Fish for breakfast.
That is what we are having. Some would call us different, (and that would be polite) some would call us strange, but for a larger part of the world they would say we are doing what we have to do. Yes, sometimes we have fish for breakfast. Our food keeps us strong, it is our food which fuels our bodies and lets us live each day of life the way we see fit. Without food we cannot survive. As Christians we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness to continually look to serve the Lord and follow His will, with out eating of this food eternal life is lost. We believe the Lord has called us to eat fish for breakfast, to live a different life serving him in a place that is different and strange but beautiful and full of people needing his love and Word. We challenge you to have fish for breakfast sometime you might be surprised how good you feel throughout the day!
We are the Pryor's, missionaries to the Ap Ma people in the Angoram district of the East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea. We came to PNG in Feb of 2004 to supplement a work begun by Jesse's parents John and Bonita Pryor. They have served the people faithfully in this area for 26 years working to translate the New Testement to the Ap Ma language. Though the translation work continues we have come to aid in the area of literacy training and church growth. We are currently working on construction projects to give the people a church/literacy center and classroom space. We are also working within the church to strengthen programs that were dying such as the women's study group and the Sunday School program.
Life in the swamps of PNG requires constant maintence of housing, machinery, the airstrip and waterways and that work coupled with timbering and milling and the construction of these new buildings is keeping Jesse busy. I am happy to be the mother of two and happy to assist with the women's group and Sunday school as well as lead adult literacy courses and assist the village medically to the best of my ability. Jesse is also the overseas mission's minster of Liberty Christian Church in Martinsville, IN, our sending congregation. Though we are an independent organization in PNG we affiliated with Outreach International in the United States and have taken their name here in PNG.
News.
Merry Christmas from the Pryors
Jan 13, 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
Another year has almost slipped away. Time really flies these days. I had to struggle to think where we were at Christmas last year but, we were here in Samban. And here we are again. It just doesn’t seem like Christmas without all the seasonal reminders on every house. I always thought that decorating for Christmas was a little overrated but here where there are no decorations, no carols, no Santa at the mall you find it hard to believe it is indeed the Christmas season. I was just working on our furlough plans yesterday and realized that if we stick to our plans, the next Christmas we spend with our families will be Christmas 2010. I remember when I was little how mom and dad would sneak into our room in, what seemed like the middle of night, bundle us in homemade afghans and throw us in the back of the Buick - one on the back seat, one on the floor board, and one in the back window where we would sleep (or pretend to) all the way to Ft. Wayne to be with the Peck’s for Christmas and then at 1:00 double back to be with the Able’s for a big dinner and the Christmas story and cousins tearing into L.S. Ayres bags. Then our family celebration which was held whenever mom and dad couldn’t stand the whining anymore, usually the night of the Christmas candle-light service so we could wear our new P.J.’s to the 10 pm service. WOW! So if you have family nearby this Christmas make sure do all those hokey family traditions that you love to hate because those are memories that last.
This year has been full of nice surprises we have had visitors from everywhere. Mom and Dad and Ryne’s time was definitely a highlight. It was such a good time for the kids to get to know Grandma and Grandpa and they haven’t forgotten them yet! They are already counting the days until we will see them again.
We have met new friends from Greenwood CC and hosted Interns with PBT. These special people have made our year fly by and given us the opportunity to serve the people here in a unique way. Using the gifts of our visitors we have created vernacular study guides for the book of Luke and made a new vernacular song book for church. We have been able to run a 2 week free clinic and now have opened a small private clinic in the village where people can have daily care. We have built a new building to house the generators and extended and graded the airstrip as well as timbering and milling some of the lumber needed for the future literacy center. It has been a busy year!
Our family has really grown, too. Last year Judah was just 1 year old and now he is a terrible 2 and with Naleh in first grade and Eli finishing up preschool there is never a dull moment. Naleh had many firsts this year. She is reading short stories, she learned to swim and she lost her first 5 teeth! Eli has really become a little man. He is doing well in school and eager to learn the things his sister is learning. He is writing his alphabet, learning to do the things little boys do - shooting his bow and arrows and slingshots. Judah is a very talkative 2 year old but he only speaks Pidgin! He loves to run and race with his friends. He really likes the 4-wheeler and to go to the garden with mama. He also loves to sing and dance - he really loves music! Well I think that brings you up to date on our family and friends. Even though we are far apart this Christmas season know we are thinking of you all and wish we could be with you to celebrate this time together. If you have a crazy holiday family tradition you would like to share with us drop us an email at We will share the best family tradition in our New Years news letter!
Jesse, Karie, Naleh, Elijah, and Judah Pryor,
O.I.P.N.G
Joshua Apa
Sep 20, 2007
Just thought I’d update everybody on Joshua Apa. We went to his appointment at the Dr.’s this morning. He has gained 5.5 kilograms in this last week. PTL The Dr. made the comment that the antibiotics must have worked because there is no way that he could have gained that much and be sick. So that was exciting. He did give him another week of the medication, but said that should be all he needs. I booked their passage on a ship from Madang to Wewak, and just dropped Joshua and Edward off a few minutes ago. I’ll check on them after the radio time to see that they did get off ok. So he is definitly doing tons better. Thanks to all of those who have kept him in your prayers. While he isn’t totally better he is still well on the road to complete recovery. Dr. Mackeral did mention that I needed to keep a few courses of the particular antibiotics on hand and that he still wanted to see Joshua’s earlier chest xrays. He did give the ok for him to head back to the village.
I have made my plans to head back towards Samban on Friday, via Wewak on Air Nuigini and then on to Angoram on the PMV, and then on the canoe back to Samban. So pray for safety for Joshua and Edward and myself during our travels.
Jesse
The Tractor Saga.
Sep 09, 2006
The dust is settling back here once again in Samban. Although we won’t be officially wrapped up with the tractor until tommorrow with the ceremonial “bung kai” (community potluck dinner), but as far as the difficult part of the journey is concerned it is complete. It started last week on Thursday when I (Jesse) flew from Madang to Wewak where the tractor was due to arrive. It had been going through custums and immigration processes for the last month and a half. Karie and the kids remained in Madang until they knew when I would get back to Samban.
I stayed in the SIL Guesthouse in Wewak and checked on the tractor at the wharf on Friday morning. It had not been taken off the ship yet and was told to come back at 3:30 pm. Back at the guesthouse while I was waiting Maso, Alus, and Balamu arrived to help me take apart and load up the crates. When we checked back in we were told at first that yes they were off the ship, but wouldn’t be moved until Monday. Thanks to some quick talking by Sandy Nalela (SIL Shipping Agent), who was helping us with the moving of the crates in Wewak, we were able to have the smaller of the crates moved out and on the truck that I had hired our for moving the crates etc… to Angoram 120 kilometers away where the road ends at the Sepik River. Maso volunteered to ride back with the crate and unload it in Angoram and come back on Monday.
Alus, Balamu and I spent the weekend in Wewak getting a few more things ready for our loading process of the tractor crate. We were up Monday early to check on the crate, but they said that they wouldn’t get to moving it until to 11 am. So we waited again. Maso came back on the truck with a couple of extra guys to help with the dissassembly of the crate. Finally at noon they moved our crate off the wharf and into the yard. The crate had a few dings in it, but everything was in it that I had packed in it. We were uncrated and loaded up on the truck by three pm. I drove the tractor to the gas station, filled up and went up to the guesthouse to check out.
We left Wewak at 4pm and headed to Angoram. All I can say about the trip to Angoram was BUMPY. We made good time however and arrived at 10pm. All of the guys with me rode in the back of the big flat bed truck which followed me the whole way.
Next was the most risky part of the trip. We lashed two canoes together and put all the implements and rest of our stuff from the tractor crate ontu that double canoe. Then we lashed the two biggest canoes together and loaded up the tractor. We decided that since we had not opened up the smaller of the crates that we would save it for another trip. We left Angoram at 11 am and arrived in Samban at 6:30 pm. Because of the size and weight of our loads the canoes couldn’t exactly plane out on the rivers so we just took our times. God answered so many prayers in all our loading/unloading, and the water level, etc… We didn’t lose anything on the river on any of the trips. It was just amazing to see how well things worked out considering how many things went right.
There was a group doing a singsing when I got to Gem which is the closest to Samban where we normally unload all our stuff. We unloaded the tractor and all the rest of the gear, and unleashed the canoes from each other. Then I got a big surprise. Maso and Alus had used parts from the parts tractor on the old Kubota and got it running again. I had already switched engine blocks, but was waiting on pistons and connecting rods, but Maso mixed and matched what we had and got it running. Simply amazing. So they were able to take all the smaller stuff up to Samban.
After a good nights sleep I straightened up what we had brought back and waited for the rest of the family to fly in to Samban. Karie and the kids got in around noon and it was good to be re-united. Then we walked down to Gem for the big celebration/processional/sing-sing escort from Gem to Samban. That took about 2 hours, but was really neat to see the people so excited.
The next day we went back to Angoram in my big canoe to get the small crate. We arrived there at 9 am and started taking it apart. By 10:45 we had it apart and started loading up. Just to let everyone know that crate total weighed 1 metric ton. We fit the entire contents and the crate itself into the canoe. The bush hog/rotary cutter we just balanced across both sides and ratchet strapped it to the canoe. We arrived back in Samban at 3:30pm and loaded everything up to the house.
So even though I’m tired and worn out, I’m happy to announce that both crates are now safely in Samban. After 149 days since it left Indiana our 1533 Massey-Ferguson tractor has arrived at it’s permanent address here in Samban Village, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Not Feeling too Hot.
Jul 09, 2006
Sickness has hit us again. Jesse and I have malaria and Judah woke up this morning with pick eye. So I have to walk down to the medicine meri and get the meds since I don’t have that kind right now (for pink eye). He is acting fine and happy; he rubbed it a bit when he woke up. So I will get that taken care of before school. I guess I was late catching my sick. I was upset at my stomach yesterday afternoon but at least afterward I felt better. I will take my second course of meds today so I should be good by tomorrow.
Saturdays.
Jul 08, 2006
Well Saturday is underway and Jesse is off playing soccer. I have gotten the office and our bedroom swept and the baby down for nap. I need to get to the kids room and the bathroom as well. I want to go ahead and get dishes done too- so much to get caught up on before our house guest. For those of you who didn’t know we are getting a PBT (Pioneer Bible Translators) intern for a week starting next Thurs. I spoke with her on the radio this morning - sounds like a really nice gal, Angela.
We are babysitting a crocodile right now. It is staying in our old tub so that Yame (the guy that is carving Jesse’s croc table) will have the real deal to look at while he does the detail work. It is about 2 foot long. Jesse’s table is about 5 foot long, rosewood- carved like a croc with a table top mounted on his back about coffee table height.
Still no word on the tractor this week. Jesse is getting discouraged about that. But it will get here sometime.
The new oven is really working out well. Such a time saver.
I cleaned screen wire downstairs yesterday around the area where our guest will be sleeping. At least it is bleached and sunlight can come in now. I am also working at a thorough cleaning of the classroom.
First Day of School.
Jul 05, 2006
Tomorrow will be the first Friday school in the big classroom with all the village kids. As long as we are able to get done with Naleh’s school in 4 days we will review with all the kids on Friday in the big classroom. Should be a fun time. I have made up a color song and days of the week song and all kids know their numbers and there is the ABC song etc. We do the hokey pokey for left and right so with that and reading some books to them that will be a good start.
What’s Cooking?
May 31, 2006
A big thank you to Cookeville Christian Church in Cookeville, TN. Dinner is now done in record time. The new stove has really made my life easier. I love the convenience and appreciate not having to brave the mosquitos just to bake bread.