If you’re going to take a church team on a missions adventure, you can’t beat Papua New Guinea as a great place to go. A few weeks ago a team from All Saints in Nelson packed their bags (and an extraordinary amount of Whittaker’s chocolate) and headed for the highlands of PNG to support Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) workers gathering for a staff conference and retreat.
The connection came through Bill and Angela Harding, long-time members of All Saints who have served with MAF for many years. When they heard about a conference being held for MAF workers, they knew a team was needed to help with teaching and running programmes for adults and children. “Phil and Becky Sussex, who’d served in Cambodia, affirmed how valuable that kind of support can be when you’re on the ground,” says Gary Sawyer, one of the team members. “With that encouragement, our vicar Tim put a team together.”
When the group asked how they could bless the MAF families, the answer came back with great clarity: bring chocolate! “Good chocolate is hard to come by in PNG,” Gary says. “Many of the families miss some of the treats that we can take for granted in New Zealand.”
The team was based in Mt Hagen, the gateway to the Highlands. Getting there took four flights – Nelson to Auckland, Auckland to Brisbane, Brisbane to Port Moresby, and finally Port Moresby to Mt Hagen, followed by a small MAF hop into Kompiam, a remote village tucked into the hills. “We visited a hospital, a school, and a teaching facility run by a Kiwi doctor training final-year medical students from PNG in rural medicine,” Gary says. “The hope is that some of them will commit to returning to serve in isolated communities like Kompiam.”
At the conference itself, Rev Tim Bustin taught the adult sessions while the rest of the team ran children’s and youth programmes for ages five to eighteen. “There was also spiritual direction offered by Kaye Bustin and counselling from Alex Sawyer,” Gary adds. “When we weren’t teaching, we spent time hanging out, playing board games, and simply being present.”
The group quickly learned that life in PNG comes with deep challenges. “Social unrest and violence are a significant problem,” Gary says. “In the Highlands, there’s still a lot of intertribal conflict. The hospital we visited had recently seen a patient murdered on-site after an opposing tribe found out where they were. They regularly treat victims of gunshot and machete attacks.”
Employment in Mt Hagen sits around five percent. “There’s still a strong pull toward payback and retribution in local culture,” Gary explains. “While we were there, a fight broke out on one of the routes to Mt Hagen, closing roads and delaying MAF workers coming to the conference. Police got involved and decided who was in the wrong, and were then going to burn that person’s house down.”
In the middle of that complexity, Gary says what impacted him most was the resilience and faith of the people they met. “Seeing the work of those at MAF, and others who rely on them to reach remote areas, was incredibly moving,” he says. “Talking with Dr Diana, who’s teaching medicine in Kompiam, was humbling. She and her husband left their four young adult children in Australia because they felt called to serve. Their hospital is basic, but their commitment runs deep, not just to treating bodies, but to reconciliation and peace.”
Through it all, Gary says, “we saw the hands and feet of God” in the people they met. And there were lighter moments too, like the strange juxtapositions of PNG life. “One minute you’re walking down a dusty road past a shack selling phone cards, a guy holding a live possum on a stick… and then suddenly you step into a café with a lush garden, a stream, and a coffee roaster. All within a short walk.”
Back in Nelson, the experience has left a lasting impression on the team and the wider All Saints community. “I think it’s strengthened our connection with MAF,” Gary reflects. “Through Bill and Angela we’ve always had that link, but seeing the work up close was eye-opening.”
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
If you’re going to take a church team on a missions adventure, you can’t beat Papua New Guinea as a great place to go. A few weeks ago a team from All Saints in Nelson packed their bags (and an extraordinary amount of Whittaker’s chocolate) and headed for the highlands of PNG to support Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) workers gathering for a staff conference and retreat.
The connection came through Bill and Angela Harding, long-time members of All Saints who have served with MAF for many years. When they heard about a conference being held for MAF workers, they knew a team was needed to help with teaching and running programmes for adults and children. “Phil and Becky Sussex, who’d served in Cambodia, affirmed how valuable that kind of support can be when you’re on the ground,” says Gary Sawyer, one of the team members. “With that encouragement, our vicar Tim put a team together.”
When the group asked how they could bless the MAF families, the answer came back with great clarity: bring chocolate! “Good chocolate is hard to come by in PNG,” Gary says. “Many of the families miss some of the treats that we can take for granted in New Zealand.”
The team was based in Mt Hagen, the gateway to the Highlands. Getting there took four flights – Nelson to Auckland, Auckland to Brisbane, Brisbane to Port Moresby, and finally Port Moresby to Mt Hagen, followed by a small MAF hop into Kompiam, a remote village tucked into the hills. “We visited a hospital, a school, and a teaching facility run by a Kiwi doctor training final-year medical students from PNG in rural medicine,” Gary says. “The hope is that some of them will commit to returning to serve in isolated communities like Kompiam.”
At the conference itself, Rev Tim Bustin taught the adult sessions while the rest of the team ran children’s and youth programmes for ages five to eighteen. “There was also spiritual direction offered by Kaye Bustin and counselling from Alex Sawyer,” Gary adds. “When we weren’t teaching, we spent time hanging out, playing board games, and simply being present.”
The group quickly learned that life in PNG comes with deep challenges. “Social unrest and violence are a significant problem,” Gary says. “In the Highlands, there’s still a lot of intertribal conflict. The hospital we visited had recently seen a patient murdered on-site after an opposing tribe found out where they were. They regularly treat victims of gunshot and machete attacks.”
Employment in Mt Hagen sits around five percent. “There’s still a strong pull toward payback and retribution in local culture,” Gary explains. “While we were there, a fight broke out on one of the routes to Mt Hagen, closing roads and delaying MAF workers coming to the conference. Police got involved and decided who was in the wrong, and were then going to burn that person’s house down.”
In the middle of that complexity, Gary says what impacted him most was the resilience and faith of the people they met. “Seeing the work of those at MAF, and others who rely on them to reach remote areas, was incredibly moving,” he says. “Talking with Dr Diana, who’s teaching medicine in Kompiam, was humbling. She and her husband left their four young adult children in Australia because they felt called to serve. Their hospital is basic, but their commitment runs deep, not just to treating bodies, but to reconciliation and peace.”
Through it all, Gary says, “we saw the hands and feet of God” in the people they met. And there were lighter moments too, like the strange juxtapositions of PNG life. “One minute you’re walking down a dusty road past a shack selling phone cards, a guy holding a live possum on a stick… and then suddenly you step into a café with a lush garden, a stream, and a coffee roaster. All within a short walk.”
Back in Nelson, the experience has left a lasting impression on the team and the wider All Saints community. “I think it’s strengthened our connection with MAF,” Gary reflects. “Through Bill and Angela we’ve always had that link, but seeing the work up close was eye-opening.”
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
