another good reason to live in Vanuatu

Tonight's dinner.



Poulet. ~$5/kg

I'm becoming a dab hand at scaling and filleting. And I can gut, at a pinch.

Yumi stadi long buk ya Mak - 4

Ol rispons blong ol man long King ya
Mak 3:7-4:34

Yumi luk finis se fulap man oli glad long Jisas, oli biaen long hem. Be ol Farisi mo ol tija blong Loa oli agensem hem. Nao bae yumi luk sam narafala rispons blong ol man i go long Jisas.


4.1 Ol rispons blong ol man long Jisas
Mak 3:7-34

Ol man oli gat difdifren kaen tingting taem olgeta oli luk Jisas. Sam oli ting se hem i wan gudfala man, sam oli ting se hem i mekem ol samting we oli no stret, sam oli ting se ol wok we hem i mekem hem i kamaot long God, sam oli ting se ol wok we hem i mekem hem i kamaot long Setan. ?Wanem nao tingting blong yu? Bambae yumi luk long pasej ya long Mak 3:7-34.

• Ol man oli wantem Jisas i mekem olgeta oli gud bakegen (3:7-12, 20). Plante man oli luk se Jisas i mekem ol sikman oli gud bakegen. Oli glad long hem mo oli folem hem. Be i gat wan kwestin i stap se ?Olsem wanem, bambae oli glad blong folem tok blong Jisas, sipos tok blong hem i strong?


• Ol devel oli fraet long hem, oli obei long hem, oli talem ‘yu yu Pikinini blong God’ (3:11-12). Hemia hem i wan strenj samting. From ol man oli no save gud se huia man ya Jisas, be ol devel ya, oli save finis. Mo oli fraet long hem, from oli savegud se hem i gat paoa blong jajem mo panisim olgeta, from hem i King ya we God i putumap hem blong hem i gat olgeta paoa.


• Ol twelef aposol oli biaen long hem (3:13-19). Jisas i singaotem twelf man blong oli biaen long hem. Ol man ya oli obei long hem mo oli folem hem. Olgeta oli no savegud yet huia man ya Jisas, be bambae oli jes save, mo bambae olgeta oli tekem gud nius blong hem i go long olgeta ples. Bae olgeta oli kasem hadtaem, be bae oli stanap strong. Be yumi luksave se, Mak i bin talem long yumi finis se wan long olgeta bambae i letem Jisas i go long han blong ol enemi blong hem (3:19).


• Sam oli talem se Jisas i gat wan devel i stap long hem (3:22-30). Sam tija blong Loa oli bin kam long Galili mo oli talem se Jisas i save ronemaot ol devel from hem i wok long paoa blong Setan. Olgeta oli ting se Jisas i gat paoa blong Setan, se wok blong Tabu Spirit hem i wok blong Setan. Hemia wan tok nogud we i nogud tumas. Be Jisas i stap soemaot se hem i winim Setan mo wok blong Setan bambae i finis.


• Ol man oli talem se hed blong hem i krangke (3:20-21). I gat sam man we oli talem se hed blong Jisas i krangke. Sam man oli harem tok blong Jisas, oli luk ol wok we hem i bin mekem mo oli ting se hed blong hem i krangke. Olgeta oli no glad long hem mo oli no agensem hem. Oli ting nomo se hed blong hem i krangke.


• Ol man we oli mekem ol samting we God i wantem (3:31-34). Stret mama blong Jisas mo ol stret brata blong hem oli stap afsaed long haos ya we Jisas i stap insaed long hem mo oli kam blong tekemaot Jisas. Be Jisas i talem se olgeta we oli mekem ol samting we God i wantem, olgeta nao famle blong hem. Olgeta nao brata blong hem, mama blong hem mo sista blong hem. Hem i wan bigfala samting blong talem! ?Olsem wanem? ?Yu yu sista no brata blong Jisas?

4.2 Jisas i talemaot wan parabol blong tokbaot ol rispons long hem
Mak 4:1-20

Nao long 4:1-20 Jisas i talem wan parabol blong tokbaot hao nao ol man bambae oli tingbaot hem o rispon long hem. Hemia parabol long man we i planem sid.

Ridim Mak 4:1-9 mo 4:13-20 mo fulumap ol spes insaed long tebol ya.

ol ves	Wanem kaen graon	Taem sid i folfoldaon long hem, wanem i stap kamtru?	Hemia wan pija tok blong wanem?
4, 14-15			Blong ol man we oli harem tok ya be oli no bilif long hem. Setan i kam i tekem tok ya.
5-6, 16-17		Ol sid oli gru kwik i kam antap be rus blong olgeta oli no godaon gud mo taem san i saen, oli drae oli ded.
7, 18-19	Graon we hem i ples blong ropnil
8, 20

?Tingbaot bakegen ol rispon blong ol man long Jisas long 3:7-34. ?Olgeta oli olsem wanem kaen graon?


?Be olsem wanem long yu? ?Yu yu harem tok ya? ?Yu yu bilif long Jisas, se hem i King ya we God i sanem i kam?


?Wanem nao ol samting long laef blong yu we i olsem graon we i gat ston? O ?Wanem nao ol samting blong mekem yu yu gat hadtaem?


?Olsem wanem nao bae yu mekem rere yu wan blong yu no foldaon long ol taem ya we hadtaem i kam kasem yu?


?Wanem nao ol samting long laef blong yu we i olsem ples blong ropnil? O ?Wanem nao bae i mekem yu tingting tumas long laef ya, yu fogetem se Jisas hem i King blong yu?


?Bae yu mekem rere yu wan blong yu no foldaon long ol samting ya olsem wanem?


?Hao nao bae yu wok blong yu karem frut oltaem long laef blong yu?

4.3 Ol narafala parabol we oli tokbaot rod blong ol man oli luksave se Jisas hem i King
Mak 4:21-34

Ol parabol ya oli talemaot se Bambae King ya i winim evrisamting, nomata we naoia i luk olsem King ya i no strong tumas.

• Laet we oli kavremap long baket (Mak 4:21-25). Sapos man i tekem laet i kam insaed long wan haos, bambae hem i kavremap hem? Nogat! Bambae hem i putum long stret ples blong hem! Jisas i talem se evrisamting we man i haedem, God bambae i tekem, i putum long stret ples blong hem. Wanem nao mining blong parabol ya? Jisas i kam long wol ya. Be ol man oli no luksave se hem i King we God i sanem i kam. Hem i kam olsem wan man nomo mo plante man oli agensem hem, mo bambae oli kilim hem i ded. I olsem we King ya i haed, oli kavremap hem long baket. Be bambae God i tekem hem i putum hem long stret ples blong hem, long stret ples blong King, mo bambae yumi evriwan i save luk hem.


• Sid ya we i stap gru (Mak 4:26-29). Wan man i planem sid long garen blong hem. Nao sid ya i stap gru, oltaem nomo, nomata we man ya i gowe. Bambae plan ya i kam antap, mo i gat plante frut, mo man ya bae i kam tekemaot frut. Jisas i talem parabol ya from naoia, taem hem i stap long wol, i olsem we hem i planem sid. Mo hem i nomo stap long wol ya. Be sid ya i stap gru yet, nomata we hem i nomo stap. Mo bambae plante man oli luksave se hem i King blong olgeta. Mo taem hem i kambak bambae hem i karem ol frut, ol man we oli luksave se hem i King.


• Sid we i smol tumas (Mak 4:30-34). Sid ya i smol we i smol be taem hem i kam antap hem i bigwan hem i winim ol narafala tri mo olgeta pijin ol stap long hem, oli sef long taem ya. Ol man blong Jisas, oli no plante tumas. Be bambae i gat plante man oli luksave se hem i King, oli kam long hem, oli sef long jajmen we bambae i kam.

no wheels

Here are Matthew's first three pictures in his "writing" book so far this year (click on the pictures to enlarge).







After his last drawing, I said, "Matthew. I think I notice a theme. You've drawn trucks every time!"

He said, "Yes. That's because people don't have wheels."

condensed milk biscuits

Here's a quick easy recipe for Condensed Milk Biscuits from bestrecipes.com

Easy to prepare, quick to cook.  Perfect.

Only four main ingredients: butter, sugar, condensed milk, SR flour.  Then add chocolate bits, nuts, sultanas etc to taste.

The recipe is for 500g choc bits.  I added about 100g and it was fine, I suspect you could get away with adding nothing for plain biscuits.  I cooked them in slabs in trays rather than rolling biscuits (this takes too much time).  The oven probably needs to be cooler when cooking this way, but I'm not sure as I have no idea how hot my oven is, except that its usually too hot as I'm always burning things.

I also wonder if you could get away with not adding the extra sugar, condensed milk is fairly sweet as it is.

the water cycle

Sometime last year, one question led to another and I was trying to explain the water cycle to Matthew. 

The trickiest concept is water vapour.  I spoke about steam coming out of the kettle, and the little gap between the spout and the steam where the steam is 'invisible'.  That, I said, is water vapour.  The water is in the air and you can't see it.  I went on to explain how there is water vapour all around, but we can't see it.  This water vapour rises high up into the air and when it cools down, it turns into clouds and then it rains.

Now just recently it had been very dry (probably a week or so without rain).  I said to Matthew that I wished it would rain.  He said,

"Should I go and turn the kettle on, Mummy?"

bethany's haircut

Trimming long hair is relatively easy.

Giving a short style-cut is not.

After months of beg beg begging for a short hair cut and an hour or so this morning of fidget fidget fidgeting because of  sweaty-neck itch induced by THICK THICK hair, Bethany had her way.

Ignorance, thick hair (did I say that already?) and scissors that should have been sharper did not bode well for a good hair cut. Well I hacked off a largish mass of hair, and hacked off some more.  Enough to ease the sweat burden a little I thought.  To my surprise, it didn't look so bad and the Style-Miss is pleased as punch.

Now for some sitting still during school.

fake malaria drugs

make my blood boil

the down-side of school at home

I would probably describe myself as a reluctant home-schooler.

Out of necessity we school our children at home.  We did correspondence school for many years, but recently have decided to do home-school instead.  This decision was partly due to the length of time it would take to between the teacher setting one lot of work, to setting another lot of work in response to that first lot.  This could take anywhere from four to six months.  In between, the child would be doing work either set at the same time as the first lot, or set subsequently, but before having seen any work the child had done.  In the end we felt like the advantages of being able to 'feedback' immediately was greater than the advantages of being enrolled in a 'proper' school.  Futhermore, having seen how much "faith" (of any sort) is side-lined in the state curriculum, we thought we'd take advantage of this opportunity (however short or long) to educate with faith at the centre.

And I think it's been a good decision.  We are enjoying school much more.  The children are growing and learning.  I have more freedom to teach to my strengths.

But because I am not wedded, in principle, to home-school, I feel that I am free to talk a little more openly about the down-sides of home-school.  Most home schoolers face fierce criticism from friends and family because of their decision to home-school.  They end up having to defend themselves so often that it makes it difficult for them to talk about the difficulties they face without people saying "I told you so" or "well send them to school, then".

Here are three things about home-school I would like you to know.

Home-schooling is tiring.  T.I.R.I.N.G.  I cannot explain why.  I have no idea how a teacher manages thirty children.  I feel like I have no right to complain about being tired as I only have two (three now) students.  But I am.  And so are others I know that home-school.

It is difficult to home-school with younger children at home, too.  My friends whose elder children went to school spoke of how precious this time is with their younger children in their pre-school years and how much they loved getting to know them.  My younger children in their pre-school years were being ignored, or looked after by other people, as much as possible.   I was either occupied with school or too tired to play.  I didn't spend much time with them at all.

Home-schooling literature and magazines and support are so pro-home-schooling it is extremely difficult to change track and enrol in school without feeling like you've let the side down, abandoned ship and been a failure.  Because, as I said, I'm a reluctant home-schooler, going to a 'proper' school would be a relatively easy for me.  But I've read enough of the literature to be overwhelmed by its emotional grip on its adherents.   It's an impossible situation.

If you know anyone who home-schools, whether or not you agree with them, be gracious to them.  Don't let the conversation fall silent after they admit they home-school.  After-all, they're not from another planet.  Truly.

Yumi stadi long buy ya Mak - 3

King ya i gat bigfala paoa be fulap man oli agensem hem
Mak 1:16-3:6

3.1 King ya i gat bigfala paoa
Mak 1:16-2:12

Long haf ya blong buk ya yumi luk se Jisas hem i gat fulap paoa. Hem i save wokem olgeta samting, mo evrisamting i obei long hem. I no minim se hem i strong nomo, be hem i gat raet blong wokem ol samting ya tu.

• Hem i gat paoa blong singaotem ol man oli kam folem hem (Mak 1:16-20; 2:13-17). Taem Jisas i singaotem Saemon, Andru, Jemes, Jon mo Livae, trifala i girap wantaem, oli lego ol samting blong olgeta, oli biaen long hem. Olgeta oli harem tok blong hem, oli obei long hem.
• Hem i gat paoa blong tijim ol man long God (Mak 1:21-28). Taem Jisas i tijim olgeta insaed long haos blong prea, oli luksave se hem i gat waes, mo hem i gat save. Hem i no olsem ol narafala tija we olgeta oli stap harem, hem i defren long olgeta.
• Hem i gat paoa blong ronemaot ol devel (Mak 1:21-28, 34, 38). Taem ol devel oli luk Jisas, oli fraet long hem from olgeta oli save se hem i tabu man blong God. Jisas hem i gat raet mo paoa blong ronemaot olgeta. Oli no save talem no long hem, oli obei long hem mo oli aot wantaem nomo.
• Hem i gat paoa blong hilim ol sik (Mak 1:29-34, 40-45; 2:1-12, 3:1-6). Jisas i hilim mama blong woman blong Saemon, mo wan man we hem i gat rabis sik blong skin, mo wan man we tufala leg blong hem ol i nogud. Hem i mekem olgeta oli gud bakegen. Mo i gat plante narafala sikman we hem i mekem oli gud bakegen. Jisas i gat paoa blong ronemaot ol sik.
• Hem i gat paoa blong fogivim ol sin (Mak 2:1-12). Jisas i talem long man ya se hem i tekemaot ol sin blong hem. Ol man we oli stap raonabaot oli haremsave se Jisas i talem se hem i fogivim ol sin blong man ya. Be oli kros from oli save se God nomo i save fogivim sin. Be Jisas i mekem leg blong man ya oli wok bakegen blong soemoat se hem i gat paoa blong fogivim ol sin.
• Hem i gat paoa ova long Sabat Dei (Mak 2:23-27). Ol rul blong ol man Ju blong Sabat Dei oli plante tumas. Be Jisas i no obei long ol rul blong olgeta. Hem i Masta blong Sabat Dei. Hem i gat raet mo paoa blong hem i save talem se plante long ol rul ya oli no stret.

Ol samting ya oli soemaot long yumi se Jisas i gat paoa. Bae yumi luklukgud long wan taem we Jisas i soemaot se hem i gat olgeta paoa, long Mak 2:1-12.

Ridim Mak 2:1-12

Fofala fren blong man ya oli wantem se Jisas i mekem wanem long man ya?


?Be Jisas i mekem wanem fastaem?


?From wanem nao ol man oli kros from samting ya?


?Jisas i mekem wanem biaen?


?Nao, taem Jisas i tekemaot ol sin blong man ya, olgeta oli save luk samting ya long ae blong olgeta?


?Be taem hem i mekem ol leg blong man ya oli gud bakegen, olgeta oli save luk samting ya long ae blong olgeta?


?Long wok blong hem long ples ya, Jisas i soemaot wanem?

Ridim Aesea 35:4-6 (mo luk bakegen long Aesea 40:1-2)

?Bambae hu i kam?


?Bambae wanem i hapen long taem ya?


?Jisas i stap soemaot wanem long taem ya, we hem i bin mekem tufala leg blong man ya oli gud bakegen?


?From wanem nao Jisas i gat paoa blong fogivim sin?

3.2 Fulap man oli agensem King ya
Mak 2:1-3:6

Yumi luk se nius blong Jisas i goroan long evri ples (1:28, 45) mo plante man oli kam luk hem, oli glad long hem (1:33, 37, 45; 2:2, 13). Nomata we fulap man oli kam luk hem oli glad long hem be sam man oli harem nogud, oli no laekem hem. Ol man olsem ol Farisi mo ol tija blong loa nao oli sam long olgeta ya we oli no laekem Jisas. Olgeta oli man Isrel, oli olsem hae man blong jos we oltaem oli folem ol loa blong olgeta. Be olgeta oli no laekem Jisas. Oli luk se fulap man oli stap biaen long Jisas, hem i mekem se olgeta oli jalus long hem, mo oli kros long hem.

Long fas haf blong buk ya (Mak 1:1-45), i nogat man olsemia. Evriman i glad long Jisas. Be biaen, oli kam, oli askem ol kwestin long Jisas (2:6-7, 16, 18, 24). Mo long ol kwestin ya oli soemoat se oli no glad long hem. From oli no askem ol kwestin ya from oli wantem save ol ansa, nogat. Oli askem ol kwestin ya from oli kros long Jisas, oli wantem soemaot se hem i mekem ol samting we oli no stret. Mo long en blong haf ya oli mekem toktok agens long Jisas blong traem faenem rod blong kilim hem i ded (3:6).

Lukluk long ol kwestin ya we ol man oli stap askem insaed long ol pasej ya.

• ?Hu moa i save tekemaot sin? (2:1-12). Long ples ya, Jisas i fogivim sin blong wan man. Oli kros from God nomo i save fogivim sin, oli ting se Jisas i mekem wan samting we i no stret. Nao, Jisas i mekem tufala leg blong man ya oli gud bakegen blong soemaot se hem i gat paoa mo raet blong fogivim sin, hem i stap soemaot se hem i save mekem ol samting we God nomo i save mekem.
• ?From wanem Jisas i stap kakae wetem ol man nogud? (2:15-17). Long ples ya, Jisas i stap kakae wetem Livae mo ol fren blong hem. Be ol Farisi mo ol tija blong Loa oli ting se sapos yu kakae wetem ol man nogud, bambae yu tu, yu save kam nogud olsem olgeta. Hem i mekem se olgeta oli neva kakae wetem ol man nogud samtaem. Jisas i soemaot se tingting blong olgeta i no stret, mo hem i talem se ol man nogud ya tu, oli save kam man blong God.
• ?From wanem ol man blong yu oli no folem fasin blong livim kakae? (2:18-22). Fasin ya blong livim kakae hem i wan fasin blong ol man Farisi. Be Jisas i no folem fasin ya. Mo long tok blong hem, hem i talemaot se ol man blong hem oli no save livim kakae from se Jisas i stap wetem olgeta. Bambae ol man blong Jisas oli save livim kakae nomo taem hem i gowe long olgeta.
• ?From wanem ol man blong yu oli brekem Loa blong Sabat Dei? (2:23-28). Long ples ya olgeta oli kros long Jisas be i no from hem i no folem fasin blong olgeta nomo, be tu, hem i brekem loa we God i givim. Be long ansa blong Jisas, hem i talemaot se olgeta oli no andastanem gud ol loa we God i givim, mo hem i talemaot se hem i Masta blong Sabat.

Ol samting ya oli soemaot long yumi se olgeta oli agensem Jisas. Long lukluk blong olgeta, Jisas i stap jalensem paoa blong olgeta, mo from samting ya, olgeta oli no laekem hem. Bae yumi luklukgud long wan taem we oli kam, oli askem wan kwestin long Jisas long Mak 2:19-22.

Ridim Mak 2:19-22

Raetemdaon wanem nao ol man ya oli stap mekem.

• Ol man blong Jon...


• Ol man blong ol Farisi...


• Ol man blong Jisas...

?From wanem nao olgeta oli kros?

Long ves 19-20 Jisas i givim fasfala ansa blong hem.

?Jisas i talem wanem?


?Tok ya i talem wanem long saed blong Jisas?


?Wanem tingting blong yu? ?Olgeta oli glad from ansa ya o no? ?From wanem?

Long ves 21-22 Jisas i givim seken ansa blong hem. Hem i tokbaot ol niufala samting mo ol olfala samting.

Ridim ves 21-22 bakegen.  Tok ya hem i wan pija tok.

?Wanem nao hem i talem abaot ol niufala mo ol olfala samting?


?Wanem nao ‘ol olfala samting’ mo ‘ol niufala samting’?


?Hemia i talem wanem long yumi long saed blong Jisas?


?Wanem nao tingting blong yu? ?Olgeta oli glad from ansa ya o no? ?From wanem?


?Olsem wanem long yu?

Jisas hem i kam mo hem nao hemi rod blong go long God long hem. Ol olfala rod we ol man oli bin folem oli fulfil long hem be long semtaem oli finis. Naoia yumi mas bilif long hem mo lego ol narafala fasin blong go long God.

Am I still a sinner?

Are you? Well?  What is your initial reaction?

If you're like me, you'll say, "Of course I am!"  And indeed, scripture affirms it;

If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

But then, a little later, we read;

The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned form the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works. Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him' he is not able to sin because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:8-9)

I don't think we could find more conflicting ideas if we tried.  On one hand we are deceiving ourselves if we think there is no sin in us, on the other hand we belong to the Devil if there is.  So which is it?

How do we make sense of this?