to attack and kill humans with its sharp talons.
The rain forests are alive with both large and small insects. The butterflies are spectacular. One species is an iridescent blue and about the size of the palm of your hand. This is the home of some 50 different species of the Bird of Paradise. Tyronza was able to get some good pictures of several of these birds and one video of their courtship dance.
This entry began with my desire to share the beauty of the "resurrection flower" with you. Please take time to acknowledge Christ and His great gift to you during this Easter season.
That's all for now. See you soon.

Dr. P


to view pictures go to:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.114388571969856.19532.100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

PNG Ultrasound

Hello Again from Papua New Guinea Paradise,

Tyronza and I are well and working hard. I thought you would like to know what the ultrasound machine that we brought along has been up to.
For the trip over, I placed the ultrasound in a laptop case and took it along as a carry on bag. We had no problems getting it through customs, and I was able to protect it and keep it in eye sight.
Once here, I was able to cannibalize and old ultrasound stand for easy operation. I keep the ultrasound with me in the clinic and can easily scan anyone I have examined in just a few minutes. (We thought Tyronza would help in this aspect, but she is working in other areas.) It has proved to be of great value in diagnosing pelvic tumors and abscess, as well as for OB screening. I have gotten quite adept at OB screening, which can be done in less than 5 minutes.
I regularly roll the machine over to the OB ward, as well as surgical and medical wards. I have diagnosed abdominal tuberculosis as well as several liver tumors and bowel abscesses. The ultrasound is really a very valuable tool. The one I brought is quite similar to the one that was already here, so all the doctors know who to use it. I plan to leave it here, as it seems to work fine. If it breaks down, I can easily portage it back to the states for repair on our next trip.
Thanks a million to all of you who contributed to this purchase.

Papa God bai blesim yu,
Dr. P

photos can be seen: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19428&id=100001961413037&l=a20582723c..

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19532&id=100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

Have been telling you mostly about things going on in the medical end of this trip. I thought I might begin this tale with a word about the BUGS. They say you can tell who has been here the longest by their eating habits. Newcomers refuse to eat, because of all the bugs crawling around on the table. If you have been here a week, you are likely to pick the bugs off your food and eat it anyway. Those who have been here for six months eat the food, bugs and all. Those who have been here for years, pick the bugs off the table and throw them in with the food - extra protein, you understand!

Really, the bugs aren't that bad, although we do have these tiny ants that seem to get into everything. We have discovered they don't do  well in the cold. When they are discovered in something, a quick trip to the freezer will allow you to pick them off easily. All food must be stored in sealed containers or in the fridge.

Papua New Guinea is known for some of their large insects. Butterflies and moths are very spectacular. There is also a beetle here called a rhinoceros beetle. The large ones are 2.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide with big pinchers or horns coming off their heads. Chickens here are called kakarukas which should not be confused with cockroaches (which are nearly as large)! Another interesting bug is the resident spider. They are about an inch across and jump several inches, if you try to step on them. I have seen larger, two inch versions in the gardens.

Mosquitoes are not very numerous at this elevation, but are thick at lower levels or along the rivers. The other night there was one loose in the bedroom and I did not sleep very well thinking about malaria. As a medical problem, malaria is number one around here. Daily, I request several malaria smears on the clinic patients. All hospital admissions are screened and placed on Chloraquin at admission. If a transfusion is necessary, they are given a one week program of other malaria meds. If they develop a fever, malaria treatment is started immediately, along with antibiotics.

Enough from me for today. You guys stay safe; we miss you.

God Bless,

Dr. P

p.s.  Photos can be viewed at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19428&id=100001961413037&l=a20582723c

and

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19532&id=100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

OB Care in PNG

All is well here, I hope you are all enjoying a nice Spring there is the USA. Here, one day is mostly just like the rest. It continues to rain most every evening and is sunny and nice each day. I have on occasion heard thunder and seen lightening, but not most days. All-in-all, it is rather like paradise.

Thought I would talk a bit about the obstetrical care in Papua New Guinea. Care here is much like it must have been 50-60 years ago in the US. The post partum/anti partum floor, or ward as it is called here, consists of a small nurses station and a large room with 28 cots or beds. Each bed sits approximately 20 inches from the next. The hospital provides the bed with rubber coated mattresses for 50 kina or $17 dollars. The patient must supply the sheets, blankets, pillows and food. Some patients simply sleep on the rubber mattress or sometimes even the floor.

Each patient arrives at the first sign of serious contractions with their watch-merri, or female observer. At the time of arrival, they may be complete or it may be several days prior to delivery. They are worked up and examined by the nurses. If everything is routine, they stick around in this area till hard labor begins. At this point they move to one of 5 delivery bays where, the actual delivery will occur. The nurses screening sometimes detects problems. Hypertension, toxemia, twins, abnormal presentation, premature labor, etc… just to name a few. If anything out of the ordinary is found, then a doctor is called and the patient is evaluated by a physician. Most days, I have several mothers with toxemia or some other problem to evaluate and treat. Nursing supervision is scarce, so I must constantly keep checking to make sure no one falls through the cracks. Several  times I have discovered patients with ruptured membranes that sit unattended for days waiting for labor to start.

When a patient moves to the back, they are usually very near time for delivery. All routine deliveries are done by nursing staff, that includes the delivery and any stitching up that needs to be done. I get called for breeches, most twins, arrested labors, or any large stitching up that needs to be done. I have a head-lamp  that I use for light. Most deliveries are done on a flat bed without stirrups or foot pegs. Shoulder Dystocia would be tough in this position. Thankfully, most babies are 6-7 pounds and Shoulder Dystocia is not likely. I have had to go in to repair a few "blow-outs". The nurses are reluctant to do episiotomies other than medio-lateral, so you can imagine some of the awful tears I have had to repair.

As far as anesthesia goes, it is pretty much cold turkey! There are no spinals or epidurals for labor or delivery. Once delivery has occurred, a local is usually given for episiotomy repair. On occasion, I have had to use ketamine and valium for a really bad stitch up job.

Most minor obstetrical surgeries are done in delivery. I have done many D&C's, including three molar pregnancies. I like to start an IV and then give ketamine and valium for the procedure. When the surgery is done, the patients lies there until they are alert enough to go home, usually unattended.

Prenatal care is also very sparse. I do see patients in the clinic that are pregnant. I usually treat their medical problem and then take a little time to look their pregnancy over, no one here seems to have any notion of a due date. A quick two minute ultrasound can really give a ton of information. I am making much use of the portable ultrasound that I brought.

Records are very sparse. The hospital record for a labor/delivery/recovery is usually 7-8 pages. when a patient is ready for discharge, a short note is made in their "scale book" about the delivery This book is maintained by the patient and taken to all health events in their lives, i.e. clinic visits, ER visits, hospitalizations, etc. All treatments and medications are recorded in the "scale book" and presented to the pharmacist, doctor, or clinic each time health care is rendered. This does provide a nice record of health events in a patient's life. Unfortunately, not all entries are legible or complete.

Enough for today. Please pray for us and the patients we are seeing. Hope to see you in a couple of months.

God Bless,

Dr. P

p.s. I hope to see you soon/ mi bi lukim yu behain.

Photos of PNG can be seen on our Facebook page:

Share this album with anyone by sending them this public link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19428&id=100001961413037&l=a20582723c

Share this album with anyone by sending them this public link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19532&id=100001961413037&l=0b5634e363

Hello Again from PNG

Hello again from Papua New Guinea It is raining again as I write this note. I believe it has rained every evening and night for the past two weeks, probably 15-20 inches in that time. It seldom rains during the day, so I expect sunshine tomorrow. The rain is actually a good thing as it keeps our cisterns full. All the drinking water is filtered, but we wash the clothes and bathe in rain water. It is really very clear and clean.

Medicine is much the same as at last report. I have finally convinced the nurses on Labor and Delivery that every patient needs to be seen and reviewed by the doctor every day. When I first came I would sometimes find a patient that had had ruptured membranes for several days and was not being induced. All things happen in their own time around here, but that was more than I could stand. Last evening, I had a patient come in from the Jimmi Valley (about 25-30 miles away - but many hours by car, or days on foot). She reported being in labor for six days, but the mud slides had kept her from coming in and the baby delivered on the way to the hospital. When she arrived the baby was in respiratory arrest, and was too far gone to bring back. I had another baby earlier in the day that our nurses had delivered and were trying to resuscitate with an adult mask. I intubated the baby and with a little oxygen he was doing fine in short order. I guess some in-service training is needed. I also received a woman yesterday afternoon that had delivered "in the bush." She had a retained placenta. No bottles or banana fronds hanging from this one, but the mother had lost a lot of blood and required two units and a bottle of fluid to bring her back around. No wonder maternal mortality is the worst on the planet here in Papua New Guinea and according to the missionary physicians, it is getting worse. Gynecology is going strong. I see a lot of advanced pelvic tumors and pelvic inflammatory disease that has progressed much further than I am use to. I currently have two women on the ward that had the most horrible abscesses I have ever seen. Folks here must be a lot tougher than in Missouri, I thought both might die, but drains and chloramphenocol works wonders. I have also been helping Jim Radcliffe, a general surgeon, on some of his cases. Today, we had a small child that fell out of a guava tree. He was impaled through the chest. We cleaned a bunch of splinters out of his pericardial sac, but his heart was untouched. What a miracle! My 1300 gram baby is doing very well. He is still in the nursery but feeding and growing well. Last night,  I delivered a 1000 gram baby who is still alive, but the other doctors feel she has only a very small chance of survival. Enough from me. I hope and pray you are all well. Tyronza and I are fine and experiencing all we can from this new culture. See you in another five weeks or so. God Bless, Dr. P Pictures can be seen on: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19428&id=100001961413037&l=a20582723c

Continuing tales from PNG

Today is the third day of April, and again I, "ask where is the time?" It is hard to fathom how quickly each month flies by! We have six weeks remaining for our time in PNG!

We are doing well and enjoying our stay here and are beginning the process of signing up for a return of three months next year. It will probably be February through April.

A typical day for Scot, has him walking up the road to the hospital at 8 a.m. He sees inpatients on the wards and then goes to the outpatient clinic to see patients. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he tries to schedule any surgeries he will be performing. Of course, emergency C-sections or other procedures are added to the schedule as needed. He comes back to the house for lunch and then returns to the hospital for afternoon clinics. He is typically finished by 4:30 or 5:00. He is on call for C-sections or other gynecologic emergencies on a three day on and one day off rotation. This allows the permanent physicians to have a break. So far it hasn't been too bad. He frequently comments on the non-sterile hospital setting and the low level of nursing skills. Patients are usually given large doses of antibiotics and they appear to get along well with the PNG system. The Nazarene Hospital in Kudjip is considered the superior hospital in the country!  Scot says he receives patients frequently that have walked away from other hospitals in the country. They had been in the hospital for several days and were never treated and so they come to Kudjip.

The following is directly from Scot:

Hello again from Papua New Guinea,

Hope you are all healthy and holding down the ship in the good old USA. Tyronza is busy in the store room, teaching, cooking and doing laundry.

I continue to be busy. Here is a list of activities for the first four weeks:

                vaginal deliveries                                             10 (2 V-BAC's/vaginal birth after C section)      Most vaginal deliveries are performed by nurses.

                Cesarean section deliveries                          12

                Ectopic pregnancy surgeries                        6

                pelvic mass surgeries                                      5 (2 tumors were over 10 pounds/2 malignant & 3 benign)

                abdominal hysterectomies                          6

                clinic consultations                                          200-250

                hospital consultations                                   6

                ER minor surgeries                                           3

                D&C                                                                       6 (2 molar pregnancies)

                tubals                                                                   3

Two of the ectopics had over 2500cc blood loss. There are many deliveries that happen in the bush (the villages). Five times I have had to remove a placenta left in from a bush delivery. Once a beer bottle was hanging from the cord and another time a banana frond was hanging from the cord. On the latter case the woman had lost so much blood that she was arrested on arrival at the clinic. I worked on her for 45 minutes, but in the end I could not find blood fast enough to save her.

 On the brighter side, I told you last week of a young mother 28 weeks pregnant with rupture of membranes. We kept her pregnant for nine days beyond rupture. I gave her steroids and when she delivered a 1300 gram baby it required no ventilator and no extra oxygen, which is good since we have none! The baby seems to be perfect. Thank you Jesus!

Be safe and God Bless You, (Papa God bai blesim yu.)

Dr.P

From Tyronza:  On Monday, I will begin a new experience. I will be working in the mornings at the mission school. This is the school for the children of the missionaries. I have committed for 3 hours in the morning and will be teaching reading and phonics for 1st and 2nd grade.  I have also been doing some typing at the Nursing School. They need to have a manual transferred to the computer, so I go over and type for a couple of hours as my time permits. I am enjoying cooking and have experimented with many new vegetables and fruits. I made a dessert from tree tomatoes - strange, but edible. We've cooked and eaten many new types of greens, new types of kaukau (yams) and some of the best pineapple we've ever had.

I went for a wakbot (a hike) yesterday, the countryside is beautiful. It's been rainy lately, so it was rather muddy - but fun. Papua New Guinea is a beautiful country and the people friendly (at least to us.) There is plenty of work and projects to do, but it is a slower pace. I am enjoying my time here. As a I prepare to post this entry, I am sitting on the back porch of one of the missionary families (their internet service is working) and I am looking across a small valley to the hillsides. I can hear the river in the valley and the various birds singing. It is lovely and I am thankful to the God of creation for all the colors and diversity He created.

Praying God's blessings and Spirit on each of you,

Scot & Tyronza

for pictures go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19428&id=100001961413037&l=a20582723c