Our Trip to Pano

Hi Friends, Thank you for praying for us over the past month as we worked to visit the Pano people.

By the time we sent out our last update about our unexpected “adventure” of being lost at sea, we were already working to arrange a second attempt at traveling to Pano. We obviously couldn’t take the same boat from the first trip (per the hole and the motor that needed repaired) so we started trying to plan two different options for traveling back to Pano: one option was a different boat and the other was helicopter.

Since making sure we got to visit and speak with the Pano people was such a high priority, we decided whichever option God allowed to come together first was the option we would take.

Both Heli and dinghy options had clear pros and cons. Here’s a few of the considerations for each option.

HELI PROS: quick 20-25 minute trip – safer, less stressful travel with far fewer risks - more time in the village since less time taken up by travel

HELI CONS: Far more expensive - Less flexibility to be able to visit different villages in Pano – If we did take local dinghy to another village, we risk not being able to return to where we’d need to meet the helicopter to get back to town

DINGHY PROS: maximum flexibility – allows us to travel and visit each of the four villages and hamlets where we’ve developed relationships so they can hear directly from us – less expensive

DINGHY CONS: More risky and physically stressful travel – much longer travel times (5-6 hours)

Initially, it seemed like the helicopter option might be simpler to line up. But things that seem simple here in PNG often surprise us by being anything but. During the past several months, the two primary mission aviation programs here in PNG have had different issues that are leading to a shortage of available helicopters and at times, few if any flight options. We actually did get two different heli flights scheduled, but both were then cancelled because of maintenance issues or scheduling difficulties/conflicts. (Note: Most missionaries here in PNG rely on helicopters or planes to get into and out of their tribal locations. Pray for the needs that exist in both aviation programs who are working so faithfully to serve and assist so many missionaries! They are indispensable to this work!)

In the meantime, Josh had decided that if we were going to travel by dinghy again, we needed to put our team’s dinghy back in the water and take it. The process for that is also not simple, for two reasons: 1) we have to get approval from one of the two clubs that provide space for mooring our boat, and 2) a very large trailer is needed to load the dinghy and take it to the water. Initially, it didn’t look like either of these things were going to line up, but then suddenly within 2 days time, we got approval for both.

Two days later, we were headed to Pano with enough supplies to stay for up to two weeks if needed. God allowed our dinghy trip this time to be without incident.

Our time in Pano was difficult in some ways because of what we were there to tell them, but God provided strength, and overall the meetings and conversations went very well.

We were able to travel and meet with the leaders and people from four different villages/hamlets in Pano. Typically, upon arrival, we’d sit down with a few of the village leaders and explain to them that we had come back to let them know what all had happened since we had last seen them. We would let them know that since seeing them last, we and our teammates had returned to the USA, and that for different reasons, our former teammates couldn’t return to PNG. We also explained that our leadership require us to have teammates to complete this work and we explained why that was important. We let them know that we didn’t know if we would be able to come back someday; BUT, we also told them we would try to return someday to continue the work there.

Once we had shared this news with the leaders, they would send out word to let all the people know there would be a larger gathering later in the day, once people had returned from their gardens. At those larger gatherings, we would share again but with even more details about why we had come, and then we’d encourage the people to ask us any questions they had about what we had said.

There were two questions we heard at almost every gathering:

               - Did we do something to “mess up the road” for you to come here?

               - Did one of the other villages do something to “mess up the road” for you to come?

These questions are very revealing when you consider the Pano people’s animistic worldview. We’ve shared in the past that they believe they have to find a way to please all of the different spirits in order to be successful. So you can understand why their minds immediately start trying to figure out who did something that would upset the spirits and mess up our plans to come live with them.

While we assured them that nothing they had done had led to these changes, we know that their worldview isn’t going to change that quickly. Someday, the truth of the gospel is what will Lord willing bring freedom from this kind of fearful thinking.

The Pano people had an overwhelmingly strong response that they still want us to come back! We know that some people likely have selfish reasons for that, such as wanting to have access to greater resources or other help we can bring. But we were both burdened and encouraged to hear a number of people express a great concern to have someone come and answer their spiritual questions and allow them to hear God’s talk in their language. Two of the older men in one village specifically said that they need someone to come because they need to understand God’s talk before they die.

Our hearts were heavy as we left, feeling the deep need and seeing so clearly the reality of the open door that seemed to be there. We don’t know or understand why God has chosen to delay us from moving to Pano. But we don’t have to know why; we can trust Him with our lives and with the lives and souls of the Pano people. We also left encouraged and inspired to continue pressing on to return here one day, if God would allow it. While so much about life in Pano is hard and uncomfortable and difficult, it is also exciting to be in a place where there is so much darkness and yet seemingly so much desire for the Light.

PLEASE, PLEASE continue to pray with us for the Pano people! Pray that God would send missionaries to them (us, if that would be His will, or others if not us) to bring them the truth and hope of Jesus!

Here's a few of the fun kids we got to play with this time.

PNG babies are SOOOO cute! This little guy was one of my favorites!

Pray for Silas (in the black shirt). He was so hungry to hear God's word 
and he's doing his best to read and study it in the National language,
even though it isn't his first language. He sat with Josh for several hours
asking questions about what he had read so far.

I (Josh) got to teach some of the kids a simple game with shells and soot from the fire. 

We’ll be here in PNG for several more weeks before we return to the USA. We’ll be sure to send out another update once we are back in the States, and we’ll also be working to contact all of our financial supporters once we’re back to update all of you further. Thank you for your prayers over the next several weeks as we finish the remaining tasks of liquidating supplies, say more difficult goodbyes, and travel back.



Here’s a picture gallery of the large thank you meal that we had with the Pano people. We bought a pig and provided rice and some extra vegetables to combine with their garden food. They made a “mumu,” a traditional cooking style with hot stones & banana leaves. (Make sure to find the pictures of pig bladder balloon. The little girl was so thrilled with her new toy!)

A 4 foot tall platform of wood, large rocks, and bamboo
was built and lit on fire. As it slowly burned down over
the course of 3 hours, the rocks became glowing hot!

The unhappy pig who we purchased for the mumu. 

After killing the pig, they burned the hair off.

Then the guys used sharp knives
to scrape off the seared hair and skin. 

The the pig was butchered.

While the guys butchered the pig, the ladies pealed and cut up
LOTS of squash, sweet potatoes, taro, and other root veggies. 

Here's the pig meat waiting to be cooked. 

All of the meat was rinsed in salt water from the ocean. 

Then all of the food was piled on top of the steaming hot rocks!

Over 100 huge banana leaves were gathered...

...and used to cover up the food and lock in the steam
so it would cook. 

While the food cooked for 2 hours, the kids
played with the pig bladder balloon!

After 2 hours, the banana leaves were removed and all the ladies
gathered to collect the cooked food in large pots. 

Each household and family was given a certain portion of the food.
They wanted to make sure we got a picture with our portion
(which was far more than we could actually eat). 

30+ dogs from the village gathered to scrounge for leftover food,
and only the strongest dogs fought their way up on top of this bed
to get the best scraps. 

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