PNG - THE FACTS

Name:
In the 1500’s, Portuguese explorers named the island “Ilhas dos Papuas”, which means Island of the Fuzzy Hairs. Dutch explorers called it New Guinea because the people reminded them of those in Guinea, West Africa.

Toward the end of the last century, the country was divided among the Dutch, British and Germans. The western half became Dutch New Guinea, the northeastern quarter German New Guinea and the southeastern quarter British New Guinea.

During World War I, Australia captured German New Guinea, which was later assigned to Australia as a League of Nations Trust Territory. Australia governed both German and British New Guinea as separate colonies, namely: Papua and the Territory of New Guinea. When the nation gained independence in 1975, the name was changed to Papua New Guinea. Dutch New Guinea remained under Dutch rule until 1962 when Indonesia took over and called it Irian Jaya.

Geography

Papua New Guinea comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the second largest island in the world) along with a collection of smaller islands to the north and east: Manus, New Ireland, New Britain, and the North Solomons. The central spine of PNG is a high range of mountains with peaks over 4000 meters or 13,000 feet high. No road has been built across the country, so travel from north to south is only by air, foot or ship. In places, these mountains descend to the sea in diminishing foothills while in other regions broad expanses of mangrove swamps fringe the coast. The western region is an endless expanse of flat grassland, sparsely populated and teeming with wildlife.

The Fly and Sepik Rivers are the largest in the country. The Sepik flows north and empties into the Bismark Sea while the Fly flows south, emptying into the Gulf of Papua.

Because PNG lies in the Pacific volcano belt, tremors are felt regularly. However, active volcanoes are confined to the islands; the most recent eruption was in 1995 on an island off the coast of New Britain. It completely destroyed the city of Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province.

Reefs around much of the mainland coast and the islands make it a scuba diver's paradise.

Population

The Highlands alone account for 38% of the country's population of 5.5 million people. The availability of the nourishing sweet potato, which grows well in cold and poor soil, allowed the colonization of higher regions, domestication of pigs and the resultant increase in population. Sweet potato remains the staple food for the Highlands Region.

The people fall into four main categories - Papuans (from the south), Highlanders, New Guineans (from the north) and Islanders. Their physical appearance ranges from the very black Solomon Islanders, probably the most black-skinned people in the world, to the lighter-skinned Polynesian people in the south. Highland men are often short, stocky and bearded.

The expatriate population was around 50,000 at its peak in 1971 and may now be down around 20,000. The majority are Australians but there are also Germans, British, Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Malaysians, Indonesians and Filipinos. It has been said that if you come to PNG you’re either a missionary or a mercenary. Many of the expatriate workers are on short-term lucrative contracts with international companies. However, some long-term resident Australian and Chinese were eligible for citizenship at independence. This was granted on the condition that they renounce their original citizenship. Many did, and some now hold high positions in the government. Some are even members of parliament.

Climate

Officially there is a wet and a dry season. Many years ago these seasons were quite distinct; however it would now be accurate to call them the wetter and drier seasons. These wet and dry seasons vary around the country, so it is possible to travel from the Highlands during dry season and arrive in Lae on the east coast in wet season. Rainfall is generally heavy, ranging from 40" per year in Port Moresby to 240" in West New Britain. Temperatures on the coasts are usually a hot and humid 95oF or 36oC. The Highlands has little humidity and daily temperatures around 80oF or 26oC while at night it can get down to 50oF or 10oC.

Government

The National Parliament resides in Port Moresby. Its members are democratically elected for a four-year term of office. There is no limit to the number of candidates for any given electorate, which can mean that the elected representative has less than 10% of the votes of his constituency. This has led to an unstable government that has changed many times in the short history of the nation's independence. The political parties are not so much distinguished by their policies or ideology but rather by the personality of their leaders. Many of the members of parliament are not affiliated to any party, so fragile coalitions are prevalent with parties seeking to win the votes of the independents to survive. Even parliament members may change parties at a moment's notice.

Economy

About 85% of the population are subsistence farmers and do very well. There is no problem with starvation as with some other countries. The remaining minorities are involved in government services, mining, plantations and service industries. There is virtually no manufacturing industry, so almost all manufactured goods and many basic foodstuffs are imported. PNG’s natural resources are gold, silver, nickel, copper, oil, forestry and fishing. Coffee, cocoa and copra, too, play a large part in the nation's economy. The relative size of the population and the natural wealth means that PNG has tremendous economic potential and in terms of the Pacific's island states is a giant.

Languages

It is now believed that there are over 800 distinct languages in PNG. The search for a language to overcome this mutual incomprehension has brought about the trade language Melanesian Pidgin. Primarily derived from English, Pidgin also uses words from many languages. It came into being during the German New Guinea days and began in and around Rabaul. It is simplistic and can be frustrating at times because of its limited vocabulary. English is the official language of PNG used in government, business and schools, but used little outside the cities.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Kina (key-nah), which is divided into 100 Toea (pronounced toyah). Both are the names of traditional shell money.

Time

PNG is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, the same as Australian Eastern Standard Time, or 15 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. This changes to 9 and 14 hours respectively when clocks are adjusted for daylight saving time (PNG does not change). Because the country lies just 5o south of the equator, there is very little year-round variance in the length of the days. The sun rises around 6:00 AM and sets around 6:30 PM. However, the people of PNG are not the avid clock-watchers found in Western cultures. “PNG time” is notoriously flexible--the people are event-orientated, not time-orientated. Although it frustrates Westerners, it is a fact of life here.

PNG Language Phrases

Useful Pidgin Phrases:
Pidgin is a simple language that was developed so that the 800+ tribes of PNG could communicate with one another. Most Patpatar people will have a good understanding of Pidgin, and with a little practice you’ll find yourself able to use some of it too. (A lot of it has English similaries.) Here are a few phrases to get you started. There’s the phrase in Pidgin, a pronunciation guide, then the English translation:

Mi no save. (Mee no SAH-vay) I don’t know
Em wanem? (Em WAH-nem) What is it?
Nem bilong mi i… (Nem bi-LONG mee ee) My name is…
Yu mekim wanem? (Yoo MEH-kim WAH-nem) What are you doing?
Moning (MOH-ning) Good morning (sunrise to noon)
Apinun (AH-pee-noon) Good afternoon (noon to sunset)
Gut nait (Goot Night) Good evening (sunset to sunrise)
Tenkyu (TANK-yoo) Thank you
Bel bilong mi in no strong tumas – My stomach isn’t too strong
Em haumas – How much is this?
Wanem numba tu prais bilong yu – What is your second price?
Sori, mi no save tok Pisin – Sorry, I don’t understand Pigin
Mi bin stap long amerika – I am from America
Yu makim wanem – What are you doing?

Pronunciation Guide
a = a as in awesome
e = e as in elephant (except in “we” and “save” – then e= ei as in weigh)
i = ee as in see
o = o as in no
u = oo as in noon

Useful Patpatar Phrases:

Malan (Mah lawn)- Good morning (sunrise to 11:00)
Kasikes (Kas a kiss) Good Day
Matalahein (Maw tada hee in)Good afternoon (2:00 - sunset)
Abung (A Boone) Good Night (sunset to sunrise)
TaHoot (TA Hoot) Thank you
Beli (Bee lie) – very good

Interacting with Each Other

The Patpatar people are extremely perceptive. They will be observing you every second of the day. They will know if you’re getting along. If someone is annoyed at another person, they will know it. They are masters of human relationships! While that is a bit unnerving, it is good to know so that we can always be trying to be a good example of brotherly love to one another at all times. They way we interact as a team, work together, and eat together can speak volumes to them, whether good or bad. You are one of the first models of the way the body of Christ is to love one another – don’t blow it!

On another note, please be very careful with how men and women interact on the team – even husbands and wives. Unfortunately, no physical contact (even between spouses) is acceptable. Non-husbands and wives also need to be careful with how much they talk together one on one. Don’t be paranoid, just know that perfectly innocent things to us can very much send the wrong signal to our Patpatar friends.

Living Conditions:
Just remember this is not the United States. You will need to be flexible and look at this as an adventure. You will be back in the United States in your own home and your won bed in a few short weeks. You will find te time will fly by.
If we get the chance to eat with the tribal people, the food will be different - (rice and sweet potato, sweet potato and rice, plain rice, plain sweet potato….). The weather will be hot, humidity will be high, and you will rarely be dry for any length of time. Just try to remember that you can do anything for a couple of weeks. 

Let it give you a little perspective into the “simple and easy” life of the PNG people. This is what they live with day in and day out, even without luxuries like rice, or running water. The next time someone back home says “They must have such a simple, care-free life”, you’ll just smile and know how foolish that statement is.

Dress:
Ladies dress very conservatively in PNG culture. The guys can get away with pretty much anything they want! For ladies, we would ask that you all wear loose-fitting shirts with short sleeves (or tank tops) and long, loose-fitting skirts. Remember that for the hot climate, light weight is good. Also keep in mind that you’re a work team, so whatever you wear will pretty much be trashed by the time you’re done. We’d also recommend only bringing 3-4 changes of clothes. Not only will that be easier for packing (we’ll have some type of way to launder clothes there), but it will blend better into PNG culture where they can only afford 1 or 2 changes of clothes.

Basic Health:
Your best friends in PNG will be sunscreen, bug spray, water, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, soap and hand sanitizer. Make sure you each have enough of all those items and a good-sized water bottle with a lid. (We’ll have a more extensive medical kit on hand if anything else is needed.)

Money in Differing Countries
$100 should be plenty for souvenirs – Aaron has some we can purchase from him

$1 (USD) US Dollar = $3.02 (PGK) Kina (PNG currency)
$1 (USD) US Dollar = $1.30 (AUD) Australian Dollar
*currency exchange rates as of 1/2007

Interacting with the Patpatar

• Please do not give anything to the Patpatar people. If they ask you for something (and you’re able to understand what they want), please direct them to us, the missionaries. We don’t want to create a “welfare state” by handing out stuff all the time. We missionaries will have more insight into weighing when to give things out. If you want to leave something behind for the Patpatar people, leave it with us and we will decide how/when it gets given.

• Please be careful when interacting with Patpatar people of the opposite sex. Men and women generally interact very little. Women must be careful making eye contact with men, and even something like giving a firm handshake or conversing with a man alone can be seen as inappropriate. If a man offers to shake your hand, shake it very lightly. The same applies for men interacting with Patpatar women. It is okay to be friendly, but friendly in US culture can easily be misinterpreted in PNG culture when interacting with the opposite sex. If a Patpatar person of the opposite sex is being “friendly” with you (talking to you lots, sitting close, making a lot of eye contact), just be aloof. It’s better to seem rude than to encourage their behavior.

• Please feel free to be friendly and affectionate with Patpatar people of the same sex. Here it is quite typical for 2 men to hold hands! Don’t be alarmed – you’ve made a good friend if a guy tries to hold your hand! Smile, laugh, try to communicate, love their children, and just be friendly! Bring pictures of your family back home – they’ll love looking at them. Use the Pidgin phrases we’re including below to try interacting with them. If they offer you food, it’s okay to eat it. (You don’t have to eat it all, just try a bit and then pass the rest off to the crowd of kids hanging around. They’ll be happy that you tried their food, and you’ll be seen as generous for eating some and then sharing the rest.) If you are offered a non-food item as a gift, you could try offering to buy it. (A “free gift” is their way of coming and asking you for a favor later since you’re now indebted to them.) Or you can just plead ignorance and refuse the gift. “I don’t know” will be your best and most frequently used phrase! Remember above all that these are our future brothers and sisters in Christ. Just love them.

• Please do not say that you have come from our church to help us. Church is a very messy word here in PNG that communicates very different things than a body of believers. Just say that you are friends of ours from America. This will save us missionaries a lot of trouble.

• We have told the Patpatar that this is the work we’re coming to do: We are coming to learn their language, translate the Bible into their language, teach them the Bible in their language, and teach them to read and write in their language. While there will be other facets to our ministry over the years, this is what we tell them to avoid any possible confusion. (For instance, we are not coming to run a hospital or a school but this does not mean we won’t help them in that way at some point.) Please don’t inadvertently commit us to some other type of work! 

Realistic Expectations: Things to expect in coming to PNG

1. PNG is a very “missionized” country. You will see a sign getting off the plane in Hoskins that says “Jesus is Lord over West New Britain.” You will see people wearing “I love Jesus” and “God bless PNG” shirts/hats. You will see crosses decorating yards or church tops. Please don’t be fooled. These people have no idea what true Christianity is all about. They are completely without the truth of the Gospel in their language. Specifically, some PNG people are very religious. Many tribal people in PNG simply mix together a number of different religions.

2. The people of PNG may seem more advanced than you are expecting. Most people have a tribal name and a Western name. When introducing themselves to a Westerner, they will use their Western name, like Francis, John, or Angelica. They may be wearing a t-shirt and shorts and may even know a bit of English. This does not make them any less tribal or any closer to the truth of the Gospel! They are still desperately lost and need to hear the truth in their own tribal language. Please don’t think that because they’re not wearing face paint, they don’t still need to be reached.

3. The mission base may surprise you with all that it offers – hot and cold running water, reliable electricity, comfortable furniture and a lot of Western foods. Also, the house that in Bom may not be what you are expecting. In fact, it will seem like a mansion compared to what the PNG people are living in. Whether our house is rougher or nicer than what you had expected, please understand that we have been training and planning for this day for years. We have carefully weighed the pros and cons of how big our house is, what it will have in it, etc. Our goal is to live as simply as possible while making life as efficient and comfortable as possible so that we can spend the majority of our time in ministry rather than hauling water or trying to work by flashlight. If our goal was to live just like the people live, we could do that. But we would never fulfill the urgency of our task, which is to bring them the truth of God’s Word as quickly and effectively as possible. To minister efficiently, we need a lot of these “conveniences”.

A List of Do’s and Don’ts for you as a team:

We hope that this list does not seem burdensome or confusing. Please keep in mind that the PNG culture is extremely different from US culture. Every action that you guys do as a team will be watched closely by Patpatar friends, and things done now could affect the future of the Patpatar church. We know that none of you would intentionally do something inappropriate or potentially damaging, but we hope that with this list you will have some guidelines for knowing how to best have a good impact on our people while fitting into their culture.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.

Symptoms: Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:

• heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness
• weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fainting
• The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if:
• Symptoms are severe, or the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure.
• Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour. Cooling measures that may be effective include:
• cool, non-alcoholic beverages, as directed by your physician
• rest
• cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
• an air-conditioned environment
• Lightweight clothing

Heat Stroke

Symptoms = of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heart exhaustion before progressing to heart strokes. Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches, and dizziness. However some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning. Different people may have different symptoms and signs of heat stroke. But common symptoms and signs of heart stroke include:

• high body temperature, rapid pulse , difficulty breathing, strange behavior
• hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, coma
• the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin

Prevention = The most important measures to prevent heat strokes are to avoid becoming dehydrated, and to avoid vigorous physical activities in hot and humid weather. If you have to perform physical activities in hot weather, drink plenty of fluids (such as water and Gatorade), but avoid alcohol, coffee, and tea which may lead to dehydration. Take frequent breaks to hydrate yourself. Wear hats, and light colored, and light and loose clothes. In general, the following signs are suggestive of dehydration; increasing thirst, dry mouth, weakness or lightheadedness (particularly if worsening on standing), darkening of the urine, or a decrease in urination. Another item to be aware of is diarrhea, which can very easily lead to dehydration. Constipation is also a sign that your body may not be getting enough water. On the island – coconut milk may lead to diarrhea and Bananas can lead to constipation.. Both are great – just watch yourself and be aware of the potential problems.

Everything you wanted to know about Malaria

What is malaria? - Malaria is a disease of the blood that is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Malaria is very common throughout the world. In the United States, the main risk is to persons traveling to tropical and subtropical countries where malaria is a problem.
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How is malaria spread? A person gets malaria from the bite of an infected female mosquito. The mosquito bite injects young forms of the malaria parasite into the person's blood. The parasites travel through the person's bloodstream to the liver, where they grow to their next stage of development. In 6 to 9 days, the parasites leave the liver and enter the bloodstream again. They invade the red blood cells, finish growing, and begin to multiply quickly. The number of parasites increases until the red blood cells burst, releasing thousands of parasites into the person's bloodstream. The parasites attack other red blood cells, and the cycle of infection continues, causing the common signs and symptoms of malaria.

What are the signs and symptoms of malaria? People with malaria typically have cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that recur every 1, 2, or 3 days. The attack of the malaria parasites on the person's red blood cells makes the person's temperature rise and the person feel hot. The subsequent bursting of red blood cells makes the person feel cold and have hard, shaking chills. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea often go along with the fever. The destruction of red blood cells can also cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and anemia.
How soon after exposure do symptoms appear? The time between a mosquito bite and the start of illness is usually 7 to 21 days, but some types of malaria parasites take much longer to cause symptoms.

How is malaria diagnosed? Malaria is diagnosed by a blood test to check for parasites.
What complications can result from malaria? Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum can cause kidney or liver failure, coma, and death. Although infections with other malaria parasites cause less serious illness, parasites can remain inactive in the liver and cause a reappearance of symptoms months or even years later.

What is the treatment for malaria? The treatment for malaria depends on where a person is infected with the disease. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medicines. The correct drugs for each type of malaria must be prescribed by a doctor. Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is a medical emergency. About 2% of persons infected with falciparum malaria die, usually because of delayed treatment.
How common is malaria? Worldwide, an estimated 200 million to 300 million malaria infections occur each year, with 2 million to 3 million deaths. About 1,200 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. Most are in persons entering the country for the first time or returning from foreign travel.

How can malaria be prevented? No vaccine against malaria is available. Travelers can protect themselves by using anti-mosquito measures and by taking drugs to prevent malaria. Avoiding the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes is the best way to prevent infection. Because Anopheles mosquitoes feed at night, malaria transmission happens mainly between dusk and dawn. Use insect repellent on exposed skin. The most effective repellents contain 20% to 35% DEET (N,N-diethylmethyltoluamide). Follow application instructions carefully when using these products.Take anti-malaria drugs -- When traveling to an area known to have malaria, discuss your travel plans with a doctor well before departure. Medicines to prevent malaria are usually prescribed for persons traveling to areas where malaria is common. Travelers from different countries might receive different recommendations because of differences in the availability of medicines. Travelers visiting only cities or rural areas where there is no risk of malaria might not need preventive drugs. An exact itinerary is needed to decide on the right degree of protection.
To be sure that your anti-malaria drug helps protect you against malaria, you must follow the recommended doses and schedules exactly:

• Take pills on the same day each week, or, for pills to be taken daily, at the same time each day.
• Take pills after meals.
• Take the recommended doses 1 to 2 weeks before travel, throughout the trip, and for 4 weeks after leaving the area with malaria.
• Do not stop taking the pills after arriving home. Complete the full dosage.

About the Missionaries

At the Conference

You have been given a couple of information sheets to familiarize yourself with the people we will be ministering to. One list contains the names of the people who were originally scheduled to attend the conference. Another list gives you the names and a small picture of the family if available.

The mission base is very international with several types of backgrounds and various ages. There will be missionaries from USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, and England. Please be sensitive to other cultures and realize everyone is not “American”. Don’t assume everybody is from America and everything is the same as America. As in any group, personal preferences are varied in regard to food, drink, music, games. Most of them realize there are several cultures represented and don’t get easily offended. However, in most of the other countries, “bum” is quite offensive, so don’t call someone a “bum” or refer to your rear end as your “bum.” “Fanny” is quite vulgar so don’t wear “fanny packs” wear “hip packs.” The other vocabulary from Australia or Ireland is just fun and different and may take a second to figure out.

In Bom

In the tribe, the big thing is dress for the woman. You should not to be overly sensitive or worried, but you should be aware of a few things with the PNG woman. Guys are welcome to smile and greet the woman, but should not be overfriendly. If you raise your eyebrows at the opposite sex (in a flirtatious way) it is an invitation to sleep with them, so is maintained eye contact. Most people here think that Americans are loose and would want nothing more than to get a white man or white woman. We just want to be careful not to give the wrong indications, but still be friendly.

• Serving the Patpatar people speaking Pigdin (trade language)
• Aaron & Lori have 2 girls (Avalon & Sierra)
• Butch & Tammy Kunzer (4 girls- Hannah, Ellen, Ainsley, Rebecca)

Practical Reminders

We are in a different environment – Macho doesn’t count (small cuts & scrapes can be serious)
Get plenty of rest, liquids, sunscreen, and insect repellent (watch out for one another)
We are servants and learners

Key Values for the Team

• Servant’s Heart: This trip is not about you or me
• We are serving & representing New Tribes Missions
• Testimony: They have to live with the consequences of our actions
• Remember the Microscope! – They are watching you and will magnify what you do and say!
• We can undo months of work – unity is imperative
• Flexibility: Everyone has to be able to adapt
• Your idea of how things should happen is your idea
• When a decision is made – support it and do your best to make it work