L {Language}

We will have many transitions once we get to PNG and a major one will be learning a new language. Jason and I are very excited about this while D is still warming to the idea. At first he thought we would never speak English again! We reassured him that we would still speak English, but he would also know a "secret language" that he could speak when we visit the US. He wasn't sold on that idea ("Mom, you're crazy!"), but he's slowly realizing he'll need to communicate in something other than English!

There are over 800 languages in PNG and several hundred of those languages still have translation needs! We will be learning Melanesian Pidgin, or Tok Pisin, which means "Talk Pidgin", and it's one of the official languages of PNG and most widely used. (We'll talk later about our language training!)

I'll leave you today with the Lord's Prayer in Tok Pisin:

Papa bilong mipela

Yu stap long heven.

Nem bilong yu i mas i stap holi.

Kingdom bilong yu i mas i kam.

Strongim mipela long bihainim laik bilong yu long graun,

olsem ol i bihainim long heven.

Givim mipela kaikai inap long tude.

Pogivim rong bilong mipela,

olsem mipela i pogivim ol arapela i mekim rong long mipela.

Sambai long mipela long taim bilong traim.

Na rausim olgeta samting nogut long mipela.

Kingdom na strong na glori, em i bilong yu tasol oltaim oltaim.

Tru.