August 2005 Part 2 of 4

PART 2 of 4
Ukarumpa and beginning of Folopa
“You can only die once if you are Christian”
Neil Anderson (Discovery 2005).

Dear Wantoks, Famili, na pilo bilong:
Before I continue with the story of my trip, I want to say thank you to my church family at Scipio Baptist for letting me have the privilege of speaking this past Sunday night (August 14). It was such a blessing to me for the opportunity to share what the LORD did in my life over the trip. They had many wonderful thought provoking questions, which blessed my heart. Thank you to the Scipio Family and Pastor Rapp, and now on to more about my trip to PNG this summer.
When I last wrote I got up to packing my bags, as we got ready to go to Ukarumpa. Well I slept one last time in my bed at POC underneath my mosquito net. A few of the people in the group had already left on different assignments around PNG, while the rest of us ventured to Ukarumpa, SIL PNG’s main centre, which is located in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. I was on the second to last flight that left from Madang to Aiyura. Aiyura is the name of the airfield in which personnel from Ukarumpa fly out. It is owned and operated by SIL. A group of three guys myself included flew out of Madang around noon on that day. The pilot that took us was someone I had come into contact with before the trip. My mother had known the father of the pilot’s wife. We have been friends ever since.
The plane was a Cessna 206, which is a very small plane if you have never witnessed one. It can hold around 4-5 people at a time and about 40 to 50 pounds of cargo. We took off from Madang, and I had the privilege to sit in the co-pilot seat. It was a gorgeous view to fly over the ocean and head into the clouds and over the valleys. We flew into the mountains as we climbed higher and higher. Ukarumpa is located in the mountains of the Southern Highlands. It is at about 5100 feet above sea level. It was awesome to see the handy work of the Creator below me, above, and all around me. Every time I saw PNG from the air, it takes my breath away. This time was no different.
After about an hour and a half we approached Ukarumpa, our pilot (Chris) did a circle over the centre. We landed a few minutes later to see a sign that was being held up saying: DISCOVERY 2005 WELCOME TO UKARUMPA. The head of the Communications team and one of our team members held it up as we taxied to a full stop. Many former students of Ukarumpa High School were crying. We found out that the graduation of the seniors had been the day before and many were leaving PNG with their families. The relationships that are built in Ukarumpa, I was told, last a very long time. They become like family.
After waiting a few minutes for the last plane to come in from Madang, and then we left the Aiyura airport for the centre of Ukarumpa. The van drove through the guarded gates and we were in Ukarumpa. After about five minutes of driving through the centre, we arrived at the NIPA Hostel on the other side of Ukarumpa. This would be where the majority of the Discovery team would live for the next few weeks. For me and the three others going out to Folopa we would only be there for 10 days before going out to the village for three weeks.
For me the time in Ukarumpa would be filled with much learning. I had the opportunity to meet with some of the missionaries living on site. I was able to meet and get to know Pastor Zumbek from the Nabak language group. He was someone that helped Grace and Edmund Fabian with the translation of the Nabak New Testament. For those of you who do not know, Grace Fabian, was former missionary to PNG with Wycliffe. She was the vessel that God used to show me PNG for the first time. He husband was murdered in Ukarumpa on April 29, 1993. Zumbek showed me the house right across the street from his. This was Grace Fabian’s old house and the house where Edmund was murdered. He told me the story about that day. It was great to be able to talk to someone else who knows Grace. She has just returned to the States only a few months ago after teaching in PNG.
Another part of the time in Ukarumpa was the preparation to go to the Folopa people. The other members of the team began to research the Folopa people from some of the material in the library. All of us had read Neil’s and Carol’s books, which if you have not read them they are excellent reads. We read through more information on the people we were going to be going to very shortly. We were also reading up on Isaiah 53 as we thought we might be helping translate that into the Folopa language.
The group of four of us and Neil were going to leave on that Friday for the Folopa village. Carol was going to come out a few days later. That Wednesday night Neil invited over the whole Discovery team for pizza. Boy, I had never tasted pizza that good in my life. It was my first time getting to know what he was like. What a character Neil is to get to know. He has some great stories and a great sense of humor. It was a great night to get to know of his love for God and the Folopa people group. The evening went great until we learned that one of our team members had collapsed in a nearby village doing an interview. One of our team leaders and some of team left to go him and the rest. They took him back to NIPA to rest. The other two came to eat pizza. After a great evening, we returned to NIPA.
Friday soon came and it was time to go to Folopa and the village of Fukutao.
The Aiyura van came to pick the group of four and took us down to the airstrip after picking up Neil at his house. We waited as we weighed our luggage. The first group to go was going to be myself with the two girls on our team. The second plane would leave soon after with Neil and the other guy on our team. We boarded the Cessna and taxied down the runway. The pilot was talking to the tower and we headed back to the hanger.
We found out that there was too much fog for us to take off. Therefore, we got back off the plane as the “terminal” continued to get busier with people waiting to go flights around PNG. Ukarumpa High School students were selling baked goods so we snacked as we waited for the weather to clear. When it finally did clear we boarded once again. Within a few minutes we were airborne. We headed out over the countryside of the Eastern Highlands Province, and our pilot set a course for the Mount Tauwa airstrip, home of the Folopa people. The day was so beautiful and clear. The fog was really nowhere to be seen anywhere only a few patches here and there.
As the flight continued on I continued to be in awe of the wonderful Creator and the works of His hands. So much beauty on every side. Our pilot pointed out Mount Wilhelm the tallest mountain in PNG on our north side. At the time he was showing us that mountain we were flying next to a huge mountain ourselves. It was a monster. It soared out of the clouds below us and seemed to reach up almost touching the sky. Mount Wilhelm was so far away we could only tell that it appeared to be big.
After about an hour of flying we approached Mount Tauwa. The clouds were around, but our pilot found an opening in the cloud cover and went below. My stomach went up and down as we made a descent and then rose back up once again. Ducking in and out of the cotton ball clouds. Suddenly the village appeared below. Anticipation of the waiting for this moment now came into view. The village I had read about and heard about was just outside my window. The village appeared like a brown river that twisted and turned revealing the houses of the nationals. The plane went through another cloud obscuring the view. When we came out of the cloud I could see the airfield up ahead. I had heard it was one of the most dangerous or worse airstrips in the country, because it went uphill. Too late now! The Cessna touched down the grass and clay runway. A huge crowd was at the end of the runway. Eager faces looking in anticipation of our arrival.
Our pilot radioed the other pilot and told him so information so he could make a good landing as well. Within a few minutes, that plane was in sight as well. Our pilot asked us, “Did Neil tell you any phrases in this language?” We shock our heads. We didn’t know a word of Folopa. Our pilot said, “Just say Koneo and they will be surprised.” Koneo is a greeting in the Folopa language. We disembarked from the craft as the other plane landed and came up near our craft.
We all started saying “Koneo!” “Koneo!” The people would smile and say it back and the children would laugh and run around. Huge crowds of people would surround us on every side and everyone wanted to shake our hand. We all must have shaken 200 hands that morning. They were all excited to see Neil back again. The plane that the group of three of us had flown on took off as the other pilot negotiated the amount of food he could take down to another Folopa village.
As this was happening, an argument broke out and fighting began. We saw it from a few feet away. It just goes to show you that sin is everywhere in the world. No place on earth went untouched by Adam’s sin. Neil and us four prayed for the situation. After much debating the pilot got what he needed and everyone was somewhat happy. He took off with the goods as we started to head down the mountain to Neil’s house.
The people of the Folopa people had a servant’s heart just like the people of Amele. They took all our backpacks and gear to carry it down to Neil’s house. The walk down to Neil’s house is about half a mile or so. It took around 10 minutes to get down there, but I think on this day it took a little longer with everyone welcoming us to their home. Some of the hills were quite steep, but I didn’t fall down, on that day anyway. We arrived down at Neil’s house after meeting the Pastor’s wife, Rebecca, and their youngest daughter. Neil house was right next to the church, and the church right next to the parsonage. Neil fumbled trying to find his key to the door. He unlocked the door and we entered into the Anderson home. The adventure had only begun. For three more weeks, we were going to work, eat, and play in the village of Fukutao. However, you will have to wait to hear about that in a later issue.


(To be continued: Part 3 Time in Folopa)