SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION
International – Papua New Guinea / Malawi Africa
P.O. Box 60150 Ndirande Bt. 6 Blantyre Malawi /
P.O. Box 233 – Mt Hagen (WHP) Papua New Guinea
Tanggi Mission Station – North Koroba, Hela Province, PNG
Missionary / Evangelist: Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite04@gmail.com  /  Website: sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Date: 29 May 2020

Dear Pastor, Church, Supporters;

Matthew 10:22 — And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Part Three — continued from Part Two

After saying our good-byes to those behind, we set off to the next point: Hengenapu Bap church, three hours’ hike up the next mountain. Nothing here is ever easy — no such thing as flat landing. It is all uphill or down, and a whole lot of in-between. The paths are not just straight-cut but often V-shaped or cut into the mountain sides, meaning a constant jumping back and forth from one side to another.

We arrived at the top with not much daylight left. I began to set up camp again. It is a struggle to keep those closer to me disciplined to take care of business when needed — most of these people never grew up with any type of disciplined home life. Time means nothing to them and they simply live for the moment. This doesn’t work well with someone who tries to maintain some form of discipline and timetable, but none the less I still keep my schedule regardless.

Nightfall was soon upon us and my bush-bath was in the rain. At six thousand feet elevation the night rains are very cool, and if it had not been that I was muddy from the hike, I believe I would have called it a night and bathed in the morning. The Natives sleep with fires burning all night and don’t see the need for a night bath. I do, and did.

The day had been full for me, and like most of the bush patrols I don’t need any help going to sleep.

Early morning hours I was awakened by the birds, coffee was made, and I started my day at 0500 hrs. Still dark, but soon would break daylight. It is hard for me to make usage of my quiet morning study hours, simply because I only carry a small solar light about the size of a large coffee mug.

Day 3 — 22 April 2020

Before daybreak some of the charter members — mostly women — came to me and informed me of their intention to have a traditional mumu. By daybreak, the hogs were brought in, killed, and preparations started. Since I have become accustomed to their ways and system, I am often asked to assist with the detail involved in organising the groups of people and how the meat will be divided up.

There is always a lot of commotion, and to an untrained eye one would think it is more noise and confusion than anything else. But not so — they have their own way of sorting through the workers: some bringing in food, some manning the fires, some heating the stones, some preparing the pit, and so on. After enough noise, running to and fro, and shouting, the food is finally put into the earth oven and set for the next two hours or so, depending on the heat of the stones and amount of food. There is an art to cooking in an earth oven, but these people have been doing this for generations.

The time came to clean up and prepare for church. Once all were ready, the church was rapidly filled, and some were forced to sit outside the building. Here in PNG, most of the time that is not a problem — the walls do not go all the way up to the roof and with an opening all the way around, folks can sit on the outside and still hear the preaching.

The church service lasted nearly two hours. When we were ready to conclude, there was business to be conducted. I led their business for them. The pastor they had for the past year had become ill and wanted to return to his home village near the Tanggi mission station. The church graciously accepted his resignation and asked me to make their need for a pastor known to supporters — that you may, if the LORD should bring it to your remembrance, pray for the Hengenapu Bap church that the LORD would provide a pastor for her in HIS time.

There were some members whom they voted to exclude — when was the last time you, the reader, recall where one of our kind of churches excluded a member for non-attendance? These Baptist churches here take church attendance seriously. Some of the older preachers reading this report may recall a time when our kind of Baptist took spiritual adultery seriously. When was the last time you heard a message on this?

(Jeremiah 3:8) “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

Other excluded church members came, asked for forgiveness, and were reinstated. Two were saved, and the church voted for their baptism to be conducted at the Bible Conference where they would also be granted membership and receive the right hand of fellowship.

The church service was lengthy but needful, and was a blessing to see GOD at work even here within this small church of mostly women sitting atop a mountain within the Duna area of the Hela Province of PNG.

The food was ready, and the people were ready to eat. We all changed clothes and I was appointed to call out the cuts and amount of meat to be distributed, with people sitting in groups mostly as to geographical origins — where they are from. It is a lengthy process but protocol. By and by everyone was served and at last I was able to eat as well. The rest of the day we all spent in eating, fellowship, and rejoicing in GOD’S blessings.

To be continued… End of Part Three.

In His Name;

Missionary Peter A. Halliman