Family fun

 

My parents came to see us in Ambrym in July-August!  We had a great 3 1/2 weeks with them in country.  We spent a week in Ambrym in the village, and the remaining time in Vila.  We didn't do anything extraordinarily special, other than just hang out, which was special enough in itself.  So thankful they work so hard and save up to be able to come see us.  

 The view on the way to the volcano.

We did go to the active volcano, Marum, on our island - or at least most of the way to it.  Here it is behind us on the ash plain. 

 Dad did some playing with wood and bamboo out in the village.  So many new wood varieties to explore!  He carved Jesiah a little outrigger canoe.

Yanik cutting off a Limri wood plank for dad to take home.

Mom helped us paint in Gretchen's cupboards.  Bill's son Marcus really hooked us up with these cupboards and we can easily fit 6 months of stores in the pantries and other shelving he made us!

 We got to participate in the ceremony for Sylvie and Stephanie to go to Pentecost island with Tobie, her fiance.  This is usually just an exchange of a bit of food and money showing that Tobie's family will take care of her from here on out until they can afford to get married (ridiculously expensive here because of paying bride prices and money and food to all the extended family).  But Elder Harry, Sylvie's dad, asked that people see this as their marriage before God that they are legitimately together and had Houghton pray for their new lives together.  And no, the state of Temar's (Sylvie's brother, left foreground) shirt above, is not unusual.  You wear your clothes until they fall off of you here!  Thanks to Grace Bible Church in Miles City, Montana, US, we have a crate full of second-hand clothes we get to pass out when we return to the village on October!  (The guy on the right is Principal Sandy, who let us stay in his house for 1 1/2 years while we were building ours!)

Here is the new family on their new island (Tobie's home island)!  We got to see them off as they joined us on our boat ride to the airport.  We had to fly through an airport on Southern Pentecost island (the island just north of us) rather then through our usual one (at West Ambrym) because of land disputes blocking the ground the airstrip is on.  Its great that we could see a new place, but the water between Ambrym and Pentecost is open ocean and has very high swells that we don't enjoy a whole lot in our little banana boat!  We have heard that the W Ambrym airport may be opening again the end of this month, which would be a huge answer to prayer!

 Go go gadget arms!  Mom and I in Vila walking around Hideaway island.

Hanging out at Hideaway for the day.  It was too cold for me to swim, but the kids got in!

 

We have a great full-family shot from this day that I need to get from the Richards and I'll post it in with these.