Carrying Weight Forward
Alvin Erickson and Kristin
Summary of letters from February 1965
Malalo Mission Station — February 1965
Heat, Movement, and No Real Pause
February settles over Malalo with a familiar heaviness. The heat does not break. Rain comes and goes, steaming off the paths and wooden floors. The ocean below the station shifts color through the day—steel blue in the morning, pale green at noon, darkening again as evening comes—but the work above it does not ebb with the tide.
Malalo remains what it has long been: a mission station perched five hundred feet above Buakup village, reached by a winding path that must be climbed daily. The buildings Fred and Edna Scherle rebuilt after the war still hold—long, airy, practical rather than comfortable. February finds those buildings full of motion again, though not of rest.
Conference at Wau: A Different Kind of Gathering
The month opens with travel to Wau, the mountain school for missionary children.
Wau is cool enough for sweaters, a novelty that delights the children. Cabins replace tents. Meals come on schedule. Laundry runs with rainwater—hot and cold—an almost shocking convenience. The mission family has grown so large that only a few wives and families can attend at one time. Even fellowship must now be rationed.
Sessions run from early morning until late at night. The central theme is unavoidable: the future of the mission. Responsibility must be transferred to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of New Guinea—ELCONG. Integration is necessary, inevitable, and fraught. Ina listens carefully. To declare independence without training is not empowerment; it is abandonment. Yet delay carries its own risks.
February holds that tension without resolving it.
School, Authority, and Consequence
Returning to Malalo, the family finds trouble waiting.
A teacher arrives late. The village refuses him entry. Usually such matters are settled through apology and restitution, but this time the village stands firm. Alvin responds with equal firmness. No teacher will be sent in his place. If they choose refusal, they must also accept its cost.
It is an uncomfortable moment, but a necessary one. Leadership here cannot be reduced to appeasement. Shortages have bred carelessness. Teachers, overextended and scarce, sometimes forget that authority is borrowed, not owned.
February sharpens those lessons.
Tommy’s Tooth and the Long Road Home
Illness again pulls Ina into motion.
While at Wau, Tommy develops a painful abscessed tooth. Antibiotics slow it, but do not solve it. A visiting dentist from Minneapolis arrives without instruments. A small government hospital provides enough equipment to attempt an extraction. Novocaine is administered. Tommy protests, then submits bravely.
The swelling worsens.
In Lae, Ina refuses to leave until the source is found. A private doctor identifies a second abscess and prescribes stronger medication. Improvement comes slowly. Government dentistry proves elusive—appointments promised, then withdrawn. Tempers fray. Time stretches.
Travel back to Malalo becomes its own ordeal: missed boats, rushed packing, five miles walked with children and luggage, long waits on wharves, sudden departures with no warning. When they finally arrive home, it is late afternoon, and the children are sustained largely by trade-store biscuits.
February does not simplify travel. It tests endurance.
Small Schools and Daily Teaching
Back at Malalo, Ina turns inward again, to the work closest at hand.
A small kindergarten forms on the veranda—Paula, Tommy, and several village children. They name animals, sing, color, cut paper, learn numbers and letters. An hour a day is all Ina can manage. It is enough to make the children proud and eager.
Books sent from home are often too advanced. Learning happens instead on cereal boxes, picture cards, and songs repeated until they settle into memory.
Outside of dining hall with boys dorm in the background and a shop under the dorm. Trucks for hauling the children in background. Senff photo. Ariel view of KLS from 1963 with the girls dorm in foreground. Last photo from dining room steps looking toward guest cabins. Senff photo.
The following are the actual letters from Malalo February 1965
1965 February 20
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA
Dear mom, dad, Willa, and Martin,
Boy, you really have had a cold weather. Guess I’d rather have hot than cold. Thanks for the Valentines mom and pictures of Burrell’s family. Poor little Danny has been through so much and we pray that God will help them all endure. I’m so glad Sue Ann is growing and happy.
At Wau, we aren’t camping out since they have cabins for families and dorms for the men that have not brought their families. The mission family is so large. 270 – that it isn’t possible for more than 3 to 4 wives and families to go at a time. They have a laundry for doing clothes with rainwater-hot and cold and a huge dining room for meals.
Breakfast at 7:15 AM, dinner at noon, supper at 6:15 opening service at 8 AM and evening service at 7:30 PM. Sessions are the time in between and after the evening service until 9:30 or 10 PM.
The main subject this year was turning the mission over to the New Guinea church – ELCONG. Evangelical, Lutheran Church of New Guinea.
Integration has to come and the sooner the better, but it is quite foolish to say to someone who just hasn’t had the training, OK it’s your baby now.
When we got back, we found that one of the teachers has shown up late to start school, so the village refused to let him come into the village. Usually these things can be worked out, the teacher received his punishment, and things will go along normally. But this time the village refused to give in. So Al told them, they wouldn’t get another teacher as they’re just was not available. If they refused them, it was their decision and they couldn’t come crying for help. Many times people want to make decisions, but don’t want to have to pay the consequence. We’re all getting tired of sloppy methods, and the teachers are getting that way as there is so much of a shortage. They think they can rule the roost and call the place, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Tommy was having some trouble with a tooth while we were at Wau. He had a cavity and it got an abscess. There are no dentist around now, so at least there weren’t done. A doctor that was at the conference gave Tommy some antibiotics, but his face just got bigger and bigger and his eyes were all black. Then the next day a dentist arrived from Minneapolis, with the Brotherhood Exchange program – Dr. Dick Thompson. He didn’t have any instruments, but both the medical doctor and the dentist inquired at the small government hospital that was in the town of Wau. They had some equipment, so we took Tommy up there. They decided just which tooth the abscess must be under and put some Novacaine into it.
Tommy didn’t like that very much, but after it was numb, he opened his mouth big and let them take it out with no trouble. Instead of going down, it got bigger. We tried hot packs and washing his mouth out with salt water. When we got to Lae on Friday, I just didn’t like to take Tommy home until we got to the bottom of the problem.
I had only one more day of pills left. So I took him in to the private doctor in Lae. We found that he had another abscess on the top jaw. So he gave him some Acromycin and it went down after a few days. The doctor told me that there was a government dentist– this socialized medicine is for the birds.
I called and made an appointment for the next day. I waited and waited for the dentist to come around, finally when he did come he asked me what I wanted. I told him that we had cavities that needed filling, and that Tommy was has been having such a bad time. He said I’d have to make an appointment. Told him I had and I was told I could get in this morning. Well, he said I can’t take you before Thursday. I lost my temper and told him we were from out of town and perhaps he should tell his office help when he was going to be in his office so they didn’t make appointments for when he wasn’t there.
I’d hope to be back in Malalo by then, we’d already waited around a whole week after conference, and school was supposed to have started the week before. If I didn’t take the boat, then it would be another two weeks before there would be another one. On Monday we heard that a boat would be going in our direction. I packed up everything – five suitcases, and Al went to inquire if it would be possible to ride with them. I was waiting for him when he did call and he said it would be leaving in 15 minutes. So we scurried around to find someone to drive us down, then got everything loaded, but there were a few delays while people had to say just one more thing, and we got down there just as the boat had pulled away and they wouldn’t wait. We still had to walk 5 miles, and we had so much luggage and groceries we never found enough people to help us.
Then we were told there would be a government boat going on Thursday, so we planned on that. Then Wednesday morning they said the boat would be leaving in a few minutes. I slapped everything into our suitcases again found a ride down to the wharf. This was about 8:30 AM and about noon the boat pulled away. Fortunately, we were able to buy some cookies at a trade store on the wharf so the kids didn’t get too hungry before we arrived at 3 o’clock at Malalo. We hope that soon a dentist will arrive from Germany and when he does perhaps I can get the children’s teeth fixed. It is just since Christmas that they’ve had cavities. We are really brushing now.
I’m going to send my driver’s license to you and see if you can get it renewed. Al let has expire. So we wouldn’t be able to drive home from the coast if I can’t get mine. Maybe we’ll get our sister Betty to look for station wagons in California that we can drive back in. So many times they can pick up a good used one. The tramping that we will have to do, will need one.
We pray that God will guide and keep you all. I hope the house is progressing a little even in the cold. I’ve been so glad for letters from Dorothy, Lois and Inez. I’m hoping things will quiet down enough now to get some answered. We love you all. It will be so good to be home again, but it is still almost 3 years. We put in our request for furlough at conference, a formality, but it did make it seem so close. There is so much to do, and we seem to fail so much, but we do pray that, in spite of us, the Holy Spirit can work in the minds and hearts of the people
February 24, 1965
Letter written by Alvin Erickson from the boat Kuli to Alvin and Louise Erickson, Box 1327, Glendive Montana, USA
Dear mom and dad,
Congratulations dad on having your 62nd birthday. It’s so good to hear that you are still in good health. I really hope you will be able to go on working for some more years and continue to make the time contribution to our community that you have for so many years. I’ve been very much inspired by the fine examples. You’ve sat and hope I might make such a solid service to many as you have done.
I’m writing on the sawmill boat –the Kuli- and it’s almost dark. We’ve had quite a few troubles getting the new sawmill built and so I’m going down to see if I can’t help out. Everything is done so crudely and goes so slowly. I really hope our new sawmiller from Australia is able to stick it out. It’s a terrific adjustment to come out of a town where mechanics, trucks, etc. are handy and then be stuck into a place 30 miles from a town, five hours by sea.
Dr. Fricke, who ordained me at Glendive just visited us yesterday. He arrived right at noon. We met him at the beach and he went up our hill, pretty well, in spite of the heat. He said it was his first good chance to really sweat in New Guinea. He’ll be going back to the states in a couple of days.
Mom, I appreciate your fine letters very much. Sounds like Glendive had a pretty good team this last year. Just now there are about 10 porpoises swimming near the Kuli. They come up for air so you can see their fins.
Phyllis is back in Wisconsin and we have no white teacher to replace her. This year we have three new teachers on our station. One is a girl who is one of the first girls to ever start teaching. She does very well and does a good job speaking English. Ina now is surrounded by many fine New Guinean girls who are able to help a lot and also provide friendship.
March 3
Just got back from the sawmill. They’re having quite a time trying to get the new mill built. I helped get the saw used in the jungle going. We had to work out a rate of pay. The boy in charge will be getting about $9.00 a week which is good pay by New Guinean standards. The first we worked with was an Anisophera tree1. The tree had 60 feet of good timber and was about 12 feet around at the base. The total timber before cutting was about 6000 board feet. This timber weighs 5 pounds of board foot so the timber they were working with weighed 15 ton. You can imagine what it’s like. Trying to handle that stuff without machinery. To get about 10 ton of fletches2 out to the beach about 250 yards away. The sawmill will pay the people about $14. Anyone want a job? On the other hand many times machinery is not very practical, but because it is too muddy or too steep. Also, it cost a fortune if you break down out in the jungle to get anything repaired in a hurry.
Tommy is getting to be a little tiger. He will play and rough house till his dad‘s all exhausted and still come back for more. Kristi came out to meet me when I had arrived back at the top of the hill. Paula is learning many new things. Ina has been teaching them kind of a kindergarten.
Well, winter is almost over for you all. Bet you’d like to be seen spring a little early. We’ve been wondering a little about the money. We now have banked in Glendive. The interest rates are a little better in Australia. Would you have any suggestions to make?
Next week, I hope to fly up to the mountains. By then we hope to have our Victor back. It has been gone since the end of October. They have almost completely rebuilt the whole hull. They are repair bill is going to come to about $2500 so you can imagine it should be in good shape. And the meantime we’ve been walking, waiting for boats, paddling and getting up at all hours to get some place to meet the ship.
By the time this letter reaches you, it will almost be your birthday mom. The years are slipping by and the world is not well. However, it is well with me, and the Lord has given me a good mother and father. We have had very many years of peace, food on the table, of roof, overhead and many friends. Thank you so much, mom, for your faithful letters and prayers. May our generous Lord by his grace sit with us all before his eternal table to feast, and rejoice with him.
All my love, Al.
Footnotes:
1 Anisoptera thurifera[3] is a tree species in the family Dipterocarpaceae.[2] This Asian species has been recorded from Bangladesh through to New Guinea;[3][4] the IUCN has categorized it as Vulnerable.
2Flitch (wood), a piece of wood for resawing into smaller pieces
February 22, 1965
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA
Dear mom, dad, Willa and Martin,
It’s been a while since we have had mail. It is always good to know when there will be a letter waiting when the mail does come. In looking over the books you sent most of them seem too difficult yet. I’ve started a kindergarten of sorts – naming animals, and hearing their sounds, coloring, cutting, singing, printing names, and numbers for Paula and Tommy, and several children their age. It is good to get them sat down that long. They all really think it is something. I only spend an hour a day. But I guess it’s better than nothing. The kids can recognize many letters on cereal boxes and large print. I’m not working on it very hard.
On Wednesday, we expect Dr. Fricke. He wanted to see our church. We had a chance to visit with him at the conference. The school boys are preparing a welcome. I only hope he doesn’t have a heart attack walking up our hill.
June Prange went home for a month during holiday break. She is quite upset, as she found she no longer belonged at home. Her mother had to move out of the parsonage that has been their home for 18 years. She’ll be house mother at Capital College in Ohio. Her sisters are married and have families of their own, and her youngest brother is in college. I really wish she too could marry.
One of our new teachers, Yalamino, stubbed her toe and broke it. She had to go to Lae to try to settle the Labu and Busama argument. So a boat was going in. So we could send her in. She speaks English so well, and has learned the English sense of humor so well and we really enjoy her. She said when they put her on the cart to take her to x-ray she was so frightened she thought they were taking her to her grave.
She was telling about the first time she saw someone with seamed nylon stockings on. ‘I just stared at her legs. I thought to myself what has happened to the poor lady. Does she have a sickness or something. I asked one of the other girls with me as I thought perhaps she might know. She did, and we laughed and laughed ‘. I brought out my girdle and garters and stockings and showed them to her how they worked.
June Prange in blue with Carolyn Shurr. I believe this is Yalamino in white and Alos who she gets married to. We met them in Port Moresby in 1972 while returning from a 4 month furlough. Second photo is June Prange with necklace and I don’t know who. I’m sure this is in front of the station house in Bula.
Kristi was cooling herself in the water pail the other day. She tipped a whole pitcher of milk over today. She had hopped up on the table and sat in the middle of it to help herself to meat. She always makes a grab for the butter dish and sugar bowl.
A hen was nesting in the laundry. We heard it squawking, and upon investigating found Kristi with a broken egg drinking it.
We have a new neighbor, a single teacher at Salamaua, 2 hours by canoe from us. His name is Bruce Howe, 22 from Melbourne, Australia. His father is a Canadian. He has been over the last two weekends, and find him quite enjoyable. He gets along with the kids real well – they need a pal since Phyllis left. Kristi has really taken to him and she sure can flirt. I’ll have to watch that butterball when she gets old enough to know what she’s doing.
Teacher from Salamaua 1968. Posted on FB without name. Possibly Bruce Howe, 22 from Melbourne, Australia. Mentioned in letter Feb 22 1965. Ina also mentions that the teacher from Salamaua visited them in Logaweng.
Paula enjoys her slip so much, she checks to see if I have one on every day. She says she is big enough to watch Kristi while I go to the dispensary. She feeds her and tries to carry her, but Paula only weighs 9 pounds more than Kristi and Tommy only 2 pounds more.
It was so good to get pictures of Beryl and her family. I just sent some snaps of Al’s to his mother so when she sends them to you perhaps we can have the negatives of the children. I’ve given our snaps away.
Thank you for all your prayers and letters and concerns. God surely is taking care of us royally. May his love guide and help now in the hope of eternal life with him. The price he paid was surely great. So wonderful to have a lovingly, heavenly father.
We love you, Al, Ina and the kids.