Heading back to PNG!!

 It was a tiring day! But we were excited to go back to PNG! And Jacob got royal treatment with wheelchair assistance in each airport!

 Waiting for our flight in Australia...

 Jacob had to try many positions in order to get comfortable!

 Ryan, one of our pilots, on our medevac flight, was medevac'd two days after Jacob headed to Australia. So he also stayed at the Wycliffe Guest house after he got out of the hospital and we flew back to PNG on the same flight! He had a bad infection in his knee and had to have surgery.

 Arriving in Goroka, PNG!

Derek Chen picked us up from the airport. Jacob helped build his house in Tanguat! We were so glad to be back!!

Enjoying Australia!

 The kids and I enjoyed going to a Baptist Church near the hospital which happened to have a fun play area for the kids! Of course I didn't think to take a picture of the church, but I was so thankful for the body of Christ!

 We also went to a mall and the kids enjoyed playing at a place area in the mall. And we all enjoyed doing a little shopping!

 This is a rescue ride... a helicopter, boat and car... Jacob was only rescued by air in a helicopter and plane, but I thought this was an appropriate ride for the kids!

 Jonathan was excited about his new shirt and backpack. When we flew to Australia we couldn't take much with us in the medevac plane so we had to buy a few things... and some things happen to break while we were in Australia so Jonathan got a new backpack!

  And we visited the local library where they even had puzzles!

 At the end of our time in Australia, Jacob felt like he could go out and about with us, so we went to the mall again. Jacob watched the kids at the play area and I did a bit more shopping for some needed items and birthday and Christmas gifts! So fun!

Jacob's recovery out of the Hospital!

 We were so thankful that the Wycliffe Guest house had room for us until Jacob was ready to go back to PNG! The doctors in Australia wanted to make sure that Jacob's incision was healed completely before returning to PNG.

 Jacob got out of the hospital a few days after we moved, so we had fun getting things ready for dad and exploring the fun places of Tree Tops, the Wycliffe Guest house. The one bad thing about moving to Tree Tops was that I would have to learn how to drive on the left side of the road!! In all my years in PNG, I have never driven on the left side of the road and I have no plans to learn. But God's plans were different than mine. So thankful that I could rent a car when I needed it to visit Jacob, go grocery shopping, etc. And so thankful that God enabled me to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. I still can't believe I did it!!

 They were doing some construction outside our room and the kids loved seeing the crane lifting the cement slabs up and down.

 Then dad came home! And there was rejoicing! Lots of time to draw, color and read with dad!

 And when he wasn't too tired, a walk to see the fish.

For part of the time we cooked in this communal kitchen where they also had a lounge and toys and books, the kids loved it!

Jacob's hospital recovery

 After surgery, Jacob was so excited to shower and shave because he wasn't able to do that in the village where he was building the missionary homes.

 We visited Jacob every day and each day he made more progress.. first a walker... although he can't put any weight on his broken leg.

 The kids love reading books with dad!

  Then he graduated to crutches. Once he could use the crutches well, he was able to leave the hospital!

View from Jacob's hospital room.

Visiting Dad and Fun in Australia!

 For the first 8 days we would visit Jacob and then go to parks. God provided for us to stay at a hotel just a short walk from the hospital! And God also sent good friends, Mike and Ruth Butler to Cairns at the exact time we were there to help us every step of the way. They helped watch the kids the first night, brought us groceries, did laundry for us and even bought us a stroller, toys and books for the kids! And when we had to move from the hotel near the hospital they made sure we were settled into the Wycliffe Guesthouse before they flew back to Wewak.

 Room service... Naomi doesn't know what to think of the Australian burger.

 Sweet Potato Fries!

 They used this neck brace for Jacob when he had his x-rays... so thankful that he doesn't need it!!

 Playing at Muddies, a kids play place and water park, near the hospital.

 A favorite place for the kids!

 Eating breakfast at our hotel... I couldn't get over the size of the baby bowl they brought us!

 So thankful we were upgraded to a two room hotel room so that we could have a place for Naomi to sleep during the day!