from Mendi, Papua New Guinea, Sept., 1999:

Hello from Mendi,

I arrived here yesterday (Sep. 19) after a week and a few days in Port Moresby. I am doing well, not experiencing great anxiety. This is definitely a different place though. I happened to be in Moresby for the celebration of PNG's 24th year of independence. Lots of local culture including food and dances. It is about a 5 day celebration that is combined with the Hiri Muale festival. Hiri Muale celebrates the beginning of trade on the other side of the island. The Lakatoi boats would carry clay pots around to be traded for food. So a major part of the events on Saturday was the arrival of a couple of Lakatoi boats constructed for this occasion.

The religious communities, localized around the seminary in Bomana (Port Moresby), had a special Mass to celebrate independence day. Just before Mass was a flag raising (where the flag was accidentally hung upside down). The Eucharist was mostly in pidgin so I understood only some of it. The music caught my attention, lots of songs with harmony beautiful. I was also able to sing the pidgin songs because they were a bit slower than when spoken.

I had a nice stay at Capuchin College. The friars were welcoming and eager to teach me a little pidgin when I would ask. I even remember some of the phrases. I will begin practicing more now that I am in the highlands. I will be spending my first few months in Pangia which is where they have the novitiate (with 2 novices now). I will probably do some work around the house as well as visit some of the out-stations where the friars do their ministry. There is not certainty about what I will do beyond that, but I spoke with ALLEN [WASIECKO] and he was suggesting the minor seminary in Madang. He was mentioning the need for someone to oversee the physical upkeep of the buildings. Perhaps with this, there would be some teaching and spiritual directing. We'll see. In the mean time I will spend a few days here in Mendi; settle in, get a drivers permit, write some letters. I think I have covered most of the highlights since Australia. Thank you for your prayers.

Peace, Jerry

from Mendi, Papua New Guinea, Oct. 20, 1999:

Hello all,

I am back in Mendi to visit with MALACHY [McBRIDE] (I am also eager to use the phone!). Turns out he and CYRIL [REPKO ] are classmates so I just came with Cyril who is guardian and novice director in Pangia. So I am having my second novitiate. There have been a couple days of having cabin-fever which inspired me to find some tasks to do in order to take a break from studying pidgin. Sometimes the task draws me right into practicing the language, either by passing people in the street or working with someone else. This is much more interesting than reading a generic grammar book all the time. I figured I would attempt to address some of your questions I have been asked about PNG (some of it you may have heard before). Food-wise, you read about sweet potatoes and pork, and it is true that both are common but, of course there's more: tinmit--tin meat--[spam]--mm-mm-good (ha). There is canned Mackerel which is quite fishy tasting, but that's OK because I like fish. It is when it talks back after eating it that I do not care for. We do have these foods, but I am teasing to this point because there are some really good foods here, especially the fresh fruits--bananas, pineapple, another apple-like thing, passion fruit, mango, papaya. The hotdogs/sausages aren't too good, but the beef here is alright. Lots of "greens" that I'm sure are good for me. The kaukau [cowcow]--sweet potato is probably the best potato I have ever had! It is a white potato and is wonderful when baked and then smothered in margarine/butter. enough food talk.

I am learning Pidgin [tok pisin]. Already I can recognize a lot of what I hear, though the locals speak pretty fast. I am even able to talk a little bit about a number of things, but I would not admit to being able to have a conversation. The friars here have recommended that I speak with the little children (pikinini), but they are mostly still afraid of me. They stand around and stare in silence until one steps or gets pushed a little too close, then they run back a few feet laughing or giggling. Eventually I will be able to talk with them enough to, hopefully, relieve them of their fear or timidity. The hardest thing about pidgin is recognizing it. Most of the words are english or a variation, but the hardest part is forgetting everything I have learned about "bad" english. For instance; yumi go is quickly pronounced 'you me go' [let's go] and that's "bad" english, but good pidgin. But, I am slowly learning to forget.

My first week here was in the 'lowlands', the coast. That is where Port Moresby is located. Then I spent a week in Mendi, in the S. Highlands [about a mile high]. Now I am in Pangia which is also about a mile high. I am living in a highland swamp area, but not like south'n USA swamp. It rains a lot and the plateau catches it. Most of it dries during a sunny day then gets wet again with the afternoon/evening/night rains. Oh, and when we have a thunderstorm it is not just seen or heard, it is felt! The thunder booms through your body and the ground trembles, wow! I love it! But it puts the power out pretty readily too, oh well. In talking with the vice-provincial, it looks as if I am likely to be stationed in Madang which is on the north coast. The possible work includes teaching high school seminary students, spiritual direction, and overseeing the repair of the buildings. Supposedly the school is right near the ocean--"so close you can spit into the water."

Animals: I have not seen any dangerous animals yet, but the birds are interesting. I have seen the bird of paradise [kumul] but not a full-fledged one. There are also a couple of parrots that come by here, but they are hard to see also because they are usually in the tops of the trees. Another bird that is a bit more visible is what the local friars call "willie wagtail" 'cause that's what it does. They are a black and white bird about the size of a mockingbird. It goes around catching insects and singing like a child playing a slide whistle up and down. I saw something like a possum, but brown and much more appealling to look at. Let's see, ...a small rat, a black lizard (which supposedly has a venomous bite), cows, pigs, dogs, cats, and finallly, I have heard the flapping wings of a flying fox [large fruit bat] at night. While I was in Mendi I went to a seminar on inculturation. It was part of a larger workshop that I could not attend. One of the questions for small group discussion had to do with what I appreciate about my culture. It was hard to answer at first because many of the things I thought of, I could see here. Eventually one thing did stand out, and the more I think about it, the more I appreciate it and that is my education. Here it is a good thing to reach a high school level, and that is not even on par with the States. I have been blessed and I knew this, but now I notice it even more. The people here are not unintelligent, but they lack the experience and knowledge base that leads to a good education. Part of the problem is what they call the wontok system. A wontok is someone from your line, your tribe. In the past, if someone was lacking food they would recieve food from their wontok, but now, with some development, jobs are given out the same way. The person in charge of whatever will give the jobs to his wontok's whether they are skilled or not. This system is affecting the school system as well and they are ending up with teachers who cannot teach or simply do not come in because they will not lose the job anyway. One of the challenges that I see in PNG is for the country to think more globally, heck, even just nationally!

Speaking of development, this is not a very developed country. Most of the roads are not good. And when they do get something good, they do not plan for its upkeep. An example of this kind of thinking comes in a general story about the owner of a business. First, it is not one person who owns the business, but his village. So, he has this wonderful store of goods of which he sells some, but when his village needs something he gives it. Soon he has no more and may restock, but will not have as much, and so on till the store is empty and vacant. The store is not a resource for everyone as much as a monument to show how much his village has, or has had. Also, you can see that relationship is the important thing, not material goods. In one way this story is positive. The people here still have the fighting instinct, and for a village to show its power through the building of a store rather than killing or burning in the next village is a much safer way to 'fight'. Another example is that in Mendi they are building a (one and only) seven story building. This just happens to be one story more that the neighboring village. So their one-upmanship seems to be feeding development in some areas.

Wow, this is getting long, but I want to say one thing about the government and corruption. The government is only 24 years old and the country has, until recently, developed quite quickly. The government seems to be exceptionally corrupt and my early theory is that they don't know how to handle the power they have been given; how to direct it toward the buiding of a country. This ties in again with the wontok system as well. I kind of cringe when I hear that other countries are going to give millions in money to aide PNG because of my expectation of its being wasted. It is a country rich in gold, oil and natural gas, but, they are still in debt. I suppose that in my three years here I will see, notice and think about much more. Right now, I am hearing a call (as it begins to take form) to offer what I can to bring unity to this country by inviting those I meet to live as the one body of Christ. God only knows what shape this will finally take. I ask your prayers.

Know that my prayers and love are with you. Peace, Jerry

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Oct. 31, 1999:

Something new today; went to an out-station with Br. Cyril [Repko]. It was about a one hour drive on the more-than-bumpy Pangia road. We stopped the car in Tindua, then walked about an hour on a hard-packed, but slippery, clay road. It was downhill into Lembo and, of course, uphill out. It was not so bad as Cyril had made it out to be. He expected that I would be winded by the top of the hill on the return trip. Actually, I was kind of surprised myself that I handled the walking alright and this leads me to notice why this trip was nice for a couple reasons. First, I got some much needed exercise, although I am getting more as I learn more pidgin. The more I "get" the language, the less afraid I am to go where I might meet someone and have to talk with them. This leads into the second reason that today's trip was good. I actually had something of a conversation with the local catechist! Thisis especially one of the reasons that I went- to practice my pidgin because there would not be so many english speakers around. Some of the kids knew english, but even they did not know too much. I was wishing I had my camera because the village at the top (antap) was fascinating with its grass-roofed huts lining the roadway and people standing in doorways and along the road ready to greet us. I could see smoke pouring out the windows and doors of some of the huts. They have fire pits, usually in the middle, and no chimney or flu. Some roofs are black with the smoke that has passed through the grass of the roof. I have learned that the soot of the fire helps seal the roof. I am not sure that this is a sufficient payoff for all the smoke they must be breathing. It is no wonder that there are so many, literally, snot-nosed kids (kus nus pikinini) running around.

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Nov. 1, 1999:

Another day, another drop of rain. I almost went fishing on Sat (Oct 30), but the clouds were threatening all day. Of course, it did not rain till late in the afternoon, but who could have guessed. I look forward to trying at some point because rainbow trout have been introduced to the rivers here. Fresh trout would be a great treat! Plus, it's about a 30 minute walk to the river; some more exercise.

Today I did some car repair on the Suzuki. There were a few extra rattles after returning from Lembo. Cyril [Repko] and I found them and repaired what we could.

So, to continue my Lembo story, the church was nice, simple and small. It had grass mat floors and walls, and a tin roof (which got very loud as it began to rain right after mass). It was very open as there were no seats. My body ain't used to that sittin' on the floor stuff: I think it took more out of me than the walking. There were not too many people there and more than half were youth! There happens to be 3 or 4 other (protestant) churches in the area. The one we passed on the way out had even fewer people at their service.

Lembo is another beautiful place! It sits in a kind of bowl with hills and mtns surrounding it. I thought the air would be more still than it was, but there was a refreshing breeze blowing. Everything is green after plenty of rain: for this year we are at about 220 inches, and Cyril added up the 9 years he's been here (in Pangia) and found that he has been doused with about 135'feet of water!! We've averaged about one inch a day this month. Of course, this has caused the road to get worse even in just the five weeks that I've been here.

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Nov. 12, 1999:

Lots happening! Took a 5-day bush trip--lots of hiking, a bit of rain, some practice of Pidgin, and some more hiking. CYRIL [REPKO] was asked to come to the youth rally that was happening in Laiyapu to celebrate Mass on Fri the 5th. He hesitated, but finally decided to go. He invited me to go along because there aren't many chances to see Wiliame (wil-ee-a'-may). The roads are crummy which makes it quite a trek.

First, at 7 am., we drove for about an hour to the top of a mtn where we were dropped off at our Church in Takaru then started our walk. The drive was not too bad except for an iffy bridge. The driver was confident, but Cyril and I were not. The bridge was a couple of logs across a swift river and this did not seem like a good crossing for a moist morning. Well, he made it over, but the tires did slide off at the end.

Cyril likes to start walking and stop when he gets there. Actually he does not like walking at all. We had a strong 4 hour walk skirting mud-holes and using caution on slippery hills. I carried my pack about 3/4 of the way then a couple of guys from Wiliame met us and took our packs. You should see the way people carry things here; no problem. They have some strong heads and shoulders.

The last leg of this trip took us through a swamp (tais). We definitely needed our guides for this part of the trip. The swamp was mud, water, grass and a log trail to follow-that is if you can find it. All of our worry is based on getting our shoes dirty and/or wet. These guys don't wear shoes, so it's no problem, again. They walked ahead finding the submerged logs or the more solid mud where we could walk. Then they walked beside us as a prop against falling when we walked the logs. I wish I was less tender-footed so as to walk barefoot myself. The swamp was a shortcut that took about a half hour and cut off as much again from our trip. Finally, Wiliame, where, as I entered the village, a man shook my hand and offered me a Coke--nice!

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Nov. 15, 1999:

Wow! Two days to my first birthday--in PNG that is! And Christmas is near to a month away but I do not have much sense of it. The weather here is in the 80's usually--sun in the morn and early afternoon, then rain and so far this month is averaging one inch plus a day with some of it coming within short amounts of time. I am away from the "retail" christmas also which probably makes a big difference. One way they ask about age here is "Hamas krismas" you have; soon I'll be able to say I have wanpela krismas.

Back to my story: Thursday of our trip we hung out in Wiliame. CYRIL [REPKO] was expecting to be a little more busy than he was with confessions. Some people came by to bring us some food which is good since we had only brought some basic foodstuff. In the afternoon I pumped rainwater that had been collected in a very large tank on the ground. There was a smaller resevoir on the roof. Over the time we stayed, I cranked about 1200 times. Not a hard task, but a bit tedious.

Friday morning we headed to Laiyapu where the youth rally was happening. Lots of mud and some boot-soaking water holes; we were quite the mess after our two hour trip. While sitting down a bit and drinking a lot the youth began to gather for mass. There were lots of young people (200-300) and throughout the mass they had processions in native dress and language (entrance, Gospel, offertory, and closing). Lots of music and singing too; they had a little Honda generator supporting some amplifiers for the guitars.

I had to laugh when I saw the altar. It was set up nicely, with two large umbrellas shading the area. But the umbrellas happened to have advertising for Cambridge cigarettes: I thought, "Today's Mass; brought to you by Cambridge..." After Mass we had a bit of rice with our fish soup before hitting the trail again. Another couple of hours and wet shoes later we were back in Wiliame, but not before the rains came. About the last half hour of our trip was quite a wet one. Saturday then, was some more sitting around the house mostly reading novels of which I finished two. Sunday we were up early again to head to Kerapali for Mass. Another 2 hour walk led us to a relatively small church (sios) but full up. Here Coke and Pepsi were equally represented with bottles used as vases. It was a nice liturgy as the people had a lot of energy for participation. After Mass we spent some time with Joe Walo, who was with the Caps for a time. Turns out he was in Victoria [Kansas] when I was there as a novice. He recognized me first, it took me a few minutes, but I did recall his brief visit.

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Nov. 16, 1999:

Hmmm, over 24 hours without rain, and the evening was clear enough, for a bit, to see the half moon and notice that some stars do twinkle. I was hoping to see a Flying Fox, but no such luck. Sometimes the beauty of this place hits me head-on and I have to praise God for his goodness and beauty....like tonight. I have had another thought popping up as well; sometimes when I am doing a daily task like brushing my teeth or combing my hair, I realize at the same time that I am not in the States. This is difficult to describe, but it is a sensation of being halfway around the world and things are still normal--sometimes. Recently, I have had similar experiences with the language--it is different, but normal. At the same time I question if I want to stay here for more than three years... Yea, a little homesick. Well, that last thought brought a tear to my eye and blocked my thoughts. I think of you all often, and you are in my prayers. There was one weekend (actually last weekend) when I was feeling some cabin fever and was wishing I could call a friend to see about going out and doing something. Else-wise I have not been sleeping well and trying to make up for it in the mornings. I have been doing some work around the place to keep from napping in the afternoon as well. I do not feel too stressed, but I know it is present and taking its toll.

I just finished rebuilding a screen for the chapel and started making a new door for one of the school rooms. I think every piece of wood I have worked with here has been warped which makes it especially hard to rip (cut lengthwise). I cut up an old car hood the other day to make a sliding door for our back porch. There is a cat here that just had kittens and we are trying to protect them from the local dogs. Even so, on the day after giving birth she carried her four kits to the garden.

We left them there a couple of days and did not feed mama. We then got her attention with some food and, in the mean time, went and collected the pikinini bringing them back to the place we had set up on the porch. Then she got some mackerel. Later in the day she took one of the kits back to the garden, but we immediately brought it back. She/they have remained on the porch since...eating healthily. You cat-lovers probably appreciate this story. But, now the bad cat news.

Mama's been sick since before I arrived with some kind of cancer or something that has progressively been eating away her nose. She does not appear to be in pain, but sometimes her nose seems to irritate her. She goes into big sneezing fits when she drinks milk. Sometimes when I pet her and she begins purring, it will be followed with a sneeze. Well, after she rears the kits to a point where we can take care of them, we will put her to sleep. It is sad to see her in this state, but we want the kittens to survive also. I think her body knows it is not well because she had four kittens whereas in the past she has had litters of two.

I'll write more later.

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Nov. 26, 1999:

Last Sunday I was roused from Lotu (Sunday worship, but not Mass--a big Communion service) and was given a note that CYRIL [REPKO] had run out of gas. He was on his way to Mendi for some meetings. He wanted me to bring some diesel. All was a frenzy for a bit because there seemed to be some urgency, so NEIL [BLUE] (one of the novices) helped me find and fill containers with both petrol and diesel since I could not remember what the red Hilux required (even tho it was in the note). That done, I thought to look at the Suzuki's gauge and found it to be low. So, I turned the car around and added a few liters. Then I was on my way with Isaac who is a local man who usually goes with Cyril on his bush trips. He was also the guy who brought the note: turns out he walked/ran about 6 miles (by road) in about an hour. He worked hard to get that note to me.

I think it took a good 45 minutes to get to Kalane. When we arrived, Isaac, in his slurred Pidgin said I should go to Lotu. I told him I would stay here (Kalane) for a bit. He was referring to the Mass that was in progress there. So, for the feast of Christ the King, I started with Lotu and ended with Mass. And guess what: Cyril had plenty fuel, the gauge was stuck. We added the fuel and when the tank topped off we realized he was OK on fuel. He was happy about this, actually, because he (and I) were thinking someone had stolen the fuel. It was good to find that we were mistaken about this.

In the meantime the fuel leaked all over the Suzuki. My raincoat now has the sweet smell of diesel even though I used a lot of soap and washed it a good number of times. I also made some attempt at cleaning the car. I parked it on a hill near a small stream of water and brought some detergent with me. I pulled all the floor plugs and kept filling and refilling a five gallon bucket with water, mixing in the soap, and dousing the inside of the car. It didn't help much. So, the car also has the sweet smell of diesel. But considering all this, I enjoyed the drive.

When I have gotten out on some of the backroads (which really they all are) I have seen some beautiful places. Sometime I might even remember my camera! Looking forward to this coming Sunday. Cyril asked me to drive him partway to the place he is going this weekend. I have come to enjoy driving. I think this might be partly because it is a chance to get out a bit. But it is also 4 wheel drive country, and I like driving on this terrain. A lot of energy is used for driving though because I have to pay attention to the road as well as hang on while the car bounces around. I am finding, too, that it is easier to drive than be a passenger.

Two friars (TIMOTHY [KALAWAI] and ALOIS [EKAPE]) have arrived for a retreat here in preparation for final profession. Cyril is leading it and it is a completely silent and isolated kind of experience. They do not get to talk, and they even take their meals in their rooms. I suppose liturgical prayer is the only place we will hear them. They'll do this for a week: pretty intense!

from Pangia, Papua New Guinea, Dec. 28, 1999:

Merry Christmas

'Been traveling a bit. Couple of interesting days came up before I took a little trip to see the friars in Kagua PIG KILL! Big deal here in the Pangia area. They have a big pig kill every 5 years or so. It is supposed to be a time of making peace with your enemy as well as showing off wealth. Pigs are very important here and the more you have, the more wealthy you are. One man, from the parish, was killing about 12 pigs. Some had more, some less, but overall, there were about 800 pigs killed in just one village (other villages also had pig kills)!! I walked into the village and saw a lot of pigs. They were tethered on small wood posts hammered into the ground (some not too well as a pig would get loose once in a while). These posts were about 10 feet apart creating a corridor down the center of the village. More pigs were posted outside of this corridor as well. Pigs were everywhere!

Price-wise you can probably average it to about 500 kina per pig -- not very poor at all. After some simple ceremony of some men walking the corridor of pigs and viewing them, the killing began. Most of it was done with a wooden club to the head of the pig which, if you hit the right spot, pretty much killed the pig quickly. Many men did not hit the right spot and then would have to chase the squealing pig around the post. Not a pretty sight or sound.

I found some people I knew from the parish and watched the process. After killing the pig they put it over a fire to burn off the hair and scrape away some of the skin. It is then passed on to another who cuts it open to remove the intestines and such. After this it is passed to another who knows how to quarter the pig so it can be then given away. In the mean time some small pieces are thrown directly into the fire, cooked, and eaten as you work. So, all down this corridor this process is taking place with each family who brought pigs. And yes, I killed two pigs myself -- and it is still being talked about. Tonight we had some of the meat that was given to us -- very good!

It turns out that if I had shown up the next day while they were giving out the pig, we could have gotten more, but it is alright that we did not because the idea behind giving the pig to someone is that he will bekim (give) back a similar amount next time. So, it turns out not to be exactly an experience of generosity. I would have been there for this part of the ceremony but had an opportunity to go to Kagua.

I was originally discouraged from going to Kagua because they were having problems with their generator. They have been without power for about three months. Well, I changed my mind when Cyril mentioned that I could look at the generator (they were having trouble finding someone to help them out). I figured I could rough-it a bit anyway, and maybe I could do something with the generator as well. So, on the 17th I headed out there with the intention of returning to Pangia on the 23rd to celebrate Christmas.

So, I looked at the thing; took some covers off the engine, nothing serious. I tightened a few things and then we ran it on Sat. night for a few hours. This was enough time for the houses to pump water into their high tanks (and we watched a movie as well). We checked the machine the next day (Sun.)to find that diesel was getting into the oil. I did not feel I had the tools available to me to start digging into the innards of the thing, so I suggested taking it to the shop. So we did this on Mon.; a trip to Mt. Hagen.

We dropped off the generator and then spent the night in Hagen because they were working on another generator (which they had for 2 years). They were going to test it and we were hoping to take it with us. Well, the following day we waited around all day and finally left late without the generator. We arrived in Ialibu about 7pm. and slept there.

The next day was another busy one. We returned to Kagua and almost immediately went out to a place called Sumi. There was a peace ceremony that was taking place between two lain (places, villages, families). So, we quickly looked at the work Fr. Joe Tuscan was doing to rebuild the station there, then we went to the ceremony which occurred at a nearby airfield (and field is accurate). It was a matter of the two fighting parties saying some nice words, shaking hands, and the government giving out money. It all happened on the back of our Land Cruiser. After this we went back to Kagua and tried to contact Mendi over the wireless because we heard they had a small generator that would be enough to pump water and charge batteries (for the wireless). Evening came, morning followed, the next day: The plan was to meet at the Wara (water) Bung (where 2 rivers meet and there is no car bridge). We were told 1 to 2 hours were what the trip would take -- it was 3 one way! So, another long drive. And to top it off the guys meeting us there did not get the toksave (notice) that we wanted the generator (and a couple other things). It was not a useless trip as we were dropping off two Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa's sisters). They were soon on their way to Mendi.

After the long drive, it was nice to take a little break. Some women were selling some of there garden goods so I bought a small cucumber and some sugar cane. Someone else offered us peanuts. It was a sufficient lunch. Then back to the road were some previous tough spots awaited us with some threat because we would be going uphill this time. As a matter of fact we did get stuck once, but got out with a little bit of a push.

Otherwise, just another long drive. The amazing thing about these long trips is that we do not really go very far. For instance, the route from Ialibu to Pangia takes about 2 hours, but it is only about 20 km. (Close to 12 miles). I did not check the mileage on the Wara Bung trip.

Well, we returned to Kagua and made plans to meet someone to pick up the generator in Ialibu. And so it was. By the way this trip to Ialibu occurred on Christmas Eve. I was figuring that I would be going back to Pangia -- yesterday -- but over the wireless I was given the message; Graun i bruk (ground is broken -- there was a landslide) and the road was blocked at about the halfway point between Ialibu and Pangia. So I stayed in Kagua (with the exception of a trip to Ialibu for a generator).

Christmas was nice in Kagua. I wish I had brought my camera, but I was expecting to be in Pangia for Christmas. Anyway, they had a beautiful Jubilee gate; actually they had three because there were three roads that met in front of the church. Some distance away, each road had a gate dedicated one to the Father, one to the Son, and one to the Holy Spirit. The procession started at each gate simultaneously with a different singsing from each direction. There was quite a mixture of sounds when they all met, but this is how a singsing goes I'm told.

There was also plenty traditional bilas (costume) worn for the occasion. (I have some pictures from the pig kill that will show some of this). Then the gate was opened and thousands of people funneled into the church filling it completely. Olgeta em i naispela samting -- overall it was something nice.

It was hard on my backside to sit on a concrete floor for a few hours, but I survived. Actually, it didn't seem that long.

In a nutshell that was Christmas in Kagua. I went back to Pangia the next day.

Peace, Jerry

from Mendi, Papua New Guinea, Dec. 30, 1999:

From the Land of the Unplannable, Merry Christmas,

Turns out I am in Mendi for a bit, thus some email is going out. But, the email should come a little more regular because it is now official that I will be stationed at Kap. I should be arriving there somewhere close to the 18th of Jan. It is easy yet for me to answer "I don't know" yet because the new question is "what will you do there?" husat i save (who knows).

So, I have finished at Pangia (for now) and I am hoping to see some more of the Southern Highlands; Tari, Pureni (where PETE MEIS is at), Kutubu (I here there is a beautiful lake there). Then, off to Kap. I will be stationed with Frs DON DEBES, DUNSTAN [JONES], DOMINIC [McGUINNESS], and BILL TALENTINO as well as the 2 Cap. Corp volunteers Steve and Bob.

I have attached a bit about some recent events that includes a pig kill and Christmas in Kagua (sounds like a song title, ya). [This attachment, however, never arrived.]

Talk at you later. Peace, Jerry

PS--looking forward to seeing your mail when I send this one.

from Mendi, Papua New Guinea, Jan.3, 2000:

Happy new year!!

I have come to Mendi for a couple of weeks to try to see some more of the highlands, esp. Tari, and Kutubu. So far it does not seem that anyone is going to these places.

The new year's celebration here in Mendi was quite impressive. Ringing in the new year was somewhat subdued with the police shooting off about a half dozen flares throughout town, and someone burning down a classroom (a kunai grass hut model, not a permanent building), and some pot banging and whistle blowing. It was the new year's day procession and Mass that impressed me.

The procession started, ultimately, in the upper and lower parts of Mendi. These local areas built into a huge procession. Some of us walked down to where a local town road meets the highway'. I was somewhat shocked when I looked in both directions and saw seas of people filling the road. In one direction at least 2,000 people flooded the roadway; in the other we could not see the end of them as they came around a distant bend, but there must have been about 4 to 5,000 more! It was impressive to see so many Catholics gathering for this new year, this jubilee event. We all processed through Mendi to our gathering point of a soccer field. There was singsing of various sorts within the throng that filled the streets. I heard that one man got excited, and pointing to all the people exclaimed, "Look, they're all Catholics!"

During the liturgy, I sat up on the grandstand with the Bishop, priests and other friars and liturgical ministers. Again, I was impressed to see so many people gathering to express their faith. One moment stands out in particular, and it occurred at the end of the liturgy. I want to note one thing first; all the people were carrying homemade crosses. Some had "Jubilee 2000" painted on them. Others were wreathed with flowers and other plants. They were asked by the Bishop to raise the crosses while he blessed them. Thousands and thousands of crosses went into the air such that there was an ocean of crosses flooding the field. WoW!

I do not know what the non-Catholic onlookers saw in the event, but for me it was, it is a testimony to God's presence in this world and in the Church. I hope that the unity I saw this day spreads through the country and into the world.

I hope that this new year gives you opportunity to draw closer to others and to God.

Peace, Jerry

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, Jan. 11-12, 2000:

I took a little trip through the western part of the Southern Highlands. This is of course one of the less safe areas to travel. One could go to Tari via airplane, but I opted for the PMV (the local bus service of the country). Turns out that one of our newly-professed brothers [ALOIS EKAPE] was going to Tari for his pastoral year. He is a seminary student in Bomana (Port Moresby). After his pastoral year he will go back for a couple more years of school. Anyway, we went together.

Now, to start the picture of where these places are, before I describe them a bit more, I want to note distance: the starting point, Mendi + 20 mi = Nipa + 20 mi = Margarima + 1 hour = Tari + 1 hour = Pureni + 1 hour = Koroba. The trip from Mendi to Margarima took about 5 hours. We went to the PMV stop at Mendi about 9 am and the one we were looking for arrived about 11:30 am. We did not leave Mendi till about 1 pm (therefore arriving in Margarima about 6:30).

We hopped on in the front seat -- lucky, really because there's only two spaces in front -- everyone else rides in back. You see, this particular PMV was not a bus. Rather it was a large, what they call, Dyna (after the toyota model of dynas). It is a diesel truck with a 20 foot pickup bed. The bed has shorter sides (height-wise) than an American truck, and for people's use they have put seats in for the length of the sides (you sit on a board for the duration of the trip, though you can stand up at anytime to stretch out a bit). There are bars that go over the top which hold a plastic tarp that is spread out if/when the rains come. So, basically we ended up in the cab of the truck, with the driver -- and a 25 kg bag of flower, our own luggage, and some luggage of other passengers. We were lucky in another sense because this PMV was hired out to bring back grocery cargo so he did not pick up as many passengers (they'll usually cram 50 + passengers on the back). The driver kept stating that he was overloaded. I think that's why the trip took so long; he was unable to go very quickly up the steep hills that are encountered in the highlands. Our return trip today was about an hour shorter.

Our driver said we would go with God, trusting him to be the supreme protector, mechanic, etc. A positive thought for the start of our trip. I mentioned before that this is not one of the safest roads. To put it simply, a government official who was from Nipa died in an auto accident, but it happened to be in a neighboring area (near Tari). So the fight was begun because it was obviously the fault of the Tari people. So, for some time now (1 year +) Tari has been cut off from Mendi and other places for resources since the Nipas have regular road-blocks set up where they steal whatever they can from whoever passes. Only within the time I have been here has the road been opened again. It was closed while the fighting was going on.

Recently we had a car stolen that was full of supplies. We did eventually get the car back, but none of what was in it. Also, Alois had sent some of his things on to Tari with a friar going that way -- all stolen. I am not aware of anyone being killed or even injured, but plenty are being frightened. This is the road I chose to travel. I just did not bring much "stuff." That's all.

Well, we reached midway to Nipa and the driver mentioned that he had some "gun boys" he would be picking up. This was, of course, so that we would not have any trouble with any raskals along the way. Seemed to me a little different tune than the beginning of the trip: I suppose "God helps those who help themselves" was his thought. In any case, we had no trouble.

So on Tues the 4th of Jan. I reached my first stop at Margarima and it was brief. Ate, prayed talked for a bit with TIMOTHY [KALAWAI] then to bed. The next day I visited with the two Swiss sisters, Valentine [Flury] and Damascene [Schuermann]. About noon Timothy drove Alois and I to Tari. I have to say again; this is a beautiful country. The mountains and open space in the Tari Gap certainly caught my attention. I was expecting a deer or such to come out of the wooded areas, but the biggest animal I have heard of yet is the cassowary (emu). I did not see any of these either.

I arrived in Tari in the early afternoon. Actually, we stopped at an outstation just outside of Tari because we were hearing that they were opening their gate. They had just finished as we arrived. We stopped anyway to look for Fr. SAM [DRISCOLL] whose car was still there. We did not stay for the mumu of pig and such, but went on to Tari. Here I got a tour of the place; the church is H U G E, certainly as compared to others. Even the cathedral does not look as big. St. Francis Church rises 2 stories + but probably not quite 3. It is all wood and all open.

I found it decieving to enter: It has a large front which made me expect a large church, but I expected it to be more square -- NOT! It happened to be over 2 times longer than it is wide, and also seems taller on the inside. Wow! Of course this leads me to think of one of my dissappointments of this trip -- no camera. I did not care to lose it to raskals so I left it in Mendi. So, at this point, I have memories tasol (only).

After seeing the station Sam took me to Tari High school where a Sr. Mel [Hoffman] runs the show. It is a nice campus and is designed as a boarding school. It is also set up to be self-sustaining food-wise, so, there are some cattle and gardens around. Each student works a plot of garden and at the same time learns something about agriculture; sounds practical to me. Some have said it is the best high school in the country. We joined the sisters for tea; they showed us some of their x-mas toys and we dropped off some mail. There happened to be a whole group of sisters there including some from Kagua and Mendi. Did they have trouble on the road? No, because there happens to be an airport in Tari so one does not necessarily have to drive the uncertain roads. I could have taken this flight from Mendi, but it would have cost more than 10 times as much. (The PMV cost K8 one way, the plane, about K120 -- for a 20 minute flight).

On Thurs. I journeyed onward; turns out that Fr. PETER MEIS was coming from Pureni to Tari for some shopping. I decided to hitch a ride with him because I heard that Fr DUNSTAN [JONES] and Steve (one of the Cap. Corp. volunteers) were returning to Tari on Sunday. I was looking forward to visiting with Peter so this all worked out well. I got to ride on the back of the truck because Peter had brought one of the sisters from Pureni with him. I stayed a day in Pureni and it so happens that one of the students from Kap was on home-leave. He showed me around a bit and I was able to see his home and meet his mom. There was a particular hill I was interested in climbing. Francis, the student, said it was dangerous for him to go up there because that lain and his were fighting at the time. I got a nice, inside view of the place.

The Hulis are known for gate building. They make gates for entrances to gardens and homes. At one point, we were taking a shortcut which happened to be through a garden. I bumped my head on the gate and my two guides got a kick out of that. Most of the gates are quite short. This garden is also memorable because the papa bilong graun decided he did not want us cutting through his place. Through translation I learned he thought I was a tourist, and he did not want a tourist cutting through. They tried to explain that I was a [missionary]; but it was too late, the man's mind was made up. So we went another way. I did not bump my head on the way out this time.

I went to Koroba the next day where I had a short stay, but we (Fr. Dunstan and Steve and I) did have time to visit a seminarian from another school at his home in Koroba. We had a nice visit with him and his parents. That evening we had a nice dinner prepared by Sr. Regis who is stationed in Koroba. We left on Sunday after Mass. The Mass was very contemplative. As a matter of fact Peter, in Pureni, happened to mention that the people there were some of the most contemplative he had met.

They would sit silently in Church for hours. Getting back to the mass, they sing everything, and all of it with a similar tune. I did not know the words, but I could hum the tune. Though simpler, there was an aspect of chant to it. I enjoyed it. After the mass, the people sang some songs for Fr. Dunstan and gave him some local gifts; a band to wear around the head made of the fur of a local animal which had feathers on the front -- a fancy headband; a sash that was about 2" wide and made of small beads with some shells hanging off the bottom; and an akis (ax), but not a wood chopping ax. This ax was more of a spear head with a handle -- definitely a weapon. This particular one was lightly crafted, made for hanging on a wall as decor.

Fr. Dunstan happened to know a local policeman and so through this connection we got an escort out of town -- at least beyond the more raskal-filled areas. We brought two cars with us because both needed repairs of one kind or another. We also brought Sr. Regis with us because she was on her way to Mendi for a bit of a break. She ran into some trouble a few weeks ago in Koroba. Then we had a big dinner in Tari with all the friars, a diocesan priest who was on home leave, and the sisters. No particular reason for this dinner, it just happened to be the Sunday that they all get together. The next day Alois took me to Margarima. I arrived early enough to see the place in the daylight this time. I was also able to meet some of the people. I have to admit, I was plenty scared in many of these places until I met some of the people and they met me. They are careful around strangers, but once you are not a stranger anymore you find that they are quite affectionate. I think some of the carefulness ties in with this being a tourist area as well as an area where ex-patriates (outsiders) have discovered and exploited natural resources.

Left Margarima early early!! I was up about 4 am because the PMV would be coming at about 5:30. Had no trouble again and arrived in Mendi before 11am – then I slept! The phones were not working at the time, thus, I waited till I arrived in Kap to send this current story

Peace, Br. Jerry

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, Jan. 18, 2000:

Here I am at Kap, about 30 Km N. of Madang. I feel like I am on vacation. I have not fished yet. I have not gone for a swim yet, but I did play some tennis the other day at a country club in Madang -- right on the shore, with squadrons of flying foxes cruising overhead and hanging in nearby trees.

It turns out that Madang is the flying fox capitol of the world. There are a lot of them, and they are everywhere. They hang out like crows would in the states, but upside down. I have heard that as evening comes on, they cloud the sky with their multitudes (I got a little poetic there).

We do live right on the water. I can see the bay from my window (or the veranda outside my room). It is not 100 yds to the water. There is not a beach, but the shore is beautiful with trees draping into the water. At times already the water has been placid and mirror-like, very serene. I am really liking it here in Kap. It is quite a beautiful setting. We have a good fraternity, it seems, as well: DON [DEBES], DUNSTAN [JONES], DOMINIC [MCGUINNESS], BILL TALENTINO, two Cap. Corp. volunteers, Bob and Steve, and myself. there is also a retired couple giving their time to the school for a year. Ron and Mary fit in comfortably as well.

Peace, Jerry

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, Jan. 21, 2000:

I have arrived at St. Fidelis College, Kap. I have discovered what work I will be doing here. Looks like I will be teaching religion classes: Old Testament, Sacraments, Revelation, and some other bits and pieces.

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, Feb. 8, 2000

Hello all,

I'm doing alright in Kap. I am teaching a couple of classes. Here's the latest adventure story.

The road [from Mendi] to Kap was long but it went pretty smoothly. Turns out that one of the Friars in Mendi was trying to get to Ialibu and giving us (Steve [Cap. Volunteer] and I) a ride was a great excuse/reason. Steve and I stayed the night in Ialibu and the next morning CYRIL [REPKO], with the two novices and Bob the other Cap. Volunteer, picked us up and took us to Mt. Hagen where we caught a PMV to Goroka. Steve and Bob taught at St. Fidelis College last year and were spending their break in the highlands. Thus it was the three of us on our way to Kap.

First I want to note that my earlier description of PMVs was not a description to fit all. In this case, and thank God, we caught something more like a bus. It was a 20 or 35 seater. It was much more comfortable than the ride I got to the west end of the Southern Highlands. This is an especially good thing in light of a much longer trip. I believe it lasted about 6 hours.

I am going to backtrack a little here. A couple of days before [our] leaving Mendi, some fighting broke out. A prominent person in town had killed someone in one of his gambling joints. Now, the line of the deceased was returning for payback by burning all the places this guy owned. The smoke rising in upper Mendi could be seen from the friary. I remember this now because as we left Mendi, we came upon a police roadblock. We were waved through, but we assumed they were checking for weapons, hoping to keep the fighting from escalating in Mendi. My reason for backtracking is that we were similarly stopped just outside of Mt. Hagen. The PMV was emptied (except for the three of us), some police boarded, checked passengers' bags (but not ours), then everyone boarded again and we were on our way. After we got on our way again, I think it was Bob who said, jokingly; "we could make a killing here!" We all agreed to the literalness of these words, if we would be of "that type"that would do such things. Elsewise the trip to Goroka was uneventful, except for singing along with American pop songs that came up on the radio that we would, perhaps, not have had on our hit list in the States, but for some reason, it sounded pretty good here. Then the PMV dropped us off right at the friary doorstep.

The next day we continued our journey. 7am we were up looking for the next PMV that was going to Madang. Most were going to Lae. Eventually, one of the Lae drivers changed his mind and started calling out for Madang. That's how you find the one you want. It sounds like Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng Mdng. A lot of times you can't understand what they are saying. We started our 8 hour trip (which could have been 7). It was a nice trip, with a couple of stops along the way. . .until we hit the roadblock!! No, not rascals; just a PNG road. Turns out, it was the last hill we had to climb before exiting the highlands. About halfway up a steep hill was a big mud hole in which busses and trucks were getting stuck. There was also a big lineup of others waiting their turn (This is not completely true. Many pulled ahead in the line.) There was a combination of pushers and pullers. Lucky for many there was a 4 wheel drive above the hole helping tow some vehicles out. It was wild!

Everyone, and there was a big crowd, had the right idea of how to get through this mess. No matter what, though, everyone got stuck (except smaller 4wd vehicles). There were a couple of very large dump trucks helping each other. They broke a heavy chain a couple of times. Eventually they used two vehicles for the pulling. Well, finally we got our driver motivated to move up the hill and get into the mix because the longer we waited the less help we would have, but, just as he pulled up, the helpful 4wd pulled out! Our experience was showing that pushing was not enough, so we were stuck. It turns out as well that this driver was making his first trip to Madang and did not know about this road (he usually went to Lae).

God is good! Another 4wd truck came through and began helping some of the remaining busses through the mire. If this person would not have stayed, we may have spent the night on the road. We ended up spending an hour wallowing in the mud as we helped push a good number of vehicles through the hole. Our driver was a good man. As I had a hold on the bus next to the drivers window, we chatted a bit. One thing he proposed was that, after we get through we should stay and help at least a few more others. Wow! It was nice to have met a man who was not overly concerned with his route or vehicle such that he could not stop and help others.

We finally did arrive in Madang where we were dropped off at the diocesan headquarters. Someone from Kap (BILL TALENTINO) came to pick us up. It turns out he was going to the airport anyway to pick up some new volunteers -- a married couple. It was good to see Bill again. I had spent some time with him while I was doing my Pastoral Counseling studies in Washington, DC.

I had mentioned flying foxes as part of my experience in Pangia -- I could hear them flying at night. I was always hoping that I might catch a glimpse of one some evening. Well, guess what greeted me in Madang. No, not a flying fox, but a flock of flying foxes! (Be careful saying that too fast). Yes, Madang happens to be the flying fox capital of the world! If you have ever seen crows flying around or gathering, this is much the same. One big difference is that the flying fox hangs underneath the branch on which it lands. Anyway, I certainly did not expect to see them in broad daylight. They are no longer a novelty, yet they are still fascinating.

I will continue in my next note about my arrival in Kap -- home sweet home?

Peace, Jerry

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2000

It has certainly been a while since I have written anything. Only just last week did I begin feeling some energy come back to me. I had picked up some strain of flu a while back and it carried with it bronchitis and a cold. At first I was thinking "here it is, I've got malaria." I am  glad that I was wrong in my diagnosis. The bronchitis was the hardest thing to get rid of. A few days after my first round of medication, I felt it was not quite gone, so did another round of meds. Anyway, after a couple of weeks of formal medicating and such, the main stuff was gone; but I was still tired a lot more than usual for a couple of weeks after. I have heard it said that stress can do that too!

Yes, I'd call this recent month or so a stressful one. Mostly, the stress does not seem to stem from a typical situation of overworking (not that I have been idle). It is quite a transition -- but not in the way I expected. I was preparing myself, before coming to PNG, to be ready to immerse myself in another culture and language. I was immersed in my first few months here. Now I have been called to work at a place where the staff is predominantly American, and English is primarily spoken for the sake of teaching the students (but it is also easier -- it's our first language). So, I think I have been shocked in a backwards kind of -- I miss speaking pidgin. I suppose this is a good thing; maybe even another little sign that I am supposed to be here. (I am still looking for these kinds of signs).

Another stressful thing that coincides with coming to PNG is that I have a job. Up to now, my life with the Capuchins has mostly been life as a student. As a student I was mostly responsible to myself (and, gratefully, to benefactors) to make the best of my time at school. Now I am responsible to someone else -- the students here at St. Fidelis Seminary. This is a different perspective for me and it brings some stress with it.

Kap surely is a beautiful place! This beauty is what sometimes touches me inside with a sense of "wow, look where I am living and working." The sunrises, the moonrises, the southern cross and other stars -- the billions, the coconut trees, the orchids: these are what surround us here at Kap. Nature has way of refreshing my spirit. Nature stands out brilliantly here!

As I note my consolation in nature, I realize that I have not yet fully connected with the community of friars here. I know this takes time. I have not connected with the students too much either outside of class. Part of this is my being an introvert. It requires energy for me to meet new people. Here I am entering a community of five new people and working with about 130 new people who are students. More stress?!

These are some of the reasons that I ended the last letter with the question of whether Kap was "home" or not yet. I want to thank you for your prayers. I truly depend on them -- because you are there and I am here. I do not have to look far to find my lenten penance this year. I pray that God will lift us up in resurrection at Easter.

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, April 26, 2000

Well, here I am in Kap some four months now and I have only alluded to what I'm doing here -- I am actually still asking the same question of myself. It is getting clearer. One of our three terms is ending this week (the 28th is the last day) then a two week break. I have been teaching two classes within this first term: Religion with the grade eleven and Salvation History with the twelves. The religion class focused on the Apostles Creed. Preparing material for this class made for a good reflection on my own faith which, in turn, was a nice lead-in for the Easter celebrations here. The Salvation History class is a fairly in-depth look at the Old Testament. This past term we covered the book of Genesis. The Bible was the source of my personal faith journey when, back in high school, I wanted to start living my faith a little more fully and honestly. It is nice to return to some study of the Bible as I prepare these classes. This was also a nice reflection in preparation for Easter.

There is plenty of work involved in doing this, but it should be much easier next year. One thing nice about teaching here is that there are no discipline problems. Well, I probably cannot really claim "no" problems, but it is nothing like I would expect in the States. Part of this is because the average age is a bit higher; I would guess it to be in the 20's with our oldest student being in his 40's.

That is the teaching end. I will soon be taking on the responsibility of overseeing all the maintenance of the school and friary and grounds. There is a national man on our ancillary staff who has been doing much of the maintenance. I will be coordinating his work, as well as using the skills of the friars. I don't think I will get bored here!

Holy Week was great here. For starters, the decorating is amazing; what these guys can do with palms and flowers is truly beautiful -- and they do it up big! The singing was great, the readers at Mass were loud and clear and some guys wore traditional bilas (decorative dress) which means they did not wear much at all. Holy Thursday was typical with the washing of feet. Good Friday's main celebration was at 3 o'clock. This was pretty typical also, but there was no veneration of the cross. They covered veneration Friday evening with a haus krai (house cry). House cry is connected with funerals in this country. The family and relatives gather to mourn the passing (in this case the passing of Jesus). This is nothing like a funeral home experience in the States. It is not clean and dressed up, but dirty and dressed down. They go so far as to put mud all over themselves. It is also not quiet. There is wailing and moaning and, well, crying, as well as singing. It was a loud experience and I found it difficult to connect with it because it was so foreign to me. Groups of students from the various dioceses would come in as the relatives and each group mourned in the tradition of its place.

The vigil on Saturday was quite a spectacle, but I did not find it distracting. The blessing of the fire required a BIG blessing. I had never seen a fire so big. They had wood and palms stacked teepee style about two stories high!! It lit quickly and burned tall, then, BOOM, ..... BOOM!! The fire began exploding; not just firecracker noises, but real explosions as if someone put a box of ammunition in the fire. Turns out they had put fresh bamboo in the fire for just such the purpose of explosions au natural. I guarantee no one was standing close to that fire!

After the blessing of the fire we moved to one of the classrooms where we had the liturgy of the word. The combination of readings with sung responses went well for me. I was also one of the readers (the crossing of the Red sea story). This part of the liturgy really struck me more this year because of teaching this class on the Old Testament. I found that I was not just hearing the OT stories, but was recognizing God's work throughout history (including mine!) Then we moved again, this time to the chapel. This moving from place to place was, in itself, something that struck me. I found it summarized the journey of lent for me. I had all through lent been considering the physical journey that brought me to PNG: Why am I here? I haven't got it totally clear, but somehow the question was answered in the Easter celebration. I found it interesting that I happened to read my email on Easter Sunday and found many words of encouragement from friends and family. Thanks. There is something about communion in all this that does not depend on time or distance. We are together.

In these final classes of the term I have been thanking the students for the liturgies they prepared. I found it to be a very prayerful Holy Week. It is still my favorite time of year in the Church.

And so now you have more of a sense of what I am doing as well as what my Easter was like here. I hope, one way or other, to get some pictures home to you. I want to add a special howdy to the Friars of Mid-America as you gather in Victoria. You are in my prayers especially this week.

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, June 26, 2000

Things are going well here in PNG. I have been a little overwhelmed again as I have taken on the duty of overseeing all the maintenance projects around the friary, staff house and school buildings. The two classes that I am teaching are still demanding; I look forward to next year when I do not have to pull all the information together. In the mean time I am realizing the many needs of the campus maintenance-wise. Right now, I can not do all the maintenance even things that really need to be done, and this is stressful.

I do not have the strong homesickness that I had in earlier months here at Kap. Thanks for your support. This change happens to have coincided with our Easter celebration. So, thank God too!

Well, we are so close to the water here that I just have to try some fishing once in a while. I have not had great luck with this, but I have caught a couple. The first catch was what they were calling a "doctor" fish. It was about 8" long and had yellow and black stripes and they told me they cut it up and use it for bait. I had already thrown it back. Tuna has been the best bait yet. The second, and last, fish I caught was quite exciting. It had rained a few days and following this I decided to give fishing a try. The water was murky which I hoped would give me some advantage. Indeed it did. It was a typically warm day (near 80 F) and the afternoon sun was heading behind a large tree, covering the pier/ jetty with shade. I had already caught the previously mentioned fish, so I was excited to get my line out again. Instead of dropping my line over the edge of the jetty, I tossed it out a bit. As I was setting my bamboo pole, BAM -- bigpella fis i kam! The line literally buzzed as the fish took off. I hung on and dragged him to the shore; a long silvery fish with a big mouth. I had just caught a barracuda! It was 21" long and fought quite a bit. It was soon enjoyed as a dinner entree. Quite tasty.

This is turning out to be a recreation letter, including some of the things I have found to do to escape for a bit from the stress of my situation.

One thing that is new to me that I am learning is golf. The cost equals about $2.50 or less for 18 holes. I never could quite bring myself to pay to play in America, but I could not pass it up here. I was lucky and found some left-handed clubs in a closet here. I was playing for a long time with a maximum of a 5 iron, then I noticed a 3 wood. It needed some work, but I put it together and my score went down for a while. Well, I am back to my 5 iron not because I do not like the wood, but because a recent tee-off left me holding the grip end of the club. The thing broke just below the grip! Well, I am back to a better score which is not too great anyway. I am averaging about 65 on a par 36 for 9 holes. I have some work to do. Recently some fellow friars came down from Mendi for the Fr. TIMON [KAPLE] Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament (I think I have the title correct). Joining in were Fr. COLMAN [STUDENY], Bishop STEVE [REICHERT], Fr. BRIAN [NEWMAN] (from Moresby). Fr. DOMINIC [MCGUINNESS] and I hooked up when we could; classes were on at the time. I held the bottom of all the statistics that were collected by Fr. Coleman (and he collected stats on everything!) I expect I'll gain the "most improved" award next time.

I am also getting some court time in for tennis. Fr. BILL [TALENTINO] and DUNSTAN [JONES] and two of the Cap. volunteers and I have had some good matches....and some poor ones as well. All of it is enjoyable. I have recently put myself on one of the student teams so on either Tues. or Thurs of each week I join in on some soccer (my favorite sport), rugby (a one-hand touch version), or sometimes some volleyball. This has really helped me to learn some of the names of the students. I definitely needed help with that.

I'll finish this up by saying that I think I am settling in well. Next year should be a bit smoother when the work settles and/or gets organized a bit. In the mean time I'm finding joy where I can. Continue, please, to pray for me as I am praying for you.

PS E-mail is a good stress relief too; keep sending it. Webmaster: Jerry's address is brjw@dg.com.pg

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, July 31, 2000

AN EXCITING DAY

Hello from the land of the unexpected,

To preface this story for some of you, I want to mention that with all this water around, I have been trying to find a way to get a boat of some sort. Recently I learned that I could get a dugout canoe for a less than reasonable price (about 15 US dollars). So, I passed on the message to 'make it so'. I presume that this boat is in process and . . .

An interesting thing happened on the way to getting a boat.

We have regularly had some thieves coming and stealing or attempting to steal food from the students' food cupboard.  They would come at night, usually after a sports day so the students would be sure to be sleeping well, and climb up on the roof and peel back the roofing tin, climb in, get the food and go.  What does this have to do with a boat?  Well, let me just tell you . . .

Turns out these raskals tried again.  Our students were up at 4 am chasing them. ( It is a good thing they did not catch them because I think they would have killed them).  BUT they left their boat behind; well actually they left OUR boat behind.  Yep, the school had a boat that was borrowed from some Sisters and it had been stolen.  Now it has, shall we say, been returned. It's a little, 8' jon boat.  Of course, it used to have a small motor on it which is not there, but we did get a couple of paddles with the deal.

Soon we will have two boats.  Ahh, what a life . . .

By the way the thieves were caught the next day, and we are still working out the "peace" agreements.  The day this all happened was interesting because I found myself starting classes with a bit of crisis intervention.  The students were quite angry, but they have calmed a bit.  Initially, (and perhaps still) many were not satisfied with the process of dealing with these thieves.

The first step was to have them apologize to the students. This struck me as a dangerous thing to bring these four young guys in front of 120+ angry students.  The village council was also present, and it was unprecedented that they should turn in 'their own' to face the consequences.  Some students acknowledged that it was a brave thing for them to do.  And many recognized our attempt at a Christian, and peaceful resolution.  Rather than send in the police (who can be as violent as the raskals), we discussed the matter with the village council.

Later, a monetary compensation is to be given to the school.  The police will be present for this and may act if the compensation demand is not met.  We'll see.  You can pray with us on this one.

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, October 3, 2000

Have I got a great excuse for being out of touch! The satelite part of our phone that connects us to the phone company was stolen! I have finally made my way to the business center in Madang where they have some public access to a phone line. We have been trying to get a new something -- anything! But,

Telecom PNG is bankrupt (or close to it), so they can't get new equipment. We are attempting to get some equipment from another company (though it's expensive) but we cannot get Telecom to cooperate by giving us the frequencies available that would determine the model of the new radio transmitter. (Can't help the competition you know) Aaargh!

To make our lack of communication even greater, it so happens that our high frequency radio went out a couple of weeks before the theft of our telephone. We tried to send it to one place and (when it finally got there) they told us they could not repair it -- a parts thing. So, we had it sent on to Port Moresby (bigger and better repair shops there!) Well, as we sat in Madang expecting that our radio was being repaired, we discovered it was actually sitting in Mendi waiting to find someone who was going on to Moresby. When it did reach Moresby, same story, no-can-do. After waiting and considering we did decide to invest in a new radio. It is here. It is hooked up. It works! And now we are at least able to communicate with Mendi where the Vice-province has its headquarters and thus keep in touch with the goings on of the other Capuchins of the Vice-province. There is a way to use the radio to make phone calls, but we have not got that far yet.

And hey, Happy feast of St. Francis to you all. We are having a non-class day and the students are preparing a mumu for it (digging pits, heating rocks, cooking beef, vegetables and kaukau in the pits). The coastal students are working on this project, and it's quite a  project! They started working on it yesterday, they butchered the cow today and will cook it all night and all day tomorrow. It will be quite a feast! This evening since we did not have a formal transitus celebration, a couple of us got together for an hour of meditation to honor Francis' death. I enjoy praying with my brothers.

Relative to the feast day, I was surprised about a week and a half ago when Bill Talentino, our guardian, suggested that we have a guest speaker give the homily for St. Francis day. Sounded good to me. "Would you be willing to do that Jerry?" I didn't quite expect this, but I am excited for the opportunity. I think I'll say something about how Francis reflected the Son in his life -- and we should too. When Jesus comes to us with all the gifts he offers, we should not hold on to them, like a black hole, but let them go out from us like the light from the moon that lights the darkness or the light reflected in a rainbow that brings beauty to the earth. . . . Something like that.

We've been watching the Olympics. We got a lot of Australian team coverage. We have access to two stations that carried the games and between the two we got to see pretty much. I was excited because the Indonesian station covered the soccer matches pretty well. (If I have not mentioned it before, soccer is my favorite sport). Watching the games was a nice way to connect with the community here. We all had at least some interest in the Olympics.

Teaching is going alright. I'm sure I lack some enthusiasm in this area which does not benefit the students all the time. They are very receptive and forgiving; thank goodness. I am finding that I do not have enough time left in the year to really cover all that "should" be covered so I am searching for ways to cut corners. In other words, what will be interesting to them, yet be helpful to them in their future seminary studies? I am giving the 12's a test on Monday on some of the prophets. Many of them could use to do well. I think their energy is ebbing as we get closer to the end. (Nov 10 = last day of classes; 14th = graduation).

I have begun a gardening/landscaping job between our house and the water. I call this my recreational work since it is not a high priority project. Also I work on it only when I would have done some other kind of recreation; golf, tennis, run etc. I think it is a good project for my mind and my body. It feeds my imagination and sense of creativity as I determine how to rearrange the orchid beds or move/remove this or that bush. It is also a project with a lot of digging and working in the dirt. It is a refreshing project and good exercise. I like it.

Well, I'll wrap things up here. Thank you for all your prayers and letters. I pray that you will be especially blest on the feast of Francis to see the beauty in you and around you.

Peace,
Jerry

Howdy from St. Fidelis College,

Well, our school year has ended and students have been saying their goodbyes. The staff, too, have been saying farewells as we are losing four of our lay volunteers. Today is graduation day. Many family members have come to celebrate with the students. Our classrooms, after being emptied of desks and chairs, have become dorms for the family members. We had yet another mumu last night in honor of the graduates and it is there that I began to realize the great number of people gathered here. During the past couple of days they have been scattered roundabout and so the numbers made no great impression on me, but the gathering last night was impressive. I am looking forward to our gathering for the graduation Mass and ceremonies. I believe it will be a great celebration.

We had a little scare here yesterday. I received a phone call (yes, we have a phone again - same number) late in the morning and Ron, one of our lay volunteers, was saying that there had been an accident. He and Frs BILL [TALENTINO], DUNSTAN [JONES] and DOMINIC [MCGUINESS] had finished their business in Madang and were heading back when the accident occurred. Basically, a large truck was making a right turn (like a left turn in the States) and they went around him on the shoulder of the road. In the mean time a truck was making a right turn and our bus crashed into the side of her truck. Everyone was shaken, but their were, thank God, only minor injuries. Frs Dominic and Dunstan went to the hospital for cuts and bruises. Dunstan received four stitches over his left eye. Dominic had some cuts on his arm. Bill got a little whiplash, and Ron complained about a sore shoulder. I got to thinking about this, and had this been worse to the extreme, I would have been the only friar left here at Kap. In the end though, all are recovering. So, there is no cancellation of graduation to be replaced with a hauskrai (pre-funeral mourning).

Graduation is in an hour. I'll return to write about it.

Part of graduation is the "changing of the guard", therefore the grade 11 was in charge of the liturgy; music, processions, and such. The Mass was nice. We had the bishop of Kundiawa (in the Simbu province) Henk Te Maarssen as the main celebrant. Basically in his homily he invited students to not follow the example of many in the country who are simply out to get whatever they can from others, but rather they should give their own good example to the country. The music was good and the processions, accompanied by garamut and guitars, went well. We celebrated outdoors where the weather cooperated perfectly which is good because there were really too many people for any indoor space we had. Someone commented that this was the biggest graduation he had experienced here - many priests and vocation directors as well as family members.

Then came the sad goodbyes. I was primed by the closing song "Friends" which brought me to think of family and friends back in the States. This thinking, combined with the students sincere hugs and handshakes, brought tears to my eyes in the end. So, here's to thinking of you.

Here's the latest on the canoe. I can't really remember what I last mentioned about this. It has been more than just a few months since the canoe project was to begin. The canoe chopper (I've learned his name is Kupam) did begin a canoe at the time that I asked for one, but he made for someone else. I went recently to meet him as I would like to see the work in progress. He said he would give a toksave (announcement/notice) as to when he was working -- I have not heard from him. I'm eager to try some fishing away from shore (where I tend to lose a good number of hooks and weights). I think I would find some bigger fish out there too. I suppose I'm learning patience, but it doesn't feel like it.

So, there's some news from Kap. Let's keep praying for one another.


Another day in PNG

from Kap, Papua New Guinea, 15 Dec. 2000