Numonohi Christian Academy Writing Contest

Grades 3-6 entries

Hi, my name is Raylea Jade Bagley. I was born on September 16 (which is Papua New Guinea's Independence Day), 1996. I was born in Sydney, which is in Australia. When I was two I got glasses and I still have the same glasses on right now. Also, when I was two I came here to PNG. What was really funny was that my eldest sister, who was four at that time, when she saw the Nationals, she asked, "Why did they paint themselves brown?" (because it was her first time seeing brown people.) We moved into a nice house that we all liked. Then when I was old enough I went to preschool. I always thought it was fun to go to school. And what was really good was that I found a nice friend. Her name is Kortney Marie Haines. She was really cool. When I finished preschool I became a home-schooler.

I enjoyed it. But I missed my friends. I really wanted to go back to doing what I called real school. I missed it because I wanted to go to school with Kortney. When I was eight, Kortney left to go on furlough and the sad thing was she is never coming back. She basically was my only friend. She was loyal, kind, and she always cared. She was kind to everyone. I still miss her, but I know that it's not like the world is over. Then we moved to a different house. It is nice but I missed the other house. I started school again. I am in the fourth grade. It is cool. I think my teacher is really nice. Her name is Miss Lee. I like her. To think she came all the way from America just to teach makes me really thankful to have her. I hope that everyone will enjoy their life here in Papua New Guinea just as I am. Being here is so fun because the sun is bright and it is hot, and when it rains it is warm inside. And also because I have lots of new friends here so if you ever realize a girl in fourth grade, that has glasses, but will soon have contacts, remember she will always want a new friend, so look for her in Lapilo. Lapilo is in Goroka and is a nice place. I love living in PNG. The End

My time in PNG has been great seeing that I've only been here 8 months. Before that I lived in Ivory Coast until we had to be evacuated. In Africa I never lived on a mountain but here I am living on a mountain. I enjoyed living in Africa but I like it here, too.

My time in PNG has been special because I've visited three tribes: Malaumanda, Hewa, and the Kafe. The Hewa tribe has just had the gospel taught to them, so that's good. I thought my time in the tribes was quite fabulous.

I'm grateful that teachers left their homes and came to teach at Numonohi Christian Academy. What I really like about this school is that everybody is friendly. Another thing about this school that I like is that I learn a lot from my class.

I'm really glad people have come to PNG to teach God's Word or probably no one here would come to believe in the Lord. My parents have come here to be dorm parents and to look after MKs, which is special. I thank God for providing money for my family to come and serve the Lord.

I moved to Madang January 29, 2005. We stayed there for one year. I learned some of the culture of Papua New Guinea. Then we moved to Lapilo. I realize that some kids don't have a wonderful school like mine. NCA helped me learn many things. I've made many friends, too. I'm glad my Mom and Dad sent me there.

When I think about my teacher, Miss Lee, and how she left her home to come teach us I think she is a very caring teacher. She teaches me lots of things. I'm glad to have a teacher like her.

I was born on July 21, 1995 and it was only 6 weeks later that my family and I left for PNG. Wow! I was only 6 weeks old.

In first grade I understood more and more about the Lord and was saved. I began to think how great it was to not have to go to a public school. It would have been sad not to know or care about anyone in PNG. I was proud to know Pidgin. Now I know 2 languages.

NCA took me and taught me math, spelling, language, art, music, PE, and how to work with other people. They gave me so much encouragement, love, fun, and care. I made so many friends and was very happy.

As I grew, I learned more and more. I began to think about all the teachers and their families that had left the people and places they knew to teach me. At first I didn't think much about how hard it was for these teachers, but as I got older I began to think about it more. It must have been so hard for them to leave their family and friends. I didn't know America. To me America was foreign. I was only 4 when I met America. So I realized that for them leaving America was like me leaving PNG, sad and painful. I am very glad that all those teachers decided to follow God and come to PNG!

Growing up in Papua New Guinea has affected me in several ways. I like bugs and am not afraid of them. My favorite bug is the rhinoceros beetle because it is big and it has 2 long horns. Because I grew up in Papua New Guinea, I am not as much of a couch potato, and I do not watch as much TV. I like to play roller hockey and play outside with my friends instead. I am a lot faster than the kids that I met in my apartment on furlough, because my house is on top of a hill and now my legs are really strong from climbing up it all of the time. I have better friends here, because they are all Christians.

Numonohi Christian Academy makes my life better. PE is my favorite class at school. Mr. Deleu is a really nice teacher and he lets us play really fun games in PE like dodge ball. Music is really fun, too. We get to play musical chairs, and it helps me to play my piano better at home. Ms. Cardy is a very good art teacher, because we get to do fun arts and crafts like shadow puppets. I really like to go to school because I get to socialize with my friends.

When I think about the fact that the teachers at Numonohi Christian Academy have left home and raised support to come to teach me, it makes me feel important. I think my friends feel important, too. The teachers here are Christians, and I like to hear their stories of how God brought them here. Mr. Carlsen is really funny, and I like his jokes that he tells in class. The teachers here are really nice to me even though I am a little hyperactive.

When my family came to Papua New Guinea for the first time, it impacted me a lot. God has blessed all of the kids who go to Numonohi Christian Academy with such a great school. My teachers are really amazing because they left their families, raised support, and came overseas to teach at a place where many of them knew nobody. Even though being a missionary is hard sometimes, I am glad God blessed me by putting me in a great school with great teachers.

My name is Ben Burleson and I am a missionary kid who goes to Numonohi Christian Academy. Growing up in Papua New Guinea has affected me in many ways. I have seen many examples of faith, which encourages my walk with God. I have also seen many prayer needs met by God. Also, I realize that the spiritual battle is real and I need to be prepared.

My school, Numonohi Christian Academy, has influenced me quite a bit during the years I have attended school at it. The teachers challenge us in our walks with God. All of my teachers are a tremendous blessing to me. However, many students are having to take correspondence courses because there are not enough teachers and many more will have to do so if the needs are not met. Teachers are a big part of the team because they teach missionary kids from the tribes, so their parents don't have to both homeschool the kids and translate the tribal languages. If you are a teacher, you could help out here at Numonohi Christian Academy and be a blessing here as well.

I appreciate my teachers a bunch! I am really glad that they were willing to leave their homes and come to teach here. My teachers find many ways to come alongside me and help me with my walk with God. I hope if God is calling you to do something for Him right now, that you will listen to Him and let His light shine through you in your daily life.

Papua new Guinea - A far away place north of Australia. Very few people take a second glance at the island. Nor do they realize that missionaries are hard at work teaching the gospel to the people here.

When my family came to Papua New Guinea in 1995 we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. The first year was an adventure. Mom learned how to cook from scratch, Dad learned how to teach music to grades 1-12 all at the same school, and I got, for the first time in my life, to have friends from all over the world that I could play with every day.

Growing up in PNG has had a great impact on my life. Most people I met on our last furlough have never even left the USA, let alone their home state! PNG is sometimes called "The Land of the Unexpected" and we know why. We have all sorts of adventures here that we would never be able to have in the USA. My family loves to get out and explore. Daulo Pass is very close to us and has some great lookout areas. Waterfalls are scattered in different places so we go on hikes sometimes. When my family goes to the coastal areas we experience amazing wildlife, not only on land but also in the water. WWII wrecks litter the ocean and the jungles. It has been a privilege growing up in PNG!

I started school in 1999. I go to the school at the NTM school base. The school is called Numonohi Christian Academy and is also known as NCA. I believe the school has affected the way I live because it is a very Christ-like school. We sing Bible songs and study the Bible. It is not a public school where bad language happens and people are mean. In fact it is the exact opposite. No bad language is said, and there are no bullies or mean people. In my class we start the day in prayer and we give praise to the Lord when our principal comes and sings with my class. We do fun activities and listen to music a lot. My teacher, Mr. Bowers, has made my last elementary year really fun. We listen to music while we work and sometimes he plays his air guitar (this is when he gets up and pretends he is playing a guitar). Every Friday afternoon we play the game Risk with our principal, Miss Posenjak. Mr. Eggleton has made math much easier in my 6th grade year. What is very exciting though is that both of my parents are teachers so I see them often. Numonohi Christian Academy has definitely helped me a lot!

What really is special though is how the teachers at NCA have come all the way across the world to teach us. It takes lots of money and hard work to become missionaries. It is neat that they have supporters who help them get over here to teach us and make us feel special, loved, and cared for. It is hard to believe they did that for us!

It has been fun, scary, and exciting to spend 9 ½ years of my life here. And although my family is not in a tribe teaching the gospel to the people like some families I know, it is still special to be over here supporting, teaching, and living among those families. I am happy to live in Papua New Guinea, "The Land of the Unexpected".

Our wonderful loving God has given me the privilege of growing up in Papua New Guinea. Living here and being able to go to school at Numonohi Christian Academy has had a great effect on my life. I have been able to home school until I was in grade 6 and now I have been attending Numonohi Christian Academy (NCA). In every school that I have been to I have been able to learn about God.

I came to Wusuraambya, our tribe, when I was four months old. I played with my national friends every day. We played soccer and rugby. I taught them how to play my games and they taught me theirs. When I was ten, my good friend, Matthew, went through the initiation ceremony (a ceremony which all the boys have to go through to be able to go into the "house boy" which they have to do to be considered a man). After this, he could no longer come to see me because I have a sister and initiated boys are not to see girls until they get married. I got bored in Wusuraambya and I wanted to come out to Numonohi Christian Academy.

During this recent school break, I have had the privilege of seeing my [tribal] neighbors get saved and grow in the Lord. It was amazing to watch how the gospel, illustrations, and skits affected the people. I have seen people get really emotional after watching a skit on Jesus' horrible death on the cross. One of the mature believers in our tribe acted as Jesus and got hit by other men and then got tied to a cross that was made for the skit.

Going to school at NCA is a wonderful gift from God and has had a huge effect on my life. Numonohi Christian Academy has brought me closer to the Lord through the wonderful teachers and other students that are here. Students show their love for the Lord in many ways. Older students put on Bible studies and youth groups to help other students grow in their walk with the Lord and encourage them. They show the younger kids that God can use them even though they are small. I looked at slideshows of NCA and when I saw kids out in the open during recess studying their Bibles it made me happy and made me want to come and join them.

Here at NCA some of the teachers and parents got together and arranged a sports program for the fifth through eighth graders. Every term we play a different sport. The first term we played soccer and this term we are playing basketball. I really enjoy playing the sports each week. During the sports program we not only learn how to play the sports, but we also learn good sportsmanship.

I feel special when I think of the fact that teachers raised support and came here to teach my classmates and me. I appreciate it that some teachers left good teaching jobs in North America to come and teach us.

Life in PNG is a good life due to the Christians that God has placed here and is still placing here at Numonohi Christian Academy, and other places, to serve Him.