Mission Trip to Madang

A team of eight volunteers from Tasmania, along with one from Canberra and one from Port Moresby, travelled to Madang Manus Mission (Papua New Guinea) in July to help construct new classrooms and support a 10-night evangelistic program, resulting in baptisms and additional decisions for baptism.

They received a warm welcome as Pathfinders met the team at Madang Airport at 6:30 am, presenting leis and forming an honour guard to greet them in their beautiful slice of paradise.

The warmth of the local Adventists is something no team member will ever forget. We were truly blessed as they assisted us in constructing a classroom—one of three planned—that will enable them to seek registration for their school after years of operating in sub-standard premises.

Emily Carter eagerly embraced the opportunity to teach students across several year levels, assisted at times by Sarah Blockley. Meanwhile, most of the team battled the heat and the dense kwila (merbau) hardwood to build a two-classroom block, measuring 19.6m x 6m.

Every team member contributed to the project by sharing their expertise—whether in building, cooking, nursing (mostly for the locals), or preaching. Pastor David Cherry was the featured preacher at the Mission compound, where the program was downlinked to several other sites. Stuart Barons preached at another site, sponsored by the local Jomba Church, which was uplinked internationally. Thousands of people were given the opportunity to experience HOPE in a world that is quickly unravelling.

On the final Sabbath, a baptism was held where 44 people publicly committed their lives to God, with another 33 stepping forward to express their desire to do so in the future. The Spirit of God continues to move powerfully within our churches in PNG, where total member involvement is the norm as they reach out to their wantoks.

Returning home reminds us of how much we have in comparison to our PNG family. Their needs, while seemingly great, are actually very achievable for us to meet. For a little under $3000, the school could be fully equipped with the necessary resources, and for just $1000 more, materials could be purchased to build 10 new tables to furnish the new classrooms. These challenges are common for schools across the country, yet we are blessed as a Conference to partner with the Madang/Manus Mission, where this project will soon be completed with the addition of two more classrooms. This will require more Tasmanian volunteers to extend God’s kingdom in practical ways, so stay tuned for more information in the months ahead.

Our team went to minister, but we returned having been ministered to—through relationships, joy, and the living faith of our brothers and sisters. God is alive and well in Madang, PNG!