Build Trip 10

Cassidy • March 11, 2024

Thank you for praying for trip 9. The team from Countryside in TX were able to do so much! It was not only productive, but spiritually encouraging to have those guys visit and help.

Zach and Brett worked on getting the solar panels up and wired.

James and Les wired outlets, lights, and fans.

Trying to read our less-than-professional drawings.

All the wiring joined together here in the mudroom where our batteries are stored. One battery seems to be a dud, so that one will be flown out here to town where we will try to revive it. Otherwise we will begin the process of shipping a new one from the states.

After electrical was finished, the guys all started work on plumbing.

Looking for the correct pieces for the drains and fixtures.

Finding some of those pieces on the other tub.

The guys were able to explore the village a bit and attend the church service there.

These guys were such a help to Zach in the village! Their expertise made it possible for our house to be wired and plumbed really well.

One of the TX team, Chas, stayed behind in Madang to learn more about the ministry here.. Everyone loved having him here for that week! He was able to see the work the Twomblys are doing, encouraged all of the adults in the Lord, and spent quality time with the kids.

Not even phased by four kids hanging on him and vying for his attention :)

So thankful for the time these guys gave to serve here!

Brett, from the TX team, stayed here in Madang to keep serving and join the next build trip. So we have been enjoying having him join our lives and work here Madang in the meantime. It has been a bit of a more calm season between trips.

Enjoying the ocean.

We were able to each take the boys on dates.

Brett worked on building out a shed on the property, working on making it a live-able space. He worked with Zach and Seken (our guard) a couple days to install a ceiling.

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Fun Annie.

Sweet Ellie.

This morning, these three left on Build Trip 10. They hope to finish the plumbing to the bathrooms, attaching vanities and sinks and fixtures. The next big thing is re-assembling the kitchen. Interior walls, then mold paint, then assembling cabinets, then sink and countertop. Also on the list is running propane lines for hot water and the gas stove, hanging interior doors, and more interior walls and paint.

Goodbye!

Charging Jude as the man of the house ;)

This will be Zach's longest trip so far since we have been back. Thank you for praying for us! I spoke with Zach this morning who said that the internet up there isn't working and they don't know why. They are still able to call on our cell service, but connecting with them will be severely limited if the internet stays down, so you all can pray for that!

Juli's Funeral

By Cassidy • October 31, 2025
Juli died yesterday. The news came to us through Bangena and her young daughter on our steps. “Juli died and her brothers are trying to hurt her husband. They are hiding him there in the Counsel’s house," they said, pointing to our next-door neighbor’s hut. So many people were shocked. “How could she be dead? She wasn’t sick. I saw her just a couple days ago…!” Eventually we learned that Juli had hemorrhaged all night and had died in the morning. A brand new baby, miscarried, and they could not stop the bleeding. Juli has seven children close in age (the youngest was still nursing). Her parents knew that children so close together can cause complications, so a while back they told Samuel to stop getting his wife pregnant. Samuel agreed and promised his wife she wouldn't have any more kids, but it was a promise he couldn't keep.

Millers' House Build

By Cassidy • October 30, 2025
As you may have read in email updates and other posts, we have new teammates - Josh and Autumn Miller! We are so thankful to the Lord for giving this sweet couple a desire to serve the Lord here among the Do people. They have been working since July to turn our previous office into their new home! Josh and Kombuk (our Madang carpenter friend) have flown in every couple weeks to work. A close family friend Johnathan is also here helping with the build. He flew out from the states in August and is staying here in PNG until the house is done! Johnathan has stayed in the village even between trips to keep working, which has been sweet for our family as we have been able to get to know him.

50th Independence Day

By Cassidy • September 28, 2025
On the 16th, PNG celebrated 50 years of independence! There were big celebrations all over the country. In our village, they had a flag raising ceremony at the school to start off the week. Then there were basketball and soccer tournaments, dart games and lots of food. Hiking down to the school:

Literacy Class 5

By Cassidy • September 3, 2025
On Monday, a new literacy class began! Our literacy teachers, Maikepe and Namura, have been gathering names and school fees for a year, but interest here was low. Once some men from a nearby village decided to join, interest (there and here!) spiked and we have an overflowing classroom. Sewing to bind four more literacy books to account for the extra students:

JAARS Video

By Cassidy • August 6, 2025
JAARS trains and sends pilots over here - we are thankful for them!

Highlands Break

By Cassidy • August 1, 2025
We were able to fly up to the highlands to take a break at SIL's mission base (called Ukarumpa). We wanted to rest, see doctors, connect with coworkers, and give the boys time with friends.

Teaching Video

By Cassidy • July 7, 2025
Zach and I put together a video for our church's Sunday school hour. The first small part explains how we keep ourselves supplied and the rest of it is how Zach handles foreign concepts in translation. If you have an hour and want to know more about the work here, see the video below:

Ellie Turns Two

By Cassidy • June 28, 2025
Our littlest Ellie turned two! We love this little girl and thank God for completing our family with her. We can see her beginning to grow A BIT in independence and contentment as she matures and is able to communicate. She has lots of words, giggles often at Annie's silliness, loves rice, and (as a last born) is usually just along for the ride. She is happy to write in the dirt or play on the rope swing, look at books on the couch or look out the window in a hut, but if anything goes wrong, she just wants her mama. It is sweet to see how good the boys are with her, and Annie is a good big sister, too! (Though Annie DID have a good cry a few days ago when she realized she wasn't going to get any presents on Ellie's birthday 😉)

April and Easter

By Cassidy • May 4, 2025
After celebrating Jude's birthday, we had a pretty low-key April and Easter. Zach has been faithfully preaching through Ephesians, and there have been good opportunities to follow up with people afterward.

Jude is a Teenager!

By Cassidy • April 7, 2025
The boy that made us parents turned 13 on Friday! This boy is growing up!  He has always been an analyst, but now he is thinking big thoughts about future plans and budgets. He has always been conscious of the feelings of others, but he is now taking more initiative to step up and handle things for others.