Bart and Emily Allen Tribal Church Planters in Papua New Guinea Settling In Again
We’ve been back in PNG for just over a week now!! And we’re still working on the unpacking and reorganizing. I’ve found that unpacking with a 4 month old baby is not that much different than packing up with a 3 month old – everything just takes longer. But that’s okay!
Everyone is adjusting well to being back here. Luke and Titus are happy to be able to ride their bikes again, play in and build new forts, play with their Legos and be warm again! (You can click on any of the pictures to see a larger version.)
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Last to Board – But We Made It!!
No matter how many times we move and how much we try to get things done ahead of time, it always seem to come down to the wire! And it was no different this time!! After a short night of sleep, we woke up on Wednesday with a few last minute things to do. We then got on the road to head to the Pittsburgh airport. First, though, we needed to stop one more time at Walmart. And that’s where the delays began!! Rather than write out all the crazy things that happened on this trip, I’m just going to list them.
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Mail for Caleb
A few weeks ago, at 6 weeks of age, Caleb received something in the mail that gave him special distinction in the Allen family! He became the member of our family who received his passport at the earliest age!
Doesn't he look excited?
Now we’re just waiting for his entry permit (visa) for Papua New Guinea and we’ll be all set for our return on May 11.
Caleb has arrived!
Caleb James Allen
Our little Caleb arrived on 1/11/11 – about 3 weeks early!! He weighed 7 lb. 9 oz., was 21 in. long and has lots of dark hair. We are all adjusting to life with a newborn, but we are doing well.
The 3 brothers
Back in PA
After a long, fairly smooth and uneventful trip, we are settling in to life in snowy Pennsylvania again!! Thank you for praying for us as we prepared to leave Papua New Guinea and then as we traveled.
Here are few photos of our trip:
One last photo in PNG - waiting for the New Tribes plane that took us to Australia
Luke stuffed in the back of the C-90 with the luggage!
On a new continent - enjoying a day in Cairns, Australia
Welcomed back by family and friends at the Pittsburgh airport
On our first Sunday back at our home church
A few funny things that have happened since we’ve been back:
- Bart having to consciously keep to the right side of the road while driving
- Titus talking in his sleep – in Pidgin!
- Luke being excited to find coins on the floor at Walmart and other stores
- Emily finding out that Walmart in our town no longer carries maternity clothes – we had to travel 45 minutes to find a store that did!
It’s good to be home again. Now that we are all sleeping/being awake at the correct times, things are feeling more normal!
The New Normal
When we leave Papua New Guinea and head back to the States in the middle of November, we will have been here just a few weeks short of a year. In thinking back through our first year on the field and in anticipation of adjusting back to U.S. culture, we thought we’d share with you some funny things that have become normal for us! Enjoy! And feel free to send us a message and tell us which one is your favorite. 
Things we’ve gotten used to here in PNG (in no particular order):
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To the Tribe and Back Again
Our Family - October 2010
Last week our family returned from a 9-day visit into the newest tribal work in the Madang region. (For more background information on the trip, please read our previous blog post – The Timeline and A Baby.)
Thank you very much for praying for us! Our main prayer request as we made this trip was that the Lord would show us clearly if we should pursue working in this tribe or not!
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The Timeline and A Baby
NTM Church Planting Timeline
For those of you who have been following our ministry or who heard us share in your church, this timeline hopefully looks familiar! The Lord faithfully led us through the New Tribes training as well as through our time of partnership development (a.k.a. support raising). We arrived here in Papua New Guinea in December 2009.
We are excited to be able to share with you that we have now completed our field orientation as well!!
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New Swimming Record
Before we came to PNG, the boys had been taking swimming lessons at our local YMCA. Well, their teachers would be proud of how well they are doing! Just the other day they set a new record for depth of the water they were swimming in. Here are a few photos of their latest swimming adventure!
Heading out into the Bismark Sea
“Red Lights Shooting Out Of Their Armpits”
True language learning cannot be done in a vacuum. In order to sufficiently understand the language a person speaks, one must also understand the culture that they live in. With that in mind, a major part of our time spent learning Tok Pidgin (the trade language of Papua New Guinea) deals with delving into the culture and finding out what and how these people think.
We thought you might be interested in hearing a few of the stories that our PNG friends have shared with us. Please keep in mind that they really believe these things. The point is not to make them look foolish or backward but to show you a little glimpse into the lives of the people with whom we interact.
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