Last, if you haven't already read the Foreword, please do so in order to get in on the secret of who I was and why I decided to share these journals and photos with you in this public venue. KPMH
Following are my journal entries and excerpts from letters to my parents beginning with my arrival in New Guinea on August 11, 1961, where, upon answering the call of the Lord, I went to serve as a volunteer teacher with Lutheran Mission. I have included some personal memories as well as excerpts from articles I wrote and from my mission letters.
I have scanned my slides and have dug through my boxes of memorabilia to come up with the photos you see here, and I would be grateful if you would e-mail me any others that would fit here. I will give you credit for them when I put them on the page.
You will see that I reported my experiences through the eyes of the young and immature twenty-one-year old girl that I was, and I make no apologies.
New Guinea was a territory of Australia at the time I was there, and the schools were part of the Australian system. The official language was English--British English--though Australian slang was spoken. Little by little, my journals begin to reflect Australian slang and British spelling.
We arrived in Australia during their winter, late July. From there we flew to New Guinea, a tropical island known for its coastal heat and humidity.
Thursday August 10, 1961- August 11, 1961
[Excerpt from letter to parents dated August 14, 1961]
[Excerpt from missionary letter dated October, 1961]
[From Letter to Parents, cont'd]
Friday August 11, 1961
[Journal Entry]
Most of us short termers arrived in Lae a couple of hours after the first group. Everyone met us at the airport--the ones who had gone ahead and also several of the missionaries from Ampo, the station at Lae.
The people who met us included Dr. and Mrs. Kuder and Mr. Ray Conlon, the mission comptroller.
We were all immediately taken to the mission guest house, where we parted from the guys.
The guest house is on Ampo, the mission station, and consists of two frame buildings and other small outbuildings. One house, in which there are bedrooms, huge dining room, and kitchen, was built before or during the war and so is older--drab and unbeautiful.
Here we eat our meals and have our training lectures. Mavis is an unmarried Australian woman who supervises the cooking and manages the guest houses. She has only been in New Guinea for about four months.
The other house is down a long, wet sidewalk, and is new and nice. Here all five of us young women short termers share the same room, and Mrs. Rasmussen and Miss Soker are in another.
The guys were taken to private homes-- Mike and Milt to Ray Conlon’s and Paul and Don to Malahang, the mission plantation (coconuts, beef, and dairy products). It is only about a mile down the road from Ampo. The other guys are right down the block.
The houses here are built in the same general plan and all face the same direction. They are strung out only one room wide, built to catch the breezes. Most have louvered windows and overhanging eaves. The louvers are never closed.
[Excerpt from letter to parents, dated August 14, 1961]
It rains a couple of times every day, not hard, just softly and gently, but WET. I still have my cold--can’t shake it in this weather!
Journal of August 11, cont’d:
We were all expecting terribly hot, steamy weather upon our arrival here, and so we were pleasantly surprised to find it sunny and cool, although humid.
The grounds of the guest house are well kept, lush and green. There are many flowering shrubs including hibiscus, frangipani, and roses.
[Excerpt from letter to parents, dated August 14, 1961]
The vegetation is lush and green with millions of flowers, and we think it’s just as lovely as Hawaii.
Journal of August 11, cont’d:
We girls and the Brandts ate our first meal in New Guinea here at the guest house at noon. We were quickly introduced to New Guinea fare by having yams (a white, fibrous, potato-like vegetable) and some kind of greens with the tender stems cut up and cooked also.
We had only an hour; and we washed quickly, changed, and at one were picked up by mission personnel so we could go downtown and sign our alien papers.
I went with Ray Conlon and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. He is a slender, knobby man with receding hair, glasses, and penetrating eyes. We first went to the government office to get New Guinea drivers’ licenses, and finally to the post office. It was most unusual, as these offices were built on the same plan--long, one-room wide. However, they were built over a cement slab with low-hanging eaves and a few counters...no proper walls, even.
Mr. Conlon drove us near the water, and across the brilliantly blue Pacific bay, we could see the mountains of Malalo, three hours away by boat: the Scherles' station.
We drove through the “downtown” area, which consists of a few shops, one large store, and a movie theater. We stopped and he let us walk around in the large store for a while. Some of the others were there, too, so Mike, Korinne, and I walked down the street and bought an ice cream cone and chocolate bar.
By this time, it had clouded up, and it began to drizzle just as we got back in the car.
After we got back to the guest house, I bathed and washed my hair--in a cold shower, as I didn’t know how to heat water. We have a famous New Guinea bucket shower. Cold water comes out of a spout, but hot water heaters are unknown in this country.
By this time, it was raining steadily, and it was still raining as we left for our reception at Dr. and Mrs. Kuder’s home. They have a lovely home--large combination living room-dining room area, and double doors opening onto a porch so they can easily get many people in.
At the reception, we met all the missionaries in the area and had a chance to talk with some of them. I was especially excited to meet Walter Seidenschwarz and Dan Rose.
Walt is a 1958 Texas Lutheran College graduate, and both he and Dan teach at Bumayong school, a few miles from Lae. Mike had been corresponding with Walt, so we were anxious to meet him.
Dr. Kuder spoke for a while and then had the returning missionaries (Doering and Scherle) talk.
Rev. Doering and Rev. Scherle
After this, each one of us stood and told a little about ourselves. Then we had our coffee and tea, and I was able to talk with Walter for awhile. He is a slender young man with glasses and an attractive personality. Dan is rather short, almost thirty, with blond hair and large brown eyes, quite nice looking.
After tea, we went home in the rain again, and fell into bed--we were all so sleepy we were almost dead on our feet!
Saturday, August 12, 1961
ORIENTATION COURSE, AUGUST, 1961
8 - 9 a.m. Birth and Growth of Mission and Church, (Dr. Kuder)
9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Present and Probable Future Organisation of our ELCONG
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. The Financial and Business Side of Working in Lutheran
We began our lectures this morning after breakfast in the guesthouse. The guys came from their homes for the day.
[Karen's note, July 2005: It was probably at this first morning session that
the announcement was made that it would be necessary for one of us female short termers to be assigned to the school for missionaries’ children at Wau, since there was a vacancy in the primary grades due to the unexpected departure of the teacher. We were told that one of us would have to volunteer to go, and if there were no volunteers, one of us would would be appointed. We learned later that the departed teacher in question was Charlotte Kempfer, who became engaged by mail and had just left for the States to get married. The primary was traditionally taught by an American female, and there were seven of us who fit the bill. When our group of women gathered later to discuss it, each one in turn said, “Not I.” The comments, as I recall, were: “I was called to teach natives.” “I want the experience of teaching in a bush school.” “This will be my only chance to teach in New Guinea, let one of you younger ones do it. “ I am not going to teach PKs” --Preachers’ Kids. I distinctly remember my thoughts at the time, and I can remember more or less what I said when it was my time to comment: “Well, I know I had a call from the Lord to come to New Guinea, but I don’t feel that I was necessarily called to teach natives. Looks like I may be elected.”]
[journal entries, continued:]
After the first lecture by Dr. Kuder, we had coffee and cakes. The cakes and sandwiches for coffee or tea are always delicious. Rev. Helbig, the mission’s education director, gave the second lecture, after which we dispersed and ate lunch. The afternoon was supposed to be free, but Walt had pleaded with Helbig to let us all come out to Bumayong for the afternoon.
Bumayong has three separate schools: an area school, a teacher-training school, and a post-primary. Helbig was at first dubious about allowing us to come out, because he thought he should be around to supervise what was said. But Walter came at about two o’clock for us short termers. All of us younger ones and Mrs. Rasmussen came along.
Walter and Dan showed us all around Bumayong. We saw the classrooms, the dorms, and the outdoor cooking area--which is simply a roof over bare ground. Bumayong is a lovely place with colorful shrubs and many flowers. We watched one of the students as he sat under a small grove of palm trees braiding palm leaf hats. It was a sunny afternoon, and we could see the mountains in the distance with their topping of misty clouds.
After looking through the classrooms (which are separate buildings consisting of concrete slabs, roofs, and a wall from the floor to about four-and-a-half feet up) and seeing many of Dan’s teaching materials, we all went to their house for Cokes. They brought us back in time for supper, and soon afterwards it clouded up.
Dan and Walt came for us in the Bumayong bus at about 7:30, and we met Lorna Adler, a short-term secretary from Australia who is on her way home. We went downtown to Lae’s only movie theater and saw two offbeat shows. Don (Jampsa) and I sat in the back of the theater, and very interestedly observed the inside of the building. It was large enough, and was louvered the length of the building. The walls were painted orange-red. Four huge doors on the sides opened to the weather, which came...wet. Half of the seats were benches, and the back half were canvas chairs. The concrete floors were tiered.
Interestingly, before the movie began, a picture (movie) of Queen Elizabeth riding a horse was shown, and everyone stood and sang, “God Save the Queen.”
The first movie was a 1946 “modern” western with obscure actors. And boy! Was it corny! Don and I laughed ourselves silly--but we had fun. After the first one, there was an intermission, and we moved down to the middle behind the others.
The second movie was an Italian film with English words dubbed in: Men and Wolves starring Yves Montand. This was another new experience for me. The film wasn’t particularly good, but the photography was excellent and the setting was great!
After the show we headed for home in pouring rain. I ran in to get my clothes, and then Mike and I went out to Bumayong with Walt and Dan. It was midnight when we finally arrived, and Mrs. Pietz, with whom I was to spend the night, was waiting up for me.
She is the wife of the man who was the first American missionary in New Guinea. They have been back on the field for about a year and were at Malalo for the Scherles until someone from Bumayong went on furlough. They are leaving here soon, also. Mrs. Pietz is a wise one, and I enjoyed talking to her. We talked for quite some time. I stayed in a small room with a kerosene lamp and a narrow, hard but restful bed. And did I rest! Mmmm!
[Excerpt from letter to parents, dated August 14, 1961]
[Journal entries cont’d]
Sunday, August 13, 1961
Walt came over to Mrs. Pietz’s in shorts and flip flops about 8:00 to be sure I was up and to walk me to his house. There he fixed breakfast of fried eggs for Mike and me; then the guys dressed and we went to the 9:00 post-primary church service.
The service was held in the room (building) in which Walt teaches. An ordained minister preached the sermon and gave Holy Communion, and his family and Rev. Hage’s attended the service.
The school boys had decorated the building beautifully with palm fronds and flowers, converting it into a lovely sanctuary. Hibiscus and frangipani were the dominant flower, and a ferny-type branch formed a green cross on the front of the white altar.
[Excerpt from letter to parents dated Aug. 14, 1961]
[Journal entry cont’d, Aug. 13, 1961]
The service included, not only the usual Christian hymns, but also two native hymns in each church language: Jabim, Kate, and Graged. These hymns were beyond your imagination--most unusual in form and melody. The two Graged hymns were very nice, and I admired them so much that Walt had the Graged boys sing another for me after the service.
We stood and talked to the boys for quite some time, and they asked us many questions about our homes and families.
Following this discussion, we retired to Walt’s house where he began cooking dinner. We had hamburgers-- real, Texas hamburgers--macaroni and cheese casserole, and pitpit, a New Guinea vegetable. Pitpit is a five inch to eight inch roll of white, fibrous vegetable matter, covered with several layers of shucks. The taste in general might be considered closer to corn than to any other vegetable. It is served steaming hot, and you simply cut it down the middle and butter it. Good!
Dan ate dinner with us, and we really got a charge out of his and Walter’s good-natured slams at each other. Their house boy, a man named Kai-koi, cleared away the dishes for us. He lives with his wife and small son in a little house right outdoors. He is a Lutheran native hired by Walt and Dan, and he speaks Pidgin English to them. Mike and I consequently picked up several Pidgin phrases, which are really funny to hear.
After lunch, Walt and Mike and I sat in the living room discussing Texas Lutheran. Walt was anxious to catch up on all the news from home, and he said that we were the first real people from home he had seen since coming out three years ago. I discovered that he and Luella Anderson (from home) had been close friends, while they were at TLC.
Later we went to Mrs. Pietz’s for afternoon tea. Then I rested for a while, changed back to the pink outfit, and went over to Walt’s for supper.
After we ate, we got into the Bumayong vehicle and picked up the other families on the station; went to Lae for European (white) church service. The short termers sang for the service. Except for me and “Uncle Miltie.” I didn’t want to, since I hadn’t practiced with them, so I sat by Milt. After church, we short termers and Lorna congregated at Ray Conlon’s house for slides of New Guinea. Lorna showed some of hers, too. Very interesting!
[Note: Photo of Lorna Adler was sent to me by Rita Jericho Jahnke
who received it from Lorna.
I talked to Ray tonight about Wau, and I told him I would go if they couldn’t find anybody else who would take the job. He told me some of the advantages and disadvantages of going there. But I somehow feel that I might have been sent here for that purpose.
It had been raining all day and was still raining when we left; we walked home barefooted, sloshing through puddles.
Monday, August 14, 1961
ORIENTATION COURSE, AUGUST 1961
8 - 9 a.m. -- Living with New Guineans and Life on a Mission Station in
the Tropics (Dr. Kuder)
9:30 - 10:30-- Education in New Guinea, (Mr. Doonar, District Education
11:00 - 12:00-- The New Guinea Syllabus (Rev. H. Hage)
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.-- Teaching Arithmetic (Rev. H. Hage)
3:30 - 4:30-- Educational Materials Available in NG and Australia, and
7:30 - 8:30-- Australia and Australians (Rev. C. Rohrlach)
Journal entry for the day:
Lectures all day. We had our usual fattening morning and afternoon “tea.” Boy! What these Aussies don’t know about baking isn’t worth repeating! I’ll get fat in no time!
[Karen’s note, July 2005: this day, Monday, August 14, was probably the afternoon that we all lined up for haircuts on the sidewalk outside the guest house, readying ourselves to leave for our assignments. Since Mary Lose was skilled in that department, she cut hair for several of us.]
[Journal Entries, Cont'd]
Lectures at night, too. And more food. Bill Stoll [rather than Rohrlach] gave a talk on Australia and Australians tonight. Afterwards, there was a reception for some native (properly referred to as “New Guinean”) men who had just returned from a visit in Germany, and for Lorna and another young woman who are returning home. Had a nice visit with Walt, Dan, Lorna, and some of the guys from Lae, and Mike and Don. Ray told me tonight that Wau was pretty definite.
[Excerpts from letter to parents dated August 14, 1961:]
I could keep writing for years about this place. I love it! It’s just like a story out of a book. However, I’ll begin to wrap it up, now.
One more thing before I close. We are scheduled to be stationed Wednesday, we have Thursday off, and Friday we leave for our stations.
You might like to know that they are pretty sure already where I’ll be. It will probably be Katharine Lehmann School at Wau. I’ll be teaching missionaries’ children. How about that?! The reason they have chosen me is because no one else wants to go, as they all want to teach native children.
I do not care to the extent that I’d fuss about being at Wau. Actually, there are many advantages--modern living conditions, automatic washers and dryers, a hospital in town, shops, and people. Wau has a wonderfully healthy climate and is the vacation spot of New Guinea, especially for missionaries who have children going to school there. The annual Mission Conference is also held there, which is a good place for meeting everyone.
Now, this isn’t really definite as yet, but it’s almost a sure bet. I hope you aren’t disappointed that I won’t be stuck in the backwoods with the romance of New Guinea. It’s possible that I may get to go to a station my second year. I AM excited, as I really love teaching, regardless of whom I teach. Can’t you see me being mother to all those little girls, not to mention the boys! More details later.
Tuesday August 15, 1961
ORIENTATION COURSE, AUGUST, 1961
Morning---- Visit to Administration School
2 - 3 p.m.-- Teaching New Guineans: Pupils’ background and problems
7:30 - 8:30-- How the Economic Position of NG affects the schools, and
[Journal Entry]
This morning we spent visiting administration or government school. Bill Stoll drove us around. We went first to a one-room school stuck down in the bush. It had stopped raining, but the ground was muddy. The school was a big, barn-like affair with concrete floors with tables and benches for desks. The teacher came tramping up the little muddy lane, dodging puddles, at about 8:30. He was a young Australian guy, a short blond, and nice looking.
He had the children go through their morning opening exercises (“God Save the Queen” and the “Lord’s Prayer”), then set them all to work and let us drift around the room looking at their work and their material. I wasn’t particularly interested, as I am pretty certain of Wau by now.
After a while, we loaded up again and took off down the road for another school. This was a far nicer building. It was the primary unit (first through third or fourth), and the first one we had seen was the intermediate group--part of the same school. There was one European (white) teacher, a Mr. Burke. He had three native teachers in the school under his supervision. Each teacher had a nice classroom with quite a few good educational aids. Oddly enough, Mr. Burke sounded exactly like our New Zealander wine steward on the ship. so, I asked him if I could ask a personal question, and I asked him where he was from. Of course, he was an Aussie--and I’m sure I insulted him, as New Zealanders and Aussies are at continual “war” with one another. He really grew up here in the territory--Port Moresby.
After leaving this school, we returned to the guest house for lunch. Then lectures again from 2:00 until 5:00, and again from 7:30 until 8:00. Tonight after our lecture, Dr. Kuder came and told us all where we’d be stationed--an exciting event!
Korinne--Bula Girls’ School
We NEEDED our nightly snack, after this!!
Wednesday, August 16, 1961
ORIENTATION COURSE, AUGUST 1961
Morning-- Visit to Bumayong Teacher Training Centre to observe
2 - 3 p.m.-- School Records and Time Tables (Rev. Hage)
3:30 - 5:00-- Short Termers Share Experiences: Messrs. W.
[Journal Entry]
Last day in Lae! We are leaving tomorrow morning, and I am the first to go! My plane leaves at 7:30.
We spent this morning out at Bumayong; observed Walt and Dan teaching, also some of the teacher trainees. Rev. Hage showed us around. He is really excellent, and the lectures he gave us were tops.
The conch shell band played for us before we left. They are really terrif! The members play three parts as smooth as you please, each guy playing only one note. It’s terrific! They tune the shell by adding clay to the mouth.
Had morning tea at Mrs. Pietz’s, and all the women on the station had contributed. Man! Delicious ain’t the word!
After dinner at the guest house, there was one more lecture from Rev. Hage; then we heard talks by Walt, Dan, and Hildegard Maurer, who teaches kindergarten. The talks were about educational aids, etc.
NEW GUINEA TIMES-COURIER, LAE, NEW GUINEA WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1961:
CONCH SHELL BAND WELCOMES LUTHERAN PARTY
A contingent of Lutheran Missionaries, believed to be the largest ever to leave the United States for New Guinea, reached Lae on Friday morning.
Following a trans-Pacific voyage in the new 45,000-ton liner Canberra, the party flew in a special T.A.A. Viscount from Sydney to Port Moresby, calling at Brisbane and Townsville.
Two T. A. A. DC3s conveyed the missionaries from Port Moresby to Lae, where they were welcomed by the Lutheran Bishop of New Guinea, the Rev. Dr. John Kuder, missionaries, and the Bumajong [sic.] Conch Shell Band.
The contingent consisted of 36 people when the Viscount left Sydney, but was decreased by one at Brisbane. There, the 17-year-old daughter of one of the clergymen in the party, left the aircraft to continue her studies at at St. Peter’s College, Indooroopilly.
Among the 35 passengers to reach Lae were 14 children aged from 14 years to a few months.
On Friday night, at the Ampo home of Dr. and Mrs. Kuder, a reception, attended by 70 people, was tendered the missionaries, who had just arrived in the morning.
Experienced missionaries, men and women of many years residence in the Territory who have returned for another term of six years after 12 months furlough, had the pleasant taks of introducing the newcomers to those present.
Among the newcomers are several missionaries who have volunteered to teach in the Territory for two years.
JUST ORDAINED
Included in this group is the Rev. David Tuff, 38, who has only just been ordained into the ministry.
Rev. Tuff spent many years in the armed forces and trained as a pilot.
He is accompanied by his wife and five children, Susan (14), David (12), Dianne (10), Marilyn (8), and a babe in arms.
Although he has become a clergyman comparatively late in life, Rev. Tuff has always wanted to become a missionary.
Like all Lutheran clergy, he was able to choose the part of the world in which to work.
He has always had a desire to come to New Guinea so he decided to bring his large family out here.
The Tuff family moved to Madang early this week. But soon they will be settling into their new life at Banz, in the Western Highlands.
The others who have come to teach for two years are Mrs. Lillie Rasmussen, the Misses Bertha Soker, Rhoda Carlstedt, Karen McCann, Marilyn Moore, Jeanette Quenzer, and Korinne Okland, and the Messrs. Kenneth Jenson, Milton Johnson, Don Jampsa, and Paul Jordahl.
Mrs. Rasmussen and Miss Soker are middle aged women with years of teaching behind them.
MINISTER'S WIDOW
Mrs. Rasmussen is the widow of a Lutheran minister. The other members of the group are young. But among them are the holders of B. A.s in Education and Science.
One of them, Miss Okland, is the daughter of missionaries in the Camerouns (Africa).
A number of the group are experienced secondary school teachers. Among the others are teachers of primary school standard.
Dr. Kuder said that it has not yet been decided as to where these teachers will be posted. But, he said, most of them will be sent to the central highlands, where the Lutheran Mission has undertaken a large education programme.
NO SALARY
Dr. Kuder said these teachers have come to New Guinea and while here they will draw no salary.
They will be fully kept by the mission and allowed a little pocket money.
They have given two years of their working lives as volunteer missionaries in the field.
On the back of this article from the Times-Courier is a fragment of a related article. The part I have begins:
...ent are a family of seven and a young married couple.
They have come as full-time missionaries.
The family comprises a teacher Mr. Virgil Brandt, Mrs. Brandt and their children Vance (12), Sandra (9), Ross (7), Cathy (4), and Pamela (2).
Mr. Brandt was a high school teacher in Minnesota, before deciding to become a missionary.
The Brandts are to work in the Finschhafen area.
The newly married couple are Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Lose.
LEFT BUSINESS
Mr. Lose has left a general repair service business in Texas to start a new life in New Guinea.
He is also an experienced sawmiller.
Mrs. Lose recently finished a teaching course.
Longtime Territory missionaries Rev. and Mrs. Fred Scherle and Fred, Jr. (9) and Rev. and Mrs. Doering and three of their six children, Rex (13).... [fragment ends]
[Journal continued]
We were invited to go to the home of one of the government teachers for the evening, one that we had observed on Tuesday. I wasn’t too enthusiastic at first, because I thought they meant the district education officer who had given us a lecture. However, I soon discovered my mistake and changed my mind. As it ended up, we all went. I was ready early, so I walked down to Conlons and sat with Mike until the rest of the girls came. It was just we younger ones, as Bertha and Lillie didn’t care to go. We walked down the road apiece, and soon Alan came and picked up about half of us, took them down to his house, and came back for Mike, Milt, and me.
When we walked in, Don and Paul were there--they had come in the troops carrier. And also, whom should I see immediately but Mr. Burke, the teacher I had talked to. His name is “Clarrie.” He’s rather short (but tall enough) and dark and nice looking.
There was one other guy and Alan’s wife, who is a tall, pretty girl. Much taller than Alan, especially with heels on. Their house was the nicest I’d seen since coming to New Guinea, at least, it’s my idea of what a tasteful decorator can do with a house in the tropics; just really neat.
Clarrie began talking with me right away and kept me occupied all evening long. He made plans for writing to me to see how I’m getting along at Wau. Well, certainly can’t hurt anything.
This was really a nice group of young people, and we enjoyed our night fully--laughing and cutting up. A good, perfect ending for the week.
The funniest thing was to hear Clarrie tell about seeing us drive up to his school. He said he expected to see a bunch of “missionaries,” dressed in black, with long faces, carrying prayer books. He said he was about to tell us to leave, that we had come to the wrong place! It’s so funny, the idea people have of missionaries. At least, we proved that we are normal people.
When we left, I refused to be boosted into the back of the troops carrier, so I sat up in front with Don. I wanted that last half minute, just enough to say a brief “good luck” to him.
Well, wonder what the morrow will bring?
[Excerpt from letter to parents dated August 17, 1961]
End note, December 6, 2005: This is a note to the friends with whom I have shared the URL for this page. Please excuse typos, as I am still finding a few. If you have memories and photos of New Guinea that you would like to share, I can add them to this site. Look at my McCann Kin Index Page, scroll down to the third set of tables, and you will see that I have links to other types of memoir stories.
Please don't hesitate to send me corrections for this page! KPMH
© Karen McCann Hett All Rights Reserved 2005-2011
Editor's (Karen's) preface, December 27, 2005: One of my sharp-eyed former KLS students, Marilyn “Maggie” Tuff, noticed that I have often changed tenses in the body of the text. This, therefore, leads me to add this explanation. I have transcribed my diaries and letters verbatim, and that is what you will see here for the most part. I was writing in my diary each night after the day's events; consequently, some of the text may be in the past tense (as, Today we hiked up the mountain), and in the very same entry, I may switch to present tense (as, Rita is not cooking tomorrow). When I include editorial notes and memoir stories, I use brackets and date the passage with a 2005 (soon to be 2006) date. I hope this will not cause too much confusion. My hope is that you all can enjoy reading about yourselves without the mechanics causing distractions. In any case, I welcome your comments. Thank you, Marilyn, for pointing out this situation to me.
We left from Brisbane at midnight, headed finally for New Guinea. My first mishap of the journey: I had lost my ticket, but they let me get on the plane anyway.
After an all-night flight, we awoke in time to watch the sun rise over the sea, with the mountains of the island in the background.
We arrived in Port Moresby, where we were met by Rev. and Mrs. Sievert. The airport was simply a shelter with open sides.
It wasn’t much warmer there than it had been in Brisbane, but at least our teeth weren’t chattering. We split into two groups, and my group (second one) flew out at about 10:30. We stopped once at Bulolo, a plywood factory village, and then went on to Lae.
Maybe you’d be interested in hearing about the houses. They are all built on pretty much the same pattern here on the coast--long and only one room wide in order to catch all the breeze possible. They have louvered windows all the way around from about waist high up. They are always open, even during rain. It never rains in, because of the lack of breeze while it’s raining.
The climate has been lovely, compared with what we expected. Lae is now in its rainy season, and it is very cool all the time. In fact, I need a sweater almost all day long, and a blanket at night. It is damp, of course, but not much worse than at home when it’s rainy.
Hibiscus and frangipani are in abundance, and there is a tame cockatoo who lives right outside our house. He speaks mostly Jabim (one of the Church languages, pronounced YA-bim) and Pidgin; he says clearly, “Cockie kai-kai,” which is Pidgin for “Cockie wants to eat.” He is white with a yellow crest.
-
School System (Rev. M. Helbig)
Mission New Guinea (Mr. R. Conlon)
Saturday afternoon: Free
Sunday: Free to attend Services, etc.
Mike and I spent a day at Bumayong school, a few miles out of Lae, with a 1958 graduate of Texas Lutheran, Walter Seidenschwarz from Stuttgart, Arkansas. I spent Saturday night with one of the ladies out at the school and spent the whole next day at Walter’s house.
We went to church in Walter’s schoolroom, which the schoolboys had decorated beautifully with a myriad of palm fronds and flowers. They had even made two mobiles of strung flowers, and they were most unusual, hanging down like an umbrella. We got to meet and talk to some of Walt’s boys. He teaches at the only post-primary school (junior high school) in the whole mission, and he has students from all over the mission, all from different villages and from different language backgrounds. These boys are older than the usual junior high age and are intellectually the elite of the whole mission, very good at speaking English.
The photo was taken when Lorna sang at a wedding in Lae.]
Officer, Lae)
How to Obtain Them (Rev. M. Helbig)
Since we arrived we have been kept terribly busy all day long. I’ve been trying to finish this letter for days, but can’t seem to find the time.
3:30 - 5:00-- Teaching Arithmetic [English] (Rev. H. Hage)
what is being done to improve the situation (Fugmann)
Marilyn--Omkolai
Rhoda--Asaroka Area School
Mrs. Rasmussen--Asaroka Village School
Paul--Amron Teacher Training School (Madang)
Mike--Ogelbeng
Milt--Raipinka
Jeanette--Monono
Don--Kerowagi
Miss Soker--Rintebe
Bill and Mary--Baitabag (Madang)
Brandts--Heldsbach (Finschhafen)
Tuffs--Banz
Karen--Katharine Lehmann School, Wau
teaching demonstrations in Oral English (15 min.) Hage
Spelling 15 min. A trainee
Social Studies 15 min. G. Alung
Speech Training 10 min. A trainee
Oral Arithmetic 15 min. Rev. Hage
Seidenschwarz, D. Rose and Miss H. Maurer (M. Helbig)
Photo from “The Missionary”
Photo from “The Missionary”
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Photo from “The Missionary”
Photo from “The Missionary”
Photo from “The Missionary”
Photo from “The Missionary”
All of us were sad to see the others go. We will see each other now only once a year. But everyone was excited, too, finally to be stationed . That has really been one great experience!
Karen McCann Hett
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