Girls Gone Wild, oops, I mean, gone native.

It is Sunday, June 19 and our day began with the opening worship for the Bi-annual Kotte District Women's Convention.  Amy, Emily and Grace were recruited by the local ladies to join in the colorful procession which marked the beginning of  the worship service.  Decked out in colorful flowers, skirts and dresses, they were given a crash courses in  Kotte dance, and joined what had to be well over 100 women representing the 8 circuits of the Kotte District as they sang and danced their way down the road and into the church.  The procession was noisy, joyous, colorful and energetic and the three female members of the visitation team joined in vigorously.  This too is accompaniment.  Not just walking side by side, but dancing and singing side by side with our CoSyn Christians from PNG.
There was a worship service which us men were allowed to attend, and then we were dismissed  while the women carried on with their meeting.  District President Kelly Rabisang preached a good sermon based on the lost sheep and challenged the congregation to not just focus on the 99, but to follow the example of Jesus and reach out to the lost.  It was another beautiful sunny day and as a backdrop to all of the activities, we had the beautiful Solomon Sea stretching out from the coast just below the station for as far as the eye can see.  One downside to the lack of rain is that the little stream that runs the station mini-hydro power generating station has slowed to the point that we only have power for a few hours after dark.  However, we are doing fine with flashlights although it will be a  treat to get back to a setting where there is hot water for showers, reliable electricity and a decent internet signal.  The bigger down side to that will be that we will no longer be here with these beautiful people in this beautiful land of Finschhafen.

This afternoon we had a meeting with the district council and they expressed again how much our coming has meant to them.  They talked about how they appreciated us not just staying in Heldsbach, but getting out to some of the villages.  I am hesitant to try and relate what they said because it really requires some interpretation of their sentiments.  I think they were saying that quite apart from any practical benefits they might gain (money or things), they appreciate our wholehearted desire to be their partners and friends.  I think our coming is very affirming for them and makes them feel loved, appreciated and respected.  I am not sure if I got that right, but I think that is close to it, or at least a part of it.  I know that our group has developed a deep fondness for our  partners here, both as a people as well as for numerous individuals who members of the group have met and with whom we have developed good friendships.  I have a weak, slow internet to work with here, so I better wrap  it up here as I don't know how long it will take to upload.  God has richly blessed us through our time with our CoSyn Christians here and we pray we have been a blessing to them as well.  More later.  Gary