“I need to talk to you,” a woman quietly whispered to me before one of the evening meetings during PNG for Christ.

“Can you come to my house tomorrow around 9:00 a.m.?” I asked.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Curious, I prayed about my upcoming meeting, then proceeded to attend to my responsibilities during the evening program.

The next morning, right on time, she showed up. But there were also a dozen other people, all needing something, and like elsewhere, everyone wanting to know everyone else’s business.

I had sensed that this was a very private conversation, so I caught her eye and mouthed, “Wait.”

Orion and I answered the dozens of questions from others as the woman quietly found a spot in the shade to wait until it was quiet.

Then she and I went to a spot where we could be alone, and I asked, “What do you want to talk about?”

She began to pour out her story. When I asked about her home life, she broke down crying. “My husband has a very strong temper, but it has been getting worse in the last few months.” Evidently he had been publicly corrected, his pride had been hurt, and now he was trying to reassert his authority.

I cried with her. “Do I have permission to share this with Orion?” I asked. “It’s not possible for me to talk to your husband about it.”

“Yes,” she replied.

Unfortunately, we have not found an answer for her.

Domestic abuse is one of the struggles common in Papua New Guinea. Orion and I have discussed how we might begin to address this problem, believing it might work best if we incorporate this discussion into the Bible lessons and training we are developing, which cover not only the fundamental doctrines of the Adventist church but also important cultural issues, such as this abuse, and God’s concern and love for the abused person and the abuser. We agree that this matter could be very divisive if not presented well and treated as a vital topic.

Please pray that God will give us the words needed for these lessons to be understood and for deep and lasting change to occur in this culture.

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