I may need to define the term thug for my first year students at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio. Some of them look way to cheerful and friendly. But they look like great future pastors and deaconess, don’t they!?
Category: Current Events
September 5 – Celebrations
Life in the Papua New Guinea Highlands – as with many other mission fields – is all about flexibility. Plans are by definition tentative. It’s not a culture where advance planning is a fundamental aspect of things, and ideas about what to do and when to do it can erupt rather spontaneously. So it was… Continue reading September 5 – Celebrations
September 4 – Touring
Today we spent looking over the grounds of Timothy Lutheran Seminary in Birip, and doing a bit of touring in the nearby towns. The seminary is situated on expansive grounds that are lush and, due to our visit no doubt, neatly kept! Visitors are a big deal here in the middle of the middle of… Continue reading September 4 – Touring
Heading to the Highlands
Today we traveled from Lae back to Port Moresby and then from Port Moresby up to the Highlands, landing at Mount Hagen Airport. There we were met by Rev. Dr. Ron & Mary Anne Rall, LCMS missionaries who have served full-time and part-time for over 50 years in PNG. In order to fly on the… Continue reading Heading to the Highlands
A Day in Lae
Lae (pronounced lay) is a major shipping port for Papua New Guinea (PNG) on the northern coast. We came here for several reasons, mostly exploratory in nature. There are two major Lutheran church bodies in PNG – Gutnius Lutheran Church (GLC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG (ELC-PNG). The LCMS founded the GLC, while… Continue reading A Day in Lae
PNG Domestic Travel
Today was the first of three major transitions we’ll make in Papua New Guinea. We flew from the capitol of Port Moresby, where we initially landed in the wee hours of Friday morning, to the city of Lae. Port Moresby is kind of center on the map above. Look directly north (up) from it and… Continue reading PNG Domestic Travel
Worship and Nature
Today we were blessed to worship at Concordia Lutheran Church in Port Moresby. They were celebrating a grant of several musical instruments by the government to their ministry in addition to curiosity and excitement about our presence. The above is an example of Pidgin, a trade language that is maddeningly close to English at times,… Continue reading Worship and Nature
Port Moresby
Port Moresby is the administrative capital and largest city (population estimated to be nearly 400,000) of Papua New Guinea. As such, it attracts a general attention and acts as a magnet for those all over the country looking to improve their life. As a port city it has attracted both positive (commercial) attention as well… Continue reading Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea Arrival
The big event for the end of August and early September is a trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG). A legendary locale of Lutheran mission work going back 80 years, it’s also one of the most challenging places to get to, get about in, and get out of. It’s also a personal frontier of sorts.… Continue reading Papua New Guinea Arrival
Leading in Sri Lanka
With the departure of all the executive leadership in the Asia Region, I and my colleagues Rev. Steven Mahlburg and Rev. Matthew Wood, as the Asia Area Facilitators, are tasked with holding down the fort, so to speak, as the search for new executive leadership begins. It will likely not be until early next year… Continue reading Leading in Sri Lanka
The Nelson Family Indonesia 