This post will be the story, the next will be the photos.
My assignment on this trip was to be the videographer so you can be sure there will be 4 minute video of the entire event.
We decided to make the trip with one other family. We drove 2 hours to the airport, got on a plane, waited 2 hours in the airport got on another plane (a Dash 8 both of them) and then arrived in Alotau.
In Alotau we stayed in a centre owned by our organization. Imagine Hawaii or Florida climates. We spent the night and I did computer work for the centre the next day while the kids played with friends and my wife helped prepare food for the village.
The next day, 4:30am, me and my friend Andrew hopped on a PMV. (Imagine a large public flatbed truck with benches on it) we jammed about 30 people in this truck and then began driving across a road we hoped was open. It was, but we came up with a flat. 30 minutes later the flat wasn't repaired and since it was a duely truck, we went on hoping not to get two flats.
The road was opened, it wasn't washed out, so we kept going and eventually made it to the north coast of the cape. From there we got on a dingy loaded all the cargo and all the people and got on a boat (pictured later). 7 hours on the high seas, VERY calm (like glass), and we arrived in Menapi.
As we dropped anchor I saw my wife and kids land. They opted for the plane and the helicopter route. Much quicker but a bit more pricey. Still we all landed on the beach at the same time.
The sand was white coral, and gorgeous. The village was ecstatic to see us. I've never felt like so much of a celebrity in my life. Dancers dressed in bilas (decoration) greeted us and escorted us to a choir of singers.
Boys and girls, old women and young, all sang to us songs that praised God in their language, and threw in one in English too. We were later told they re-wrote the songs of their ancestors with lyrics to praise God. They had been praying and fasting in preparation for our arrival.
This village is a true example of Christ changing an entire people group. Part of the dedication was the translator couple talking about the difficulties the culture presented in accepting the principles they were going through when translating the Word and how at one point they were considering abandoning the project. But they didn't, they stayed with it, and about two years ago a large breakthrough happened and lives started changing.
We had dinner that first night and met a man named William who served us dinner on his only plates, and told us his story. When I asked him about when He became a Christian he said "one and a half years ago, I realized I was polluting the Lord's temple and changed and gave my life to Him." Changing the lyrics of the songs was part of the entire people group's desire to glorify God. They were praying during the fasting time that they would not do this ceremony in such a way that would be to impress us (their guests) or make themselves look important, but instead to glorify and thank God.
That is the kind of excitement that breathes new energy into our hearts as we go about doing this work.
The people built 7 new houses, 2 new guest sleeping houses for us to bunk in, a wash house (showering with coconut shells) and a cook house. So when we arrived, we all said it was the cleanest, nicest, newest looking village we had ever seen. And that is all because of the efforts they put into hosting us.
The next day was the dedication. It began with a ceremony renacting the first missionaries arriving 118 years ago. They arrived to cannibal warriors threatening them on the coast, but in this new rendition, the bible arrived on a canoe with the translators (who symbolized the original missionaries). Then two women went out in the water to get them carrying a grass skirt up high, symbolizing peace. Then once on land, the bibles and the missionaries, followed by their supporters (friends from their home church and other supporting missionaries (us), followed by the Anglican priests from the village, followed by dancers and warriors.
The warriors really hammed it up, threatening us with spears and sling shots, making grunting noises etc. They pounded 50 kundu drums in unison. I tell you, if I was those first missionaries 118 years ago... it would have been a VERY scary site. The drums and the decoration and the cannibal warriors... all of it together would have made every inch of me want to turn around and go home.
The ceremony then became a parade, escorting the Bibles down the coast to a bridge. At the bridge there was a horde of children chanting things similiar to "we accept this gift of the Word of God and recognize it is for our generation and we accept this responsibility". Things like that. The point was, that there was a strong emphasis on this being for their children and their children's children. A gift of truth that should be passed down for generations. A new tradition.
That choked me up a bit. Although I was experiencing what was arguably a flu. Some thought it Malaria but it was a quick 24 hour flu... so I was already choked up (-;.
Then the Bibles and the procession came to rest in a field with a stage constructed. Speeches, songs, sermons, testimonies and the like followed. It was definitely an official ceremony and it ended with the Bibles being dispersed.
To give you an idea of how excited these people were. They had 1000 Bibles to disperse (sell at a small token price to make sure people would value them) and 800 of them went in the first few hours. Typically if you pre-order 1000 you have them around for a long while, but these people were swallowing up the Word of God. It was an overwhelming statistic to us that these people were excited.
Rest time.
Later that day the pigs came out, and they were speared, roasted, then slow cooked all night. The kids gathered around as the pig hair was burned off a big bonfire was created. This was Calvin's favorite part (until the butchering started, then he left).
Sydney enjoyed the dancing.
We all had a feast, roast pork, the next morning. The day was peppered with rest, dramas, dancing, drums, etc.
The sun set beautifully the full moon rose and we heard the drums from the jungle somewhere. The got closer and closer until about 40 dancing men and women arrived. They danced and invited some of us to dance and would have danced all night long but we eventually stopped around midnight.
That night I got on a boat and fell asleep, and woke up back to our original departure point. We took a PMV back to Alotau and while it was a bumpy ride, we made it.
All safe and sound.
We saw things, experienced things, met people and shared with a completely new culture a time of celebrating Christ and His Word.
It was remarkable.
The lyrics that choked me up most of all, the ones that gave credence to what you and I are doing. Why we are here... was hearing a choir of children and adults together sing...
"Thank you for coming to Gapapaiwa Bible dedication, brothers and sisters, thank you for serving God, praise God for His Word."
still choked up, and the flu has passed.
God is great.
