At a typical bank in Papua New Guinea, one can expect to do more than business transactions. Because of the long lines, people have time to socialize with each other.

Laurie and I were sitting in the bank lobby waiting to be served when a friendly gentleman came in and sat down near us. I’ll call him Alex. Alex was cheerful and outgoing and struck up a conversation with us about the hot weather and the drought we’ve been having. Finally, he wondered what white people like us were doing there. He shook his head in amazement to hear that we were missionaries working in one of the remotest parts of his country.

Then the door opened and another man entered and sat down directly across from us. I’ll call him Jim. Dressed in a plaid shirt and blue jeans, Jim looked like a simple PNG man who had just come to the big city. Right away Jim became interested in the conversation we were having with Alex. He turned to Alex and asked him in Tok Pisin, “Where do these people live?”

Alex answered, “Oh, they are American missionaries! They work in a remote region of our country.”

Jim turned to us and said in English, “I used to work for Exxon. I have been to America and seen what kind of life people live there. I am amazed that you would leave all that to come to our country and help our people. Thank you.”

I was called to the teller desk, but Laurie stayed back and talked with Jim, who seemed worried about the future of our planet. Though he had a Christian background, he had questions about God and about events happening in our world. Laurie encouraged him to trust God and to get his life ready to meet his soon-coming Savior.
As I was leaving the teller’s desk, Jim came over and shook my hand. With deep sincerity he said, “Thank you. You and your wife have made a difference in my life today.”

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