Trips

Trip News - Suki, Papua New Guinea (PNG), July 2004

Our trip to Suki (PNG) began in a way that we did not plan; my passport fell out when, on our way to the airport, we called in to say goodbye to Elizabeth’s mother in Karana Nursing Home. There was time to go back and pick the passport up but the staff had locked it in the office so that we could not get it till the morning. As we prayed about this problem, we realized that God had allowed it for a purpose (Romans 8:28), so I flew to Cairns, where Daniel Gerakios and David Webster continued onto Suki and I was set aside to pray for a week. Daniel and David rose to the challenge and came to a blessed awareness of God’s enabling to teach how to analyse Scripture in small group Bible studies. They organized 800 people into small groups under local leaders and studied passages in John’s gospel through a culturally relevant method of coloured beads; Light/white (what do we learn of God?), dark/black (what do we learn of evil?), red (what do we learn of Jesus’ cross & forgiveness?), green (what do we learn of repentance/growth?), yellow (ripening fruit: what do we learn of love, etc?), blue (what do we learn of God’s big plan in the Bible?). We gasped in awe at God’s amazing grace.

But there was conflict! During the week Daniel and David became aware of a demonic presence in the house which they overcame through Christ in prayer. In April, an Australian couple had entered Suki by boat, in defiance of the Evangelical Church of PNG’s wishes and conducted a campaign against them seeking to draw people into a new ‘Destiny church’. This created much confusion, because they lied, saying they were working with Grahame Martin! They said that the Suki did not have the Holy Spirit so re-baptised many to be empowered! Then the local leaders of this and other groups tried to wheedle (ingratiate) themselves into David and Daniel’s company and hijack the teaching and training sessions. But God was at work because in the teaching a number came to faith in Christ. All this week, I was struggling in prayer, about five times a day (Col.1:28-29, 4:12).

A week later I arrived and together we taught a Bible Overview looking at Christ in all the Scriptures. After teaching each segment (eg. Genesis, Exodus to Deuteronomy, Joshua to King David, Solomon to Malachi, the Gospels, Acts to Revelation) the 1000 plus member church then dramatized the Scriptures. Shakespeare would have been proud of their efforts. This dramatization had an impact we had not anticipated. After so many cults (eg. Bahai, Mormons, Irish ‘cargo cult’ & four splinter groups) coming in and dividing the tribe, they were over-whelmed with joy at working together in harmony. The Local Govt. Council leader said, “What we have heard and read, has now become a physical reality to us.” The church took up an offering of 2,379 kina ($1100) for a boat so that we could continue the ministry of ‘Train to Teach’. We were humbled that God should inspire these people, who are poor and have no regular income, to sacrifice so much.

Thank you for praying which was a priority. Here are other features of our visit to Suki.

• We followed up the discipleship course on ‘Assurance’ taught by Dean Carroll last December (2003) and gave them copies of a simplified English version (edited by Ros Atkinson and others). Those who memorized the five key verses received certificates.
• We delivered the translation of Jonah (illustrated and printed by the pupils and teachers of the Canterbury Gardens Community Church). No more translation has been done.
• We delivered medical equipment and instruments (financed by some friends).
• We gave out reading glasses to church leaders who have no access to optometrists.  
• We faced the cults and encouraged the church to test them according to the Bible. The Irish ‘cargo cult’ has amounted to nothing but some still believe.
• Many came to us for counselling (eg. one widow had been grieving for her child who had died 20 years before!)
• Could you please pray that the Suki Christians will realize that they have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, live by faith and not go chasing every new idea that turns up. Maybe many are living in the area of feelings.
• The team felt that a boat would have been so much more helpful, (owned by a Christian) who would take us into an area without us having to carry stove, cooking utensils, food and bedding by plane which proved very expensive. Air travel was so uncertain and we were delayed up to five hours at times.
• Daniel Gerakios and David Webster (who had never been to PNG before) had a most blessed time, came to know God in a unique way, and were very effective in ministry. David took a video of the proceedings and we look forward to seeing it.
• We thank God for many who helped with finance, accommodation, advice and equipment.
• I will be taking a team (God willing) in July 2005 to the Araamba people for a similar ministry. We yearn to find out what is happening at Arufe (last team ministry carried out in Dec. 2001), but have no access by mail or by plane (airstrip closed). They have sent word by a round about way that they want help with the translation.