How long will we be there?
We will be in Konomala for 2-3 years at a time then come home for an alloted time: typically 6 months to 1 year. Then after our time in the U.S., we’ll return to PNG. That rhythm will continue until our work there is done: typically around 15 years.
Are we there alone?
No.
We live right next to our friends & teammates: Luke & Ellenie Hodgdon, along with their two boys. We’ve been friends with the Hodgdons for over 15 years!
In the country of PNG as a whole there are dozens of families that serve with Ethnos360. They all play a role in our lives as they make it possible for us to continue functioning in an isolated community in Konomala.
What is our house like?
Each of our families built a home about 100 feet apart from each other. We had a few builders come from the U.S. to help, and we had a few dozen people come from a neighboring people group. There had already been a church established in their community, and they were excited to be part of seeing the same thing happen in our Konomala community.
Our house is a fully functioning home with electricity & running water. We have a solar electric system and a rain water collection system. Our goal is to serve in this location long-term, so we took the necessary time to build a home that our family can safely and healthily live in for the years ahead.
What is our community like?
Our specific community is set pretty much in the middle of the Konomala “boundaries”. There are a little over 1000 adults that live in our local area called Marinsuan. It’s pretty spread out for the most part and people tend to live in small hamlets with their close family relatives.
How long did it take to learn the language?
It took around 18 months to learn Konomalan.
There are three main “levels” in learning language. The “basic” level is pretty much at a word level and very small sentences. The “progressing” level involves larger sentences and the ability to communicate most everyday things. Then the “capable” level is when we are able to properly connect all of those sentences and tell complex, abstract stories.
Now that we have reached “capable-high”, we are done with full-time language study and are in full time teaching and discipleship.
Are the people of PNG receptive to the gospel?
Yes!
The government as a whole is very open to having foreign religious workers coming into their country. That attitude towards Christianity is very rare in our world today. Open doors and open invitations make PNG an opportune place to see people reached with the truth for the very first time.
In Konomala specifically, God has been preparing hearts long before we arrived. There was a number of people in our community who were really excited to hear, understand, and study God’s word for themselves.
How do we get supplies and food?
Roughly every 8 to 12 weeks we put together a list of what we need then make the trip out to our supply town, Kokopo via the mission’s helicopter. It’s about a 30 minute flight which would take about 10 hours by road and boat.
We usually get picked up by the helicopter early in the week, run around town for a day or two buying all of our supplies, and then get dropped back off at the end of the week.
Is there good healthcare in PNG?
No.
There is not much available in PNG in regards to healthcare.
We are able to deal with most of the little issues that would come up on a day-to-day basis. For things that we’re unsure about, we are usually able to get access to a couple of American doctors through email & phone.
In the case of an emergency, we’ll have to travel to Australia for treatment. A trip to Australia realistically takes at least 2 days of travel.
What communication do we have available?
Technology has come a long way in the years that we have lived here. We started off with a small satellite GPS device for text only communication. Then we moved up to PNG sourced satellite internet. And now we have Starlink with a great internet connection.
