PNG Bird

Papua New Guinea Bird, Gouache, 8X8

During my 2013 trip to Papua New Guinea, I fell sick.

I sustained a minor concussion while swimming in the ocean. This was occurred several hours before we’d begin our overnight excursion from the city to the lowlands (the hottest place on planet earth, IMO).

Upon our arrival in the jungle, I immediately brushed against a thorny tree branch. One of our teammates noted, “they amputate limbs for those kinds of thorn attacks!”

The trip continued with more laughable stories about Matt, which my friends still talk about today (ask my friend Ron, he’ll tell you).

Contrasting these stories are the array of photos we captured during the trip.

While going through my photos recently, I came across this bird. Its beauty stirred something in me, opposite to the trip’s silliness.

There are many memories from this trip. This painting reminded me of God's delight overseeing our hardships, laughter, and playfulness.