Date: 21st Nov 2011 PNG report continued…No.13
Dear Pastor, Church & all Supporters;
(1Th 5:9) “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
(1Th 5:10) “Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
(1Th 5:11) ¶ “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye”.
27th Aug 2011 (Sat)
0600 hrs, my day started being Saturday I would spend part of the day studying as I would have two preaching engagements. After breakfast, my wife and I completed our daily bible reading of which we have engaged in together since we were married. She had some laundry to take care of so I organized for the washing of clothes to be done outside on the concrete pad where the water tank sits.
I simply put down a plywood sheet about two by three feet and that was used as a base to wash and scrub the clothes with a brush. The old fashioned way, bar soap with a brush and plenty of elbow grease. Since water is not the issue, the clothes can be rinsed really well.
The only issue one has to be concerned about (well really two), the first one is getting the clothes washed and hung out in time because the rains come daily and anytime in the early afternoon it can start raining. The second issue is, living in the tropics where the sun is really strong, it is important to remember and hang one’s clothes inside out; otherwise the sun will bleach out the colours.
It took some time to organize all this, which afterwards I handed over to Sherry and Hepe the job of laundry.
I am not the kind of man who easily stays indoors, however it’s a bit difficult to study outside so only through discipline will this be achieved.
In all my twenty-eight years of preaching, I have not heard (stress on myself) any preacher preach through Ezekiel, I am sure many preachers have, I am just saying I have not had the opportunity to hear such.
I have read through this book several times, and preached out of it several times. I felt compelled to start with Ezekiel chap 1 vs. 1 and go through the chapter.
I normally do not preach expository preaching, but topical, however I felt impressed by God’s H.S. to start with Ezekiel chap 1 vs. 1 and bring a message from the expository method.
I spent the biggest part of the day preparing Ezekiel chap 1 and 2, perhaps the messages were for me, I cannot tell what others may or may not have received out of them but I was blessed in my studies.
The day passed quickly, and evening hours set in with the rains. We had our baths and dinner, following we talked for a while and then called it a day at 22:30 hrs.
28th Aug 2011 (Sunday)
I was invited to Bro. Ekere’s village called Hialupena, which is located some forty-five min hike from the Tanggi mission station with most of the hike uphill. We arrived where the church building is located and folks had already gathered waiting for us, therefore we did not tarry, and after a short rest we congregated inside.
I think it would have been cooler outside, as the inside temp was a steaming 88 dg F with an altitude set at 6480 ft.
We started services at 10:00 hrs, I preached one message and then sung some songs and then I preached the second message, we concluded our services at 12:00 hrs, no one complained and no one walked out.
After services Bro Ekere wanted to show Sherry the lake, which is located up the mountain a short ways from the church building and has quite a story behind it. So we set off, for the short hike arriving at the top of the lake about half an hour later. We descended to the rim of the lake and this is where the story begins narrated by Bro Ekere Ibako, Pastor/Missionary, and Chief of his people.
The backdrop is this natural lake some one hundred meters in either direction you look, round with high banks fused into the sides of mountain walls. The water reflects a deep blue-black hue, not dirty or muddy but the sign of a deep well springing from within. To the South rim lays the resemblance of a hand-dug trench some six to eight feet deep.
Long, long ago there was a man who had a wife and baby son, where this lake now stands once was the spot of a garden belonging to the man in this story. He needed to take a journey and would be gone for some time, he instructed his wife that in the midst of the garden and at its bottom there was a plant (Taro) which grew, this plant was not to be taken for food, or touched. Make sure you keep our son away from that plant, for in the day which, that plant is touched or played with, there will be a terrible curse that will come upon you.
The wife asked, for how long will you be gone, Husband replies, I don’t know as the journey is far. However you will know when my coming is near because you will hear the thunder and see the lightening in the East.
The man took his journey and days passed, the wife caring for the garden, house, and animals. One day the woman went to work in the garden and instructed the child to stay within sight, however, the child had managed to reach the bottom where the Taro plant grew, he began to grab one of the leaves of this Taro plant and pull, saying papa…
Without warning there was a mighty gushing sound of water, thrusting upwards rupturing out of the ground and removing this Taro plant. The mother heard and seen, immediately she ran to the bottom of the garden where the baby was still seated. She grabbed him up in her arms and remembered the words of her husband.
The water began to fill the valley, rising to the rim of the valley where their house was. As the water continued to rise she also heard the thunder and seen the lightening out of the East. She climbed a tree and went to the top for safety however, the water rose and rose till the house and garden were completely under water.
The husband knew something was wrong and began to run, through the night he ran, reaching the place where his house once stood, he seen his wife and son sitting atop this tree. Through the day and night he worked digging a trench to let out the water in order to save his family. By next morning the water had covered the tree and the flooded water took his wife and son. He lay down his shovel and departed, never to return.
The next generation, which followed, found this newly formed lake, which from time to time rises only to vent out of the channel, which had been dug by this man from long, long ago.
This story is known all around and dates back from before any missionary ever entered PNG.
You may draw your own conclusions, dismiss the story, or simply not believe it. However, in the minds and history of these people different ones can retell that story and it will always come out the same.
We took some pictures and started out hike back to Tanggi mission station. By 1500 hrs we arrived and not too soon for the rains set in. We set things in order for the wood stove, heating bath water and dinner.
That evening after dinner we sat talking about the day, how God uses HIS people as instruments to find HIS sheep and call out HIS Elect. Tomorrow would be a big day for us so we made short of the night and retired at 2100 hrs.
Missionary Peter A. Halliman