The Carwile family left Avevete the 3rd of June and returned to the mission center, Ukarumpa. Papua New Guinea(PNG) government restrictions have been eased in the past month, as the number of new COVID19* cases has decreased by two thirds since March.
The hanging library had steady patronage. The library gave us a feel for what kinds of literature the Pamosu speakers were interested in, and for who among our neighbors were confident readers.
We did not hold as many writers workshops as last year, as many of the younger writers went down the mountain to attend school, and others went to build houses and gardens for incoming teachers. The community as a whole took time to harvest yams and start new gardens, and were often away from the main village while they stayed onsite in garden homes.
The Avevete writers who remained had a firm enough foundation in their story crafting to produce enough works to fill another anthology. The writer’s coalition in the neighboring Perene dialect submitted 59 stories for an anthology of their own.
Jason made day trips to various Pamosu-speaking villages to meet with translators and continue language learning. He spent time working on a book on the care of batteries that will be formatted for trial and revision while in Ukarumpa. Applications for the upcoming training course in Ukarumpa are in hand, and we continue to pray that the course will be held in October as scheduled.
As seven authors in Avevete worked on their stories for the 2021 Avevete Anthology they made good use of the colored pencils that had come out on the helicopter in preparation for this visit. Brenda was particularly pleased to see the variety of illustrations, which included personal history, medical tips, and crafting how-tos.
The Carwile children finished up the school year before June began. Already Norman is looking forward to the next school year (beginning July 27th) as he will be entering kindergarten.
Each week while in Avevete our family spent time playing in one of the many streams surrounding Avevete. The children also enjoyed watching free-range chickens and petting the neighbor’s cat and dog. The dog liked the attention so much she’d follow them to the stream!
Talk has begun between us, Pamosu leaders, and SIL aviation services about the construction of an airstrip at or near Avevete. This large undertaking would enable transport of a greater amount of cash crops (vanilla, cocoa, tobacco) to markets, a surer supply of medical supplies to the aide post, and make it easier for the building of the Pamosu translation center (planned for construction in 2023/24.)
Please be praying with us concerning the intricacies of this new venture, and thank you for rejoicing with us over the growth among Pamosu writers and readers.
May God be glorified,
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