Life in town is very different from life in the village. The houses are modern with running water and electricity, though the power is forever on and off. Along with those conveniences come the joys of washing machines, flushing toilets, fans, and fridges. Well... we have those things when there's power. With those conveniences, modernity has also brought a more frantic lifestyle than the typical lifestyle found in the village.
For us, life in town is much more regimented. We wake up early to run along the coastline in order to beat the oppressive heat. After showering and breakfast Brian heads to the PBT office for the day's work and Hannah stays home with the kids. Sometimes Brian comes back home for lunch and sometimes he stays at the office and uses that time to connect with co-workers. Finally, in the evenings we sweat in leftover afternoon heat and enjoy each other's company. There is very little convenience food in PNG, so we do a lot of cooking from scratch.
Our flat is on the same property as the National Coworker Building. When national translators and literacy workers come into town to do work at the office, they stay in this building. Part of Brian's job is to be the point person for the house. We enjoy getting to know the teams both at the office and in the evenings after work. Brian leads a weekly Bible study on Wednesday nights and enjoys taking Ray over to play with everyone while Hannah finishes up supper.
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| Brian and Ray helping the guys with a building project |
All in all, there are benefits and drawbacks to living in town. We enjoy the running water and electricity as well as the huge market, but we miss the interaction we have with our PNG family. Fortunately, Yall village is not too far away!
