Catchup. Not ketchup.

As promised, I'm going to try to catch up on our travels and deputation.

We took a route home that we've never tried before; from PNG to the Solomon Islands to Fiji to Hawaii.  We did 2 weeks of deputation in Hawaii before travelling on to Idaho and our family.

Scott and Olivia Dooley

The Dooleys took us to the airport.  This is Scott and Olivia.  We successfully avoided overweight charges, got checked in and away to Port Moresby without too much stress.  We spent the night in Pt. Moresby, staying at Mapang Missionary Home.  Early Sunday morning we left for the Solomon Islands.

Airport in Honiara, Solomon Islands

This is our only evidence that we were ever in the Solomons, and not very good evidence, since you probably can't read the sign.  We didn't go through Immigration (so we don't have stamp in our passports), just got off the plane, went through security, waited a few minutes then got back on the Air Niugini flight.

Singers in the Nadi (pronounced "nandi" if you care), Fiji, airport.

This is our only evidence of ever having been in Fiji.  We just went through as transit passengers, so still didn't get our passports stamped.  These young men were there in the airport playing and singing Fijian music for the people waiting in the line for the transfer desk.  After a while I guessed that they were singing Christian songs, based on the fact that some were to familiar hymn tunes.  As I sang along in English I made eye contact with the guitar player, who smiled.  When they finished, he came over, shook my hand and introduced himself.  He confirmed that they were, indeed, Christians, and were from a church there.  What a delightful break in the boredom of standing in line.

Judy with happy little kids at the Living Waters Church of the Nazarene

Even thought it was Sunday morning when we left PNG, we crossed the International Date Line, so it was Sunday morning again when we arrived in Hawaii.  Well, missionaries doing deputation can't waste a Sunday morning, so we got off the plane at 7:30 AM, and were speaking in a church at 12:00! 

This was in a delightful church plant called Living Waters Church of the Nazarene.  They meet at noon, because that's the only time they can get time in the school where they meet (apparently 6 or 7 church groups meet at this school).  They are effective in ministry and evangelism--a significant number in the church are homeless, and many are new believers.  The pastor is R.J. Strickland.  He and his wife were both music majors at NNU, and have a great ministry in teaching music lessons.  In fact, one of the requirements for being in the worship band is taking weekly lessons. 

We don't have any pictures of us speaking there, but we weren't too alert by then.  We were thankful to go to the house where we were staying and take a nap!

More about Hawaii soon!

AB