I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I am in the midst of lions. I lie among ravenous beasts. Awake my soul! I will praise you, 0 Lord, among the nations. I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens. 0 God, let your glory be over all the earth Psalm 57.
PAPUA NIUGINI and the Solomon Islands are two of the many new nations of black peoples that have emerged from the era of European imperialism. Much of the land is still remote wilderness. And like many other such ex-colonial nations, they have not been spared the terrors of war.
Our Bro. Boniface and Sis. Mary Dituama lived in the town of Arawa which, in the mid-nineties, was the scene of a vicious war between the PNG army and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army. In the fierce battles the nearby town of Kieta was totally destroyed, and Arawa barely survived. The Dituamas packed what they could carry, including as priority their Bibles, Concordance, and other valuable books on the Truth, and fled to the remote mountain village where Bro. Boniface was born, accessible only on foot along narrow tracks through the lush green rain forest. By word and example they preached the gospel of peace. Slowly the people from five villages, some two hours’ walk away, began to listen and then obey, until by the year 2000 a flourishing ecclesia and Sunday school had grown up in this remote place of refuge.
On June 23, 2001, I received the following urgent message: “In order to appreciate the difficulties, eagerness of scholars, the welfare needs during the aftermath of the war and many more, your brothers and sisters of Bougainville suggest that it is vitally important to visit us in our villages.”
We could not possibly resist or refuse such an appeal. In an amazing example of the providence of God, three brethren and myself were air lifted to Arawa by a helicopter of the United Nations peacekeeping force at no cost to us. From there we set out on the long haul for the villages. We were not allowed to carry our packs and the provisions which we purchased at Arawa. A group of brothers and sisters and young people came down to meet us. We were greeted everywhere, with shyness, amazement, open excitement and joy, to see the first visitors from the Australian Christadelphian Bible Mission ever to venture into this remote part of the world. For us, it was just as amazing that here, by the grace of our God, the God of Israel, we could be among those of like faith, sharing the same hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.
The next day, the full impact of the marvel hit us. How do these people in this refuge from the tumult of war exist, without pay, without permanent work? Subsistence farming is only a part of the answer. One brother has a radio workshop. Another has a chain saw and cuts timber from the forest for anyone who wants to build a house. Another teaches for no pay. Yet they all survive!
During our brief stay, we assisted with eight baptisms, which took place in a pool in a deep ravine. We know that there are many others preparing themselves for baptism. The Sunday school has 60 children divided into five classes and an adult class of 23. It meets for six hours, from 9 to 3! The ecclesia also runs a day school at one village three days a week. All the teachers are untrained. The potential for the Truth is seen by the brothers and sisters as virtually unlimited. We discussed with them such possibilities as solar panels for lighting and other assistance. We realize our responsibility and obligation to these giants of faith. My own overall impression of our venture into their territory and their hearts will be lasting.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One