25/01/2023
It has officially been one month since we arrived in Papua New Guinea. Our journey just to get here was on its own quite the process. Our first flight on Tuesday December 20th got cancelled, which meant we had to rebook our entire itinerary. We stayed overnight in Toronto and rebooked for the next day and through alternate cities. So we flew out Wednesday Dec 21 from Toronto to San Francisco, San Francisco then to Sydney Australia. When we landed in Australia after our 15 hour flight and 15 hour time difference, we learned that our next flight to Brisbane Australia had been cancelled, which meant that we would miss our connection to PNG. Oh, and all our baggage got left behind in San Francisco. So we again had to rebook the next flight to Brisbane, which meant an extra 5 hours of waiting in the airport. When we finally arrived in Brisbane after that flight was delayed, we knew the next flight out to PNG was the next day, so we had to stay over in Brisbane. Thankfully our good friends, Randi & Jan, who we met at YWAM in 2015 were captaining and managing a YWAM medical ship which was in port in Brisbane. They really saved the day and picked us up, provided a place for us to stay with them on the ship, and helped us get things organized for the next day. The following morning we went to the airport with nothing but hope and prayer. We went to talk to the airline and explain our situation, but because the tickets were booked separately, we expected to just buy new tickets at a same day rate. After a few phone calls they said "ok, you're all good". And when I asked what that meant, they explained that they put all three of us on that morning's flight, and waived all extra charges. We aren't sure how that happened, but I guess the prayer worked. So, after four days, four flights, and four countries, we finally arrived in Papua New Guinea on the evening of Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Since we have been here things have been a bit of a roller coaster. The three of us have been taking turns being sick from all sorts of illnesses. Our bodies are taking some time to adjust to the tropics. But we are doing our best to keep our spirits up and to stay hydrated. One huge highlight has been getting to know and bond with the team here. Our leaders, the directors of iCare4U have set us up with such a lovely home and have been so helpful and accommodating as we get settled in here. Our best friend Kayla is here and arrived just before us, so reconnecting with her has been great! And the local staff and volunteers have all been so welcoming and accepting of us. The team and community here is fantastic, and we feel so blessed to be a part of it.
As for our work within iCare4U, we learned when we arrived that as an organization we took in a baby boy just a few days before we got here. He was abandoned with no information given, so we picked a name for him and took our best guess that he is maybe 7 months old. As well as the other staff here, we have been playing a role in caring for him while his case is created and processed with welfare. While our womens live in program is not officially launched yet, there was a woman living here on the property who iCare4U has been able to house and support for much of the past year. Chatting, laughing, and learning from her inspires us to grow that area of the ministry. She has been through so much, but is overflowing with hope and joy.
As we learn and grow within the organization, our roles will likely also grow and develop. Luke has been tasked with the role of overseeing and managing the property. As well as taking the lead with coordinating short term missions teams. Speaking of teams, our first team from YWAM Australia is leaving tomorrow after 10 days with us doing property work and community engagement. In preparation for these roles and others, he got his local license and is learning to drive on the left side of the street.
Emily on the other hand, will be stepping into an administrative and online role with iCare4U, she will be doing a lot of the back end work that is so essential to making things happen. She will likely be one of the main people in the office, and is looking to grow and develop our organization's online presence. She will also be stepping in to support the local women and joining in on the Women's Hope group that is acting as a placeholder for our live in program.
Both of our roles will bleed into each other, and will of course grow and change overtime. With our organization being small and young, we will all be doing a little of everything for the first while. We are excited and hopeful about how we will be able to support and grow this organization.
It wouldn't be a complete Knowles family update without talking about Hope. After an initial rough adjustment period, she is now making friends and loving getting to play outside everyday. The weather is always warm, so she has been spending most of her time outside running around, looking at the chickens, and her favourite, jumping on the trampoline.
Financially we have reached over 50% of our target, and we are incredibly thankfully to everyone who is supporting us in that way. Our start up costs here were a bit higher than we expected, but currently we should still be on track with our projected needs.
Please pray for us to continue to grow and develop our team here and how we can invest in an already established culture of love, acceptance, and teamwork.
It has been a month of adjusting, but it has been great. We've been getting to know our team and our village, learning about the city we live in, how to navigate it, and how to drive in it. We are also working on learning the local language in order to better communicate with the locals. We feel like we are just scratching the surface of what God has for us here, and we are very excited to see what is to come!
