The Journey Home
A Very Missionary Christmas
Tim, Will, and Paul spend their Christmas Eve on a boat-which isn't nearly as enjoyable as you might think. They learned what presents stuffed in stockings must feel like. The 2-day trip made their arrival in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea extra-merry. Once on land, they celebrate the birth of Christ at a local church. The services are much different than those in the US, but the spirit is the same. They spend time fellowshipping with the nationals, and have a happy Yule (even though it didn't snow).
Cuckoo for Coconuts
As the preparations for the big New Year's festivities go on, the guys drop in on the local families for visits. They travel throughout the New Ireland province of PNG, and find the people to be very friendly. One of the highlights of the week was the slaughtering of the pig for the New Year's celebration. The sight isn't really appealing to American eyes, but it promised a large feast. The missionaries spent a lot of time with the children. The kids had their own style of surfing on homemade boards-which Tim got the honor of naming! Eventually, Tim got a hankering for coconuts. The problem: the coconuts are really high up in the trees. The solution: one of the local kids went up to get them. Though it appeared to be a pretty harrowing task, the child had obviously made the trip several times in his short life.
See a clip from the show: "Cuckoo For Coconuts"
The Young Men and the Sea
They're on the last leg of their missionary journey, and what trip would be complete without a shark fishing trip? So the guys set out with an experienced fisherman to catch a shark. They find their fair share of adventures during this little excursion. First they must outrun a storm, and then they match their strength against a feisty marlin-conquering it in the end. Their sense of triumph can hardly be put into words, and Will proudly displays their trophy-if only he hadn't done that. As he releases the giant fish, the mighty sea monster gnashes back in one final strike for sweet revenge. Will is severely cut on his knee, forcing the trip to come to a close. Once on shore, Will is stitched up, and the marlin is cut open. He didn't have health insurance, so the hospital charge him the entire 19 cents in fees.
See a clip from the show: "The Young Men and the Sea"
The Road Home
They continue to go from place to place, as they've become accustomed to doing, teaching the Word. They visit local places of interest, like a museum of old Japanese World War II planes, just like they usually do. They try to absorb the native culture, just as they always have. But this time is different. This time it marks they end of a long trip. As they do these things, they can look back on everything they've been through. They've been through it all, and created a lifetime of memories in the process. They've touched lives across the continents, and brought the Gospel to the most remote of places. Their trip comes to an end, and they return to the United States-but their travels are far from over.