2014 in photos

On the last day of 2014, here is a look back at my year in photos.  For each month, I have tried to pick just two or three of my favorite photos with a short summary of the month.  

January
I loved being able to go to the U.S. in December 2013 until part of January 2014.  It was wonderful to see family and friends.  The snow was fantastic!

Yay for snow! :)

Look at those incredible snowflakes!

February
In February, I went to Kavieng in New Ireland Province to work for a month.  It was great to help the Mother Tongue Translators for two language groups as well as help distribute some New Testaments and AudiBibles.   

I finished this curtain for my bathroom, which makes me smile every time I see it!

A woman holding an AudiBible with the New Testament in her language.

March
I was in Kavieng for a good part of March as well.  It's always nice to come home to Ukarumpa after being gone for a while.

This is the regional center in Kavieng, where I stayed for Feb-Mar.

An airstrip on the border of Morobe and Oro Provinces where we stopped for a few minutes.

Back in Ukarumpa, I enjoyed being able to go to a coffee house event and have a latte with cinnamon roll!  Yum!

April
In April, I had a lot of meetings with some other unassigned/unallocated translators.  We met with regional directors from around the country to hear about the needs.  I also got some mail! :)

Look, I got some comics! :)

May
At the end of April, I started helping with the Translator Training Course here in Ukarumpa that went through the first week of June.  That is what took up most of my May.

At a Women's Connect Tea in Ukarumpa.  Kathryn and I went to high school here and now both work here.

This is travel by PMV (public motor vehicle).  You never know how many people might be in the vehicle with you!

Outside the classroom where TTC was held.

The language group I mentored for TTC working on making a topography map of Israel to learn more about Bible backgrounds.

June
In June, I finished helping with TTC and went on a short trip to a coastal city with some friends and co-workers to meet with some church leaders and work on team building.

The view on the way to Lae

In June, I also got a working washing machine, which was cause for celebration and happy dances! :)

July
The month of July was busy with a weekend vacation with some POC friends in another part of the country, helping with the OrthoTech course and preparing to go to Gulf Province.

Friendly ladies I met at a market in town while on a vacation weekend.

Orchids in Gulf Province!

August
The first almost three weeks of August, I spent in Gulf Province visiting different villages and helping to test literacy rates in the local schools.  Lots of boats, mud, crocodiles, sago, and mud. 

Me in an uncomfortable life vest in the boat trying to eat my breakfast while we were bumping up and down on the river and being splashed by water.  Thankfully, it didn't rain until I finished my breakfast! :)

Mud and log bridges in Gulf

This is one of my favorite photos of the year.  Gulf Province.

And I loved that the men of the village chopped us some steps in a log so we could descend the muddy riverbank -- AND they added a handrail!

September
After a short recovery from the Gulf trip, we were off again in late September to New Ireland Province to lead a Sunday School materials production course. 

An outrigger canoe, commonly used for fishing in the islands.

We were welcomed to the village where we would hold the course with leis and kulau, a feast, songs and dances.

Two women drafting a translation of a lesson for a Sunday school book.

October
I was in New Ireland through the middle of October and enjoyed seeing things I had never seen before including flying fish, trees full of lightning bugs, and New Ireland traditional dances.

Outside the house we stayed at in New Ireland.

With some kids at the final celebration of the Sunday School materials production workshop.

Decor at a dedication we went to for a new mobile phone tower in New Ireland.  It was nice to have mobile phone coverage (it began the week we arrived) so we could even check some emails in the village!

Our host family mama in New Ireland.  She has such a warm spirit!

November
It was nice to be in Ukarumpa for all of November after several months of travel.  I attended several community events like the high school carnival and the craft fair.  Then, in the latter half of the month I helped to teach a Paratext course. 

I finished this afghan after working on it over the past many months!  Fun!

Jacaranda tree with the hills in the background.

Friends at the Paratext Course.

December
Between mid-October of 2014 and mid-January of 2015 I will have stayed here in Ukarumpa.  This is about the longest stretch of time I have been in one place since arriving in PNG at the beginning of 2013!  What a pleasant feeling to have a couple months of settledness. 

December is summer here and we have lots of summer flowers!

We also have red and white poinsettia that grow all year long.

It has been another great year.  A year full of blessings.  A year full of challenges.  A year full of growth.  A year full of beauty.  I'm looking forward to 2015!