Mipela i lainim Tok Pisin!

It means "We are learning Tok Pisin (Pidgin, the national language of PNG)!"

Today was August 24th. That marks one month since we landed in PNG. Can you believe that?!

Helping fuel the NTM helicopter

It has been a busy and fruitful month of adjusting and learning, and lately starting to really dive in to language learning and experiencing the local culture.

All four of us have done remarkably well adjusting to the climate. The girls complained MUCH less than I anticipated, and that's been a huge blessing. None of us have been hit with homesickness (but don't worry, we think of you all frequently and we miss you a lot!), which is a huge praise!

We've been able to get out into the nearby villages quite a bit, both as a family, and Noe by himself. So we've started building on some new friendships, and we've both found individuals who are willing (and excited) to help us learn the language.

Through language sessions and conversation/storying, we are learning the language more each day. Also recently, a group of believers from a tribal church has visited, all of whom are great 'teachers' for those of us learning Tok Pisin.
We're thankful for these brothers and sisters in Christ.

The girls' first time seeing a chopper

We have now visited two different national churches in this area. One of them has a Sunday school class for kids, which Naya in particular enjoyed. Twice a month we are also meeting together as believers here at NTM, which is a huge encouragement.

We're becoming increasingly familiar with the logistics of going into Madang town for groceries and produce from the market. Noe is a great driver... he usually stays on the right correct side of the road ;) And he knows where the 'surprise' pot-holes are now. The girls enjoy going to town with us... well ok not really, but they know that going to town is their only chance to get an ice cream cone! :) So they usually don't complain...too much.

Naya is plugging away at 1st Grade, and doing very well! Jocie is doing preschool (when she's not playing with her little friends next-door, Nora and Rinn), and we are starting to focus on forming letters and numbers. She'll start Kindergarten next July hopefully.

Jocie, with friends Nora and Rinn

We're VERY thankful to have all been quite healthy for this first month! THANK YOU for your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support! We are here because of you, and we want you to feel involved and BE involved. (What would you like to hear about? Feel free to email us with questions or comments ANY time!)

~the Martinez family

p.s. -- stay tuned for info on Naya and Jocie's upcoming blog! (Not a post- their OWN blog!) Another way for your kids, and kids in your church, to get a window into the lives of missionary kids growing up in another culture, getting to know Jesus, and having the opportunity to share Him with the unreached!

Enjoying reading a "Maily" email... (the girls email with relatives
and little friends using Maily! Sign up today and connect with us!)

Joy To The World

Sunrise, taken next to our house.

In the early hours of the morning, I hear these particular birds 'singing' repeatedly the first four notes of the tune "Joy To The World." It's very clear, always in perfect rhythm, and pretty!
(Ok yes, granted, after the 200th chirp I most definitely listened more intently, and perhaps longingly, for the bird who would "wise up" and sing the next line- "the Lord is come"...)

But I found it interesting, no matter what tune these birds are really singing, that The Lord should give such a friendly reminder of Himself and of His Presence- upon our arrival to PNG! No matter the day, no matter the events of each day, no matter this or that: still, JOY to the world. Why? The Lord is come. Indeed He has come, and indeed He offers us the fullness of His joy in abiding in Him.

With the tragically high attrition rates of global missionaries, we've been strongly exhorted by those who have 'made it' for years and years on the foreign field to draw closely into Christ. Individually. As a couple. And as a family. But it certainly starts with our individual walks with Him. If that falls apart, everything else may fall apart as well. (Because after all, "in Him we live and move and have our being.")

So would you join us in praying that in the midst of acclimating to this new climate and new culture, and in the midst of learning language and preparing for future tribal ministry, that we will each draw closely into Christ? That we will abide in Him, that we will find our joy in Him? (After all, the birds just can't help themselves! Why do I have more trouble than they?)

Praise and Prayer:

Praise: the ant invasion has been successfully squelched! Not only are they now scarce in our home, but Jocie is sleeping in her bed and seems much more at ease.

Thanks to The Lord also that Jocie is beginning to warm up to being here in PNG. She never resisted coming, but she's had a slower and more difficult transition than Naya.

Naya is doing great, praise The Lord! She is bold at meeting new people and asking what something is called in the national language, Tok Pisin. She is learning the language quickly and was complimented by some ladies in a village recently. :)

Pray that The Lord would orchestrate who our language helpers might be for these next 4 months.

Cultural Experiences:

We have enjoyed getting to know quite a few families in a nearby village called Savolon.

The girls with some new friends :)

Last week on an impromptu visit, the girls and I (Lisa) got to help a lady who was making a broom for her porch out of coconut leaf stems. She showed me how, then she helped me try, then I did it myself. Then she and I both showed the girls how ( yes my girls were using knives), and then I supervised as the girls tried doing it themselves.

Also last week, Noe and the other men went out in the morning with some men from the village called Tagog, and they harvested some morota, saksak branches. That afternoon, several of us went into Tagog and helped weave the morota branches into roof "panels" for someone's gathering house.

This week we were invited to cook and eat with a family in the Savolon village. It was a great experience learning to do things their way and with their resources. Together ( ok mostly them, but we ladies helped) we made a wonderful meal- a coconut milk based soup with fish, kau kau ( sweet potato), taro, banana, kumu (greens), carrot, onion, and tomato. They also smoked some of the fish whole and made a pot of rice. All of this was cooked in the "haus-cook" (cooking house) over the fire.

The meal we helped make in the village

We are really enjoying building relationships with the people who live in this area. Pray that we will all be good testimonies of Christ during our time here. We are learning more of the national language every day, mostly through conversation at this point. Next week we will dive into some even more purposeful language learning sessions.

Thank you for your incredible support! We hope to keep you updated regularly, and we want you to be able to somehow embrace this with us. Each one of you, whether you pray or give or encourage: YOU are a part of this team and a part of this task of taking the Gospel to the unreached people groups in the world today!

With love,

Noe, Lisa, Naya and Jocie