June 10, 2009 was the first time that Kudjip has had a visit from an American Ambassador. Leslie V. Rowe is the U.S. Amassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Ambassador Rowe took a tour of the mission station and hospital with Dr. Susan Myers, Michael Chapman, and Scot Riggins. A reception and town meeting was held for all the Americans in the area.
Mike and Diane with AmbassadorRowe. She will be leaving Pupua New Guinea for Washington DC in September. All ambassadors change location every three years.
Reception - New Hospital Peds Ward
Ambassador and Dr. Susan
Amassador Rowe visiting a ward.
Scot, Ambassador Rowe, Dr. Susan, Jessica, Aden, Mike, and Coleen
Town Meeting - Ambassador Rowe
Reception and Town Meeting
- Dr. Jim, Scot and Ambassador Rowe
- Ambassador Rowe and missionaries
Diane, Ambassador Rowe, and Michael
Posted in: June 2009.
Playing games and having fun as a family is very impotant to help build good healthy realtionships. Mike and I like to help encourage the familes that we work with everyday to take time to have fun and play together. What better way to start than on the job!!!
Wheel Barrow Races – a first for most.
Not sure about this!!!
Paul and pikinni
Hold ON!!!
Relays
Come on Dad lets go!
Get Ready to goPastor Frank and pikinini on the way!Shall we dance?Kumi and Little John on the run!John Kua and pikinni
Posted in: Constructon.
All the men brought their pikinni to work. Everyone had a great time.
Mike, work men and pikinni
Devotions
family time
Posted in: Constructon.
Here are some updated pictures of the volunteer house. As you can see progress has been made since the foundation was poured in May 2008. Thank you to all the Work and Witness Teams who have made it possible. Mike is putting a budget together to see what it will take to finish the house, so that it can be put to use.
The hospital is coming along well. Pushing to get cabinets done in OPD, punch list items, landscaping, electrical, autoclaves for a few.
front right corner looking left
side view water tank, storage room, left side of house from the front
Looking from parking lot to Out Patient Department on left and Pharmacy on right
Front gate entering the hospital.
Posted in: Constructon.
The people of Papua New Guinea are friendly and always have a greeting or smile for you.
Market in Mt. Hagen
Mama and baby
Family out walking the pigs.
Papa Gola's family
Leslie and Keving Kerrigan with Sunday School Children
Kid with shooter
Posted in: 2008 Summary.
WOW! It was been 2 months since I have been able to make a post. The internet has not been working. Hopefully, that is changing.
School is going well. The Swiss German children are speaking more English and getting into the school routine. Janet and I are very busy with all the subjects that we are teaching. Everything is hands on, no videos.
The hospital is progresssing well. Three wards are painted. Electrical and plumbing lines are going in the ground. Mike will start the sewer this week.
Posted in: September News.
Friday, I decide to go get the supplies needed for the Volunteer House for Mike. Mike gives me the list of materials, I grab my market bag, Pastor Robert rides along as security and one maintenance worker. Ruben says to me as I pick up the maintenance dyno that the emergency brake was left on does not work. I say OK and off we go.
Continue reading →
Posted in: July News.
One week ago today the Puyallup Team arrived in Mt. Hagen with suitcases in hand. They had a tour of the hospital and station to get oriented and acquainted to the area. Yesterday, the team poured cement for the 12×12 storage/water pump room.
The everyone worked hard to get the pour done from shoveling the boxes full of sand and cement to hauling the cement in wheelbarrows.
According to Kayla everyone was in bed by 8:30 PM last night.
Mark, Bob, and Jeff D. with nationals helping are doing the block work inside the house. The ceiling is also done for the ceiling board. Tim has been running the backhoe and Jeff has been driving the truck for loads of sand from Water Conny. Rachel, Ashley, and Kayla have been busy painting the wall boards with prime. Everyone is going a good job and staying busy.
Posted in: July News.
We are preparing for the next two teams arrival – Puyallup and Ridgecrest. Puyallup arrives July 18th with 17 team members. Ridgecrest arrives July 30th with 14 team members. Mike is ordering the final supplies for each team while they are here. Diane and Lena have processed 10 chickens for each team and cleaned the kitchens throughly. Diane has baked bread and cinnamon rolls for the first two to three days that the team arrives. This helps them have some food to eat before that first shopping day in town. Judy and the house marys are cleaning the houses, making beds, and doing the yard work. A lot of work goes into being ready for the teams to come.
Continue reading →
Posted in: July News.
Mike worked with the maintenance crew on Friday getting new lumber and materials for building a mobile scaffold system that attaches to the front bucket of the backhoe. Saturday found the station without electricity while Mike and the maintenance crew repaired an electrical cross brace on one of the electrical poles. 
Friday, Mike and the maintenance crew constructed a high rise platform for the men to work on while repairing the electrical pole cross brace. All of the electrical pole cross braces on station need to be replaced because the wood is rotted – one pole at a time. 
Mike is enjoying working with the men and helping them learn how to think through the steps of completion on a project. Mike is patient and takes his time. The men like Mike.
The platform is attached to the backhoe front bucket and then raised into position by the pole. The men used a ladder to go up to the platform.
Posted in: July News.
