CSS/Kote Partnership News
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
The full moon setting over the ocean as seen from the house where Amy, Emily and Grace were staying on our last night in Finschhafen. |
Dan and the circuit communicators working on gaining proficiency with their laptops. |
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Sunday, June 19, 2016
Girls Gone Wild, oops, I mean, gone native. |
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
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The house provided for us at Kumowa village for our overnight visit. It was built in just 3 days, and built so that we would have a new house to sleep in. |
Amy Truhe experiencing "Accompaniment Incarnate" as she is escorted up the trail from our visit to Kumowa by members of the village where we spent the night. |
The night was spent under our mosquito nets, sleeping on a floor with a thin mat on it, and the next morning we set off on the return walk to the road where we were picked up by a truck for the return to Heldsbach, the district headquarters. Miraculously, although the rainy season had begun, we had no rain overnight and the trail was a little less muddy than when we had come. After an hour to clean up at our accommodations in Heldsbach, we set off on a 3 hour ride in a truck with little to no suspension on a very bumpy road to visit a congregation on the northeast coast of the Huon Peninsula named "Nanda." We received a warm welcome and shared a meal and worship with your hosts before climbing back on the truck for the tailbone punishing ride back. By the time we got back, the previous 48 hours had taken their toll and everyone was ready for a shower (only cold water but at that point, nobody cared) and to bed early. Thursday will be an easier day as the youth meet some of the youth leaders of the district in the afternoon, and catch up on rest in the morning.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that during those two days, Daniel and Alex were working with the district communicators on improving their facility with the computers we delivered to them in 2014. They have been doing a lot of individualized work with these communicators who had learned the basics during the visit in 2014.
One of our group asked the question, "why would they extend such incredible hospitality to us?" I think that there are several answers, not all of them altruistic. However, I believe that one important reason is that they experience our visit as "Gospel." or as they would say it here, "good news." You can share the good news in many ways. It can be done through preaching, teaching, music, drama, and in so many other ways. However, I also believe it can be shared just be being present. To have people come from a great distance to be with you not because they want something from you, nor to sell anything to you, but just because we share a faith in a common Lord Jesus Christ, and because we care for one another is experienced a Gospel, Good News, love.
More pictures and stories to come. God's Grace and Guidance be with us all. Gary Teske
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Members of the Visitation Team having refreshments and conversation with the newly elected presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea, Rev. Jack Urame. |
Sunday, June 12. It rained last night and was still damp and dreary as we headed for the church located on the grounds of the headquarters of the ELCPNG. You may recall the we arrived mid morning on Saturday, the 11th and spent last night in the guest house at the headquarters of the ELCPNG in Lae. We have one more night in Lae before boarding a speedboat (as the people here refer to them) for the final leg of the trip to Finschhafen. It started out dreary and damp and our first impressions we got as we entered the church were not positive. We and the musician were the only ones there. Worship was scheduled to begin at 8:30 am, and when the time to start arrived, there were still only about a dozen of us in the church including the pastor. I thought to myself, "this is going to be bad." We began with some pre-service music and I became aware of a few more people slipping into the pews. The service began, we sang the opening hymn and heard the lessons read and I slowly became aware that the church was filling up. The singing got stronger as more voices joined in, and by the time it ended, there was a sizable congregation of people. Even the leaders of the church operate on "New Guinea Time," meaning things like start times and schedules are much more flexible and tend to conform to things like rainy mornings and cloudy weather. It was a good reminder that neither God, nor the faithful Christians in this part of the world are obsessive about punctuality.
Our team was asked to step forward and introduce ourselves. Then, after the service, we were invited to a time of fellowship in their Sunday School building near the church. As we began to leave, we discovered that the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the ELC-PNG had been at worship and stayed for the fellowship hour. He was very approachable and visited extensively with me and others in the group. I thought the most impressive moment of the morning was when I turned around from visiting with one of the worshippers and found the Bishop sitting at a table, surrounded by the youth from our Central States Synod having an animated and lengthy visit with them (see the picture above). I had hoped we might be able to stop by his office sometime and possibly shake his hand. I had no idea we would be able to have the kind of quality time of fellowship with him that developed after worship this morning.
I marvel at how often this happens, especially on a Companion Synod visitation. The beginning of the day or event is slow and unimpressive and one thinks that this is going nowhere. But then, things - unexpected things begin to happen, things that were not planned nor anticipated but are far better than what one might have planned or expected. And in the end, it is a time filled with blessings.
Oh yes, and the worship and sermon were good too. One thing that struck me was that the Pastor and every one of the worship leaders addressed the congregation with this greeting. "Good Morning Church." I like it. He named the congregation for what it is, and did so emphatically. The people gathered for worship are not just a collection of folks who showed up for worship that morning. That group of people, ourselves included are "the church" and we should never forget that.
So, after a day filled with touching moments and unexpected blessings, we prepare to get a little sleep before catching a small boat for a long trip to be with our Cosyns in Christ, the people of the Kotte District of the ELCPNG. And so I say to you, the followers of Jesus. "Good night Church." Gary.
Friday, June 10, 2016
After landing in Lae, the group had to hit a roadside market and sample "koolows" (spelling ), which is the milk of the coconut that is not yetripe. Emily is really getting into it. |
The little jet toucheddown in Lae about 10:30 Saturday morning ending the final flight of the team on their trip to Papua new Guinea. We have 2 nights in Lae at the Lutheran guest house near the headquarters of the ELC-PNG, and then we push on to Finschhafen by boat. Unfortunately, we learned that the large Ferry Boat that we had planned to take recently blew an engine, so we will be making the trip in a 15 ft long speedboat. That can be a punishing trip in the small boat, especially if the seas are high and/or it is raining. The trip has gone phenomenally well up to this point (knock on wood ) and we just keep praying that God will continue to smile on us for another couple of weeks. I think it really works well to stop over in Australia on the way in. The team has to adjust to a lot that is new there, but there is still much that is familiar. It seems to me that it helps us transition out of our comfort zone and helps us come to regard that which is "new" and " other " as something fascinating and unique; something to be explored and appreciated, not feared. After a trip to the local food store for supplies, everyone is resting or napping, or like me, updating the blog. I think it is time for this blogger to grab a nap as well. More later. Gary
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Amy, Dan, Grace and Eli collecting their luggage in Brisbane following the 14 hour flight from LA. |
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