Finally! To walk the ground my forefathers walked. To eat
and drink of the goodness of the earth that sustained generation after
generation of the Son’s of Pembe in the Tsak Valley. Oh what a joy it is to
finally be amongst my family, clan, tribe of the Tsak Valley (Green Valley). It
was very humbling to look over the sea of faces of relatives and loved ones of
who I had never seen before in my life. Yet it was if for once in my life I
finally felt like I belonged. I had felts hints of that same feeling when I
stepped off the plane in Port Moresby two weeks prior. That hint of being home
began to get stronger as I began to work in Port Moresby and be around my
fellow PNGean’s. However, when I got off the plane in Mt. Hagen and breathed in
the air while taking in the majesty of the mountains and valley it was like
something that had long been sleeping in my innermost being was being stirred.
An awakening had begun and over the next few days as I was taught by some of my
fellow tribesmen how to break the backbone of an earthen oven- roasted pig to share
others and how to eat pig with wild greens (I can’t remember what they were
called) and cooked ginger. The fruit of the land near Wapenamanda and Tsak
Valley also produced some of the absolute best tasting vegetables and fruit
that I have ever tasted. The broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and bananas were like
none I have ever tasted. Talk about organic! Forget those hippie communes in
California and Washington State (USA) that claim to be organic. They can’t even
come close to the vegetables of the PNG Highlands.
Now back to the awakening. It’s can sometimes be
difficult to remain objective but nonetheless it is what it is. The few days I
spent in Wapenamanda prior to going to the Tsak prepared me to go the next length
of the journey. The Lord placed Godly men and women around me on this journey
in every step of the way. These ones provided wise counsel, provision,
protection and strength because I certainly could not have made this journey alone.
There are four Godly couples that have cared for me on this leg of the journey
here in Papua New Guinea since my arrival. I thank God for them and their
commitment to God, their families, their country, and to me, a new son of PNG.
My prayer is that God will honor and bless them for their willingness and
sacrifices to help me along the way.
Over those next days I experienced PNG culture like I
could never have dreamed. I witnessed every school and church in a District
line up to welcome and honor their country’s leaders as they visited the people
they serve in Wapenamanda. Many people walked for many miles of some very
rugged terrain to honor the men elected to represent their best interests. I
then saw leaders make personal sacrifice to share a feast with thousands in
attendance. I observed the beauty of young children singing our National Anthem
with such intensity that it brought tears to my eyes even though I couldn’t
quite understand the Tok Pidgin and Enga. I observed reconciliation between
leaders present and leaders past. There were promises of a better tomorrow and
delivery on those promises today. Waves and waves of our people some wearing
national colors some in traditional dress but all joining in a spirit of hope,
unity and pride; for the land underfoot, Papua New Guinea. Those days I began
to learn how to take pride in this Nation of PNG of which so many of us share.
The combination of all these things strengthened my
resolve to continue this journey of personal discovery; this journey to PNG. I
didn’t quite get to my trip to visit to Tsak yet but I have posted enough for
this blog entry. – Tasol
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