Ukarumpa

We have arrived; we are getting settled but are still finding our way around some places. Ukarumpa is home to about 800 expats so we live in a nicelittle town with a store, post office, finance department (bank), school,clinic, library and airport. We have a nice cozy 2-bedroom duplex that we are renting. The clinic is about 2 1/2 minutes' walk away for Heidi and my office is about 2 ¾ minutes away (never thought I'd have an office, bet you didn't either). Heidi and I have both started working and are enjoying our new co-workers. There are nine surveyors currently on the team. Five of them left on survey on Nov. 21. They will be gone for three weeks; please keep them in your prayers. Here are some things we are getting used to in our new town:

- Cooking on a gas stove (which is nice because things heat up so much quicker, but which can also be scary when you try to light the burner, and suddenly the flame goes "poof" and you think you'll lose your eyebrows).
- Our hot water is heated by a solar panel on the roof, so we are learning to time our showers when we know the water will be nice and HOT.
- Wet season. We get a big rain shower almost every afternoon and usually in the evening or night too. Because there is so much rain, our water tank is nice and full (our drinking and washing water is collected from rainwater off the roof) and everything is nice and green.
- The cooler highlands weather. During our training in Madang the weather was hot and humid. It is much different here in the highlands, with a much cooler climate. I am wishing I had brought slippers and flannel pajamas with me!