Episode 31 - Best Laid Plans

So I am sending this blog post out on Tuesday morning as promised, but the reason it’s a day later than normal is not quite what I imagined. You see I had planned to spend this weekend in Mariama, a small remote village in the East Sepik. The boys from my class were all going together. One of our teachers used to work in Mariama. He and his family moved in to Mariama along with another family from New Tribes Mission and began learning the tribal language – without any translators to help. Having learnt the language, they then translated the bible and taught those who wanted to understand what it said. After about fifteen years in the village, they had helped those who wanted to know more grow in their faith and establish a Church. It was time for them to leave, to allow the people of Mariama to take ownership of the church without those who helped form it. Mark still goes back from time to time to encourage and teach when necessary. This weekend was one such time. But it wasn’t just any visit. Several of the churches from neighbouring villages were coming for a gathering and we (the boys from the class) we’re going to stay for the weekend. To listen to the teaching, to share in the food and to sleep in the village. It would be a great experience and a great chance to practice our Tok Pisin. But for me it wasn’t to be. That was my plan, right until I got ill the week before (and I still tried to hold onto that plan for a while before reluctantly realising I had to let go).

The last time the boys were together...

Now don’t worry, I’m not dying, but I was really looking forward to going, so there is no way I would have missed out unless I really couldn’t. And so I spent the vast majority of the weekend (and a couple of days either side) tucked up in bed asleep rather than out in the wilds of PNG. I should have been gutted. Really really disappointed. But I wasn’t. Apart from the fact that in all of those moments that I was flat out in bed, there was no-where I would rather have been in my present state than safely ensconced in my snuggly duvet (doona to any Australian readers). But even upon reflection I’m not actually disappointed. Sure I would have loved to have been there, but it just couldn’t be. And that’s okay. And it’s okay because in life (and particularly it seems in PNG), the unexpected will happen, but it seems that for every cool exciting planned thing that the unexpected takes away, it provides two amazing unplannable experiences. And the very nature of this life is that it’s unpredictable and that’s part of its joy not its pain. I will remember who it is that orchestrates the uncontrollable and hold on to His promise that; “God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His promise”. And so for these reasons I am not sad or disappointed, I just look forward to the next plot twist that life brings. Also, a lovely CRMF family brought me guava juice when I wasn’t feeling well and it’s impossible to feel sad when you have guava juice!