Student Missionaries Connected

When I wrote last week, I actually had more to say about the people here, but while I was writing, I received a call over the radio that I was needed at the clinic as soon as possible because much prayer was needed. Thinking that there was a deathly sick patient there, I hurriedly finished the thought I was typing at the time, shut down the computer, and then hiked the quarter mile back to the clinic as fast as I could in my malarial weakened state. When I got there, I saw a large group of people crowded around the corner of my porch (which is attached to the clinic). I walked up to our clinic nurse, Wendy, and asked her what was going on. She looked tense and said they weren't sure, but it seemed like some kind of satanic harrassment, and tha everyone was gathered around her to pray for her.

I'll never forget it as long as I live. Nor will I ever be able to get the sound out of my mind.

I was helping out in the clinic earlier today with the normal flow of patients for a Sunday morning, when around 11:30 am we heard someone coming up the trail wailing. We looked to see Buba carrying his younger sister, our friend, 15 year old Nurgina on his back. She had her eyes closed and was screaming at the top of her lungs, "Meningkag siu ne, meningkag siu ne..." (let's pray, let's pray...)

The people and culture here are very different from what we know in America.  For the most part, everything opperates at a very slow pace compared to what we're used to.  In general, the locals aren't in a big rush to get things done.  For that matter, they don't have alot of things that need to be done.  Most of their days consist of working in their fields—cleared from the jungle on the side of a mountain slope so steep that if you slip and fall, there's a very good chance that you'll keep rolling until you roll right off the end of the field (or in some cases, right off the mountain)—or gathering food.  Aside from that, some people make various types of crafts which they sell along with any excess food they might have.