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NEW GUINEA
NEWS
Forwarding Agents:
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Dunlap
Route 16, Rhea Road
Knozville,TN 37920

John and Bonita Pryor

Volume 3

September-October, 1979

The Gras Country Convention in June

was a good experiencefor all ofus,despite
a rather shaky beginning. The folk at
Samban had constructed a new building
for worship, but as all the folk gathered,
one of the main beams supporting the
floor began to break. Amid the loud
cracking noise, the floor lowering about
ten inches, and people jumping out the
windows, some of us began to wonder if
we were going to have a meeting after all.
The dedication service to commence the
Convention did continue. Afterward all

the men gathered to lift up the floor and

insert a new beam, plus add a couple
more,and the rest ofthe meeting went on
without further incidents of this nature.

Michael, Helen and Brooke Burgar

represented the Australian Churches of
Christ Mission at the Convention.
Michael led a series of studies from

Hebrews 12:2 each morning,while during

the other services various local pastors
shared from God's Word. And Bonita led
two afternoon sessionsfor the ladies. The

people of Samban had worked hard to

build the new building, provide sleeping
quarters,and gather and preparefood for
those attending. Their efforts were
greatly appreciated by those in

No. 3

attendance.
The third week in June found us

unexpectedly in Madang. Jesse was

required to have surgery. We had been
keeping a close check on him for whatour
doctor in Wewak had diagnosed as a
hydrocele. He had cautioned usthatifthe
swelling became pronounced we should
contact a doctor immediately. The
Monday morning after the Convention
ended on Sunday,we talked to our doctor
in Madang via our radio sked. He advised
us to bring Jesse in soon. So one and a
half hours later, we were on our way to
Madang. The surgeon at the Madang
hospital confirmed a hernia condition
and suggested we have it taken care of
because of our isolated living situation.
Our first reaction was typical. But after
the initial shock, we

were in full

agreement with our doctors.

As far as we are concerned Jesse's

recovery was nothing short of a miracle.

His surgery was over by 9:00 a.m. After a

three hour nap and some ice cream, he
was up and walking about as if nothing
had ever happened. By evening he was
running up and down the halls of the
hospital.
Needless to say, he was
dismissed the next day. Within two

weeks we got the go-ahead to go back to

thankful for good workmen who provided

the bush. The whole experience was a

a lot of"elbow grease". I was glad to have

Bonita's help, too, as she was there
working right along with all us guys.

tremendous lesson on how our Father

looks after His children.

Upon returning to Samban, we learned

in more detail what we had gotten wind of

in Madang about our timber being

transported, i.e. had not been shipped! I
had to make a trip to Angoram to check
into the problem. There had been
machinery breakdowns at the sawmill.
Still praying that God would take control
and keep the water level in the creeks at
an adequate level, and provide the
timber, we marked off the house and
began the cement work.

We are now waiting for the rest of the

timber. It will have to be transported
from Wewak. The Lord has blessed us

Our house will be up on seven-foot

posts, to guard against possible high
water, and to be as cool as possible. So we
had to dig forty holes, eighteen inches
deep and about ten inches square, and
form a ten inch square block above the
surface on which the posts are to stand.
In addition to the cement stumps, we
needed a six foot by nineteen foot pad for
our water tanks to sit on, a pad for our
outhouse, pads for the bottoms of the two
staircases, and a twelve foot by fourteen
foot pad underneath the house for a

with several unseasonal showers,and the

water has remained up. In fact, the
creeks should have been down by now.
People in a nearby village have accused
the Samban people of working magic to
keep the water up. It has been a good
opportunity for our people to witness
about the power of prayer.
Another beautiful thing we have
witnessed in just this last week was
twenty of our Samban people giving their
lives to the Lord.

The Mission has

ongoing Discipleship classes at each

station, taught by the local pastors.
People interested in becoming Christians
attend the classes to learn about the
Christian walk. At the end of each series

of classes there is a baptismal service for

those who decide to follow the Lord. Part

of the significance for conducting the

workshop and storage area. All of the

classes in this manner is the role that

cement had to be mixed by hand, and

baptism plays in the life of each convert.

Baptism is his formal announcement

therefore, took two weeks. But we were

that he is renouncing his past and

accepting Christ as Saviour and Lord of
his life. It is interesting to note that the
local Christians do the baptizing, and
that men baptize men, and women

to continue in prayer with us that our

timber will get in and that our house will
go up smoothly. We are grateful for your
continued support of our work, and pray
God's blessings for you.

baptize women. Some of the folks were a

little surprised when I told them that
back home I'd never seen a woman

JESSE'S CORNER

baptize another woman, but that it was

customary for the pastor or male leaders

to do all the baptizing. The word for

Christian in our language refers to one
who has been washed in baptism. So you
can see what a significant part baptism

plays in the life of a Christian here.

I guess the part I liked about going to

the hospital was getting to eat some ice
cream. I can't say that I liked too much of
the rest of it. I hope I don't have to go
back there for a long time. My doctor was
real nice. I saw him in Madang before we
came back, and he let me eat part of his
Not only did July 22 mark the Spiritual
birth for these new converts, but it also
marked the second birthday of our little
Jesse.

It is hard to believe he is two

already. We taped his party for our folks,

but we had to do a lot oftranslating ofhis
speech.
Although he understands
English, he speaks mostly Pidgin
English with a smattering ofEnglish and
Botin. He did enjoy a very nice birthday,
and we enjoyed it with him.
The next three to five months will be

spent in building our house. We ask you

sandwich at the snack bar. It was sure

good to get back to Samban and to all my

friends. They all wanted to see where the
doctor "cut" me (Ed. note - Pidgin for
"operate on"). I really like to show off my
scar, too. I really had a neat birthday
party. We had cake and ice cream and I
got some neat presents. Mamma and
Papa gave me a little guitar(uke)so now I
won't have to bother papa about playing
his all the time. Maybe I'll be able to

really play it by my next birthday. See

ya, Jesse.

SHARING IN THE WORD

One of the lessons we've learned

while being here in PNG is that

while one shares from the Word to

others, he must also fill himself in

proportion to what he shares. If he
doesn't take time to fill himself, he
may find himself in a situation
where he needs to draw from his

own spiritual resources and then

find he has none from which to

draw. It can work conversely, too.

With no sharing and constant
filling, there will be stagnation.
Read Hebrews 4:12, 13, and
consider this that I read recently.
"The first thing to be noticed is
that the Word of God is living. His
Word is sure to be living when we
see it. For ifwe do notfind it living,
we simply have failed to see the
Word. We may have read over the
words of the Bible, but if we do not
touch something living, we do not
see God's Word."

Jesse and Bonita in hospital in

Madang.

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NEW GUINEA
Forwarding Agents:

Dunlan
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Dunlap

Route 16, Rhea Road

Knoxville.TN 37920

John and Bonita Pryor

Volume 3

November-December, 1979

Number 4

At the end of September we were in

Madang. The semi-annual PBT meeting

good quitting point was reached. The

midday break was long enough to allow

had been the 20th to the 23rd and we

for rest and to avoid the midday sun

which is unbearably hot.

remained in Madang in order for Bonita

to familiarize brother David Pryor on the
PBT bookkeeping procedures. Bonita
had been assisting Ron Augsburger until
he left the first of October for a two

month's speaking tour in the United

States. So she was able to acquaint David
with the accounting system of the

support work that he would be assuming

in Ron's absence.

After explaining the procedures, we

were ready and eager to return to Samban
and resume work on our house. We
arrived back in Samban on October 12,

and began immediately where we had left

off back in August. At this point we feel
that the Lord has really blessed us in our

housebuilding. The work has moved

along quite well. There have been only a
couple of minor injuries. And delays in
working have come at times when rest
was needed anyway. Typical work days
began at 6:00 a.m. and continued until
noon. Afternoon hours ranged from 2:30-

3:00 until 6:00-7:00, depending on when a

John and helpers nailing door jams.

When we left Samban in August, the

posts had been erected, we had nailed all

the"bearers"(the timbers thatrun across
the width ofthe house on the line of posts)

and had begun to nail floor joists. From

October 15-20, we finished nailing the
floor joists, braced among the posts, and
began putting down the tongue and
groove flooring. The following week we
finished the flooring, laid out the plates
and chiseled out for all the studs. The

usual method for building partitions here

is chiseling out a slot for each stud. This
adds extra strength, and is helpful
especially where earthquakes are
concerned. From October 29-November 3,

we stood up all the partitions and nailed

"noggins"(braces between studs,for the
same reasons as above), and ran out of

nails. At the beginning of the next week

we got more nails, built and stood up the
back stairs, nailed the rafters, and added
additional nailers where extra screen
wire would be stapled. Then from
November 12-17 we put on the sisalation
(a thick reflective paper that goes
underneath the corrugated iron roof to

help keep the house from getting too hot),

and finished putting the roofing iron up
and also the guttering. During the
following week, we enclosed the house
and sleeping sections in screen wire, and
built the front staircase. The reason for

putting screen wire throughout the house

is to protect ourselves from the mosquitos
which are quite plentiful here during the
wet season. And we are hoping to avoid
having to sleep inside mosquito nets,
which we have done in the past. Also,the
wall of our house will be only eighteen

inches high all around the house so as to

take advantage of every breeze.
Unfortunately, the breezes are not as
plentiful as the mosquitos. Next week,
the first week in December, we will be

going to Wewak to pick up plumbing

supplies and all the incidentals we'll be
needing to finish up the house.
During the time we have been back in
Samban, we have enjoyed the company
of Dianne Feeney, who is here doing
research among the Botins and making a

comparative study between them and

another language group in the Ramu
River area. Her research will aid us in

several areas of our work. Dianne is one

of the teachers at Woolwich Bible College

in Sydney, Australia.

Several people have asked us how we

spend various traditional U.S. holidays.
So we thought you mightenjoy sharing in
our Thanksgiving. We probably spent
our time in preparation for the meal
somewhat differentlyfrom you. All ofour

food preparations were from "scratch."

We butchered our own duck and chicken,

no turkey. Our pumpkin pie began as a

pumpkin, which Bonita cut up, strained,
and mixed with various ingredients to

Putting up roofing iron.

make a truly delicious pie. We missed

cranberry sauce,and a fresh tossed salad,
but Bonita's dressing was good enough to

us on the house). And on top of all this, we

have the faithful prayers and support of

all of you back home. The Lord has truly
been good to us.

Our family wishes you all a happy

holiday season, and God's richest
blessings in the New Year.

JESSE'S CORNER
I have realy had a lot of fun "helping"
(Ed.quotes)Papa and Mama building our
new house. I especially like to drill holes,
but Papa gets cross ifI make a hole in the
new floor,instead of an old piece of wood.
A hole is a hole,seems to me. I didn't like
seeing my friend Mandape cut up my
chicken and duck friends, but they sure

were good after Mama cooked them for

Thanksgiving. I can't wait to move into
our new house 'cause then I'll get a room
Bonita cutting pumpkin.

of my very own. I sure do like riding with

Papa on the motorbike. I wish I had one
of my own. Maybe I'll get one later.

make up for it. We missed being with all

See ya,

our families, but explaining things to

Jesse

Dianne on the details of the first

Thanksgiving

helped

to make the

conversation at the table quite lively. We

were able to listen to parts of some

holiday football games the next day,

which was actually Thanksgiving in the
States.

When we began to count our blessings,

we found much for

which

we were

thankful. First of all, we are all healthy.

Next,the Lord has really blessed us in the

progress we have been able to make on
the house. It's really amazing to us how
rapidly the house has gone up. And we
are so thankful for the willingness of the

people to help us (we have been hiring

local men from area villages to work for

Jesse, watching Mandape kill and cut

up chicken and duck.

SHARING m THE WORD

hearts upon the blessing ofthe
Lord, we shall find things
happen that are altogether out
of keeping with our capacity
and that surpass even our

In some recent reading, I came

across a thought by Watchman
Nee that really struck me as fitting
for this holiday season,and for our
situation here. I'll just share it
verbatim, as I could not add to it.

dreams."

"What is 'blessing"? It is the

working of God where there is
nothing to account for His
working. For instance, you
calculate that a penny should
buy a pennyworth. But if you
have not paid your penny and
God has given you ten thou
sand pennyworth, then you
have Tio basis for your calcula
tions. When five loaves pro

"Prove me now herewith,saith the

Lord of hosts,ifI will not open you
the windows of heaven, and pour

you out a blessing,that there shall

not be room enough to receive it."
Malachi 3:10

videfoodforfive thousand and

leave-twelve baskets-of frag

ments, that is blessing. When

thefruitofyourservice is outof
all proportion to the gifts you

possess, that is blessing. Or to

be rather extreme, when, tak
ing account of your failures,
there should be no fruit at all
from your labours and still
there is fruit, that is blessing.
Many of us only expect results
commensurate with what we

are in ourselves, but blessing

is fruit that is out of all corre

spondence with what we are.It

is notjust the working ofcause
and effect,for when we reckon
on the basis of what we put in
we merely bar the wayfor God
to work beyond our reckoning.
If on the other hand we set our

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