Our days at home in the last months have been full of fun celebrations, visitors, and new friends. The kids are growing at lightning speed and I only wish I could share (or remember) all of the hilarious things they’ve done and said that have kept us in stitches. But this photo blog should get you caught up on some of the other highlights on the PNG home-front!
As our household numbers grew, we realized we needed a bit more space on the inside of the house! So some of our national maintenance workers helped to build this shed on one end of our back porch. Its been a wonderful addition!Despite living very near the river, we don’t often ALL make it down there. But when we do, you can be absolutely sure that someone ends up falling in. I believe it was Matthias on this particular occasion.I knew the kids would enjoy this swing-set (which was their Christmas gift from us and their grandparents), but I couldn’t have ever imagined the HOURS of play time it would clock in from all of the neighborhood children. Its one of the favorite “hang-out” spots for the dozen kids that play together each day.We continue to make “family rounds” and hospital evangelism a priority in our family. Its easy for me to be home with the kids everyday and forget the reason that we’ve come to PNG! THIS is what its all about. And I’m glad anytime my kids can see lives changed because of what God is doing in this place.Each year on Christmas Eve the missionaries go caroling at each of the four hospital wards. We usually also do some sort of nativity play. And it usually involves enticing toddlers to wear certain hats or robes.I tried to get a handle on pre-school with these two (despite the multiple interruptions due to their sisters), and even if we weren’t very consistent or it wasn’t very creative most days, they still have a love for learning. Now Simeon is gearing up for kindergarten!Praying with patients on the wards is one of my favorite things to do. There is an openness and gratitude that is so refreshing and encouraging.This was Naomi’s first time in the baby swing that Grandma and Grandpops brought back from Australia!Boxes from America are still an absolute highlight around here!Thanks to many of YOU who made donations toward a vehicle, we were able to purchase this 2001 Toyota LandCruiser. In the last few months is been to several bush churches, up a couple of mountains and taken many trips on the pot-hole infested highway. We are so grateful for the freedom and flexibility it allows us!And it wouldn’t be a typical day around our house without some Lego play.Tabea can frequently be found wearing one of my scarves or necklaces. This here was one of the greatest days we’ve had in awhile! Grandma Betsy and Grandpa Lincoln arrived on May 18th and spent six incredible weeks with us. We made memories to last a life-time. And after several trips on the Highlands Highways, Mom says she will NEVER ONCE complain about a bumpy road or pothole again.This was the day after their arrival and this scene was repeated multiple times throughout their six weeks with us!Ben’s youngest sister, Lydia, graduated from high school and we had a wonderful missionary gathering with food, games, a slide show and a sweet prayer time. Lydia has since returned to the States with her parents for their furlough time and we already miss her here!This is a fairly typical scene on any day that Joy comes. She is quick to wipe faces and trays, sit down and play games or take both girls outside to run and play.And this is probably a less busy day on the swing-set!My parents had the “privilege” of experiencing election time in PNG (which happens once every five years). You’ll notice the candidates’ posters plastered to the wall of a store near Kudjip. Every day, from dawn to almost 10 PM, we heard loudspeakers blaring music and speeches from the LandCruisers that drove through the area.We are blessed to have a fresh market just a short walk (or drive) from the mission station.Mom and I enjoyed shopping amongst the lines and lines of used clothes that are hung up near the market each day.Joy and Tabea enjoy a swing together!I believe this was the day that everyone was hot but no one could quite be shaded properly enough. It was a LONG quarter-mile to Grandma and Grandpops’ house.I will treasure this photo for many years to come! What a an absolute gift to have both sets of grandparents in PNG with us at the same time!With election season comes a whole host of decorated election vehicles. And this typically comes in the form of grasses and ferns that then become dried and take on the appearance of some sort of hairy car beast. We affectionately referred to them as “fuzzy cars”!The first ‘bush church’ that we visited with Mom and Dad is the home church of David Wan who is one of our dear friends and an anesthetist at the hospital.This wild band of buddies was frequently found “attacking” intruders on the road. This was the start of several weeks of playing knights and kings and princesses!Aunt Sheena is a dear friend who has now left PNG for her home assignment time. She was our dentist here at Kudjip and will return to another mission here in PNG later in the year. We had a “beach party” at the river for her send-off!Just kicking off the shoes before church!This is one of my very favorite photos of my dad ever. Its not a great quality photograph from any technical standards, but the meaning behind it is what makes it so special. My parents just became part of the PNG family during their visit and that will always mean so much to me.Church is always more exciting when EVERYONE gets a lolli afterwards!Pastor Tony at Konduk church had a special way with our boys!The main market in Mount Hagen may be over-crowded and dirty, but this little strawberry corner makes it ALL worth it. One pile of strawberries in a bowl costs 5 Kina which is about $1.50. Bring your own container!We took my folks to see our friend Meti’s place. Here she is with her son Lesley inside their home.During our trip to Rondon Ridge, a lovely hotel and restaurant on the top of a mountain, we visited their archives room that has some beautiful photos. These two especially caught my eye. It turns out that Father’s Day in PNG looks a good bit like Father’s Day in the States.Only Grandma would think its a good idea to do playdoh on the living room rug. But it kept some kids (and Grandma) busy for the better part of an hour!Everyday the girls find their way to the stool that allows them to peek out the window to the garden and road…and sometimes Grandma!On our trip to the nearby orphanage, the kids were pretty entertained by Naomi and Tabea. And, in this case, Naomi was pretty mesmerized by the half-dozen pigs in the field nearby.These election posters were mounted along the entrance road to Kudjip station where they’d get a lot of viewers. In the Mount Hagen airport there is a piece of modern technology that scares our boys silly! They’re smiling, but neither one of them will go close to that hand dryer.And it wouldn’t be a proper photo blog post without twins in a laundry basket!
I loved this photo blog and felt the emotion of your parents’ visit to PNG! Thank you for keeping us up-to-date with pictures of your sweet family and stories from one of our favorite places on earth!
Love,
Sylvia
From: Script and Scalpel Reply-To: Script and Scalpel Date: Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 12:00 AM To: David and Sylvia Potter Subject: [New post] Catching Up
benandkath posted: “Our days at home in the last months have been full of fun celebrations, visitors, and new friends. The kids are growing at lightning speed and I only wish I could share (or remember) all of the hilarious things they’ve done and said that have kept us in s”
Sooo loved seeing all the family pictures of Katherine, Ben, Simeon, Matthias, Tabea, Naomi, Kathy, Jim, Betsy, Lincoln & Lydia. What an absolute delight for all of you! Always praying for all of you. Much love.
Script and Scalpel 
Beautiful pictures…precious memories!!!
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Dear Ben and Katherine,
I loved this photo blog and felt the emotion of your parents’ visit to PNG! Thank you for keeping us up-to-date with pictures of your sweet family and stories from one of our favorite places on earth!
Love,
Sylvia
From: Script and Scalpel Reply-To: Script and Scalpel Date: Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 12:00 AM To: David and Sylvia Potter Subject: [New post] Catching Up
benandkath posted: “Our days at home in the last months have been full of fun celebrations, visitors, and new friends. The kids are growing at lightning speed and I only wish I could share (or remember) all of the hilarious things they’ve done and said that have kept us in s”
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Sooo loved seeing all the family pictures of Katherine, Ben, Simeon, Matthias, Tabea, Naomi, Kathy, Jim, Betsy, Lincoln & Lydia. What an absolute delight for all of you! Always praying for all of you. Much love.
Rebecca
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