Role Call-Part 2

The next few members of our group...

Daniel “Mr. Nice Guy” Peckham: Daniel was friends with everyone, was up for anything, loved the people and country, and never said no to a photo idea someone in the group suggested even though I’m sure he wanted to sometimes (“Hey, Daniel, get a photo of this cool blade of grass!”; “Get one of me so it looks like I’m picking this animal’s nose!”; “Okay, just ONE more of me with a Papuan…last one, I swear”). This new title holds true in every way except one: finishing last. Although he encompassed the whole of what it means to be a nice guy, he was always one step ahead of us all. He was able to traverse the jungle terrain as if it were nothing, and took pictures all the way.

Will "This Podium Goes Up To My Knees" Davis: joining us all the way from Texas, Will proved the old adage to be true that everything really is bigger in Texas. Especially when compared to Papuans. Although Will was actually only behind a podium once (to read a Bible verse), it painted the perfect picture for how he looked walking around those 10 days. The Papuans were amazed at his height, but more amazed when he stooped down to interact with them. So, embodied in this title, is Will's comparative height, but also his willingness to participate in the culture of the Papuans despite their differences, both physical and cultural.

Steven "Most Unlucky Traveler but Happiest Camper" Blue: after all of the mishaps that occurred during Steven's travel, we were seriously considering calling it "Blue's Law" instead of "Murphy's Law". Everything from lost baggage to postponed flights to losing TONS of sleep to rain to cramped planes and more were experienced by Steven. Out of our whole group, he would have had the most legitimate reason to complain, yet I didn't hear a single negative word come out of his mouth the entire trip. He also re-defined the phrase "grin and bear it" because he was constantly smiling and taking everything that was thrown at him in perfect stride. It was sort of like trying out for a sports team. You can always look at somebody who is playing more poorly than you are and it gives you confidence. We could always look to Steven, smiling and joking, and say, "Well, [insert any number of travel woes] didn't happen to me, and look at him!" Great attitude-check and a joy to have on the trip.

The Teubl Family (photo at the bottom)

Bill "Clutch" Teubl: for those of us who have ever played on a sports team or driven a manual, we understand the importance of the clutch. In sports, it’s that irreplaceable play that changes the outset of the game; in driving you wouldn’t get far without using it. So it goes with Dr. Teubl. There are two particular times on this trip that I am thinking of as I am writing these titles, though I know there are many more “clutch” situations in which he was present and helpful. The first “clutch” play was his involvement in the clinic. He kept us moving steady the whole day and determined our pace in how quickly we would see patients. I know the villagers are grateful for his ability to make on-the-spot decisions regarding their health that were beneficial. And, at the end of the day, I swear he had said “Okay, this is the last patient” about five times before he was actually leaving the clinic. I know those last few patients he squeezed in were thrilled! The second situation, the one which solidified the title “clutch” for me, was when my sister Stephanie passed out. Dr. Teubl happened to be walking past the bathroom just in time to watch it happen, alert the troops, and make sure she was still relatively okay after the nasty spill. I think it’s something about the presence of a physician that calms the nerves in situations like the two above. Although he probably didn’t realize he was doing it, his willing heart and medical confidence were irreplaceable parts of our group…kept us “running” and won us the World Series? (okay, so that metaphor breaks down a bit…)

Claudia "The Singing Hymnal" Teubl: if you were raised in the church, you have probably heard of or experienced Psalty the Singing Songbook. If not, a basic recap is that he is a life-sized, blue, book (with the necessary cartoon features of hands, feet, and a face) who loved kids and singing songs about the Lord. Due to how many stares we already received as white-skins, we were all thankful that Mrs. Teubl resembled Psalty in attitude, not appearance. She is much less blue and hard-covered than Psalty, but she always had a fitting hymn to sing whenever we fellowshipped or just whenever the situation merited it. It was such a great addition to our group time and kept our hearts in a posture of worship, which is what the whole trip was about.

Lydia "Newest World Traveler" Teubl: if Lydia is going to do something, she isn't going to do it halfway. Example #1, she is going to run a triathlon. I, on the other hand, would feel completely content running OR biking OR swimming any of those lengths individually. Example #2, if I had never traveled West of the Mississippi, I would probably try something small like Oregon. Lydia, on the other hand, not only went to a country on the other side of the globe, but also one of the most remote parts within that country. And she adapted incredibly well! This isn't even like how you say, "She dances well for being in a wheel-chair"; she actually fit in great. She hit the ground running and was soaking up the culture left and right, getting a very full experience.

Gracie “Smarty-Go-Lucky” Teubl: this title is what we like to call a mash-up. It’s the combination of the word “smart” and the phrase “happy-go-lucky”. Grace was constantly amazing us (though she may not have known it!) the whole trip with her broad knowledge of, well, everything. I loved hearing her insights into cultural situations, hearing how the Lord was working in her, and, of course, learning how it is that cicaks stay stuck on the wall like they do. Though I’m highlighting her intellect here, it is not her defining feature. Gracie was first and foremost one of the happiest and up-beat team members. Even when she was explaining to me about quantum mechanics (which, if I’m clear, is the Latin name for giraffe), she did so with her trademark giggle. Let’s just put it this way: if all of my professors had her attitude (and laugh!), I would start playing hooky from my social life to go to class. As an aside, another potential nickname I was considering was Rosie the Riveter…both because of her “we can do it!” attitude and her nationalistic desire to work in factories to promote wartime industry. Oh, yeah, and cause of her kerchief.I hope you feel like you know these seven people a little better now! One more blog post to go and then we'll have addressed every member of the Dream Team.