The valley was once a place of tribal wars and killings, but today church-run health services work with former enemies. In this 75th year of Mission Aviation Fellowship operations in Papua New Guinea, we speak to a Telefomin mother and her son about the ‘mammoth’ change they’ve witnessed.
Story by Matt Painter
“Before God’s Word came to Telefomin, the people here just thought about fighting. They were angry,” says ‘Mama’ Nunta Markis. “They would just get an arrow and shoot you; shoot me.”
Amongst the older women in the Telefomin community, Mama Nunta is one of a shrinking number of people who can remember when the Good News first came to this highland valley.
“I would move around the mountains,” she says, pointing. “I would cut across that mountain there and go up, planting sweet potato on the mountainsides. We would move around like that, coming and going.
“Then a long time ago, the first MAF aeroplane came here. It came across rivers and mountains. It came down, down, and landed.
“MAF came here at a time of war, a time of dispute. The Feranmin people were coming, the Eliptamin people were coming. Tribes were coming to fight.”
They actually jumped over the fear fence.
Nathan, the son of Nunta and her husband Markis, recalls the story how his father came with friends to meet with the missionary – by cover of night – during the tribal war.
“They actually jumped over the fear fence and came,” Nathan says. “They got awakened by the Holy Spirit to actually come and see the first missionary. It was because my father wanted that thing, you know, with his heart.”
Markis, Yanis and Wasani became the first believers from their tribe, and the power of God’s Word took immediate effect.
“Papa Markis, Yanis and Wasani said ‘No, no, no. You should not fight,’” says Mama Nunta. “They said, ‘That’s God’s Word that has come. You people be at peace.’ And the people laid down their arrows.”
Telefomin, Tifalmin, Feranmin, Eliptamin and beyond – the whole Min area has been changed by the gospel.
“MAF brings God’s Word, the Bible,” adds Mama Nunta. “With MAF, I’ve been to women’s conferences to listen to the preaching. Last year we went down to worship at Tabubil. MAF took us there.
“My children — I’m so happy — all of them have work, they’re educated. For me, Mama, I cannot read and write. But my God, he opens my eyes and my mind, and I can read the Bible.
“With MAF here, Telefomin has been able to develop.”
Nathan adds: “Every Min kid who grew up with MAF will say ‘MAF is part of me. Our life was with MAF – flying food, bringing all store goods, all our teachers from outside coming in. MAF was everything to us. It's a mammoth change.”
He now works with Min Baptist Health Services as the Director of Nursing Services and Administration. In his parents’ early days, the people here would cross mountains to fight. Now, Nathan’s staff fly over the same mountains to bring help, hope and healing.
“I look after all the nurses, their welfare, administration – all the medicines that are coming, all the sick patients that need to fly in from the remote places so we can take care of them. We still need MAF to play this part here,” Nathan explains.
“Without MAF, the health services right now wouldn’t be the same. MAF was the only one that was our link from the bush.
“MAF is providing for us: For our nurses to get out there to do immunisations, to get out there and get a very sick mother or a sick patient to come in – it’s always MAF.
With MAF here, Telefomin has been able to develop.
“If it wasn't for MAF here, I don't think I would get to where I am today.
“We can't live if MAF would go.”
