As kookaburras chorused, the golden sun rose over the blue lagoons and grassy savannahs. This was to be a high Sabbath, and nature seemed to share our anticipation. Our daughter, Johanna, and 19 Gogodalas were to be baptized this camp-meeting day, committing their lives to God.

Only a few weeks earlier, our church leaders were anxiously wondering how all the camp-meeting preparations would get done. We were told to be ready to accommodate 200 people, including the local mission district director and the president who would be attending as guests of honor. A grandstand would have to be built along with a cook house and pit toilets. Also, sago, coconuts and other foodstuffs would need to be collected to help feed the guests who would be coming from far and wide. Church members organized themselves to tackle each job. There was much work to be accomplished.

Early one morning a couple of weeks before camp meeting, a group of men and some ladies gathered in the yard next to the church to start digging holes for the grandstand posts. Steve was there to assist. Not being familiar with how to build bush structures, he hoped to learn something of the Gogodala construction. Men cut small trees and brought them from the bush to use for framing. Villagers loaned corrugated metal roofing for the grandstand and cookhouse. Work continued day after day until, on Friday two weeks later, the grandstand was ready for the finishing touches. I enjoy landscaping, so I was given the responsibility of overseeing this part of the preparations. Church members brought canoe loads of small black palm trees from the bush, banana plants, purple periwinkle flowers, other colorful leafy plants, pineapple plants and even wild orchids to beautify the grandstand and cook house. The church ladies worked very hard, and when they were finished, everything looked fit for the Rose Parade.

Meanwhile, Karin, Johanna and six of their friends put together a singing group for the meetings. They called themselves “Angelic Echoes,” and they performed so well that the camp-meeting attendees asked for an encore.
Tuesday night, the district director, his family and other church members arrived in two motor canoes after traveling 13 hours from their home base in Kamusi. They were relieved to make it safely in one day, and we were happy to see them arrive. Over the next few days, people continued to arrive from various areas as far away as the Fly River.

Wednesday night was the official opening ceremony. Workshops began Thursday morning. Pastor Akia and his wife presented information on family life and church leadership. Steve and David White gave sessions about worldview and culture, and I went through NEW START, the eight laws of health. At each evening meeting, Pastor Akia presented a special message dealing with the camp meeting theme, God’s Call for You Today.
Sabbath was the highlight of camp meeting with twenty people taking their stand in baptism. Before we came to PNG, Johanna had told us she wanted to be baptized with the Gogodala people. Upon learning that there would be a baptism during camp meeting, she decided this was her time to get baptized. Also, Elsie, the Gogodala girl we took to Port Moresby last year for surgery, came home from her high school in Awaba and shared with us how she had been fasting and praying about baptism and was impressed that she needed to make the decision now before it was too late. She believes that Jesus is coming soon, and there may not be another opportunity for her to make a public commitment to Him. We were overjoyed. These baptisms were the first fruits of our work here.

After saying their baptismal vows, the group of 20 proceeded to the special area decorated with flowers at the edge of the muddy lagoon for the baptismal service. As church members stood on the grassy hillside singing hymns, deacons and deaconesses led each candidate out into the water. Praise God for each person who made a commitment to Jesus that day!

Ten of the baptized were people from the group in Widama that has been worshiping on Sabbath. God’s spirit is truly working on the hearts of the Gogodala people. I pray that the fire kindled at this camp meeting will spread to the rest of the Gogodala people.

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