How do we lift a 19.5-foot boat weighing 600 lbs. seven and a half feet over our heads and into a 20-foot shipping container? This was the challenge we faced as we loaded our supplies for Papua New Guinea. The 19.5-foot Beavertail shallow-water aluminum boat will be our transportation on the shallow jungle creeks around Ama.

Orion and Keren Lawrence, our future teammates, felt impressed to come and help us get ready. They drive a van with removable seats. With their help we were able to purchase twelve used 55-gallon barrels with watertight seals to protect our supplies. The barrels also made a good platform for the boat in the container.

Along with the boat, we were advised to bring the necessary tools for building a house. We got a table saw, sliding miter saw, cement mixer, hand tools, steel doors, wheel barrow, 12-volt water pump with pipe, wire, and outlets for lights. We plan to have 12-volt solar power with an inverter. All these construction supplies went below the boat around the barrels.

We discovered by experience that it takes 10 people to lift and carry the boat. As Orion went to Home Depot to get some last-minute supplies, he providentially saw a rental truck with a lift gate. The truck’s lift gate was able to raise us four feet so that our last lift was only chest high. Praise God!

We want to thank each person who helped us load our boat and other heavy items. We also want to thank the people who donated the Beavertail boat for mission work. And we want to thank God for organizing our packing and loading with the people, skills and timing we needed.

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