another one to chuck in my books

... and just a few more special random png moments to share with you that really did make this a trip of a lifetime ... here's to another one to chuck in my books... Thanks God ... it was absolutely incredible...

A few highlights....

Usually, every new village/district we went to would put on an extravagant welcome (or farewell) from the locals in their traditional dress with amazing dances and song, an array of gulf province food and even a few dramas... and it was a highlight of our day every time. No matter how many times we saw this, we always found ourselves so overwhelmed & blessed with the preparation put on for our welcome/farewell! ...

Now why wouldn't this be a highlight? Whether sunrise or sunset, and for every meal we ate on the after deck, watching the locals paddle across the river was a beautiful calming sight and made us realize how privileged we were to be there... and what a way to end the day....

Spontaneously gathering the massive crowds of all ages, singing kids songs whether acapella or with an out of tune guitar, and playing games to entertain and see them all laugh brought much joy to me.... and i'm not going to lie- it was all about the "Banana Song." Thats the big guns we pulled out and never failed to win them over...

We needed some footage & photographs of the M/V Pacific Link in action, so one morning, me, nick and Roger got to jump in the zodiac and drive ahead while the ship was cruising through the river. It's not a big ship, but it looked huge out there and it was pretty cool to see it from a distance with the awesome Gulf waterway backdrop! ...

So there's a saying that "God flicked them out of his hands" and thats how the Gulf Province was made... Thus, the mud. This picture was taken from our small boat... yes... you got it- AFTER we had to cross this mud. i found myself in nearly thigh-high mud ... and this all became part of our daily trip into and out of the villages and though it wasn't the simpliest- it was sooo much fun and when you are out there- you really just don't care and is all part of the adventure! ... and plus- see all the locals that walked us out? ... They just wanted a laugh to see us foreigners trip and fall into the mud.... see?.... everyone gets something out of it.

i wrote about Junior in the previous post... But still- meeting my little buddy Junior was such a highlight for me, especially for the week in Baimaru. Actually, i guess you can say that Junior was kind of a 'significant' highlight to cover all my png kid highlights. they are just all so free and innocent so much fun! ...

And of course, our means of travel in the Gulf has to be a highlight! ... As if travelling on the 32 meter ship wasn't enough... we got to the villages in small boats (called dingys), or the zodiac. Or even some of us in the locals' canoe boats... Out travels were sometimes a 5 minute- or an hour ride... either way, it was all part of this unique adventure and part of the Gulf Province lifestyle....

... And then they stole my heart

Being in PNG, we met hundreds and hundreds of people of all ages and for all different reasons. But every once in awhile, you just come across a few in the crowd, that despite any cultural difference, language barrier or age, encounter special moments with them where you know that a difference was made in both of your lives... Here's a few people that have changed mine.

His name is Junior and he is the most brilliant 4 year that i've ever met! ... no joke. The day we arrived to Baimaru, he unexpectedly became my little special sidekick buddy and made my days in the village more exciting. He surprisingly discovered a natural gift in photography as he took my camera in his tiny little hands and composed better shots than i've seen most people do for the first time... and not to mention his cheeky responses and genuine innocence stole my heart.

Meet Karara. He was a chef in WWII, serving the Aussie soldiers. We found him in Baimaru Village where he was legally blind in both his eyes. After a cataract surgery onboard, he was able to see again! He was a definite cheeky showman! this picture says it all... I told him to smile for the camera and we went off making all these faces... Karara and his family surely made an impression on most of the crew and his story came full circle of joy being restored.

This is Delma. She had just received a pair of glasses and by the looks of her massive smile, she was quite happy about it. Shortly after this picture was taken, my friend Jennifer and I couldn't resist giving her a hug. Next thing you know, she broke out in tears of happiness. Receiving a pair of free prescription glasses may seem so simple, but i sure believe it touched this woman and spoke to her about God's love and hope and that she hasn't been forget.

This is Juniors mother, Wendy and his littler brother Kingston (who i wanted to eat! he was soo darn cute)... with all the time i spent with Junior, I was also able to build a friendship with his mom and really get to know this kind sweet woman. Wendy waited in the clinic all week to eventually find out that she had a thyroid in her neck and not only that- but she found out too that she had a bun in the oven on the way- and she didn't even know it.

I can't forget to mention Shelly. She was part of our 'posse' in the one of the villages and pretty much laughed at anything we would do... Just having her sweet spirit around us was a breath of fresh air from the long days in the village. A special girl for sure who I look forward to seeing where her vibrant personality takes her....