KONOMALA

Main Point:  

As a team we have decided that it would be wise and strategic to buy a newer truck.

Background: 

Before we moved to PNG, we had always pictured ourselves living on an island where we needed to have a boat in order to get to a supply town. For whatever reason we never wanted to have a truck … well, that expectation had to be changed about 10 minutes after getting to our island. In the prep for moving into Konomala, we started looking around at different ideas for trucks, but we really had no idea what would be best. 

Our location out here in Konomala is accessible by road. From our end of the island, it is a 3.5 hour drive to the nearest little town (Namatanai). Without any problems on the road, it is an 8 hour drive to the town where we get our supplies (Kavieng). Every month or so, we travel in and out in order to get food and supplies for our families. Pretty much all of our logistical needs and emergency plans depend on our truck.

Thankfully God knew what we needed. There was a church planting team on our island that had moved out of their community and didn’t need their truck anymore. The truck hadn’t been running very well, and at that point it was just sitting at our support center. That team generously offered the truck to us for free! Then shortly thereafter there was a mechanic who was able to get the truck running great again. We were pumped. 

Meet the Dyna. It’s a 23 year old work horse that has now supported two different church planting teams on some pretty rough roads over the years. 

So many times during our time in Konomala, we have been so thankful that God gave us the exact car that we needed. Anything smaller and there is no way we could have supported our two families. Anything bigger and it would be overkill. 
A crew cab, 4 wheel drive work truck is perfect for our two families living at the end of the road in Konomala.

During the last three years there have been a number of times where our truck has had mechanical problems. Thankfully none of those problems have stopped us from reaching our destination, although we have had to spend more and more money just to keep the truck moving.    

Ever since we first got the truck, we’ve periodically revisited the idea of getting a newer truck. We still have a number of years ahead of us in Konomala, and after having a few more critical issues came up with our current truck, we really feel that it’s time to get a newer, more reliable truck. We have thought and prayed about it for a while, so now we want to start that process by communicating our need to you all.  

The need for a reliable truck feels very real as we travel the 8 hours to and from Konomala. In general it’s a rough and unforgiving road. There is very little cell service along the entire drive, and there are no car repair shops. The countless bridges and water crossings can be flooded or damaged without any warning ahead of time.

The four wheel drive on our truck has recently just gone out and at this point we are unsure as to the problem. It has continued to have other problems come up, and it’s obviously not getting any newer. Again the truck we have has been a huge blessing, and we are grateful for it. But the reality is that it’s old and has been beaten up by the harshness of the driving conditions here in PNG.

Price:

After considering all of the options available (which is not very many), we decided that the best truck for our team would be the exact same kind of truck that we have now. Just newer!  A Toyota Dyna, crew cab, 4×4.  

We haven’t been able to find any options in PNG to get this kind truck or even anything similar to it. They’re made and sold in Japan, so now we are looking to import a truck instead of buying something less ideal from PNG.  
We are not permitted by the PNG government to import anything older than 2016 so our price range for the new truck is anywhere from $25,000-$35,000.  The import cost is roughly 30% of the purchase price which comes to $7,500-$10,500.  In order to add all-terrain tires and upgrades that are sufficient for our needs, we’re calculating another $2,000-$5,000.  So in total we are looking to raise $40,000-$50,000.  

Price Breakdown:  
2016-2021 Toyota Dyna 4×4: $25,000-$35,000
30% Import Fee: $7,500-$10,500
Additional features: $2,000-$5,000
Total: $40,000-$50,000

We hope to raise this amount between our two families.  Ideally, we would raise $20,000-$25,000 and Hodgdons would be able to raise that amount as well.

What you can do: 

Praying and giving are the two ways you can help.  
Praying if you should give, praying that others may give, and praying that God provides what we need.  

If you would like to give, it can be done 2 ways:  You can either send a paper check to the Ethnos360 office in Sanford, FL
OR you can find us online with Ethnos360 and give online.  
In both cases, please designate the gift for “Truck Need”.  

Send a paper check to:
Ethnos360
312 W. 1st St.
Sanford, FL 32771

Please make the check payable to Ethnos360 and include a note that it is for Seth Sanford – truck need.
You should receive a receipt acknowledging that they received the gift.

We are humbled to be in this position to ask for your help.

We thank you ahead of time for your gifts, your prayers, and for partnering with us.  We thank you for taking the time to read our email and not be put off by it.  We are continually being pushed to depend on the Lord and on the Body in humility and need.  Thank you for standing with us in bringing truth and life to our friends here in Konomala.