The air was cool and crisp as I walked with Samson through the dark streets of
Goroka to where the plane was loaded and waiting. As the dawn broke a thick
fog enveloped us and a light drizzle began to moisten my face as I scowled and
began thinking of the Morobe Mission pastors who were at this very moment
driving out to Nadzab airport where I was to meet them in an hours time.  I
could not even see the trees on the other side of the runway and there was no
way I could safely take off in these conditions.

I began to pray.  There was so much flying planned for the day.  There were 3
Mission staff to fly into district camp meetings in remote districts up in the
Finnesterre ranges north of Lae. A treasury person to fly from Lae an hour and
half’s flying time to Kikori down in the Gulf and two plane loads of mission
staff to go from Kikori to Balimo for another camp meeting in that part of the
country.  Then there was the Generator at Kawito to pick up and bring back to
Goroka.  A very full days flying and here I was with so many people depending
on me, sitting around watching the drizzle filter down from a sky that looked
to be anything but in a hurry to change for my benefit.  “Lord.” I
prayed,  “You know how important the camp meetings are for the nurture of
people in those remote areas where they are being held.  –Please open the way
for us to get this flying done.  You know if I don’t get the Morobe mission
staff over to Kabwum and Yawan early, the weather may prevent us from getting
there at all.  Please open the weather for us.”

1 hour went by, then 2.  As the fog lightened a little the anti-collision
lights on MAFs twin otter over the other side of the runway began flashing in
hopeful anticipation.  A few minutes later as the fog settled in more thickly
than before those flashing lights went off again and that brief moment of
optimism faded along with the now indistinct shape of the MAF Otter floating
in the misty distance.  I began wondering why God would allow so many people
to be affected by a weather problem that He could so easily fix.  Pilots often
wonder that!  Over the years I have learned that God does hear our prayers and
that He does have His reasons for such things. But we don’t always discover
those reasons immediately.

Finally at 9.00 we were underway climbing up around the layers of low cloud. 
The air was beautiful and smooth as it often is at this time of day.  Pr Penny
and Pr Timothy Sandau were very understanding as I apologized for the long
delay.  I did not like the look of the weather out on the Huon Peninsula where
we were heading as soon as we had loaded the mission cargo and the pastors. It
was very dark with widespread rain already drenching the Finnesterre ranges. 
We tried several ways to get around the rain and find a safe path through.
Every where we turned the weather seemed to be deteriorating as we watched.
Finally I turned back to the West to try and get up through the Saidor gap and
over to the Northern side of the ranges and attempt to get into Kabwum that
way.  Soon however the sky began turning into a milky grey mass that made it
hard to see the edges of the clouds between the cloud layers. The visibility
was now reducing in this direction as well.  “I had better check my back door
again.” I mused as I turned around and looked back towards the airport.  The
visibility was beginning to deteriorate behind me as well.  Reluctantly I took
the safe option and returned to Nadzab.  I was beginning to wonder If I would
have done everyone a favour by not getting out of bed this day!  So many
people were being disappointed because the plane could not get to where it
needed to go.

“At least the weather towards Kikori looks a lot better than where we are
now.” I thought trying to cheer myself up.  We reloaded the plane and
refueled. As we approached Menyamiya on the way to Kikori I could see it was
raining down the valley in the low route passed Kanabea and out of the ranges
towards the gulf.  The cloud going straight ahead was way higher than the
normally aspirated 206 could outclimb.  “What else could hold us up today,” I
glumly mused to myself as Pr Silas gazed intently at my GPS and then at the
huge clouds ahead and then questioningly at me.

Just then I noticed a clear patch between the cloud and the ridge line going
through into the Marrawaka valley.  The cloud normally builds up high in there
during the day and this route is often not an option. But it was worth a look
today.  As we negotiated our way around the cloud formations in front of the
gap I got a better look at what was on the other side.  I could see there was
turning space in there at least and that I could safely go through and turn
around and come back out if the way out of the valley to the South did not
open up.  As we emerged from the gap in the ridge, I  breathed a sigh of
relief as I saw blue sky between the towering storm clouds either side of the
valley. 

As we got closer to Kikori, the skyscape took on the all too familiar pattern
common down in the Gulf mid year.  We were 500 to 1000 feet above the deck
with Low cloud with rain showers to dodge around and a jostling wind that
keeps throwing the plane out of equilibrium.  Kikori was the usual proverbial
mud hole that everyone expects it to be at this time of the year.  Pr Kepsi
the president stood there in his gumboots oblivious to the mud and the gloom
all around him and welcomed us warmly.  It took time to unload reload and
refuel out of drums.  Finally we were off on the next stage of the journey
skirting around the persistent showers and watching the huge rivers of the
gulf slowly pass by beneath us.

I realized that I was not going to get back to a nice hot shower and my own
bed in Goroka this day.  Finally tired, hungry and very muddy, I got back to
Kikori.  Peter one of the church members there kindly offered to stay with the
plane over night to make sure it was not tampered with. He is such a helpful
guy.

As I sat in Pr Kepsi’s lounge room weary and discouraged, he began telling me
some of the things that were happening around his mission. As he spoke I began
to feel guilty about my reluctance to spend the night in Kikori.  He has
endured this place for more than 4 years now and is still bubbling with
enthusiasm about the potential he sees there for doing things for God.  He
related how hard it is to find staff to do the missionary work.  No one from
anywhere else in the country wants to come there.  It is so difficult to get
food and the normal services people like to have.  He is hoping we can find
sponsorship to send some local people to Omaura training school for
ministers.  “Because they will come back and stay on with us” he said.  – This
is a real need.  There are several areas where people are crying out for
missionaries but none can be found to answer the call.  Please pray that we
can find sponsorship to send some proven laymen to Omaura so we can strengthen
the ministerial work force in South West Papua.

As we chatted over our evening meal, Kepsi told me a story that energized my
weary body and made me feel glad that I had got stuck in Kikori for the
night.  He is such an inspiration to me.

He told me about an evangelistic program he had been running in Daru in 2004.
This was the “year of evangelism” in PNG.  As he preached night after night,
huge crowds were coming to the meetings.  As often happens when Gods work is
forging ahead, someone tries to make things difficult.  Opposition started
up.  Angry people tried to intimidate Pr. Kepsi.  One night he decided to go
out of the house to the outside toilet.  As he opened the back door and
stepped outside, he had a very strong impression to turn around and go
straight back inside again.  He obeyed.  Shortly after he learned that there
was an angry group of people outside waiting for him to come out so they could
kill him.  Should he continue the meetings?  He felt impressed to keep going
for now.  As he preached the message, many were convicted of the truths of
God’s word and accepted Jesus as their Saviour.  One night as he was preaching
a man in the congregation stood to his feet.  He reached into his coat and
pulled out a gun. Pr Kepsi told me it looked like an m16.  Kepsi watched in
disbelief as the man raised the gun aimed it at him and pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened. The man scowled, looked at the gun, raised it again and
pulled the trigger a second time.  Still the gun did not fire.  He raised the
gun a third time and aimed at Kepsi and pulled the trigger.  Still the gun
would not fire.  By this time he had created quite a disturbance. Some of the
youth in the audience rushed at the man who turned and began to run from the
meeting place.  The youth chased him down the road.  This man had not been
seen around Daru before but he could run at incredible speed.  The youth were
falling behind him even though they were running as fast as they could go. 
The fugitive ran this way and that way until finally he lead the young people
into the cemetery.  As they went into the cemetery, the man with the gun just
dematerialized in front of them.  The young people began to realize that they
were not wrestling against flesh and blood, but that a power more sinister
than that was working to disrupt the meetings and oppose the work of God.

Everyone praised God that he had protected Pr. Kepsi against the attack of the
evil one and prayed for God’s ongoing protection and blessing.  But God’s
intervening power did not end there.  One of the people attending the meetings
was an influential man in the community and in his local church.  He was
convicted that he was learning truths that were bringing him closer to God. 
Yet he knew that responding to the Holy Spirits calling in His life would mean
disruptive changes and he was resisting making a firm decision to follow the
Lord.

Then one night Pr. Kepsi had decision cards handed out and encouraged people
to make a decision for following Jesus more closely and being a part of His
coming kingdom.  This man was under very strong conviction and but still put
off filling out the cards.
 
That night he had a dream.  An angel came and stood at the foot of his bed. 
In his hand he held a large book.  As the man watched spellbound, the angel
slowly turned the pages of the big book. As he got closer and closer to the
end of the book, the man became more and more anxious.  He sensed that the end
of the book was the end of all things.  Just before the angel turned the last
pages, he paused, looked up at the man and said, “There is very little time
left. You need to fill out your decision card. Do not delay.”  Then the angel
was gone.  The man woke his wife and related the story to her.  They both
dressed and as the dawn broke they set of for the elders house who had a stock
of the decision cards.

The elder was awakened by the loud knocking and voices at his door.  When he
was told the story, he gladly gave the man the decision card which he eagerly
filled in and make his commitment to Christ..

As soon as the meetings were completed, Pr Kepsi felt strongly impressed to
leave town immediately and that his life was again in danger.  He did so and
escaped unharmed.

Please pray for Pr. Kepsi Elodo.  He faces many difficulties in his work in
the South West. Your prayers and support of missions is sincerely appreciated
by Kepsi and his team of missionaries at South West Papua Mission. 

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