The Fiji Boat Project - Captain's Log 49

The Fokker F28 dips its port wing sharply toward the line of breakers that mark the dramatic contrast between the wild, untamed land below and the Pacific Ocean. Banking hard, the old airplane lines itself up for the runway at this remote spot on earth called Wewak, on the northern shores of New Guinea. In so doing, its course takes us over the very spot where the Japanese surrendered to the Allies during those infamous days of World War II.

Much of the journey from Port Moresby I have spent absentmindedly scraping the overspray off of things around my seat, with my fingernail. This, a result of the second-rate paint job on the inside of an airplane that should have long been retired.

ANGORAM

Dawn the next morning sees us in a 4 wheel drive bouncing and rattling deeper into the interior of Papua New Guinea, until finally we reach the end of the road at the outpost of Angoram. Pulled up into the mud in front of us is an open fiberglass boat that’s been arranged for this journey, with a Yamaha strapped to its stern. This vessel, a strange looking modern contraption, totally out of place compared to the dozens of prehistoric dugout canoes with carved wooden oars, that have not changed one bit since however many millennia ago it was, that man first chopped down a tree, scrapped it out and this concept of ‘boat’ was unveiled.

Ahead of us lies the Sepik. A massive, long, snaking river over a mile wide at times, with endless reed and grass covered swamplands pushing deep into this seemingly impenetrable land.

Our hosts are the Nazarene District Superintendent for this immense area, one of the local pastors and the unusual person of Dr. Becky Morsch.

Cargo is loaded, fuel is transferred from 200 liter drums, and the next many hours are spent doing 15 to 25 knots as we race the sun toward this day’s destination. The tops of the flooded walls of a crocodile farm are pointed out as we begin to get into narrower and narrower channels that more and more often became clogged up with reeds and tall grass and at times we are forced to get out onto the floating grass rafts and push our soggy way through. Every time the boat slows down, huge, horrendous clouds of mosquitoes and other tropical flying, crawling things immediately engulf us, making Cindy and I thankful for the anti-malaria medication.

Occasionally, the waterways open up and before long we start passing villages, all built on top of poles sticking out above the water, until finally we reach the village of Wom with what has to be one of the most unique of all Nazarene churches with its 180 members.

Normally this church is way up about 10 or 15 feet above the water. Now things are different because the Sepik River is in full flood with the water level having climbed that full amount, bringing the river up to just under the floor of the church. We nudge our boat between the Nazarene church and its parsonage and dock it along the shaky bamboo and palm bark walkway that joins the two structures.

The village comes alive with people yelling and shouting and whistling. Dugout canoes fill the muddy, flowing water and villagers move toward us from everywhere. Before long we’re ushered along the precarious walkway into the open parsonage and presented with a very precious meal that includes either chicken or some kind of wild foul – I never am able to find out except that I have no idea where they would keep chickens on this water. This coincides with the introductions of countless village people as they begin to gather to give their ‘village council’ report to Dr. Becky.

Dr. Becky is anxious to hear what the effect of her efforts in training and establishing the ‘South Pacific CBHC’ ministry, have been now that six months have passed since she was last here. This translates into ‘South Pacific Community Based Health Care’, an amazing ministry of the Church of the Nazarene, that focuses on bringing permanent healing to the spiritual, mental and physical condition of remote village people across these islands, that are in desperate need.

All of this without the introduction of huge amounts of outside help or support that might result in ongoing dependency. To her delight, the village of Wom and then the village of Bopanten further up have both totally bought into her training and program. The results? Entire communities being literally transformed from the inside out. A radical focus and constant emphasis on the need for spiritual healing and reconciliation with a holy God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Homes being built by entire villages for village families in need, one right after the next. Hygiene basics being taught and implemented suddenly resulting in a direct attack on what for generations has brought sickness and death. Addictions and abuses recognized openly for their disastrous results and consequences and plans set into motion for addressing these things. All of this in a part of the world where a person feels like you have just stepped back quite a few thousand years and where everyone lives on top of the water!

Dr Becky Morsch is a very unique lady to whom God has given the passion and an amazing ability to reach and teach the remote villages of the South Pacific with the life changing ministry called ‘South Pacific - CBHC’, so she is pouring out her life doing exactly that!

If God is letting you know that you need to pray for her and encourage her, don’t hesitate to do that, it would be great for her to know as she heads out alone that she’s certainly not heading out alone at all. Her email is morsch@melanesianaz.org and remember it might be some time before she gets back to ‘civilization’ to answer and thank you. Also remember that ‘civilization’ is the Nazarene Hospital in the highlands of PNG where emails need to be small and communication is often by radio.

Also maybe God is prompting you to be involved financially with helping to meet the great needs that Dr. Morsch faces in traveling and training and hiring ministry directors and facilitators and fixing her 4X4 vehicles and on and on as the work keeps expanding. If so – then the way to do that is the same way many of you already support the ‘FIJIBoat Project’, just mark it different so that it goes to her.

Remember… don’t do this unless you already support your local church and district with their World Evangelism Fund which is what gives all of us out here the amazing, solid foundation to work from – we could not be here if it wasn’t for the Nazarene structure and WEF. If God is still prompting you to be involved with money, then send a check to:

NMM, with its FIJIBoat Project (this puts us way beyond just the Fiji Islands now) is also responding to Dr. Becky’s ministry by providing a new 23 foot fiberglass boat and motor to help her and the Nazarene District, keep reaching further into the remote areas of the huge Sepik River basin and onward toward the interior of this wild part of the South Pacific! This is really great stuff to pour our lives into!!

GALILEAN PLANK HOLDERS...
Our prayer partners now number well over 1000! Please use these "Captain's Log" Reports to stay up-to-date on prayer requests and answers. Write harmon@fijiboat.org to join this vital prayer partnership! May God bless you for your faithfulness!

The FIJIBoat Project / Nazarene Maritime Ministries is completely funded by designated donations and is a "10% Special Project" approved by the World Mission Division, Church of the Nazarene.

A Big Thank-you to those of you who support Nazarene Maritime Ministries regularly! To be a part of this ongoing ministry you can send support to:
FIJIBoat Project / Activity Fund ID # AFS 1219
General Treasurer, Church of the Nazarene
6401 The Paseo
Kansas City, MO 64131
or you can now contribute online >>