Challenges with everyday life.

Typical coastal village

1964 May 3.
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Martin and Willa Tonn, Route 1, Box 224, Alexandria, MN

Dear Martin, Willa and family.
I’d rather belated happy birthday to you, Willa, and a happy birthday to you, Martin, and a happy birthday cake to you, Martin, Junior Fritzie from Paula, Tommy and Kristi. Be sure you get the frosting in your hair and all over your clothes and face and hands spritz as it tastes much better that way – take it from Tommy he ought to know.

Al is down the south coast. That is one of our poor regions spiritually as well as economically so he could well spend a lot of time there. I think if we don’t have a short term teacher sometime, then we will just go down and live in some of these villages for a while. Visits make a little break in the monotony of their lives.

We had an interesting day today. Last night a woman came from a village which was 2 1/2 hours from here. She had been in labor and then it quit. They were a bit concerned for her. This is her seventh baby. It appeared that it was a bit early, but the position seemed all right. I gave her a pain pill and told her to go to sleep for a night and strongly enough she obliged. I was a bit surprised when I woke and she hadn’t done anything. Then about 7 AM. my nurses said she had started again so we made the delivery room ready.

I took a bed down that we no longer use, and it was an army hospital bed left over from the war. We had gotten a double bed made in Lae, but I hadn’t taken a mattress down, so we took one down, and we had some rubber sheeting to protect the bed with that. Edna had left a little basket that she had used for babies. So we put some of the crib sheets that First Lutheran had sent out with receiving blankets and a mosquito net. It really was fun to have all the nice things. I got out our ‘OB’ packs, the forceps, scissors, Hesseltine clamps, and the bulb syringe from Burl pack, and of course, rubber gloves. And we waited. She had a fairly good contraction, and when I checked her, she was only 2 cm. O station. Now what made it interesting is that I had about four village midwives helping. With having had so many babies, they thought that she should have it right away. So they begin pushing and pulling on the poor ladies abdomen. I tried to explain that they just had to wait a bit as she wasn’t ready to have her baby yet. They had awfully itchy hands, but with my eagle eye on them each time they started pushing they were a bit hesitant to do anything. Then it all stopped, and it was church time. I told her to go to sleep again and got all my kids ready for church and sent them down. The girls from Bula came for dinner. I had a roast in the oven, so there was no sweat over dinner. I knew that they were coming so told my house girls what to fix and they can proceed fairly well. Boy, it’s pretty nice having servants. One of the village women were staying with her. We only finished the literature of the service, and I got so uneasy I had to leave. I had put Kristi to sleep in her crib and left her, so I wanted to check on her too. Tom came up the hill with me. I looked in on the woman and she was having pains again so I dashed up the hill and checked on Kristi. I got Kristi, her Tommy chair, and Tommy and took them down to the dispensary. I sat them in a corner with little books that you people sent and they stayed quite quiet. The lady had a little bit of fresh bleeding, so I was a bit uneasy. Our boat captain had gone to his village and had not told me the other boy that can run the boat if he had to. But he had injured his toe and his wife, one of my former nurses, said that she had his foot elevated, and that when he walked, it would bleed. So that meant no boat if we did run into trouble. Dear God, please help!

Upon checking her again, she made a little progress, and I tried to stay with her as the village ladies insisted in her increasing pushing. When church was finished, and I wanted to get dinner on the table so we did have gas and I wanted to feed the kids. So, I told the doctor boy and the nurses aid that she wasn’t ready to push, and that if the old ladies insisted on pushing, that she would push the whole uterus out and kill both the mother and the baby. I said if the old ladies insisted on doing it, they should tell me. I thought the lady was a month early. She didn’t have a clue how long she’d been pregnant, but the baby looked small.

We had just about finished when the nurses aid came in all excited. She said they had the lady down on the floor and were pushing on her. In the village they’re always on the floor. This is a new experience to have her on a bed. I went tearing down there really in a huff and I had every intention of telling them to take the lady and move out. If they didn’t want to do things my way, then I wasn’t going to help. But then I got down there and the lady was back on the bed and all of the ladies were standing around as innocent, as could be. But I’m sure the nurse was telling the truth. I checked her again and told them all or rather showed them with my hands that she was about 8 cm. I tried to explain by demonstrating with the opening of the sock had to open this much, before they could push the baby out so they were all excited when they saw that she had made so much progress. Then they were pretty good about keeping their hands out of what was supposed to be clean. I told one old lady that she should wash her hands like we were doing. I was hoping that maybe she’d think of that when she helped deliver one back in the village. Phyllis, Glenna, and June the teachers from Bula, wanted to watch the delivery, and that lady agreed so they all came down. When every time I examined her. I always tried to tell everyone what I found, and the old ladies really look like they were taking it all in. Thank God all went well, and we had a real nice baby boy. The doctor boy took care of the baby and we could wash the mother off with towels from First Lutheran. I have been trying to get a house built for the people to stay in when they come from a long ways off but no one is interested. The husband wanted to know where they could stay and I told him I’ve been asking them to build a bush house over a year. He said that next week they start as they already cut the wood for it. They decided to stay with some of the people.

Our Dr boy is still with us. I found out that he won’t get paid by the government as we thought $160 a year but only the $15 a congregation pay so we will have to go to Lae and find out about it. He seems like a good boy. The government didn’t want to let him go and I’m not going to if I can help it.

Have you started your house yet, I’m sure you are anxious to get settled again. It is hard being separated. I do hope that mark can get transferred soon. You really are such a busy people. Just makes me dizzy trying to keep up with you all.

We had the bad duty of breaking the news to one of our leading churchmen, Anam,  that he has a very advanced case of cancer. We really will hate to lose him. He really has meant a lot to Al. Being able to tell him a little of what their people think. He knows how to tell people when they’re wrong, including his missionary, but he is a wise old man and has gotten all five of his kids in school. One is going to be a doctor, one is already a nurse, and another boy is at the top of his class in one of our higher mission schools. If this man had been born, a generation later, he would be one of the chief leaders in New Guinea, I’m sure.

I hate to miss out on Fritz‘s baby hood, he must really be a horse if he is 30 pounds. Tommy only weighs 30 pounds and he isn’t little. Paula has gained it back after being sick, so is a little rounder than she was.

We love you all. Thank you very much for your faithful prayers. Please pray for Anam our elder with the cancer. We do enjoy New Guinea more and more. We look forward to coming home.
Love, Al, Ina and kids.

Ina and Paula with teachers from Bula School. Unknown, June Prange and Phyllis Engebreitson and nurses at Malalo

1964 May 4

Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA 

Thank you so much for your very warm and encouraging letter mom, we really do look forward to your letters a lot.

Al is down at the south coast. He always enjoys these trips so much. He says if Mission work just involved that, he has a really found his niche. Running the station with all of the machines is what gets him down. We had a flat tire on the Track Grip. First he found the pump was broken, a carpenter, had broken it, at several months ago and hadn’t bothered to mention it per usual so we sent the pump and the tube into to get it fixed. For three weeks Metegemeng kept forgetting to bring it back, so I told him he’d have to carry everything up the hill if he forgot for another week. He remembered, but he found the shop closed for another week and we got the tube and pump, but the pump didn’t fit the tire and they hadn’t tried it or blown it up and Lae, so they improvised and got all the tire pumped up and drove halfway down the hill with the tractor and another tire went flat and there it sits. It would only take a half hour to fix but here it is a six week job. But then we have the peace and quiet and freedom from racial problems out here.

My elation over our good Dr boy didn’t last long. This morning he didn’t show up for work. Upon inquiring what had happened to him I found he had packed his bags and left. No word of explanation so no one even bothered to say so until they wanted help and I asked them where the Dr boy was. I get so exasperated I could just tear my hair out. Of the kids that have gone through mission, school and medical training and you can’t get anyone to come back to the village to work. I really do think it would be better in many ways not to be here, then they’d have to bear the responsibility or drown.

Metagameng disappeared after he got back from Lae on Saturday and I haven’t seen him since. He didn’t ask for any time or if he could go to his village, so there will be another row and if he gets back. Some people are expecting the Victor to pick up fish tomorrow so if he doesn’t show up, I may just pack my kids up and take it. The fellow that helps him really injured his foot when some heavy roofing iron tore the skin off of his first two toes and it’s been bleeding quite heavenly. I don’t know if he will be in shape tomorrow or not. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Our set of twins are still living. I wrote to Mrs. Ernest, and to Edith G. The time in New Guinea is rapidly drawing to close where the people are willing to bear our cargo. At first they were odd at the things that Whiteman had, and hope that by becoming Christians that they would inherit all these things. It has been pretty disappointing, during the war the American ships came in, bringing such an unlimited supply of things, food, clothes for the soldiers, and in some areas, people are waiting for their ships to come in bringing them things. We labor trying to teach them that these things come from hard work. They work hard in their gardens, but they still don’t get these things. We found that when we try and give away like school and medicine, they, then think they are ‘something nothing’ as they say in Pidgin. So we have had to start charging some school fees. They think that this all goes to missionary for his many things. Also teaching them to give offering in church. They fully believe that it all goes to the missionary, so why should they give to the missionary when he already has so much. Fred wisely set up a system of taking care of the money, so that he never touched it. It all went through the hands of a church treasurer, and the pastors, so that there is checks and balances, so that, no one is tempted to help themselves. Try to point this out as many people will not be convinced of anything they don’t want to be convinced of.

At Mumeng, near Gurakor, we almost got into the thick of it. Soon after Fred arrived, they found that there was much money unaccounted for. The missionary there did all the bookkeeping for the congregation and kept all of the money. Well, another native fellow was around, collecting his fees for anything that he could think of reason for and then pocketing the money. Al had to answer for all the money taken in while we were there. But any money that people said they’d given for different funds and didn’t appear in the books, and no one knew of the missionary, or the other fellow pocketing the money. Unfortunately, Reverend Harolt’s wasn’t there to explain, until just what had come to him, and what had not, so it was just the word of this fellow.  Many of the people believed it was the missionary, but Al could vouch for the funds he had not received that people said they had paid, and it showed that the native fellow had pocketed quite a bit. But there again, the people will think that they want -no matter what proof there is to the contrary. So here we have nothing to do with the money. It all goes to the church workers.

Actually, the congregation has done better this year than last year. They have met most of their obligations. They pay for the salaries of all 30 uncertified teachers, five pastors, and 40 evangelist, and the other church workers and carpenters. The treasurer reports are read to the people so they can see, if they want to, where their money goes. The young people that come back to the village to help their own people after they have been educated, have been very few. The old people have to support the schools and help the teachers with their gardens, and the children go out and make good salaries and the villagers are left to do the hard work. If we can assess the young people that go through school and make good wages for their education to take the burden off the villagers, I think the discouragement in the villages would lift a little.

The government now makes the people pay taxes, about $6.50 a year for most of the able-bodied villagers. So they are more eager to seek employment to be able to pay their taxes. There is one reason why the sawmill is picking up. They may not seem like a big tax, but to some people that might be as much as they make in a year. One village has a school building almost completed. They had a village treasury that they were building it with. When it came time for taxes, they took the money from the treasury and distributed to the people that needed to pay taxes. Now they can’t finish their school and the old one is falling down.

My house girls surely have been good. The children really like them. I hope they don’t quit now, in spite of all my complaints, I don’t want people to think that we or anything because we are far from it. We have very adequate and comfortable living conditions. We can get fresh meat from a mission owned plantation nearly every week or two weeks or when every we need it. We have a kerosene refrigerator that works very well and has a large freezing unit so I can keep meat a long time. I can also make ice cream in this and now I have a stove that works very well. We can get all of the potatoes and canned vegetables that we want and now can even get shortening from the states. We have electricity in the evening. Often, we can get fresh vegetables from the people and some from a highland station that has gotten its people growing vegetables to sell to the towns. An airline flies things to Lae, and is reasonably reliable, so we can get them from there. We get our mail now twice a week and can listen to the radio so hear current news and I have plenty of clothes. In fact, it is embarrassing for us to have so much among people that have so little. I really would like to have you discourage, sending, or having other people, send things for us personally. I hate to even have to collect a salary, it seems we do so very little to earn it. I feel guilty about that.

There are many building projects that really need to be undertaken. Putting up permanent buildings as people just don’t have time to put up bush buildings every three or four years anymore with all the men of laboring age go off to towns. But of course they cost money and if people don’t try and raise their own money, then they don’t take any interest in the upkeep and keeping their children in school and if you wait for them to do it, you wait forever. So we pray that the Lord will guide our ways that all other goals are secondary, and that our first job is to proclaim his name above all other names and walk in his peace and love, fearing to fend him, seeking always to serve him.

We really can’t complain of any major tragedies, not loss of life or limb in our families, and we certainly aren’t starving or naked. We pray that God will teach us to share wisely with our New Guinea brethren.

I get such a bang out of the children. Paula and Tommy are always coming up with some unexpected remarks. I was down at the dispensary and when I came back, Paula was calling and calling. I asked her what she wanted. She replied ’I didn’t look you, so I tell you’- in other words, I didn’t see you, so I called you. I have to work and work with Paula on her construction of sentences as she gets the oddest combinations. (Probably from speaking Jabem). Tommy seems to put better phrase it together, but not as long ones as Paula tries.

Here, all the tin cans of food have to be double sealed because they spoil so fast and the cereals get worms and bugs in them so fast. Tommy is such a ketchup boy, and when he got the bottle, it was a new one that was unopened. He got the big white cover off but underneath there was a cap like a pop bottle and he said ketchup is locked now. He still always puts T’s in place of his S’s so he ‘hab’s some ‘tupper’ and goes ‘twimming in his twimming toop’. Every once in a while, they will pack up their toys and announce ‘all going Lae now’. Every time we have cake, Paula wants to know if it is her birthday cake and if she can open her presents now. Kristi is getting more and more mobile, she can make a little progress on her tummy backwards. Oh, does she ever like to stand. You never saw such a satisfied look on anyone’s face as hers when she can make it up. Then she sits down and pulls herself up again. She loves it when we sing and joins in at the top of her voice or I sing to her when I’m feeding her, she starts blowing her food out so I stopped that. I tried giving Tom vitamins again and he got such a big tummy and loose bowels, so I guess he just can’t tolerate them. Kristi has lost most of her allergies and can eat most anything except orange juice.

I’ll have to go back over the letter and try to correct at least some of the errors, someday I’m going to learn to think and type at the same time.

We love you and are very grateful for all that you’ve done for us. We really do appreciate your prayers and concerns. I hope that Martin gets transferred pretty soon and that little Danny doesn’t have get too upset at the change of. Come and see us sometime. Love, Al, Ina and kids
PS the way, this was supposed to be your birthday letter. Have a very happy, happy birthday.

1964 May 7  (Delivered a very sick baby that died)

Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Beryl and Bruce 2314 So 7th St. Minneapolis 6, Minnesota, USA

Dear, Beryl, Bruce, and precious Danny,

May is well on its way to the past and soon there should be graduation and ordination for Bruce. Both such big events! We are so sorry to have to miss it. Please tell us all about both big days and get some pictures also.

Monday I had quite an interesting day. A girl came to the dispensary, complaining of pain in her abdomen. I checked her and found that she was about seven months pregnant. They never know for sure when their last period was and sometimes the husband can tell me. I always have to guess when I think they are due. so, I put her to bed. We now have one bed and exam table. I gave her progesterone and phenobarbital? Hoping to stop things. At about 4 PM. she seemed quiet, -so quiet. In fact, her people wanted to take her home. I wouldn’t let them. I told them the walk would begin her labor again. Fortunately, they didn’t leave. About 12:30 AM at night they called me and said the girl had gone into labor. I thought “oh dear “and no boat. We got things as ready as we could and waited. I gave her a pethidine tablet, thinking it might quite her again, but no such luck. At about 3:30 her membranes ruptured and a deep red blackish color. I was just sick. I knew I was in for trouble. The uterus had come down and out but we really had to work to prevent it from coming out any further. The baby was so limp. I was concerned and finally it came out. The baby was a hydrocephalic and so badly macerated, I started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation right away. Then the thought struck me. That it looked like a syphilitic baby and I promptly got a tube to breathe with. It had a real large red cord and the placenta came right away so I quickly clamped and cut the cord. Then just left the mother and worked on the poor lymph lifeless boy. I could hear heart tones, but just no response, so I gave it a jolt of coramine and nothing. After two hours I finally had to give up. I couldn’t hear heart tones any longer. If I had only suspected syphilis before it was born, I could probably have saved the poor child. Her husband worked in Lae so he could very well have contracted syphilis. I sent her and the dead baby in the next morning to be checked for it. That was the first one I’ve seen. How to explain it to everyone was a problem. So I just told them that she had a sickness in her blood until I find out for sure. That will come back at me time and time and again. I’m sure as other describe their illnesses.

Were eager to hear from you and to know how everything is with moving. Has little Danny adjust and you both have quite an undertaking. I’m sure I’d be scared of the first parish. I’m not sure I could even be a minister’s wife at home now. Hugs and kisses from Paula Tommy and Kristi.

Love, Al and Ina.