I finally have got round to making a video of Mt Hagen’s main market. There are little markets scattered all around town, but this is the main market for town and for the province. The market is a meeting place for some and traders come from all over the province, even some produce comes all the way from the coast. The market is open normally 7am to 5pm everyday except Sunday. It is a very easy going place, but can be intense due to the noise and crowd of people.
There are a few cultural things to know about shopping at a market in PNG. You pay before you take anything or touch anything. You don’t walk over food on the ground, especially women (this can be considered offensive). You don’t pick up items too many times while trying to chose something good (it can offend the seller). You need to have close to the right change, anything bigger than 2K will be hard to get change. The price of most things is fixed, especially food.
I normally do my shopping Saturday morning. Umm this Saturday morning I was a bit out of it, ummm we had a plan of what we would do, umm but it didn’t really work out, it was noisy as usual. It wasn’t too busy, but hope it gives a little insight into shopping in PNG.
In the final week of 2009 one news channel kept showing highlights from 2009 in different areas like sport, politics and natural disasters. While having my photo screensaver going on my laptop one night. I was listening to music. Seeing photo’s of the year with music, I was inspired to make a little slideshow of pictures from the year. I didn’t take too many photo’s last year and most of the good ones have been used before, so it was hard to put together a good collection of unseen ones, so there are some recycled photo’s. I can’t believe how quick January has gone already. I wanted to get this done before the end of the month, just a day late.
While putting together this video it helped me look back on the year more than I had already. I was really blown away by what I was able to experience and achieve last year. Something that I am grateful for the way God gave me these experiences and achievements throughout the year. Despite how good the experiences were or how hard they were or how big the achievements were. I know that all these things are nothing without Him and sharing them with Him. That knowing Him is better and greater than any of these on a level I can not comprehend, looking back on last year and other years too. Every year I do long to know God more and to walk more closely with Him. Last year was a struggle at times and this year will be hard too at times. Like each new year, I want to grow and mature more as a man of God. Growing in His word and prayer, among other things. To share the experiences and achievements of this year with Him in His will, which is only possible by His grace.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8a)
This footage was taken over a year ago when traveling to Goroka from Mt Hagen on a PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) on the Highlands Highway. It is missing a few things like people chewing betel nut and spitting, smoking, being stopped to pay road tax (someone else did), and the amazing scenery. I had fun making this video and one scene made me laugh a lot. But overall I hope it gives some insight what it is like traveling for people by road in PNG, if there is a road.
I had forgotten all about this footage, but recently put this together. It is from my village living experience in Dogea which is around 30-40 mins from Madang. I spent six nights in the village June 2008, which the five weeks at POC beforehand was preparing me for. It was a very interesting experience, but did have a lot of challenges, especially culturally, mainly with misunderstandings. This video was filmed one Sunday afternoon so that’s why it is so quiet in the village. Few things missing from it like the beach, their garden, where to get water etc. But hope it gives an insight into how the majority of people in remote areas live in PNG.
This video took a few months to put together. It has some of the out takes from the hangar tour video earlier in the year. There was enough to make another video. None of this was scripted or planned, it just happened. I did warn people in advance that there would be a video camera lurking around the hangar, but it didn’t stop people interrupting, being smart or being cheeky.
Here is a little video from the summit of Mt Hagen during sunrise. The summit is roughly 12,600 ft above sea level. I guess a camera lens can’t capture the view from up there as well as the human eye. But it was amazing through the different stages of the morning as lighting changed. It was recorded by one of the pilots on the hike, Derek, including his marvelous commentary of the surrounding area. The only thing left out is the first big mountain range you see is Mt Wilhelm, enjoy.
Here finally is a video of our Hangar in Mt Hagen. You have to excuse me in this, as I was quite tired and made a few mistakes in what I said. I’m sorry too for the length, really tried to make it short and simple. I think it’s the one video so far that I have not been satisfied with. But will have to do. Hope it gives a better perspective of our environment here.
I have struggled to output any videos in a few months now. So I thought in the mean time I could try and get this video uploaded. This is the latest video production made of MAF PNG back in 2007. We show this video when explaining about MAF when ministering with the MAF ministry team. It does make me laugh sometimes seeing friends and colleagues in this video. But hope it gives a good general perspective and reminder of MAF’s operations in PNG.
This video was originally put together quickly as an update video for my home church. It has been finally tided up a bit. I guess this shows an example of what the MAF ministry team gets up to, normally on a Friday or Saturday night. Unfortunately some really good action footage did not turn out, but all the same I hope this gives you a glimpse of ministry here in PNG. In this video we attend the village called Pontus, where there had been four years of tribal fighting with their neighboring village and about twenty people killed. We drive out in the middle of nowhere to spend the night at this remote village after a big week in the hanger to minster to these people.
The first post in a while is a video made last year. One evening returning home from a cold dirty day at work. I come home to find no running water. So on the moment I made a little video of the event. The only thing missing is the air clearing from the water in violent surges, enjoy.
"He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
