Classes are winding down & Village Living is about to begin...

We have learned so much in the Pacific Orientation Course, and are grateful for the expertise of our instructors, both expats and nationals. We have spent the last 6 weeks in intensive language classes, learning Tok Pisin, and we look forward to our upcoming immersion time during Village Living. This is when we will “connect the dots” from what we have learned in the classroom and small groups, and really put our language skills into practice. Right now, we understand a lot more Tok Pisin, both spoken and in writing, than we can speak. It is not unlike being a small child again, when you hear a language and can respond, but cannot actually form meaningful sentences yet. We are just starting to speak conversationally, but our vocabulary is still very limited, and the best way to increase it is to be with native speakers around the clock. So, we eagerly anticipate this opportunity to live in a village with only Papua New Guineans for the next four weeks. There will be challenges, like having no plumbing or electricity, but the relationships we will form and the skills we will develop will be well worth any momentary discomforts.