Thursday, January 26, 2012

Brief encounter with the Asmat Tribe

“Wow, Birds galore!”   As I touched down on Merpati Air flight 860 a commercial flight from Jayapura/Sentani to Tamika both in Papua Indonesia.   This was my first real trip to Tamika though I have been to the airport before on route to my home in Sentani.    If you look carefully at international news you might occasionally see an article about Tamika and the Freeport Gold/Copper mine.    It’s owned by American Businessman/Cartel Jimmy Moffit.   The Gold Mine is worth a whole blog in and of its self but a paragraph here will have to do.    The News media has been focused on the utter selfishness of the American owner for not giving a 55% pay raise.   What they didn’t say was all the things that this rather generous leader has done for the people of Indonesia.    The owner offered to raise their base Salary by even more but the Indonesian government said no because if you raise the salary to that much they the cost of living will go up so much that the non Freeport mine people will not be able to afford living in Tamika the nearest major city to the mine.   So the owner has built a modest house and provided a car and food and free school and on and on and on.    When I was taken on a tour of the housing development which houses the 20,000 employees of the mine and it’s operation I was shocked at the wealth.   Think Hilton Head, SC when you think of the development.   Rare exotic Parrots screamed noisily from inside 1 of several dozen parks that are in this development and a myriad of other jungle life.   For the first time I’ve been in Indonesia I felt that preservation was finally happening for some species that are nearly extinct because of international laws being broken every day.   So Why was I in Tamika?

As most of you know I am Coordinating Evangelism for the Papua Mission.   One of my assignments this year is to hold a major series of meetings in Tamika and help train and teach pastors and lay people how to be organized for this effort.    My trip was to evaluate the local church and see what they had in the way of leadership and resources on the local level.   Fun stuff as I love pastors and trying to encourage them.    There are 12 Adventist churches and 2 new church plants in the greater Tamika district.    We have a membership of about 1,800 in that area.    We operate 2 schools in the area.   1 is about 75 students all but 6 of which are not Adventists and the other is a major K-High School campus with 1,797 students of which only 301 are Adventists.    So we have huge mission projects at both schools.    I will be going for a special meeting with the staff of both schools on March 4 or 5.   On that Same weekend in March I will train 70+ leaders from local churches on soul winning and how to teach it to your local church.   The goal is that each of the 8 pastors will work with these 70+ people to help them develop Bible Study ministry for both outreach and discipleship.   

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The only Adventist Church group amongst the Asmat Tribe.

 

 

Probably one of the most exciting things was a quick visit to our new work amongst the Asmat tribal people.   They are people who live in tree houses and stilted houses in the swamps.   They are a nomadic people because they have to move for the Sago palms that they make into a paste for consumption.   It's the major staple of their diet.     This tribe lives on the rivers of Southwest Papua.   Because the tribe is always moving to find new sources of food I suggested that the local pastors propose to the government to provide a house/church boat/mobil clinic.    The justification is the mobil clinic with the government.   Keeping ones health is a major challenge in the Malaria infested swamps of the Asmat kingdom.  Yesterday we passed some children on their way home from school who appeared to be mixed boys and girls up to 15 years old.    They were in full school uniforms as we passed them.   An hour latter when we were returning from the only permanent post where the Asmat tribe live we rounded the corner to see all their uniforms neatly hung on the bushes on the rivers edge  and the whole lot children of around 50 of kids were stripped ala’ naturale with the girls on one bank and the boys on the other bank splishing and slashing but in clear view of each other but clearly not ashamed of our presence or their lack of clothes.    Their tribe wears clothes at the permanent village near the terminus of the river at the ocean but in land even the adults don't bother with clothes except for very small grass skirts on both the men and women.   So these children don't see it as a problem.   From my western perspective the older kids should have more shame but they weren't bothered in the least about swimming right along the highway where we were passing.   We have two small groups of Adventists meeting amongst the Asmat but there are hundreds of villages where not even one church of any faith has yet to come.

 

I keep dreaming of who we might inspire to go and live amongst the Asmat as one of them to bring a deep lasting faith in Jesus Christ.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Demon named Hanah!

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Balinda! Moment after she fell into Peaceful sleep after being set free!

Bang!   The door swung open.  “Pastor Darron we have to go now.”

“Mengapa?” (Why?) “Berapa Jam Sekarang? (What time is it now)” I fumbled for my shirt.   2:07 a.m.   What was the urgency at this unearthly time of the morning? 

“Pastor there is a demon possessed girl whose parents are calling that we come.  Let’s go, Now!”

I was about to say, “But I don’t know the language.” When Pastor Arthur said, “Pastor I’ve never done this before will you please go with me.”   That makes 2 of us.   But with a prayer of my own I felt I had no choice but to go.   God seemed to impress me that He would be with us.

We awoke the driver of the  Adventist Businessman who was housing us and off we went wondering down narrow alleys until we came to the Adventist Relative of the girl who was possessed.   They climbed into the Toyotta Kijang (SUV like vehicle) with us and off we went through more deserted streets.   Only dogs were out at this time of night.   We crossed a narrow bridge that was nearly washed out and had planks for treads.   A hastily painted sign warning of an unsafe bridge.   To me this looked like a sign of our impending situation.   “Hati-Hati” read the sign meaning “Be very Careful”.

At last we arrived at the location.   Into the house we all went.   As I took a quick survey of the room I noticed perhaps 25-30 neighbors who had gathered to take in the situation.   Immediately I noticed one boy/man about 17 or 18 years old who seemed possessed in his own way.   He was a neighbor, who upon entering the house to see the girl for whom we had come to pray for, had himself become victim of the Devils sway.   He kept leaping and slashing at himself with an imaginary knife.   He would shout “Hal-le-lu-jah Saaaaataaaaan!”   It was immediately clear that the pastor with me was petrified.   I was too but somehow God gave me strength. 

Now my focus came on the girl.   I asked her, “Siapa Nama Anda? (what’s your name)”   To which she replied, “Namanya Haaaaaaaaaa-Naaaaahhhhh? (My Name Is Hanah)”   Her parents corrected, Her name is Balinda.   It didn’t occur to me until several minutes latter that the voice that answered was actually the demon.    It sounded like a young mans voice at times and at other times shrieked like a girl.

I asked the pastor to read some scriptures.    He read from John 1 about Jesus becoming the Word that dwelt amongst us.    Balinda shrieked or shall I say Hanah shrieked, “These people I know but the ones who just arrived I don’t know.  They aren’t a part of us. . . especially the two pastors.”

Praise God the demons didn’t know us and that we weren’t a part of them.   By this point there were 7 or 8 fully grown men holding Balinda on the tile floor of the house and even then she was throwing them around like a man to a small child.   Shrieking the whole time threatening anyone and everyone with their very life.  

In the corner the man who had entered and become possessed was now shouting curses and seeming to pray all at the same time.   He jumped constantly and predictably like a pogo stick.  I asked some of the people to remove that man.    One possessed person was all we could take at a time.   It took five men to wrestle this man out the door and as he arrived at the door I heard him say, “I see many devils surrounding this neighborhood.”   I don’t know where they took this young man but he was quiet from then on.

We prayed and sang and sang and prayed for nearly two hours.   I was losing my strength by this time.   I asked for Isaiah 53 to be read and each time the scripture was read she would scream, “your making my pain worse.   I’m about to die.   I don’t want to hear those songs and the Bible.”

Pastor Arthor wisely said, “Let’s move her to another room and ask all the neighbors to go home.”   So someone produced a mattress and we moved to the living room where more comfortable chairs were.   She lay on the bed and screamed, “I want Water   I want Water.   I Want WAAATERRRR!”   Someone brought water and she drank deeply and frantically as if she hadn’t drunk in days.  Then she wanted more and suddenly it occurred to me she really needs the Water of Life – Jesus Christ.    So I asked the Adventist Relative who sat on the floor on the other side of Balinda’s head to read the story of the Woman of Samaria.

As we finished the story I finally pieced together the bits and pieces of how this possession had taken place.   Balinda has a boy friend who is into Satanic magic.   He opening admits he worships Satan.   He had sent a curse via a small box that he sent to Balinda.   When Balinda opened the box her mother and father said that Balinda had begun sending illicit pictures of herself to her boyfriend.   When Balinda’s father learned of this he confronted Balinda and it was at that point that Balinda had gone into full blown possession.   Her father had confronted Balinda over the constant lying behavior of Balinda and her boyfriend – Augustus.

I knelt right beside Balinda with this information where I could whisper into her ears words of my prayer.   “Balinda, Can you hear me?”   She did not reply.   “Hanah, I know that you hear me but I also know that Jesus in more powerful.”   At those words Balinda’s body was sent into convulsions.    “Balinda!   Jesus wants you to give your heart and mind back to Him?   If you can hear me let Jesus come into your heart.   Just think the words ‘Jesus come in.’   Slowly I stroke Balinda’s forehead.   “Peace I bring to you and peace I leave with you. . . that not of this world but of heaven above,” I quoted.   “Balinda, Please,  invite Jesus into your heart”, I begged!  “Balinda, Please,  look into my eyes with your right eyes.”   Until now Balinda had kept a far off wide eyed stare at something or someone or some being far away.   Far away.   Distant but nevertheless all controlling.   “Balinda will you not except the Peace of Jesus, now?”

A deep sigh from Balinda’s chest.    And then just like that Balinda fell into a deep sleep.   No more struggle.   No more pain, just sleep.   Peace!   Only I and the Pastor and Balinda’s Father and Mother and the one Adventist Relative remained in the room.   It seemed like the voice of a million angels to hear that deep breathing of 15 year old Balinda filled with the Holy Spirit.

I glanced at my watch as we came back to the house I was staying at in Manokwari 4:39 a.m.   The Muslim call to prayer started just then.  I tried to fall back asleep but sleep evaded me.   Too, simulating of a night I suppose.  

When I came down for breakfast I learned that Balinda, while so weak that she could barely walk, was up and talking about her dream.   Some people came and were teaching their family about the book of Revelation.   They especially taught that Satan was the dragon of Revelation and that the Mark of the Beast was going to be explained by these people and that it had to do with Satan and his possessing of the whole world except for those who believed the word of God spoken by the Pastors who came last night.   She complained that she never knew that any pastors came last night but they must have, “because the angel told her they did.”    But her parents knew and they told her.    “Those are the pastors who freed you from the demon!”     I have to correct. . . It is nothing but by Jesus power that freed Balinda!   How utterly humbling to think that Jesus, the King of kings used me!  Pastor Arthur was welcomed the next day and Balinda listened in her right mind as she drank in the words of life from the Word of God.

This just in via text message from Pastor Arthur. . . “Balinda says to tell everyone!  Jesus is so much better.”

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Crazy Events

It was an interesting day to say the least –  yesterday.   When I went to check my email at the Roberts house yesterday Jan told me that Susi Air would be flying a helicopter in and out of the air strip later in the morning.   Of course that attracted great attention.   All the kids from the Adventist Aviation campus sat and watched for an hour or so as the helicopter went through various moves.  Evidentially a new Helicopter pilot was being checked off for insurance purposes.
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Above are a few of the "thugs" as they were leaving

I noticed while the kids were watching that there was a line of grown men watching from outside the fence that surrounds our campus.    Nothing remotely entered my mind that these men were waiting for their “cue” to break into the campus.   I needed to Go to town to do some banking and shopping so I exited through the gate and by that time there were probably 50 men standing just across the road staring into the campus.   I stood at the usual spot for waiting for the public transportation van so I could ride into town.   It was good that I rode public transportation because I might have had difficulty returning home had I gone in my own car.
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Here is what I saw in the middle of the airstrip when I returned from town.
Just as I was getting onto the public transportation I noticed two very large dump trucks and the men began to gather around the dump trucks.   About the time I arrived in town Andrew texted me on Ruth’s phone to say that Adventist Aviation had been shut down by demonstrators who had dumped several large piles of Rock, Sand and dirt onto the run way.   Bob Roberts the chief pilot was out flying and would have to land somewhere else when he returned.   When I returned I was to go through a secret back entrance on a side road where the demonstrators would leave me alone.
It turns out the Helicopter was not the major attraction of the day.   The demonstrators have for years demanded money for the land.   Adventist Aviation through the Seventh-day Adventist Church owns the land free and clear with all the proper paper work but these thugs work for a bigger thug that constantly demands money for our land and holds people in fear until he gets things a least some portion of the money he wants.   No matter what kind of diplomacy the church has tried the crooks haven’t gone away.  
The police were called to “negotiate” with these guys.   By the time the police arrived there were about 10 piles of rubbish strewn across the run way and about 50 beetle nut chewing tribal men working themselves into a frenzy.   They had hired a news man to come and video their story from their perspective and of course the new agency is owned by one of their members.
Turns out that the Adventist School near by is the one this group is really after and from the sounds of things the school is legit in their ownership of their land, too.   I’ve heard rumors that this group will stay put until the Mission president, who is from their tribe, comes to negotiate with them.   The Problem is he is away in Manado until sometime today.
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One of the guys even forgot his shoes.   Probably he was so drunk he  can't remember where he last had them.
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Through the front gate the 'thugs' left all this junk and a whole lot more.
We turned our fans on like we do every night and our home is in the back of campus so we didn’t hear the guys but they clearly made a mess last night.   Beer bottles and Beatle nut juice stains and card board boxes and lots of trash lie at random angles all over the front grounds just outside the gate.   They even forgot their shoes and a big tarp that they must have brought to keep of the rain incase it came.   Supposedly they stood and shouted most of the night.   Even though I was awake for some of the night evidentially I was too far away to hear.
So my prayer is that the plans of the evil will fall on themselves.   Yes, we’re safe but just have to take precautions.   According to the Roberts this happened 3 or 4 years ago and the group stayed for 3 weeks.   At that point the back secret gate was not there and the group made life uncomfortable for 3 weeks while they camped on the runway.  
We wrestle not against flesh and blood. . . The good news is we know God is about to do wonderful things that’s why the Devil is trying to distract us.  Just pray that these guys plans will be frustrated and that God’s work will prosper despite the Devils plans.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Years in Papua

Happy New Years!    We awoke at 12:00 midnight on the money to a deafening roar.    To understand my first thoughts of the new year you have to understand that on Dec 31 I had got with Bob Roberts and my boys to see an old World War 2 sight.   So in my dreamy state my first thoughts were "Oh Boy the Papuans have gone to war."   But then I remembered it was the new year.

"Crazy People," I muttered to Ruth.   "It's a tropical down pour outside and yet no body is inside."   The rain was coming down in torrents yet fireworks fell for at least 1 solid hour or at least that's when I fell back asleep.  In any direction you looked there were constant fireworks.    Though most of them didn't go quite as high into the air as they do in most city firework shows on July 4th in the USA these fireworks were far more numerous despite the rain that fell all night long.

This morning the world around us seemed quite slow at arousing.    Is it a wonder why?

For Adventists here in Papua they have the tradition of closing out the Sabbath in the nearest Adventist Church.   So the church here at Adventist Aviation asked me to share a few words and then we stood in a circle and every one said, "Selamet Akhir Tahun, Selamet Baru Tahun."   Which basically means, "Happy end of the year, Happy New Year."   Then we all added, "Happy end of the Sabbath."    And the Adventist celebrated the new year at Sundown on Sabbath evening with a firework show of their own.   Certainly, sundown is a more sane hour to celebrate a new year.   "And God said, 'The evening and the morning." (See Genesis 1).   So in the beginning days started with the evening.   So as I write this blog it's almost the end of the first day of what we humans have deemed as the New Year.