We are thrilled to share the latest developments in the mission work within the picturesque Finschaffen District of Papua New Guinea. 

Seventh-Day Adventist Breakthroughs

In a region historically dominated by Lutheran influence, Seventh-Day Adventist missionaries are now making remarkable strides. Led by Pastor Raymond Pololi and Elder Lesley Roger, they embarked on an arduous journey to ignite the Advent message in the Highlands of Finschaffen.

The Journey to Boringio Village

Undeterred by challenges, Pastor Pololi and Elder Roger trekked for three hours through dense jungles to reach the remote Boringio village in upper Mape. Their commitment to spreading the Gospel was unwavering, even as their feet were relentlessly attacked by leeches.

Aim

Students become aware that compassion, and the comfort that only Christ can bring, is essential to their Christian journey—on and off their campuses. It is to inculcate the significant meaning of compassion, that it does not mean feeling sorry for others, but reaching out so that they can understand the Man of Galilee deeply.

Introduction:

There is no story that holds me than that of Irvine who attended a university away from home and who stayed with non-Adventist family friends. On Sabbaths, instead of returning home for lunch he would linger alone on campus. He grew a bit lonely as he watched everyone dashed into their rooms or got together in groups for lunch. Observing this, he decided to ask a friend to prepare Sabbath lunch for them, and he would contribute to the expense. This Sabbath fellowship over meals grew to include not only fellow believers—who were initially going back to their rooms to have bread for lunch—but non-Adventist visitors as well. Compassion can spread the gospel from one's need, to sharing—not just food, but the gospel.

Matthew 9:36-38 is today's Scripture reference.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Can you imagine you are at church, school, a concert, actually it can be anywhere, and you have the ability to look around and see ALL THE PROBLEMS that everyone is having—all at the same 􀆟me? Well, Jesus could. He could look in a crowd and see who was stressed, broken-hearted, happy, sad, oblivious, suffering, annoyed, or uncomfortable—all at the same 􀆟me. All hearts were like an open book, opened to His scrutiny, as well as His tender gaze. In today's Bible text, we see that the main emo􀆟on expressed is compassion. Jesus felt compassion.

If we could sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves, it can be concluded thus: “He was moved with compassion…” Belief holds that all students attend university prepared from their own backgrounds, but on close inspection a whole excess of complexities can be detected through the fearful reactions that stick out. The best way to perceive them is through the eyes—open enough to see through, ears—alert enough to hear through silence, hands so extended that they reach another hand easily and feet—so that willing they reach deep and far.

One theologian and commentator has a way to define Jesus Christ and compassion. Interpreting the Apostle's experience of Jesus, he says: “I suppose that when our Savior looked upon certain sights, those who watched Him closely perceived that His internal agitation was very great, His emotions were very deep and then His face betrayed it. His eyes gushed like fountains with tears, and you saw that His big heart was ready to burst with pity for the sorrow upon which His eyes were

gazing.” C.H. Spurgeon, (The Compassion of Jesus, Hope Messages in Times of Crisis). Please note that the eyes through which Christ gazed were eyes of grace and compassion. Eyes of compassion looking around at the scattered sheep, confused, broken, mangled, and distressed.

So, as we gaze around us, let us remember Jesus touches us every moment with compassion, let us in turn touch others through His compassion. Let us grow in Christ-likeness. As Seventh-Day Adventists on public campuses we sometimes see pain and brokenness that we do not experience at many of our Seventh-Day Adventists educational institutions. Let us remember that Christlike compassion will move us to meet .

COMPASION 

For the Greeks, the abdomen was the seat of the violent passions of anger and lust. The Hebrews understood it to be the center of tender affections, such as kindness and compassion . In villages, the same forms of speech (Bailey, 2005, p. 68) remain, when a villager hears an especially moving story of suffering, he might say 'You are cutting up my intestines', or when a close relative or friend leaves his companions will say, 'Do not cut up my intestines', meaning I will be deeply hurt by your absence if you leave us (Bailey, 2005, p. 68). Jesus sees the crowd and is moved with 'compassion' for whatever (potentially) that he sees will happen to the individuals. As students, we ought to have perceptive eyes, see through the smiles hiding the pain, glee covering the brokenness, and hard work that masks loneliness.

In 1 John 3:18 we read, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (New King James Version) Christlike compassion is more than just an emotional response, it is more than pitying someone who is in trouble. Compassion is much more that.

Compassion moves us to the very depth of our being. It hurts us on the inside. The feeling is so deep that we cannot hold it in, we MUST DO SOMETHING, we MUST MOVE TO ACTION. We cannot have compassion without action. The greatest example of compassion is Jesus so we MUST MEASURE our compassion against that of Jesus. The closer we draw to the heart of our Father as students, the more we will reflect His heart to those around us. Yes, commit today to be compassionate to others. Compassion in action will impact our campuses and woo young people back to God. 

My name is Mike Mison, I come from a mixed parentage of Morobe in Papua New Guinea, of Kabwum and Markham (Wantoat). I am 26 now, was 24 when I completed my tertiary education in Papua New Guinea University of Technology and graduated under the department of Lands & Surveying specialized in Geographic Information Science (GIS) in 2020.

In February, 2021, I visited the office Development Agency of Lutheran church of Papua New Guinea known as Lutheran Development Service (LDS) or formarly known Yangpela Didiman (YD) just to visit my uncle who was working and was part of a team of junior engineers who were working and designing twenty two water supply projects in the Tewae Siassi District funded by the Government of the district by leader, Hon: Dr Kobby Bomorio who is currently the Housing Minister for Papua New Guinea.

So my uncle, Steven Solon took me into the group and introduced me to the secretary of the Association, Mr. Bornie Keoka and asked me to observe at the first day, and he further more introduced my course of study to the secretary, that’s when they needed someone to help them identify places and locations, source of waters so I stepped in help, that’s when I become part of the team of the junior engineers which made up three civil engineers, a food scientist and now myself.

After completing the design and proposal we submitted and waited for funding until November, 2021 the office called us in to begin work, as we were posted to Siassi Island particularly the island of Lokep.

The island of Lokep is made up of 2000 plus population consist of four villagers surrounding the small island. There were Lutherans and Living rock churches. Living rock church worship on Sabbath, but their style or pattern of worship is similar to EBC, church.

It happened that on Sabbath I went to church with Living Rock church. They have lamp shelters in Mulau and Tul. Because they are outside of our world, no network coverage, poor health facilities, run down schools they insisted me to tell them stories about covid-19, since it was a sensitive issue during that period.

After the fellowship, the Pastor told me that I will be taking the next Sabbath main service Program. Therefore, due to work we went and slept 11 kilometers away from the church. I woke up early as 5 oclock preparing myself and stated waling at 7 o’clock and arrived at Mulau, the church at 11:00 am. But they wait patiently, I went and took the main service.

I explain Sabbath in detail before taking the service to the 50 plus members who attended the church .Surprisingly, the pastor told the members that they will have to change from Living Rock to Seventh Day Adventist. And the members requested for bibles and old lessons.

After arriving back from the island, the FISIKA Adventist Association contributed Bibles, old lesson books as I took them and went back to the island and distributed to them.

The following shows some of the photos taken with family after the fellowship: