Feb. 2023
PO Box 1765, Grass Valley, CA 95945
530-272-8170
https://www.piministries.com/index.html office@piministries.com
Dear Friends,
The beautiful tourism posters state “PNG is the land of the unexpected”. Although PNG has over thirty-five different birds of paradise to locate them in the bush often takes an unexpected effort. The planned courses for February proceed better than expected. Sandy began a second level sewing class with six of her former students. Then a later week 50 teachers started their 2 week Inservice training before returning to their schools at different villages.
親愛的朋友們：
美麗的旅遊海報上寫著「新幾內亞是個超乎意料的地方」。儘管新幾內亞有超過三十五種不同的天堂鳥，但在灌木叢中找到它們往往需要超乎意料的努力。計劃於2月份的課程進展也是超乎意料。Sandy和她教過的六個學生一起開始了第二級縫紉課。 隨後的一周，50名教師開始了為期兩周的在職培訓，然後返回各自村莊的學校。
The first day the sewing class began and a disturbance happened in the town market. A group of over 30 young men with machetes and some shotguns came chasing after other men who ran away on the road alongside the PIM Training Center. Those fleeing escaped. Their village responded with a larger group who passed by the Training Center going the other direction. Then the opposing tribe chased them past the Training Center again. No fatalities, one house burned down and a store owner who was trying protect his store from rioters was hit in the chest by a projectile from a slingshot. The local police with reinforcements have recorded the names and fined some of the participants in the fighting and arson. There were no damages to PIM property. Sandy’s course did have one participant who was afraid to return, but the others continued and have come a third week to finish sewing up their project shirt and trousers.
縫紉班開始的第一天，鎮上的市場發生了騷動。30多名年輕人拿著砍刀和一些獵槍成群追趕在PIM培訓中心旁邊路上逃跑的其他男子。那些逃跑的人逃脫了，他們的村子卻帶回一大群人經由培訓中心，朝另一個方向走去。 然後對方部落再次追趕他們經過訓練中心。沒有人死亡，一所房子被燒毀，一名店主試圖保護他的商店免受暴徒襲擊，卻被投射器的彈丸擊中胸部。 當地員警和增援部隊對一些參與戰鬥和縱火的參與者進行筆錄並處以罰款。 PIM的產業沒有受到損害。Sansy的課程確實有一名學員不敢回來，但其他人繼續上課，並在第三周完成了他們的作品上衣和褲子的縫製。
Regular rainfall in Ambunti keeps grass green and growing thick. But an airstrip needs short grass to remain safe, as tall grass makes landings and takeoffs difficult. Unfortunately, the local government lacks funds and equipment for regular maintenance. This month with missionaries scheduled to travel in and out by plane, it required some extra ordinary work to prepare PIM equipment. Thankfully, supplies and the expertise were on hand to make the repairs possible. The airstrip cutting took 10 hours longer than the usual 6 hours and the pilot who recently landed with Scherings did not issue a closure report.
安布恩提的頻繁降雨使得青草保持鮮綠茂密。長高的草使飛機著陸和起飛變得困難，飛機跑道的草需要修短才能保持安全。不幸的是，當地政府缺乏定期維護(飛機跑道)的資金和設備。這個月，許多宣教士計劃搭乘飛機進出，我們需要進行一些特殊的工作來讓PIM的設備派上用場。值得慶幸的是，我們原本就有這樣的設備和訓練好的技術人員，飛機跑道的維修不成問題。 飛機跑道的割草工作比往常的6小時多花了10個小時，最近搭載薛令夫婦到這裡的飛行員沒有發佈關閉飛機跑道的公告。（譯註：飛機跑道上的草如果太長，飛行員就會發布公告關閉飛機跑道。）
Alan Deyoung from Iowa (escaping the winter) is with PIM for a visit and to help out. He gets to interact with PIM teachers here at Ambunti and learn a bit of Melanesian Tok Pisin.
來自愛荷華州來此避寒的艾倫·德揚（Alan Deyoung）正在PIM訪宣。他得以與安布恩提的PIM老師互動，並學習一些美拉尼西亞濱涇語。
We all are living in the land of the unexpected, we don’t always know what the next day will bring. But this we know. God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 41:6.
我們都生活在超乎意料的世界，我們並不總是知道第隔天如何。但有一件事我們知道： 上帝是我們的避難所、我們的力量，是患難中永遠的幫助。詩篇41：6。
Thank you, Douglas Heidema 謝謝您，道格拉斯·海德瑪