MAY 1978
DEAR BRETHREN
96..97..98..99..100..puff, puff..,self, "you can
make it"...1...2....3..clop, clop !
HAVE I GOT A PATROL FOR YOU! EARLIER THIS YEAR ONE OF
OUR BIBLE SCHOOL MEN HAD GONE TO WORK IN THE ENGA DISTRICT (300
MILES NW OF GOROKA). WHILE BIBLE SCHOOL WAS OUT FOR TWO MONTHS.
HE WAS THERE PREACHING AT KUBIN WHERE THERE IS A CONGREGATION.
ONE IF THE CHRISTIANS IS A COUNSELOR WHOSE JOB INCLUDES ACTING
AS JUDGE, JURY AND POLICEMAN FOR HIS COUNCIL AREA. ON ONE OF
COUNCIL KARIPIN'S MANY CIRCUITS TO STRAIGHTEN OUT TROUBLE HE TOOK
ATE TAPAS WITH HIM AND NINE PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST AT
ROCKAMUNDA THREE DAYS WALK FROM THE MAIN HIGHWAY. JOE CANNON HAD
BEEN PLANNING TO GO THERE TO SEE OUR NEW BRETHREN IN MAY, THEN
PAUL MCANALLY BECAME ILL AND I DECIDED TO GO IN WITH JOE SO HE
WOULDN'T BE BY HIMSELF.
MAY 23rd LARRY VOYLES, JOE CANNON AND MYSELF ARRIVED
AT COUNCIL KARIPIN'S VILLAGE IN KUBIN.
MAY 24 - A LATE START BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME
FINDING ENOUGH CARRIERS FOR OUR CARGO. FINALLY HIRED 13 CARRIERS.
TWO CARRIERS QUIT AND TURNED BACK WITHIN 2 HRS. OUR HIKING WAS
STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN ALONG NARROW RIDGES COVERED WITH THICK SHOULDER
HIGH KUNAI GRASS, 1/2 MILE TO THE RIVER WAS STRAIGHT DOWN ON
OUR BACKSIDES. I WAS CARRYING MY PACK UNTIL THE RIVER WHEN WE
HIRED TWO MORE CARRIERS. PHEE! 45 lbs SURE GETS HEAVY! WE WALKED
3 HRS UP THE RIVER (SMALL TORRENT) AND THEN LEFT THE WATER TO
GO STRAIGHT UP A MOUNTAIN FOR 1 1/2 HRS. WE ARRIVED AT KAIPRIS
WHERE WE SPENT THE NIGHT. BOY WERE WE EVER READY TO STOP. ONE
OF THE PACKS HAD POTATOES AND BAGS OF SUGAR IN IT. NOW WE HAVE
7 lbs OF SUGAR LOOSE WITH THE SPUDS. OUR SMALLHOUSE (OUTHOUSE)
HAD ITS OWN TOILET PAPER SUPPLY, THERE WERE PLANTS GROWING RIGHT
INSIDE THE ENCLOSURE.
T
HURSDAY 0730 - STARTED WALKING. THE AREA WE WALKED INTO
IS HIGHLY MOUNTAINOUS, 10,000-13,000 FEET WITH VERY JAGGED RIDGES.
WE CRESTED AT 13,000 FEET AROUND 1 PM AFTER WALKING THRU SWAMPS
AT 10,000 FEET (splash, who wants clean dry boots anyhow!) ROCKY
ROAD - STRAIGHT UP MUD WALLS -DOWN AND ALONG MOSS COVERED FALLEN
TREES - CLIMBING WITH HANDS - SLIDING ON BACKSIDE -CROSSED THRU
15 STREAMS AND ONE SWAMPY PLACE WITH MUD 3 FEET DEEP. THE CARRIERS
KNEW WHERE THE SMALL STICKS WERE IN THE SWAMPY PLACES, BUT I DIDN'T
ALWAYS HIT THEM ... KURPLUNK. ONE PLACE WE SLID DOWN AT LEAST
AN 80 DEGREE DECLINE. WOW! WE DIDN'T ARRIVE AT KALACUS (CAMP)
UNTIL AFTER DARK- 7:00 PM.
THEIR HOUSES IN HERE ARE SOMETHING ELSE. THEY HAVE VERY
SHORT ROOFS INSIDE (3') AND FILLED WITH SMOKE TO KEEP EVERYONE
WARM. THE MEN SLEEP IN ONE HOUSE AND THE WOMEN SLEEP IN A SEPARATE
HOUSE CLOSE BY. THE WOMEN ALSO SHARE SPACE WITH THEIR PIGS WHICH
THEY HERD INTO THE HOUSE AT DARK AND FENCE THEM IN A BACK SECTION
OF THE HOUSE. MY LEFT THUMB HAD SUSTAINED A GRASS CUT THE DAY
BEFORE AND SOMETHING HAD DEFINITELY BEEN ON THE GRASS BECAUSE
I NOW HAD SECONDARY INFECTION WITH A RED LINE MARCHING UP MY ARM.
HELLO TETRACYCLINE!
JOE AND I VOTED TO SLEEP OUTSIDE UNDER THE STARS AND
LARRY SLEPT INSIDE THE HOUSE MAN. BY EARLY MORNING THE STARS WERE
GONE AND WE GOT WET.
FRIDAY 0800 - WALKING AGAIN! STRAIGHT DOWN FROM 7000
to 3000' - WE CROSSED THE WATER TARUA AT 9:30 THEN STRAIGHT UP
TO 10,0001 THRU A LARGE FOOD GARDEN. I ARRIVED AT NIGHT CAMP AT
12:30, JOE AND LARRY ARRIVED 2 HRS LATER. PLACE: LEYALEM ELEVATION
10,000". THIS CAMP WAS ON A FLAT RIDGE WITH A SUPER MARVELOUS
VIEW OF OUR SURROUNDING TERRAIN. OUR CARRIERS WERE RESTLESS AND
KEPT TALKING OF LEAVING (I WONDER IF PAUL EVER HAD CARRIER TROUBLE
ON HIS JOURNEYS). ONE OF OUR CARRIERS IS A WOMAN AND SHE WANTS
TO SLEEP IN THE HOUSE WITH LARRY, JOE AND MYSELF INSTEAD OF SLEEPING
IN THE HOUSE WITH THE OTHER CARRIERS. NO WAY! THE CLOUDS WERE
BREAKING OVER OUR RIDGE AND FINALLY BROUGHT RAIN. ME I LIKE TO
SLEEP THRU THE NIGHT, BUT 0200 JOE AND LARRY ARE UP MAKING TEA,
KICKING DISHES AND DISCUSSING SUMMER LIGHTNING - OH BOY !
SATURDAY 0800 - SLID OUT OF LEYALEM. STRAIGHT DOWN TO
THE WATER COURSE, DROPPED ABOUT 3000'. BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, STRAIGHT
BACK UP TO WHERE WE WERE GOING. ARRIVED ROCKAMUNDA 10:30 AM. THE
LAST WHITE MEN INTO THIS AREA WAS DURING THE 1967 CENSUS.
AFTER A SHORT REST PERIOD WE HELD A SHORT DEVOTIONAL
SERVICE WITH 62 PEOPLE PRESENT. DURING LATER STUDIES 7 PEOPLE
WERE BAPTIZED (ALL OLDER PEOPLE). COMMITTEEMAN ENDI, ONE OF THE
FIRST CONVERTS HERE GAVE US THE USE OF HIS HOUSE (THE ROACHES
WERE INCLUSIVE).
WE SPENT SUNDAY PREACHING AND RESTING UP. WE HAD A 3
HOUR WORSHIP PERIOD. COMMUNION SERVICE WAS WITH ONE CUP AND WE
HAD TO START RATIONING THE JUICE AFTER SEVERAL OF THE BRETHREN
DRANK THEIR FILL. WE HAD 90 PEOPLE PRESENT, 2 CASSOWARY BIRDS,
1 DOG AND 1 LARGE PIG. 3 MORE PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED. TOTAL CHRISTIANS
NOW 19 PRAISE THE LORD! IT'S FANTASTIC HOW THE WORD OF THE LORD
CONTINUES TO PRODUCE FRUIT AMIDST THE FOES OF DARKNESS AND SUPERSTITION.
MONDAY-MAY 29 - BEAUTIFUL DAY! WE ARE GOING TO RETURN
TO KUBIN VIA A NEW TRAIL. LEFT CAMP AT 07:45 - STRAIGHT UP, ALONG
A RIDGELINE LIKE A RAZORBACK WITH THE TRAIL FOOTING BEING MOSS
COVERED ROOTS, 200' DROPS ON EITHER SIDE. THE TRAIL WAS OVER GROWN
IN PLACES AND WE HAD TO HACK OUR WAY THRU WITH BUSH KNIVES. WE
WERE WALKING IN DENSE RAIN FOREST, MOSS COVERED VIRGIN TREES 3-5'
thick, 70-80' TALL (HOLD EVERYTHING: "GET OFF MY LEG LEECH!")
I WRENCHED MY RIGHT KNEE WHILE NAVIGATING ALONG THESE SLIPPERY
ROOTS AND LOGS. I'D STEP ON ONE OF THERE LOGS COVERED WITH MOSS
AND BEFORE YOU COULD BLINK I WAS ON MY BACK LOOKING UP SLIDING
DOWN THE LOGS., THE CARRIERS KEPT TELLING ME "SHOE BILONG
YOU DOESN'T HAVE BRAKES" YOU'RE TELLING ME. WE CAMPED AT
10,000' AGAIN. THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL ON THE NEXT RIDGE,
CASCADING INTO TWO DROPS FROM 60' and THEN 80'. JOE WAS LIKE DR
PEPPER THAT NIGHT UP AT 10, 2 and 4. MY BED SLANTED INTO THE WALL
AND IT WAS REAL COLD.
TUESDAY - BROKE CAMP AT 7:30, BY 9:30 MY PACK CARRIER
WAS CLOSE TO HOME SO HE LEFT US AND I HAD TO CARRY MY PACK THE
REST OF THE WAY IN. DOWN, DOWN, DOWN SLIPPING DOWN WATER COURSES,
DOWN MUD SLIDES UNTIL WE REACHED THE RIVER AGAIN. FOLLOWED THE
RIVER BACK TO THE MAIN HIGHWAY AND THEN WALKED ON TO KUBIN WHERE
THE CAR WAS PARKED. PHEW - GLAD TO BE BACK. I ARRIVED AT 2:00
PM JOE AND LARRY ARRIVED AROUND 3:30 PM.
AFTER PAYING OFF THE CARRIERS (EACH RECEIVING $28 FOR
CARTING OUR CARGO 7 DAYS), WE DROVE ON THE WAIPI WERE WE SPENT
THE NIGHT WITH THE BRETHREN THERE BEFORE RETURNING TO GOROKA VIA
MT HAGEN. EVEN THOUGH SPREAD OUT ALONG THE TRAIL WE KEPT IN CONTACT
BY WALKIE TALKIE.
THUMB IS HEALED KNEE FEELING BETTER. SURE GLAD TO ARRIVE
BACK IN GOROKA TO THE FAMILY AND "CIVILIZATION".
PATROLS LIKE THIS ARE MADE TO STRENGTHEN OUR BRETHREN
IN REMOTE PLACES AND SHOW THEM THAT WE DO CARE.
NEWS FROM GOROKA: BAD NEWS: OUR MONTHLY RENT INCREASED
FROM $252 to $399-FOR A 2 BD APARTMENT. GOOD NEWS: THE EDUCATION
DEPT HAS APPROVED OUR PURCHASE OF THE METAL HOUSE IN CHIMBU, WE
ARE AWAITING THE FINAL OK FROM THE GOVERNMENT. PLEASE PRAY THAT
WE WILL BE ABLE TO BUY THE HOUSE AND HAVE THE FUNDS TO MOVE IT
HERE TO GOROKA AND FIX IT UP.
COST:
CARRIERS K 260
FOOD K80
PETROL K60
K 400
PATROL RECOMMENDATIONS:
SWEETA
COTTON GLOVES
KNEE BRACES
MARK THE TIN CANS AS TO CONTENTS
NEEDED:
SEAT PADS
CRASH HELMETS
CLEATED MOUNTAIN BOOTS