Holding After the Light
Tom and Kristin
The following is a summary of the letters for January 1965 At Malalo
After Christmas, the Quiet Feels Loud
January comes to Malalo without ceremony. The lamps from Christmas Eve have been put away, the lawn is empty again, and the house that only days earlier held laughter and movement now feels oddly enlarged by silence. Nothing has changed outwardly—the sea still breathes below the hill, the path still coils down toward Buakup, the heat still presses in—but inwardly the season has turned.
Christmas brought light. January asks what will be done with it.
The House After Company
The days immediately following Christmas are defined less by events than by absence. Beds stand unused. Extra plates are returned to shelves. The rhythm of feeding many contracts again to feeding a family.
Ina notices how quickly fullness gives way to quiet. Hospitality at Malalo is never sentimental; it is physical, exhausting, and deeply sustaining. When the guests leave, the work remains, and the silence makes that fact unmistakable.
Gifts That Continue Speaking
The boxes opened on Christmas Eve do not vanish with the holiday. Towels are washed and used hard. Candy disappears quickly. Nuts are saved for evenings when fatigue settles in early. Each item carries a name, a place, a remembered face.
Ina recalls her mother’s words—that one of the most valuable gifts parents can give their children is their friends. At Malalo, far from grandparents and familiar rooms, friendship arrives folded in paper and postage, sustaining daily life in ways that feel both ordinary and profound.
Conflict That Refuses to Stay Settled
January brings back unresolved tensions.
Two villages resume their feud. Between Labu and Busama. Theft of taro reignites old grievances. A pastor once refused entry—a shocking breach of custom—still casts its shadow. Judgments are issued. Jail sentences handed down. Yet punishment does not dissolve resentment.
Alvin steps again into the work of mediation, aware that authority alone cannot mend what pride and fear have torn. Leadership here requires time, listening, and presence—commodities always in short supply.
Alvin at Home, Temporarily
For now, Alvin remains close to home.
Evenings stretch longer. Meals are slower. The children grow accustomed to their father’s steady presence. Ina allows herself to enjoy this season without pretending it will last. By the end of January, the rounds will begin again—coast, hills, villages scattered across distance and difficulty.
If no short-term teacher comes, Ina will travel more with him, children alongside. It is not ideal, but Malalo has never been shaped by ideals.
Medicine Without Margins
One evening, a boy dives into the sea and strikes rusted iron left from the war. The wound is deep and jagged.
There is no boat. No radio. No clean path to Lae.
Ina keeps Paula and Tommy away, explaining carefully that she must “sew” a little boy’s leg. Paula wonders if that involves the sewing machine.
Ina cleans the wound, draws the edges together, and stitches it herself. Penicillin becomes the quiet ally. The boy will heal.
This is medicine at Malalo—improvised, necessary, and carried out without the comfort of alternatives.
Children as the Measure of Time
Kristi remains well—round, teething, cheerful, stubborn. Phenobarbital is used cautiously. Each fever is watched with deliberate calm.
Tommy lengthens into boyhood, climbing trees, lingering over meals, often missing dessert. Paula grows capable and observant, her questions stretching beyond her years. She wonders where water comes from if there are no tanks, who teaches adults, and how time works when people wake and sleep on opposite sides of the world.
At night, the children imagine airplanes, oceans, and grandparents whose voices they know mostly through letters.
Work That Resists Completion
January refuses to simplify the work.
Boats fail again. The fish boat stops. The speedboat follows. Termites continue their slow work on the Kuli. The Victor remains away longer than hoped.
The long-awaited bush saw finally runs—only to strike a wartime bullet embedded in a tree, destroying expensive teeth in an instant. The solution is practical and costly: move operations away from areas of heavy fighting.
Even the smallest speedboat becomes an epic of misjudgment and persistence—spark plugs ferried by canoe, engines roaring out of control, children walking miles home by different routes. Eventually, crossed wires are discovered. The motor settles into a steady purr.
Ina wonders, without bitterness, what will go wrong next.
Faith Without Inheritance
January draws Ina into clearer theological language.
Faith, she writes, cannot be inherited. God has no grandchildren. Belief must be chosen, not assumed. Even missionaries—especially missionaries—risk confusing obedience with love, performance with freedom.
Struggle, she has learned, strips away illusion. Dependence creates room for listening.
The Shape of the Year Ahead
The new year opens without promises of ease.
Schools expand while teachers remain scarce. Economic projects wobble. Political tensions ripple beyond New Guinea’s borders. The work ahead is heavy and unfinished.
And still, Malalo holds.
Villagers climb the hill. Children laugh. Letters arrive. Wounds are stitched. Meals are shared.
January does not resolve the story. It steadies it.
And for now, that is enough.
Actual Letters from January 1965
1965 January 5
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brown
You’re very, very lovely and thoughtful box arrived Christmas Eve. We thank you so very much and commented as we examined the contents. Boy, that’s really nice. Isn’t it? “
The towels are so lovely, the children enjoyed the blues so much. They were strong and took quite a beating. The hard candy just seemed to make Christmas complete. We always enjoy salted nuts. They really are a treat. We are so grateful for your thoughtfulness. My mother once told me that she thought one valuable contribution that parents could make to their children were their friends. I’m finding that is very true. We surely have been blessed by the friends of the Erick Erickson.
We’ve recently received a very carefully written letter from Miss Mary Ann Bell, that she written for her Sunday school class. We are so pleased with that, and will write a letter in reply soon.
The children have been up to their usual pranks. They’ve been a bit crossed after all of the excitement of Christmas. Our house seems so empty with just us again. It was wonderful to have the house overflowing with people. We had two very interesting, elderly ladies, both of them are widowed, one from Missoula, and the other from Ohio. They’re over 60, but decided they weren’t about to give up and sit around in their rocking chairs yet and believe me they have really made a contribution to New Guinea. If only we can grow old so gracefully with such young spirits. We hope once we’re all back in the states we can continue acquaintances. Mrs. Christian, the one from Montana will probably be looking Al’s folks up. They both will be leaving in July.
December 1964 Christmas: The Little family- Graham, Val, Robin and Heather. Christmas guests Included 2 older women one is Mrs Christian. Loretta Kuse and Virginia Marquette from Stevens Point WI
We’ve been having a bit of trouble with two feuding villages.. Between Labu and Busama. We thought that perhaps it had been settled. Now Al found out that the aggressive village has been disturbing as in stealing taro from the other village so now this will have to be settled. Sometime ago this village refused to let a pastor come into the village– Anita Pastor – when he was going to the various villages giving communion, which is a thing unheard up in this area for many years. We pray that God will give wisdom and dealing with this problem.
Al has been home pretty much these last two months. It really has been nice. Beginning the last of January. He will be gone again to make the usual rounds. If we don’t get a short term teacher to live with us this next year then I will go with him on a few more trips, taking the children with us. When we have a teacher, then we don’t like leaving her alone. We really need one with the schools as we are trying to teach a grade higher this year than last. Education is really a growing concern and takes so much time.
Last night a young boy jumped into the sea, and landed on an old piece of iron left from the wharf before the war. It took a huge piece out of his thigh. I didn’t want Paula and Tommy to come to the dispensary while I fixed it up so I carefully explained that I had to sew a little boys leg. Paula probably wanted to know if I was going to sew it up on the sewing machine. I think that he will get along all right. We are lucky to have penicillin and such medicines to help our causes.
We surely had a wonderful Christmas this year. It is beginning to be quite natural. Not have snow. I’m getting to be such a chicken about cold weather, so it will take some getting used to brave winter again. Paula and Tommy are so anxious to see what snow looks like. Kristi has been quite well now. She stays fat and happy. Tommy is lengthening out a bit.
Thank you so much for your faithful letters, for remembering us in prayer and for your very thoughtful gifts. Al- Sonny- really appreciates your kindness too. I have a terrible time getting him to sit down and write letters, so you’ll just have to bear with me.
We pray that this will be a rich new year as you grow in the love of your Lord and savior.
In gratitude, Ina.
1965 January
Dear Carol and Dave,
It surely should be wonderful to set up housekeeping in a really new area and the friends you make will be your friends together and not either Dave’s friends or yours. We found this quite exciting when we first moved to Stevens Point. Our year there was certainly wonderful. It is good to get out of the judging eye of wild meaning parents, until you’ve had a chance to establish your own home.
I am sure that Dave will have a little trouble finding a job. It may take a while to find one that he likes, but that surely isn’t unusual. Have either of you had the occasion to read the book, beyond ourselves by Catherine Marshall. I found this to be so very helpful. One statement one made was that a friend of hers kept mulling over her mind that God has no grandchildren. It took a while to get the significance of this, when she realized that God is constantly referring to his children, his sons, and daughters, but never his grandchildren. In other words, we can’t inherit our faith from our parents. Perhaps if Dave examined the life of Christ in the light of what he can meant today personally and not in the light of what his family thinks, Christ should mean to him, perhaps it would be a little less palatable. When Christianity becomes too much of a religion, obeying all the rules, saying or doing the right thing at the right time, refraining from certain unacceptable activities to gain access to heaven…
We’ve lost the freedom that Christ is constantly talking about and missed the boat. He loves us as we are, not for what we would be if only we would make these few minor changes, while we are sinners, Christ died for us. We need constantly to remind ourselves that our accomplishments don’t give us a ticket to heaven and a rejection if we can’t seem to get anything done. It’s a very easy rut for missionaries… Professional Christians to get in. I don’t mean to imply that it isn’t good to be a missionary, how else can we share this wonderful message, but that there are pitfalls in the life of missionaries as well as those at home. To accept his love is all that God asks. I’m not sure if I make myself clear.
I’ve never been to the East and West Moe churches, (near Garfield Minnesota) but I have heard of them a lot. It will be good if he can retire from farming. I think that mother said that she showed some slides out there not too long ago.
We all have been quite well. We are a bit weary after the holiday rush, but I guess that is natural. Paula is getting to be such a little lady, and so much company and help if she wants to be. Tommy is outgoing so many of his babyish ways. Kristi surely finds a lot of things to get into.
Christmas program description
Do I ever wish that you could have seen the dramatic presentation of the Christmas story this year. The village selected to do it this year really went all out and did a very good job. They started with the angel appearing to marry inherit court, searched for baby, Jesus. (soldiers and chains clanking, then started the crowd by looking for the babies in the crowd). There was a bamboo pole that worked better than anything that I’ve seen used yet.
They used most of the young men in the village, as they had many wisemen, and a number of angels and shepherds. Oh, yes, they had sheep too. They were really precious, as some of them growled. They would stray and an old, crippled shepherd, carrying a big bucket, would have to go around them with his long crook.
The angels were wings are shaped palm, branches, and serve so well. Evening was so nice and the mosquitoes were absent so the stars provided a good roof and the coconut palms, a good backdrop. Christmas morning we had service in the new church. We took our portable organ down. One of the short term teachers played some Christmas music…
Christmas Pageant 1964. Last photo with Loretta Kuse and Virginia Marquette from Stevens Point WI
Unknown date probably 1965 after Val and Graham Little arrived
Page 2
About a year and a half ago, Al got all keyed up about a saw that could be taken into the bush to cut up some of these huge trees that is impossible to pull out by hand. He and the native surveyor had done a bit of a survey of the possible timber available to the sawmill, and found terrific possibilities, so he and the saw or went into all of the surrounding territory, and he found that the most excellent trees were still standing because they were too heavy to get out. So he persuaded the fellow missionaries to approve and purchase of this saw. It cost a pretty penny, but sawmill had made a fairly good profit the last year. It was approved and so Al ordered it.
It took eight months to get her from Germany. It arrived two weeks after Graham and Val did. Graham assembled it with the help of a young man that had been trained to run one of these things, Graham had never seen one work before, so he had gone to Madang to see the one Al had seen working before. But it was another thing to put one together. Anyway, it really sawed crooked. After much work and sweat and wondering who in the world had been so foolish as to purchase one of these things, they found their mistake, and the thing worked nicely. So the people brought a nice specimen of a log they could use to saw up for the dedication of the saw. The first cut went through beautifully, and then the second cut. There was the most horrible screech, and here they hit a bullet, left in the tree from the war, ruining $50 worth of teeth on the new saw.
So they probably loaded the saw on a huge canoe, fortunately, the sea was very calm, and took it to the original Site that they had planned to use the saw at. Refusing to cut any more timber in the area around the sawmill, because there was such heavy fighting there during the war. Tomorrow they hope to get the saw, set up and running in the bush, the chainsaw will fill the logs and cut them into movable length and then the big Dolmar bush saw we saw them into transportable pieces. The fish boat then will carry them down to the mill on its return trip from taking fish to the market. I wonder what will next go wrong.
Then there was the story of the purchase of a little speedboat. We are without boats in the area, and it wasn’t possible to operate the melt without one, so when Al was in Lae a while back, he tracked out a little boat, but didn’t have time to look at it. He told Graham that there was one available but they that they hadn’t had time to look at it, but it might be worthwhile if you went to Lae on the Simbang and have a look.(the Simbang is the mission vessel that carries the timber.)
Graham did go look at the boat and then he had one of the mission mechanics. Go and look at the boat, rather the motor as the boat really isn’t much, but it is serviceable. The motor had a bit of a rattle, but they looked it over well and listened to it run and he bought it. Then we borrowed it to take a teacher to Bula to give exams, and we decided to take a quick run into Lae in the speedboat. It was a bit rough, and the children were really scared as the wave sprayed over them.
It only took half the time it takes on the Victor and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. We thought we could buzz in and back the next day. The next day I hurried around and got all my shopping done. Some men wanted to hire the boat to run them over in our direction. So, Al thought while we are gathering our things together, he could do that and be back in a couple of hours.
The boat didn’t come back and didn’t come back. Finally late that night we got word that Al had gotten safely to the other side of the coast, but that they couldn’t get the motor to start. What to do now. First Al made the diagnosis of spark plug trouble and proceeded to buy some and then he’d hoped to send them on a timber boat that was going to sell it to get lumber. Then he would have someone canoe five hours over to where the boat was. The catch was it was so late at night that we couldn’t get a hold of the right kind of spark plugs. In the meantime, we radio the message that we would send the spark plugs on this boat so the man that was driving, the speedboat wrote a canoe to the sawmill to pick up the plugs only to find that they weren’t there. The next day, Al did find some spark plugs, but how to get them to the other side of the bay. Finally he found someone that was going by canoe that far and sent them to him. The boat still didn’t return so when we hired a speedboat for $16 to take us where the boat was. Al worked and worked on the boat, and he got it going, but then when he slowed down, the motor so he could get in, he couldn’t get it out of the gear. Once he got it started and went roaring off in wild circles, he wasn’t steering, as he was still working on the motor, trying to get it into neutral. He stopped the motor and we got in and it won’t go again so we walked the 5 miles and the kids got home on the canoe.
The following week, a boat from Lae made its fortnightly run and towed the boat back. A mechanic found that the flywheel or some such thing, the main part of the boat motor was broken. They recommended that we junk the thing. Our heart sank as he had paid a good price for it. The mechanic that had given the OK to buy the motor worked several days and patched the flywheel back together again, but it still wouldn’t run. Then we found someone who had books on these motors, studying the diagrams, they found that somewhere along the line someone had switched hoses or wires around. This straightened out and the motor purrs ever so nicely. It continues to run well. We are certainly grateful to God for that. Both boats are kept at Sawat, the tugboat for pulling logs in the motorboat for getting Graham where he needs to go. We certainly pray that this large of an investment we haven’t stuck our necks out too far and the thing collapses.
After working so hard to get the people to move up a mountain to a new site to build a school and a village, the teacher we had expected to get will be stationed somewhere else. We have to pray that the situation so that we don’t leave the people stranded after all their work.
Kristi doesn’t say very much, but she is such a merry little soul. We all love her to pieces. She makes up with strangers so easily. She surely rebels at toilet training. She used to suck her thumb but has stopped. She is still on the bottle.
Both Paula and Tom asked so many questions. Paula is wondering if you don’t have water tanks for your water, where does the water come from. Paula was so interested with the idea that you people were getting up and cooking breakfast, when we were getting ready for bed. If you beat us then who are we beating? Tommy is happier to be a boy.
Al has been taking him with him to the beach and he is finding more things that boys do. We’ve been thinking our beach was a safe place to swim, but in a net, Al and some boys strung out for fish, they caught a 6 foot shark. We pray that God will be with you both always, and that you can relax and accept his love and mercy. We surely do love to get your letters.
Love Ina.
1965 January 9 to Estelle
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA
Dear mom and dad,
Happy birthday Dad! We hope you have a lovely birthday and a very happy healthy new year growing in the understanding of our loving Lord. Jesus turning over to him all your worries and problems. We found he can do much more about them than we can. We’re still looking for a letter dad!
Thanks mom – for yours –. It was lovely receiving two in the last mail. I’m so sorry to hear about Donny. I am anxiously waiting forward to hear how serious he was injured and how he is getting along.
The feud between the Lalu’s and the Buasma’s isn’t finished yet. The Lalu’s were judged to be in the wrong, and sentenced to one month in jail. Now they are stealing taro from the Buasma’s gardens. So there will be more trouble later.
The fish boat had a piston or a valve go through something so is out of commission, as is the speedboat. The termites are into the hull of the Kuli so it must go into dry dock as soon as the Victor is back.
Last week, a boy dove into the water, and struck an old iron part, leaving quite a gash as like. I’d hope to be able to send him to Lae, but our lights weren’t working, so didn’t have a radio. It was such a jagged, messy tear but the next day I decided it was hopeless to get a boat so I tried pulling it together and stitched it. I was really wishing for some of Willa ‘s surgical skills about that time.
So sorry to hear about Harold Schultz store burning. Do they know what they will do now?
Greetings to Mrs. Franze. Projects for the circle would be many of the same from last year. Colored pictures of animals and public buildings, tractors, trains, farm machines. A nice thing would be a View master and reels of pictures that would be possible to take to the villages. We plan to live more and more in the villages this next year. We enjoy pudding mixes, especially instant ones to take into the bush. Occasionally we can get them here. But they are so often moldy so I don’t buy them anymore. And Jell-O – simple books, pictures, books, Bible story pictures, small scissors. Sewing notion, bits of embroidery floss, rick-a- rack, thread since after it’s been here a while it gets rotten. I’m hoping to get a sewing class started.
What is the name of the boy coming to New Guinea? And when is he arriving. Maybe Al or I could be in Lae to welcome him. The group at Esther Besonen’s must have been Phyllis and another teacher returning home.
Thanks so much for everything. We love you all so much.
Ina
1965 January 12 (to Jennifer for her 5th birthday)
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Jennifer Tonn, Route 1, Box 224, Alexandria, MN
Happy birthday, Jenny (Mick, Laney and Junior too as I probably won’t get another happy birthday letter written this year),
I have gotten approved to take my family to conference this year. So perhaps we will make this our vacation. It is at Wau,-the school for missionaries children’s. So Paula and Tommy will go to that school if we come back for a second term. They have a swimming pool, slides and swings and the children love them all.
Will you go to kindergarten when school starts next fall? You’re really getting to be a big girl now. Mommy says you help her so nicely now. I’m glad to hear that as your mom is awfully busy now, you help watch Fritz. Paula carries Kristin and I’m afraid she will hurt herself as Kristi is so big. Other little boys and girls carry their babies around here but Kristi is so much bigger than most of the babies and Paula can’t understand why she isn’t big enough to carry her.
Kristi says mommy, daddy and baby now. Baby is the sound that comes out for any desire for bottle, food or blankets. She shows me where she has gone potty on the floor, but strongly objects being put on the potty.
Tommy climbs and climbs trees and just doesn’t care to eat so he is always the last one finished at the table so usually misses out on dessert. Does your mommy ever do that to you?
Paula, Tommy and Kristi got quite a few nice toys for Christmas. They’d love to have the boys and girls come and play with them. Unfortunately, their toys are too much temptation and don’t last very long when they play with them. Each feels the need to take one home with them as they have no toys that are pretty and bright colored. We let them play on the Veranda and all the toys stay there.
Last week, Kristi, went fishing in our aquarium. She could catch the last fish that has survived all the other fishbowl catastrophes, so was busy removing sand, coral, and shells when momma happened on the scene. A round butt got spanked, but soon the tears were dried, and she was into the cupboards, busily removing cups and saucers, then on to the kitchen to tip some leftover soup on the floor. But we all love her anyway. She’s learned to hit back and can give a good pound when the occasion arises as it more and more frequently does. When Paula doesn’t get her way, she tells Tommy she’s going to get a big stick and hit them. It never works, but she keeps threatening.
We love and miss you, auntie Ina, and uncle Al, Paula, Tommy, and Kristi
1965 February 12
Dear boys and girls,
A very, very big thank you to you all for the lovely box. We’ve received a short while ago. We are so pleased with all of the plastic containers, the soap for the dispensary, the nice toys that the children have enjoyed, the books for the students to read the styrofoam, and the colored pencils.
It is all being put to good use.
This year Paula, Tommy and Kristi went with their daddy and mama to a conference at the school for missionary children at town called Wau in the mountains. This is the school they will most probably attend when we come back to New Guinea after our furlough. It was so different to wake up and have a cold outside and cold enough to put on sweaters and shoes. But not cold like you have with the snow. We all rode up to Wau in a cargo plane. It had bucket seats along the sides of the plane and we were very close together, but there were still room for safety belts. They tied all the luggage down with ropes in the back of the plane. Sometimes they use the wide aisle down the middle for cargo, but this plane had another row of seats.
It was quite exciting as we flew over Malalo and could see all of the mountains that Pastor Al has to walk over when he visits his villages. We could even see the new airstrip (Wagau)1 in the Buangs that he helped with and the new school site in the Hote area. It was very clear without many clouds. After the plane was in the air, everyone could walk about, then, when the plane was going to land again, we all had to fasten our seatbelts again.
The airstrip isn’t like the airports that you are used to see. It had grass all over the runway. And the house for passengers is just a tiny little house just big enough for people to get out of the rain and sun. When the little one engine mission plane, the Cessna–the Wren landed, Paula and Tommy got to meet the pilot and see inside the little plane. It surely is a “cute “plane.
When we are ready to leave Wau someone called the little airport to find out what time the plane would come. Since it was a very cloudy day, no one can say exactly, but only about what time it will probably come, then we were packed and waiting, when we heard the plane fly over the school, we all dashed into the truck and got there just as the plane was being unloaded. The truck was a big international truck with benches, both sides for the school children to ride in when they are traveling around Wau.
We pray that God will be with you all so that you will be the lights that shine in Glendive.
Love in Christ, Erickson’s
Footnote
1 Notes from Alvin Erickson
Airstrip in Wagau: the only place in the whole Malalo circuit with a flat enough ground space. People had to carry dirt in and level the ground off. They used gunny sacks tied to two sticks. It was a lot of work clearing that airstrip space by hand. There was no road into Wagau. They had a small tractor there with one saw to cut up the lumber. Alvin Erickson recalls a time when he took an airplane and landed at the Wagau airstrip, and before he could get his suitcase off the airplane took off with his suitcase. This airstrip was no more than 8 to 10 miles from the ocean. The water from here flowed inland into the snake river, and then inland more to the Markham River to the north. Water from the airstrip traveled 120 miles before reaching the ocean.
1965 March 20 from uncle Andy in Clearbrook, Minnesota,
Dear Alvin Junior and Inez,
Grace and peace! Sometime ago, I read your newsletter which comes to Esther and Finn. I read it, and then I sent it in the mail out to Africa to the Erickson’s.
I am glad for the chance to read it in that way. I know what you are doing and how things are going for you. Notice you have three children now and good to see you are all well and going. We are looking forward to having your uncle Lester and Mildred here on Sunday, 28 March. They’ll spent the whole day with us. They have recently come home from a know that some friends of theirs in frontier, Saskatchewan Canada gave them $2000.
So they could make the trip, and now they are traveling in this country to present the mission cause. So we are waiting for them. Had a note from your dad, Al. They are fine. I presume you hear from them regularly.
We have had a rough winter with lots of snow now toward the end of it. They are afraid of flash floods when it begins to break up.
I hope this finds you all well and happy and that you live in the finished work of Christ, which is the hope of glory. We are all well here and the girls are busy too – Janet is dean of women at Hillcrest in Fergus. Alice is teaching in West Saint Paul. We are all busy. Greetings to you all – with God‘s riches and blessing.
Sincerely, uncle Andy and.?
1965 February 16
Dear Trinity friends,
Our very warmest greeting for New Guinea. We have such a soft spot in our heart for Stevens Point, as we remembered the many wonderful people there. We are so grateful to hear from some of you, even if we are pretty slow on this end.
Thank you all very much for your generous gift. We are going to put it on a deposit, as we have a special project in mind, but it will take a while to become a reality. With the introduction of English into the schools only those qualified pass test are allowed to go onto school. This leaves thousands of students unable to go for more than two years of village school. Some of the students are very bright, but just happen to not do well on test that determine if they could continue or not. They’re just aren’t schools and teachers enough for everyone.
If we can find a teacher, and that is quite a problem, we’d like to have a school at Malalo in Jabem for them to continue so that they can at least read their Bibles, then have courses in Christian living and family devotions in the village life. Also to teach them simple, arithmetic and skills. We thought we had just the teacher, but she was assigned to another area much to our dismay. We’d appreciate if you would pray that this might be a reality.
We have three new teacher graduates teaching in our school this year. Since neither Al nor I have had any teacher training, we won’t be of much help. We hope that they will be able to do it all right. They have a challenging situation ahead of them.
We keep watching the Asian situation. We know if Indonesia manages to crash Malaysia that East New Guinea or East Arian is they refer to it will be the next country on the agenda. (Then Australia.) When the US is fully committed to Vietnam, they will leave our neighbors free to wander. We pray that the Holy Spirit will work while the door is still open.
Paula is such an inquisitive four-year-old. I’ve started to have a simple kindergarten class for her and Tommy we were talking about going to America and that she would go to a big school with many boys and girls. She wondered if I would be teaching. I told her no then she wondered if I’d sit down, and someone would teach me. Tommy still climbs, only now he has taken to trees. He gets near the top that sways back-and-forth, explaining he is in an airplane on his way to Australia.
Kristi to manages to fill her time. We have a little brown hen that has chosen to nest in a corner in the laundry. We heard the chicken scratching, and went to investigate and found Kristi holding a broken egg and drinking it. Yesterday I found her cooling herself in the water bucket that she just sat right in it. She climbs also.
We’ve had a little trouble getting our fishing going. One of the first things we caught in the net was 140 pound stingray, then a hammerhead shark. Then the net then needed to be repaired again. Some of our mountain people observed how the coastal village was managing their nets and fishing. They were interested, and wondering if they could haul fresh fish to the market.
Al had experts look at a motorboat before the final papers were signed, and for the price, everyone felt they couldn’t go wrong. the month after the purchase, everything went haywire with the motor, so it had to stay in the harbor and lay for two months waiting for parts from Australia. Well there a storm came up and capsized our little Homia as the people had named their prize possession. Fortunately it was in shallow of water, so it could be retrieved, bailed out, and returned to the repair shop. We hope it will be ready in a couple of weeks. Al thinks perhaps we won’t start any more economic ventures. First it was pretty hard to take, but now we can see the funny side of it. I’ll try to get a picture of this ill faded vessel. We hope eventually that it will work.
Al will soon be making his rounds to all the villages, but first we will have to get our station school going well. This school is for the top kids from all over the Malalo circuit, representing 9,000 people and we have 100 students, so you can see there are thousands of children not being able to go to school.
We pray that the Lord of love will keep you in Christ Jesus our savior.
In His name, the Ericksons.