April 2014

One highlight this month was a new addition to the family of three little ducklings. After spending their first 2 weeks in the bathtub, they now live happily under the house, being well feed by all the little kids in Kompiam - think we're running out of grubs and bugs. Other highlight was the kids club that the girls ran in the holidays and great experience for them as well as the kids involved.

Jemima, Phoebe, Cecilia in the bathtub

Russell's little puncture wound after falling off a deck onto a nail

Foundations in ready for the new maternity ward

Another addition - Green tree frog joined us for a few days

Building the duckies a new home under the house

Dodo and Sandy

Felix still keeping us company at the hospital and loves the trampoline

Highschool breakup - dressed up for a night at the movies (My Fair Lady)

Kompiam Kids Club

Kompiam Kids Club - Sketchboard talk

Kompiam Kids Club - Drama

Kompiam Kids Club - Wheelbarrow races (blindfolded)

Breeding butterflies

Zinnah and Reggie

Kompiam Kids Club - Rob the Nest

Kompiam Kids Club - Hot Cross Buns

Second container arrives

MAF plane broke down on the airstrip

March 2014

March has just flown by and another busy but enjoyable month in the mountains. Been nice to get out for a few walks in the surrounding countryside and take in some of God's amazing creation. We walked up Yawali Manda which is about 2300m, and a few other shorter walks around Kompiam.  Russell went down to Lae for a week in the hospital truck to pick up some supplies. A 13 hour drive with magnificent scenery, but pretty rough on the "highway".

Crossing the "bridge" at the base of Yawali Manda

Big Hugs from Tomi whose village is at the top of Yawali Manda

Looking up toward the Kompiam plateau from the Sau River - our house on the cliffs at far right

Snake came off second best

Heather and her newly caught fish

Very full container arrives from Australia

Empty container arrives in Kompiam - amazing it made it up the road - truck had to be pushed out of the river with a 22t excavator

Unloading of the container in Kompiam - not easy without a crane

What a life - baby asleep on the fence

Our neighbors out for some play time

High school girls doing My Fair Lady

Another walk overlooking Kompiam - you can see the airstrip

Pigs joined us for lunch - baaaaccooooooooonnnn

Amazing rainbows

Coming down out of the mountains towards Lae

Drive to Lae

Another swimming hole

Little Felix who is spending some time here at the hospital with malnutrition

Amazing what fun you can have with (empty) egg cartons

February 2014

After a wonderful break in Brisbane over Christmas we arrived back in PNG the first week in February and back into the Kompiam lifestyle. First few photos below from the holiday back home.

Nancy's birthday scavenger hunt through Brisbane city - Selfie of Wendy and Heather

Nancy's birthday scavenger hunt through Brisbane city - Selfie of Nancy, Bonnie and Russell

Conwell family photo

All the granddaughters and one very spoiled great grand son

Lady Elliot Island

Lady Elliot Island and a very tired turtle after laying it's eggs

Filling out immigration forms as we leave Brisbane

Back in Kompiam with our good friend Susie

Playground still holding together and providing lots of entertainment for young (and old)

Unity and Dodo

Bradley and his new toy (hospital left overs)

Digging our new Pipia (rubbish) hole in the back yard

The boys and their car

Russell at the bottom of the pipia (rubbish) hole with some help from above

Climbing up the cliff onto the Kompiam plateau (hard to capture how steep this is)

Wendy hits the wall and still smiling

Bonnie worn out after a tough rock climb

15years of hospital septic plugged up and ready to be cleaned out (by bucket)

The Bucket brigade gets to work (note the hygienic pink crocs)

What more needs to be said?