A Bible Dedication - Part 1

As promised, I wanted to share my experience at the Bible dedication I attended a couple weeks ago. The translators were Bob and Salme Bugenhagen, and they were dedicating the Tuam and Oov dialects of the Saveeng language on the Siassi Islands just southeast of New Britain.

Our journey started off with bad weather and our flight out of Aiyura airport (near Ukarumpa) being delayed for a few hours. As it turned out, the aviation department was having some computer problems and so I was able to help out while we waited for the weather to clear.

The planes they fly here are small enough that they have to make sure they load them properly to keep the center of gravity within a certain range. So what that meant for me was that I was seated in the co-pilot's chair! That was pretty fun being right up in front with the instruments and flight controls and chatting with the pilot over the headset.

As we left Aiyura Airport

Just leaving Nadzap airport and reaching the coast of PNG

We stopped in the Lae airport called Nadzab to pick up Nimo, a Papua New Guinean journalist. Apparently, it's not a normal thing for a journalist to witness a Bible dedication.

From Nadzab, we headed for Laplap, which is a grass airstrip on the coast of New Britain. There was a large group waiting to greet us including Bob Bugenhagen. He stands at about 6' 7" and was towering over the Papua New Guineans to where at a distance, it looked like he was surrounded by a bunch of kids. But as it turned out, the men and women from the local villiage had come to help us carry our bags and other cargo we had brought with us.

From Laplap, we took about a 10 minute hike through the coastal jungle to the shore, where there was a small boat waiting to take us to our destiation for the evening, Tuam island. One thing that is "different" than my western culture, is that the women and children do most of the work. Also, they regard whiteskins as feeble and weak, and I was told it's considered a bit rude to not allow someone to carry my bags. I didn't anticipate how humbling it is when a nine-ish year old girl is carrying your 10kg backpack for you!

There were 10 year old twin boys named James (pronounced Jems) and Stephen. They met us at the airport and stayed with us the rest of the day. While waiting for the plane to get unloaded, I tought Jems how to play thumb wars. After that, he became my little shadow. Later I heard their story which I'll have to share as it's both tragic and inspirational.

Jems in the Red, and Stephen in the Blue

We loaded up the boat and after an hour on the ocean we came to shore, where we were greeted by the people there.

The boat. Carved out of a single tree.



An active volcano I watched from the boat as it was erupting out the side



The shore of Tuam

Greeted with fragrant flower Leis

Their villiage was beatiful and they had planned to keep us in their newest house that had just been dedicated a few days before by a pastor. They had built the house, but wouldn't stay overnight in it until it was blessed. So it had sat there for a few weeks at least while they saved up money and paid for a pastor to come and bless it for them. So we had the honor of being the first people to stay overnight in this new house!

When you are a whiteskin walking around with a camera, everybody wants their picture taken!

We were provided a feast of a dinner. Taro, cooked bananas, rice with coconut milk, and ham! I was kind of hoping and expecting fish since we were on an island in the pacific ocean.

As we walked towards the house we were staying at for the night, I saw this on the way and thought it might be dinner.

Near the house, there was this turtle thing with strings as a tail that was in a wooden bowl. This was guess number two at dinner!

But as guests, I think they wanted to give us their best, so we had pig that night. Another cultural difference is that they consider the fat to be the best part of the animal. My habit has to always cut the fat off and throw it away. But, I was served up a plate with a huge portion of pig fat with a sliver of meat attached. So, in an effort not to insult or offend, I slowly munched away at my plate of pig fat until I got it all down. Definately harder than I thought it would be!

That night over dinner, I chatted for an hour or so with the proud house owner while playing thumb wars with Jems, Stephen and a small crown of children that had gathered around. It had been a great day and I was starting to anticipate what was coming tomorrow.

Stay tuned for Part 2...