Monday, June 3, 2019

Farewell, Judy and Patteson


Last Friday, we said goodbye to some dear friends who have worked at SITAG (Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group) and BTLPSI (Bible Translation & Literacy Partnership Solomon Islands) just as long as we have.  Their kids have grown up alongside ours, participated in races with ours, made airport runs with us, and helped us get on and off our ships.


So in the traditional Solomon Islands way, all day Friday was spent cooking in preparation for a farewell feast.  


Aaron has a reputation as an expert coconut scraper and squeezer, so he was quickly put to work preparing the thick coconut cream that would go inside the pumpkins and on top of the trays of slippery cabbage and chicken.


The girls and I helped in any way our friends asked.


Sometimes, I was too helpful and tried to put dishes away before they were cleaned!


Working together was a sweet reintroduction to Solomon life and helped my girls find their new places at two years older than the last time we lived here.


Cooking together was fun and exhausting.  But even with all that AMAZING food,


saying goodbye to this servant hearted couple who keeps SITAG and BTLPSI running smoothly reduced us all to tears. 


Thank you Patteson and Judie for your friendship and for your service to Bible translation.  You and your family will be missed desperately.



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