Then and now . . . a brief review of the past 7 week

Some photos from before life changed:

Taking the kids to the river that runs along one side of our mission center:

A heart-shaped rock from my loving David.

It's cold water up at 5000 feet!

The kids enjoying school activities (now cancelled until July):

Gracie was Super Star of the Week . . . 

. . . so of course she took our new kitties for her personal show and tell time!

The girls performed a lovely dance in Chapel

Going to the nearby town for supplies:

Gavin and I enjoying a Valentine's Day lunch at the Kainantu Lodge

Hanging out with friends:

David and one of his best buds, who is often mistaken as one of the quints. :)

Going to the clinic:

Will being very brave while having a crown replaced.

Isaac developing his art talent: 

He says it's too loud to work at our house. :)

As previously mentioned, our cat had kittens! Thank God, truly. They are such a blessing during this time of self-isolation. (The Prime Minister of PNG declared a State of Emergency on Sunday, to stop the entry or spread of coronavirus in the country. So now we're practicing self-isolation along with so much of the rest of the world.)

Four kittens - I still have our cat beat! ;)

Sweet Seth cuddling "Brownie"

Small enough to fit in Gracie's little apron pocket! (She loves to help me in the kitchen.)

You can hardly see the kitty buried in Marcie's neck.

Monkeying around the house (thankfully something we can do anytime!):

Seth, the child who needed  occupational and physical therapy for balance and strength and coordination, is our biggest monkey! He's always climbing up to the chin-up bar and swinging down.

Happy Daddy Pile!

The Prime Minister of PNG declared a State of Emergency on Sunday, to stop the entry or spread of coronavirus in the country. We're all practicing self-isolation - like so very many (all?) of the rest of you.


This WHO poster is in Melanesian Pidgin:

Gavin and Isaac delivering fresh produce house to house now that the public market is temporarily suspended. Note the gloves the delivery boys are wearing. They also used a lot of hand sanitizer! Isaac is the tallest in the photo, center. Gavin is the driver, checking the inventory and order form.

We all need prayers as we live so closely together in this "new" world, don't we? Homeschooling in particular slightly terrifies me! I can't even keep up with the housework. :) But I am grateful for God's sovereignty and love, knowing He is working in and through this unprecedented, international situation. It's also encouraging to know we're all in this together. Love to you and yours from Carrie, Gavin, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth and Gracie.

Jones' Clips - February 2020: 60 Miles.

This, that, and some other things

Hi friends,

I am weary and sleepy but blessed, so here are a few random pictures from our past couple of months. Sorry I'm so terrible at blogging nowadays! I'm working at school in Seth's kindergarten classroom (SO SWEET!!!) and in the Clinic lab, so life is just busier and more full. But again, blessed. :)

Blessings upon blessings! A few lovely ladies I get to do life with here. This was a very special two-night getaway (with spouses) to the coast city of Lae to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, mid-December.

The butcher kept offering to cut us some of this freshly slaughtered pig for our Christmas dinner.
He got NO takers.

Gavin swimming in the river near the village of translator friends

Lots of little helpers unloading the helicopter! I love PNG kids!

These boys. So many expressions, so much noise! They're testing out a spy microphone. 

Lighting a New Year's lantern (but not on New Year's)

I love Marcie's face as she watches the lantern start to fill.

David and Seth at the boat dock in Lae. 

Enjoying icy drinks in HOT Lae

Gracie on top, Isaac on bottom, a friend in the middle, also in Lae

Gracie with our parrot. He's such a sweetheart - almost as sweet as she is!

Seth dressed as the Green Ninja from LEGO Ninjago. The parrot is named after the Green Ninja (La-Loyd)

New portraits for a new year

Thanks to a dear friend for using her talent and equipment and time to take these! We love you!!

Seth

Marcie

Will

David

Gracie

Isaac

Merry Christmas 2019!

Christmas morning photos. You'll see LEGOs featured heavily among the boys' gifts. 

Animal costumes from Grandpadad and Grandma

Happy Seth beginning his LEGO helicopter

Marcie with the gift Isaac bought her

David opening his LEGOs

On Christmas Eve Eve I boldly undertook to make a gingerbread house from scratch. It wasn't the prettiest, but it tasted really good, and the kids LOVED decorating it with their good buddy from next door!

Will was the most excited about the finished product so insisted I take a photo from every angle. :)

(I love the mantel in the background of this photo. It was so pretty this year.)

You can see our "Charlie Brown"-style fake Christmas tree in the background. Pretty sad looking and sparse, but it does the job. :) We bought it off other missionaries returning to their home country.

Isaac playing ball with his friends in the backyard at our friends' house last evening.  Gracie is the little girl pushing the baby carriage. The storm you can see moving in behind them to the right never ended up really breaking here, but it sure dumped a lot of hail on the big town of Goroka about two hours by road from us!

We are SO BLESSED by good friends who are family here! We always miss our own families, of course, but love our life and community and ministry in PNG.

A few bonus pictures from November:

The girls'  treasured stuffed animals dressed up as princesses

Thanks to Aunt Mickey for matching clothes!

Seth made up this airplane with loose LEGO pieces