Missionary Update 17, Travel highlights 2014

Hello.

Today is May 2, 2016.

You are tired of looking at political news and you want to watch a missionary family prepare to deploy to a foreign land. That's great, because I just posted a video of exactly that!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3zyhklOWQ

And because it is from 2014 you won't see one iota of political stuff. I promise. Unless you consider buffalo, ice caves, and waterfalls political?? Don't...that would be weird.

~Michael

New Videos, Updates, and Bunnies!!!

Maybe you are only subscribed to this Blog and not my Facebook account (Michael Ritzman) or my YouTube channel (OMPNG). In that case this will be great news: I have a Facebook account and a YouTube channel!!!!!

Now that you know you should go look me up on FB. And while you are clicking around go see the two new OMPNG Missionary Update videos on Youtube. Here, I will give you convenient links:

Most recent OMPNG Missionary Update with Rev. Dr. Willard Burce, one of the first Lutheran Missionaries to Papua New Guinea.

Second most recent OMPNG Missionary Update with me and Pastor Larry Matro. We deliver our totes to the international shipping company.

Some of you were asking if our shipping crates arrived safely. I do not want to spoil the surprise, but they are sitting directly behind me as I type. Wait, that kind of spoiled the surprise, didn’t it?

So what else is new? Well, I am finally in Papua New Guinea after a long wait for my paperwork to pass through the vaunted halls of government. But maybe you already knew that. I can’t remember what I previously wrote, and I am too busy/lazy to go back and research. So, here I am.

We are learning the language. It is easier to hear than to speak...as if my ears are connected to my brain but my mouth is not. Sometimes I speak French...is that weird?

I got a car, and the seminary students helped me build a carport to keep it dry. It is supposed to rain a lot here, but lately it has not. Here, 'lately' means about seven months, which is an incredibly long time to go without steady rain when you are a subsistence farmer.

The internet is incredibly slow here. By ‘here’ I mean at my house. There are spots where internet connection is good and speeds are decent. These spots are called Cell Towers, and if you are fortunate to live near one you happily surf the net. The rest of us click and wait.

The food is good and we sleep a lot. Not because we are lazy, but because it gets dark (very dark) at 6:30pm and stays dark until 6:00am every day. And if the power is out the only reasonable thing to do is go to bed. And the power is out often, like, right now. I’ve lost 20 pounds.

We have big spiders. I will not go into detail because you need to hear about giant spiders as much as you need to hear about some of the bathrooms I have been in. Both come straight out of your nightmares, and involve equal parts fear and crying.

Baby Bunnies are the opposite of spiders

And we are helping the drought victims…some of them. We would love to help them all but it would take a ridiculous amount of resources and we would probably only reach a portion and only for a limited time. So we pray for relief. Please pray with us:

Father of all mercy and grace, please look favorably upon the people of Papua New Guinea and give them good weather so their crops may grow and they may live to serve you and their neighbors in peace and love. Assist those who bring aid to find alternative solutions to the drought. Strengthen and encourage your shepherds to minister to those who are suffering. Give them counsel and courage to proclaim your steadfast love shown in the death and resurrection of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray all this in His name. Amen.

~Michael

Missionary Update update. PNG Mission Society Conference 2015

https://youtu.be/gUYEPIQcTlo

I am updating my blog to update you on the updated Missionary Update video. Consider yourself up-to-date. Click the link up there to see the YouTube video. I'll wait. Are you back? Okay, continue...

And I am not going to look at the last time I posted something here; that would depress me and waste your time. Instead I will post as if I'm one of those prolific online posting people like The Pioneer Woman or Matt Walsh, although you won't get any recipes or political commentary because I don't cook and I don't spend enough time watching politicians to provide meaningful insight. Alright, fine...here's some political commentary, but it's all you're going to get:

Politician A: Politician B is wrong. Send me money.

Politician B: Politician A is wrong. Send me money.

My Commentary: A & B are both wrong. Send me money. :)

So brace yourself(-lves) dear reader(s), for we have arrived in Papua New Guinea!! And for as long as I have Internet access and electricity (which actually isn’t very long) I will continue to bring you frequent updates of all our exciting adventures. Alright, fine…here’s a recipe:

FAT BOMB (a.k.a. the most caloric-dense smoothie concoction known to man, a.k.a. you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day after consuming this)

1 Avocado, ripe

1 can Coconut Milk, 16oz.

1 can Water, 16oz

6 Egg yolks

½ cup Macadamia nuts, or Walnuts, or Pecans

1 TBSP Chia Seeds (optional, but fun)

2-4 Limes (to taste)

Blend everything. Drink/eat with a spoon. Actually don’t blend the Avocado rind, and only use the juice from the limes. Depending on how big the limes are and your preference for citrus, use between 2-4 limes. I think 3 are good, but you’ll have to decide for yourself. Nuts are optional (as are the chia seeds), but they add an interesting texture. Macadamias taste the best, but are also the most expensive, hence the inclusion of alternates. Buy your avocadoes at George’s International Market in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They are the best you will find in the Northern Hemisphere. Get your limes there, too. Sometimes you can get them for a ridiculously low price of 10-for-a-dollar. Consider a diversified portfolio of Dividend-yielding stocks, bonds and money market accounts. Consult a Certified Financial Planner before pursuing any financial advice given on a blog site. Consult a physician before eating any recipes found on a blog site. Consult your parents and your pastor before marrying that person you met at the Higher Things conference. And call your mother; she hasn’t heard from you in a while.

Papua New Guinea Mission Society Biennial Conference

Every two years, former (and the current) PNG missionaries gather to discuss this amazing mission field. They are joined by members of the Gutnius Lutheran Church, who win the award for "farthest travelled".

In addition to many great teachers, aid workers, spouses, and support members, this year they were joined by one of the first missionaries to the Enga 'Highlands', Dr. Willard Burce.

Look for a video series coming soon with presentations from Dr. Burce and some of the PNG nationals. Search for my YouTube channel at OMPNG.

Papua New Guinea Mission Society, Biennial meeting

Every two years, former (and current) PNG missionaries gather to discuss this amazing mission field. They are joined by members of the Gutnius Lutheran Church, who win the award for "farthest travelled".

The location for this year's gathering is Peoria, Illinois.

I will edit this post with pictures once I figure out how to operate this silly ipad :(

Video blog.

Now you can see us in action! I have started a video blog of our adventures. It is on my YouTube channel which is called OMPNG. Creative, huh? Here are the links; we have two videos up already:

http://youtu.be/RhxuFVOjeIg

http://youtu.be/azVBzdB2E2s

Please make sure to Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any updates. Also click the "Like" button under the video. Also pray for us.

Twas the night before car repairs

‘Twas the night before Christmas,

And driving my car,

The engine was quitting,

It did not go far.

The drivebelt had slipped

Off the tensioner pulley.

The motor stalled out

Like a cast-iron bully.

I shifted to park

And turned the start key.

With the roar of the engine

I shouted with glee.

The light on the dash

Of the new running car

Was the battery light…

It would not get far.

With no force applied

To the dead alternator

I had to get home

Immediately, not later.

Away down the road

I flew like a fawn.

But turning was hard-

Power steering was gone!

More rapid than eagles

My curses they came.

And I grumbled and growled

And loudly complained.

“You bucket of bolts!

You big useless car!

I’m taking you into

the used scrap junkyard!”

The van made it back

To its parking spot home.

Then I Googled “drivebelt”

And watched Youtube videos.

Then taking a 15mm

Chrome box-end wrench

I pulled back on the tensioner

Until my teeth had to clench.

And slipping the drive belt

Back into its spot

I cranked up the car

Till the engine was hot.

My advice to you all

‘fore you drive out of sight:

Take a look at your belt

And make sure it’s on tight.