Weekends & Wokabauts

I thought it might be nice to share a bit about something other than COVID-19... so here's a short summary of some things we've done over the weekends.

The weekend officially begins on Friday night - when we observe the long-standing Kudjip tradition of "Pizza Night!"  Because we are in the Western Highlands and one cannot simply order Papa John's, or buy a frozen pizza at the grocery store, Pizza Night preparations begin during afternoon nap time.  Dough is made, cheese is shredded, toppings are prepared/diced, sauce is cooked... it's quite the production, but always super tasty and fun!  This week's pizza was a white sauce base with sautéed asparagus, sausage & tomatoes.    

 




Besides homemade pizza, another food-first for the kiddos this past weekend was making our own popcorn - they LOVED watching the kernels pop!  

   

 

 Pennie joined Ted one morning for rounds on the Peds Ward.  I LOVE how inquisitive and bold she is - not timid at all about approaching sick babes and saying hello.  She enjoyed passing out some stickers and was a trooper waiting while Ted filled out paperwork to discharge a few patients.  

 


Laundry - nothing exciting here... it happens a few times a week, but almost always at least one load over the weekend.  

A couple of recent "wokabauts" (exploratory walks)... 

The first, down to the "rot bung" - street market just outside of the station selling local fruits & vegetables.  Ted was a trooper carrying Pennie on his back AND most of what we purchased!  

 

The second, a long trek around the outside perimeter of the station and down a muddy trail to the river... needless to say, we are quite the spectacle with our large toddlers in their Ergos wearing their bright blue sun hats!  😆
The long walk was worth the time spent at the river's edge collecting and throwing stones.... though to be honest, I was a bit paranoid about the kids eating the rocks (Solomon) and/or getting any of the river water into their mouths.  The river is the dishwasher, bathtub, washing machine, and toilet for many locals.  

We have been attending "lotu" (church) on Sunday mornings at a chapel just outside of the station (sorry, no pics).  The entire service is in Tok Pisin and it's been nice to hear and understand some great messages preparing everyone's hearts for Easter.  On that note, I leave you with this verse as a reminder of our Hope during these dark times... along with a view of the beautiful Whagi Valley we are calling home for now.

Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of LIFE."  - John 8:12