The Simbang, Finnschhafen stop and Madang
1964 January 5 on Simbang
Letter from Alvin Erickson from the mission boat, the Simbang to Alvin and Louise Erickson, Box 1327, Glendive Montana, USA
Dear mom and dad,
Happy new year from the vacationing new Guineans. It’s terribly hot this time of year, so we are all starting a vacation first by riding our mission ship, the Simbang to Madang, where we get medical check ups and then go into the Highlands for a cool breath of air. We are all looking forward to it as things have gotten pretty much of a rat race in recent months.
Your wonderful Christmas package arrived. Everything you sent was so much appreciated. Our clothes have a habit of wearing out pretty rapidly and shirts, shorts, socks are in constant demand. Thanks particularly for the beautiful shirt and Ina’s nice blouse. Little Kristi is just right for her outfits. We’re glad to have the sweater now as we go to the Highlands. Paula has worn her blue skirt almost every day and Tommy looks great in his shirt and pants combination. They had a great time with a little caterpillar, and Paula was ready for a new doll. All in all your package, which was a real boxful, gave us a wonderful Christmas and really was a thrill for all of us. I hope you had such a wonderful Christmas also.
Our church was dedicated December 29. About 70 white people were there plus several thousand New Guineans. It was a great day for everybody. Last week a whale washed up on the beach near one of our southern villages. The people were afraid and did not do anything about it right away. It was right during Christmas and I would have gone to have a look. Anyway, finally, the smell got so bad the people in the village had to leave and moved back in the jungle.
One of our headaches right now is with our sawmill. Our Australian sawmiller left and will not be coming back. We are trying to figure out how to keep the mail going. The main problem is getting the logs out of the jungle to the beach where they can be pulled. Some of this timber is so blooming heavy. For instance, we just pulled one 18 foot Quila log to the sawmill. It took another log and four 44 gallon empty drums just to keep it afloat. The trip usually takes 2 1/2 hours. This time it took over eight. We are thinking about buying a big portable saw that can be moved right onto the bush. It’s the only way many of the natives have of making money. Therefore it would be a real loss to see the mail closed. This last year, the profit was about £4500’s which is pretty good according to New Guinea standards. I’m thankful all the time for any practical experience I had in the states before coming out. I know you have always encouraged me in finding out about business and motors, etc. I feel it has given me some perspective and dealing with many of the problems that come up.
Humanly speaking, the problems of New Guinea are becoming immense and critical. However, the real issues, Christ himself saw and dealt with long ago. He has made us kings, conquerors over the littleness of this planet. We are his chosen, and let us live in joy that he loves us
We love you very much, Al, Ina, Paula, Tom, and Kristi. Kisses to grandma and grandpa
Lae
1964 January 27 from Malalo
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA
Dear folks, we’re finally back at Malalo after about three week break. It really is an experience trying to travel in New Guinea. Nothing like it used to be, of course, but nothing like traveling here is in the states either.
Friday we hurried to Lae to catch the Simbang, the mission ship, to take us to Madang, only to find that it didn’t intend to leave until Saturday night. So we had a day to get some of our work caught up around Lae before we left. We got on the Simbang about 8 PM and put the kids to bed. We discovered that this was really going to be a full house. There is room for sleeping 10 people but there were 35 Europeans aboard and 100 New Guineans. They were all out on the deck. The Simbang people had air mattresses for about 10 people and so we really had people sitting and sleeping all over the place. I and the kids had beds and Paula and Tom sleeping on one bunk the first night and second night on the floor and third night back on the bunk again. I’d forgotten to take Kristi’s basket so she slept with me on a bunk. There were four adults and three kids in a four bunk cabin.
Sunday we stopped at Finschhafen. So I finally get to see this historic place where the American army had its headquarters. They’re really isn’t much evidence of it now except the piles left in the water where the big wharfs must’ve been. The area certainly was better off for having had the army there than if it hadn’t as they were able to salvage so much material and you make use of the roads built. Where there were two lanes, however, only one is maintained. But pipes and wires have been put to use as the iron mesh that was left. We still see many army trucks and jeeps driving around although they all look like they’ve had it.
One bridge across a fairly large river was washed away in a flood, and at first the people could only cross it in canoes. This proved quite hazardous as the current is very swift, and if there are spills there are a few crocodiles waiting around. Now they have a huge suspension bridge that swings and sway with every step. Fortunately, it has some chicken wire on each side so one has a little feeling of security, but the sensation of crossing it for the first time is a bit like the first ride on a Ferris wheel. I was mighty glad to reach the other side. You can’t drive across on it. It is just a walking bridge. Then there are cars on the other side to take us on to the hospital and the personnel working there. We had church there with the personnel, because it was raining. I left Kristi on the boat with people that were staying on the boat. The weather cleared up and we were invited to stay for dinner, so I went back to the boat over the swinging bridge again and got Kristi. I had someone else carry her across coming back as I still didn’t have enough confidence to carry her myself but we made it the third time and then it was getting easier. They have a waterfall that is formed a very lovely swimming pool, the Butaweng pool. it is plenty deep enough to dive and long enough for a good swim and shallow enough in areas for the children to play and cool enough to be refreshing. What more could one ask. About 8 o’clock that evening we return to the boat after a very refreshing day. About 2 AM we got underway again in order to make the various mission stations during daylight in Madang.
Falls at the Butaweng pool and the swinging bridge across the Mapi river in Finnschafen
One stop before Madang, they have a six hour walk to the beach from the mountaintop station. A young mother was bringing her baby into Madang to have it’s DPT shots. Then they’d have that long track up the mountain again when they returned. All of their supplies have to be carried that far. The missionary was telling us about his generator for power plant to charge the battery so they have radio transmission. It took three months of arbitration, 200 people in about $120 to get it up the hill. And we think we have it tough trying to get all the stuff up our 1/2 hour hill.
We arrived in Madang about 12 o’clock midnight. We had been informed on the radio that we had accommodations so I got the kids all dressed, and everything packed up, ready to get off and found out that the radio operator had forgotten informed the guesthouse of our arrival, so we had to stay on the boat until morning.
The wife of the captain was on board with her family of four older girls and a four month old son. She cooked and made everyone comfortable. She even offered to help me with Kristi. We both were washing diapers in the shower room in a little 3 x 4 cubicle and trying to dry them on the limited line space.
She invited us in for breakfast on Monday morning, after only getting home themselves the night before. She is an Australian girl, but the captain is an American from Kansas. He came out as a carpenter, and wound up becoming the ship captain.
We spent Monday looking around the supply house in Madang. 1 That is where we order all our supplies from. We wanted to get an idea of what they have and pick up anything we could use in the next six months. They do such a huge volume of business as they buy for almost all the missions in the area except the Catholic and the Seventh-day Adventist. They didn’t have very much sitting out on shelves like a regular store, but much like some of the discount houses. We found Madang to be quite a center and quite spread out. They have about three families living at the printery several miles out of Madang. There are about six families and some single people at the Mission Hospital another way out of town. Bob and Naomi Bagley are up on a huge hill at a girls school a mile from the printery and a boy technical school with another European family and a teachers training school was still another European staff member. The Bagley’s just got back from their vacation but invited us to stay with them. They live about 1000 feet above the sea level. It surely was beautiful, but the road up is really something. They are able to drive it in a truck, however. I certainly wouldn’t care to have to do the driving on it. 2
Wednesday we were able to get out to Yagaum hospital and have some bloodwork, x-rays, and the children had physicals. Al was in and out. He got a chance to look at a saw (The Dolmar saw that is mentioned in other letters) that can be taken into the woods to saw up some of the huge trees that the people haven’t been able to pull out by hand. He was really interested with it. It is quite expensive, but the people have earned enough with a sawmill last year so they will be able to pay for it. Al sent the fellow that has been running the saw for Peter into the area to look over the timber that is still standing. He was really impressed with what he saw. Al said that just the little that he had seen before was enough to keep the mill open for four or five more years. Now this native fellow came back with more good news. Al also got to see a sawmiller that might be interested in training some of our boys to work with the sawmill. Soooo..
Letter continues in next post which describes their time in the highlands.
The Bagley’s when they visited Malalo
Footnote:
1. Daechsel, Douglas and Doris, Madang supply house, 1947-1970.
2. Bagley, Reverend Robert and Naomi. Evangelism, 1962-1968. The Erickson’s knew the Bagley’s. Ina and Naomi were classmates at Fairview. Bob was at the Seminary when Alvin was there. They stayed with them in Iowa in 1972 on their way back to PNG from Furlough in Minnesota.