Well, what can we say about our trip other than it was quite an experience! We had an awesome time, learned a lot, and we feel like we had a very official Sepik river style “bush orientation”. We have gone to places in the bush before where a nice American-style house was already set up; but this was very different, rather unexpected, and a great story to tell. We apologize in advance for any run-on sentences, and the length, but we kind of want to tell the events as they happened 🙂 . We will also post more pictures than normal as to share the story more vividly.
First and foremost, we want to thank all of you for your prayers! The 3 main points we asked for prayer were achieved: 1. Teach a group of young believers the principles in Acts so that they know better how to conduct themselves as a body of believers. 2. Train two other men from another people group as teachers through these teachings. 3. Show/Teach two different people groups and two different churches that we ought to come together and worship our Lord, and that the stronger group of believers should go and help the younger until they are more mature in the Word. As far as goals go, these were accomplished! Thank you for playing your part in accomplishing this task! Regarding to the other 7 prayer requests, we can tell you we all got back safely, those who were faithful in the church came to the meetings, God got glory through the fellowship, we definitely had our eyes opened to many new experiences, for those to apply the teaching and us being healthy are still topics we will wait upon 🙂 .
So this is how the actual events occurred, we will try to be succinct. We left Thursday morning after 10:00am (we were supposed to start before 8am). We had 2 shuttles at about 2.5-3 hours each, the second shuttle on the floatplane arrived after 3:30pm. We immediately hopped on a dugout canoe, roughly 40ft long with a 40hp engine. The canoe ride to our destination was easily over 5hrs long and traveling after dark isn’t really a good option, so we knew we were going to have to stop somewhere for the night.
The Float Plane-Samaritan Aviation
Our Motor Canoe Ride
Around 5:30pm, we arrived at a village, we knew we needed to ask for a place to stay, yes we showed up unexpected and not knowing anyone. One of the men welcomed us into his home and invited us all to sleep there. Our group consisted of us, the other missionary and his 2 kids, a national elder from one language group with his wife and 2 kids, another national elder with his wife and kid, along with one other elder-both national families were from two separate language group. We all were welcomed, all 13 of us slept in a room with about 20 other people (babies through elderly), in a space about 18ftx30ft., with one section being the cooking section (that is a typical house for that area). Sorry for no pictures of inside this house, but it was late, dark, and we did not want to make a spectacle of ourselves. We brought ourselves 1 mosquito net (as a back up/just in case), and our 2 nice hammocks with built in mosquito nets. We were not planning on staying in a national house so we were not prepared for the trip. Many national houses do not use big beams in their construction, so to find 2 posts close together that can hold 180lbs is impossible 🙂 . We piled things under us and a layered it with a tarp, pillowed the 1 mosquito net around us and listened to the sounds of night…including babies crying, and people yelling at one another. After the restful sleep we took off by 8am the next day.
The First Village
Stayed here first night
Typical Inside-Mosquito Nets
Typical Inside-“kitchen”
We were heading up river for about 3 hours when a neighboring village stopped us and told us our canoe is too big to make the trip, but we can use their canoe and make 2 trips out of it. After heeding their warning, Peter (our skipper and a national elder/pastor) put all the people on the first canoe and sent us away with another skipper while he stayed at canoe 1 with our cargo. We went up river, moving logs for about 2 hours until the skipper said that if we want our cargo by tonight we will have to get out here and walk (it’s not too far from here… that’s what they always say). We did, and thus started a 2-hour, muddy, slippery, river-crossing (3 times) hike with women and kids. By the end of the trip we ran out of water (keep in mind we have been traveling for over 32 hours and only expecting to travel for 10), and we ended up having to drink straight from the not so clean river…our water filter wouldn’t come in until later that night with the rest of our things.
The Tropical River Adventure
Hiking-Crossing Rivers
Our Final Destination!
We arrived to our destination around 3pm…or did we? We originally told everyone we would be doing the teaching in one location (about an hour away), but to carry cargo and kids that far would be a waste of time. We were originally suppose to have the women, kids, and cargo dropped off on the neighboring airstrip, but the airstrip was not maintained well so we had to go with plan B with less than a day notice. One of our brothers in Christ offered a place for us 11 to stay, it was about 100sq ft. and it was above of the place where they cook, so smoke right up throughout the day and night, but they graciously gave us a play to stay and for that we were thankful.
Where Nicole Cooked Meals
Where We Stayed
Our Hammocks/Beds
We had a good time of fellowship with all the believers, sad to say though, many believers strayed from the faith and fell into the snares of two occults present in this area. These believers heard the Gospel but were never discipled to maturity, and when a new teaching came, it took them away. This is always a BIG topic in our minds, many people think that giving the Gospel and getting people saved is enough, but building others into maturity, seeing them complete in Christ, discipled to make disciples, that is the main thrust of the New Testament; God builds His Church, and we build up the church. The missionary and two other national pastors preached through the book of Acts, and within the first couple of chapters the principles shared overcame the perversion of these occults, and men nodded their head, agreed, and were encouraged by the teaching. Knowing that these words are the Truth, and that God’s Word is what they need, not some occult and promises of riches and special abilities, but just the pure Gospel that grows us into the image of Christ.
The Teaching House
Some of the Believers & Elders
The National Elders Co-Teaching
Another thing that occurred during the teaching was that the missionary found out that the two guest elders he brought to help co-teach, never really taught in Tok Pisin (the national language), they have taught in their heart language (tribal) innumerable times, but not much in the trade language. That was a great time of training for these elders to be cross-cultural ministers.
Getting Ready to Teach
National Elder’s Wife & Daughter
National Elders
Another task of this trip was to set up a radio near the airstrip where we originally would have stayed. I (Seth) prepared all the components before the trip, and now I had to go on a 2-hour hike with two other national guys through a swamp to bring a battery, solar panel, and radio to the believers, so that they can communicate with other churches and our Wewak base, be encouraged, ask questions, stay connected with missionaries, and so much more. It really was a blessing and a great tool to do that for them.
Off To Go Set Up The Radio
The Radio Up & Running!
The Solar Panel For the Radio
The teaching ended on Tuesday morning, we felt encouraged as we left, the missionary contracted dysentery while there, but he still managed to preach in between each of his sections by Gods grace. By the time we got into the boat he curled into a ball and slept the bulk of the trip, we watched and played with the kids so that the dad could rest. We went down the river for about 7 hours or so, arrived at our skipper, Peter’s, house (which is right next to where the float plane would come in the morning), unpacked and got ready for bed. Fun fact about this place: we literally have not seen so many mosquitoes (the malaria carrying type) in one place before! Wow! If we don’t walk away (incubation is up to 14 days) with any sicknesses, it is only by God’s grace. The floatplane was delayed and it did its first pick up around 12:30pm on Wednesday. The missionary and his kids, along with Nicole took the first trip, and Seth would take the second trip along with all the cargo. It was a hot day, but I (Seth) got to make many good connections while waiting in that area, I even got to share with a national doctor how the Gospel can change lives, and make you look completely different (I used a testimony of someone we both knew). He seemed amazed that the person changed, and changed so drastically. It really impacted him to know that the Gospel has that much power, not for wealth, but for transformation. I found out the floatplane was 10 minutes away from its cut-off window for not being able to pick me up that day, because it cannot fly past dark. I am glad that it worked out and I could come back to my wife. We went right back to work starting that night on through Friday night in order to catch up from our time away.
Cooling Off & Washing in The River
Our Little Buddies
Jason and the Kids
Thank you for your partnership! We learned so much on this trip, made some good relationships, and feel more equipped for life in the bush! We love and appreciate you all!
Your feet to the unreached in PNG, Seth & Nicole Stokes
Stoking The Fires 