|
The life of a missionary comes with all kinds of surprises. This page is dedicated to sharing some of the uniques experiences we encounter along the way.
"Always amused, never surprised..." is what one missionary told us as we were relating some
recent experiences to him. In the East Highlands region of Papua New Guinea, it is common to see goats walking across the road as well as the occasional pig. I was told of one "near miss" recently. There was a group of people standing alongside the road, as a van was about to pass them the crowd opened up and someone slapped a pig on the butt sending him out into the road. I guess it must have been close to butchering time! The drive came to a sudden stop and allowed the pig to cross. The crowd wasn't too happy as they were hoping the pig would get hit by the vehicle and they would charge the driver compensation for the pig. If a person, especially an expat., is involved in an automobile accident in PNG they should proceed straight to the police station without stopping. Yes, this cuts across everything we've ever been taught, but it could save your life.
 As we entered Papua New Guinea we could immediately notice some things that were going to take a while to adjust to. One thing is the side of the road you drive on. Don't worry though, I had practice before we left the country! One Wednesday we were to speak to a college group in Michigan. As I was on the phone getting some step-by-step directions, I was instructed to turn down a certain road which just happened to be a one-way street. I didn't think anything of the passing cars as it is not out of the ordinary to have a car pass by you on the left. However, when I had cars passing on the left and right and honking their horns while they did so something triggered in my mind that I might be going down a one-way street. Sure enough, the signs confirmed it.
The Lord knew I needed all the practice I could get, and I don't really know if the driving situation here will be any better!
 When we first started driving we were taught by our parents, as many of you may have been, that it is no longer safe to pick up hitchhikers. Well, as we were traveling through Virginia in early July we did just that. We stopped at a friend's house, who would like to remain anonymous, to stay for a couple nights. Between trips from the vehicle to the house as we were unloading suitcases, the van was invaded by two mice. I had learned from Robyn's cousin, who would also like to remain anonymous, that it isn't a good idea to put rat poison in the car. For next week we traveled throughout Virginia with mouse traps under our feet. I was torn in deciding what to do. Afterall a couple mice would help keep the cheerio crumbs dropped by Michael to a minimum. But on the other hand, they were taking everything they could find to build a nest under the dash. Well, let me just say that we are no longer pestered by the furry hitchhikers.
The other thing I'm sure we've learned from time behind the wheel, especially in Michigan, is to look out for deer. On our way down the lonely road back from Illinois I noticed a deer approaching the road from the nearby ditch. As I slowed to a stop the fawn hopped out onto the road and was shortly joined by its sibbling. They gave us a good show until we gradually crept too close. Out of nowhere mommy came dashing across the road to take them back to safety. Click picture for a bigger view.
|
