Papua New Guinea: A Christian Nation

August 26 is National Day of Repentance
Prime Minister renounces idolatry and enters into Covenant with the God of Israel

Only time and eternity will tell how significant of an hour this is spiritually for Papua New Guinea (PNG).  The longer I am here the greater sense I get that this is a pivotal time in PNG history and that prayer, Christian workers and resources must be thrown into this harvest field while the harvest is ripe and the doors are wide open for the gospel.

 It seems very odd to me to think that I left the USA, a self-proclaimed Christian Nation (now considered post Christian by many) to become a missionary in one of the least developed countries in the world.  (PNG  is still pretty wild.  Read some earlier blog posts  for different stats on the country.)

The  thing I find so odd is that PNG is also a self-proclaimed Christian nation,  Today is the National Day of Repentance - not National Day of Prayer like in the USA, but Repentance.  It is a national holiday.  It is a day that the government sets aside for the citizens to repent of idolatry and turn to Christ.  Of course for many it is just a day off work,...just like Thanksgiving in the USA.  Many people never bother to give thanks, they just enjoy the holiday and make it about family and food ... and shopping. However many here do take it seriously. There have been reports of whole villages coming together to pray, repent and worship,

A little significant history must be shared. On the 5th of September 2007, then Prime Minister, Founding Father and Grand Chief Michael Somare, prayed and made a public declaration on behalf of the nation:

"I renounce the worship of all idols and evil gods. I renounce all covenants with with evil spirits and demonic powers.  I renounce all their actions and reverse all their evil effects...on this day I pledge our allegiance to serve no other gods but YOU, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit....Lead us into this new beginning to the fulfillment of your plans and destiny for our nation."

Twenty one days later, on the 26th of September 2007 Prime Minister Somare signed a written document entering into covenant with God for the nation.  The document quotes the New Covenant  and Somare wrote:

"I Michael Thomas Somare, Prime Minister do concur with the conditions of this covenant and entreat the Lord on behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea, that god would fulfill the stated intent of this covenant to become applicable to my nation and the peoples who join me today in declaring that the Gd of Israel is also Their God."

That was a mere 8 years ago.  

The Spirit of God has been moving in PNG for several decades now, There are more Foursquare Gospel Churches in PNG than in America.  (PNG is about the size of California.) Today Christianity has great respect and an open door in most places.  There are few Muslims and homosexuality is still a crime. 

My title as "Pastor Steve" here carries more weight than my title Dr. Steve.  Missionaries are honored and churches are respected because they are not only preaching the gospel but they are genuinely meeting the needs of society by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, tending to the sick and bring education and hope (all that stuff Jesus talked about in the parable of the sheep and the goats) to one of the most underdeveloped nation in the world.  It is a crucial hour for this country.

Today, being the National Day of Repentance, the Holy Spirit is speaking to me that today is the day of salvation for many in PNG,  We must reach this country while the flame is still burning and the harvest is white.  While the door is still open and people are receptive to the gospel. A look back at history will show the sad trail of countries who were once shining lights of the gospel: The middle east, Northern Africa, Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, England, Ireland, Switzerland and others... but those countries have either lost the light or, like the USA, is allowing the lamps to burn out.

But in PNG and other places in the world the lamps are burning bright,  The laborers are few for sure but we have a promise that if we ask God to thrust laborers into the harvest field He will do it, I share this with you today because the need is great and the window of opportunity to impacts the Kingdom of God for eternity is wide open.  We don't know how long it will be open.  Certainly the spiritual battles rages, but satan is on the defensive right now and losing losing ground.  If history repeats itself as it has in the past, the nation can lose that gain and actually become worse off then before, There are reasons for this that I don't have time to go into here.  But suffice to say when the gospel stops changing society and becomes a part of society, the beginning of the end is pretty close.

I would like to appeal to you to consider investing in PNG with prayer, finances, support for workers and, of course, by opening your heart to God to see if His will for your life includes coming to PNG for short-term or long-term missions work.  You can be a part of the exciting and strategic move of God's Spirit in this country.  Albert Einstein once said, "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."  

One thing that is so great about being here is that every little thing you do HAS TREMENDOUS VALUE TO THE MEN WOMAN AND CHILDREN OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Please join us in making a difference in PNG,

PNG Socially Needy and Spiritually Hungry

Time really does "fly."  One year ago we were still in the process of making a decision to sell everything and move to PNG.  Today we've been in the country over 7 months and have settled into live and ministry here.

Even though we are used to Port Moresby and the sights, sounds (and smells) occasionally it still seems very surreal to me that I am living where we are.  It is almost like seeing myself in a movie that was shot in a third world country.

I would never have guessed I would end up in the South Pacific and especially Papua New Guinea. I love the exotic nature of this region.  PNG, as it is called, is the poster child for the wild untamed "ends of the earth."  Eighty percent of the population still live without the basics of running water and electricity,  A large segment still live in tribal conditions and many still live stone-age lifestyles. Even the regional labels are exotic to me:  The South Pacific, Oceania, Melanesia, and The Ring of Fire are all still somewhat romantic ideas to a guy who was born, raised and lived 55 years in the Midwest of the United States, Other labels like ExPat, missionary, working for an NGO in a 3rd world country, are also foreign to my previous experience.

PNG is a country of extreme contrasts.  There is tremendous wealth in natural resources here and ExPats come to PNG to make a LOT of money.  Typical salaries range in the 6 figures with all expenses paid, including furnished housing, utilities, internet, cell phones, vehicles and fuel and security,  Usually the only thing an ExPat has to buy is food and personal items.  Sometimes only 100 yards away are people living in a cobbled shack of corrugated tin and old boards without water or electricity.  The natural tropical beauty is too often overshadowed (especially in town) by the abundance of razor-wire and the endless supply of trash.

One major change for me is my perception of the people.  When we first started talking about coming to PNG we made the typical jokes about headhunters and cannibals (they still have a few).  We were also told how dangerous the country is (not from headhunters and cannibals, but from gangs called Raskols and from general crime like theft, muggings, assault, rape and car jackings, born of illiteracy, poverty and  sheer boredom.  Port Moresby has 300,000 people (and growing) with a 60% unemployment rate.  People have to steal to live and it becomes a way of life.

However we have discovered that the majority of people we encounter every day are extremely friendly when you show them the slightest attention.  The are so used to being ignored, if not treated poorly, by the ExPats that a "hello" or a smile produced a big toothy grin and happy response. Because of the crime, security guards are everywhere.  They are a basic low paying job as mostly you stand around all day inside of a store or outside in the parking lot.  I make it a point to speak to all the security guards and often shake their hand or give them a piece of gum or a couple of cookies (when you make $1.20 an hour you don't often have money for gum or cookies). Now many of them know me by name and make sure I get good parking spots,  :)

Port Moresby has  a bad reputation (and deservedly so). However we believe the city is changing and actually like being here.  All in all it is an awesome time to be in this country as it is certainly in the birth pangs of entering the the the 21st century and we believe that we are statistically placed by God to make a difference in this socially needy and spiritually hungry country,

Don't settle for comfort and convenience  - be willing to get out of your comfort zone - where the real needs are - and allow God to use you.  Whatever you THINK you are giving up will be nothing compared to the life experience and blessing you will get from "Spreading the love of God and meeting human needs." (Our City Mission  mission statement.)


Blessings, Steve