One in Love's journey to Aimando-Padaido, in the Land of Papua on September 8-16, brought up a variety of memories. Behind the beauty of the exotic islands surrounded by blue seas, came an inspiring story. To this place we came as messengers to distribute Bibles and Bible comics to God's people who live in areas that are difficult to reach by means of transportation and communication. The locations are scattered on islands, access to them is only by water.
The natural scenery in Aimando Padaido is simply stunning. The islands are calm, clean and colorful, with white sand and lush tropical forests, making for the perfect backdrop for our mission. However, behind the beauty, there are challenges to be faced. Large waves and strong winds often make traveling between islands difficult. With the environment separated by islands access to electricity and signal is so limited many of God's people there have difficulty accessing the Scriptures. Much of this is due to the extreme sea weather and the various logistical challenges that come with it.
Before leaving for the islands, we made some preparations. Each team member brought their own backpack. We also conducted training on how to communicate with the local people and respect their culture. All of this is to ensure our mission runs smoothly and has a positive impact.
That morning, we set off from the harbor in Biak on a medium-sized boat. The sizeable waves made the journey nerve-wracking, but team spirit remained high. After a few hours of sailing, we finally arrived at Pai Island. The people there welcomed us warmly. With no time to rest, we went straight to the church building to prepare for the distribution of Bibles and Bible comics.
On Pai Island, we held Bible reading sessions and group discussions. The community was eager to listen and share their opinions. Many of the local children had never heard of the stories in the Bible. We also distributed Bible comics containing stories of prophets, heroes of the faith and the life of the Lord Jesus that were told in an interesting and illustrated way that made it easy for the children to understand the content of the Bible stories.
From Pai Island we continued our journey to Sasari Island. The weather that morning was clear and quite friendly. But by noon the sea waves started to rise. We had to be extra careful when sailing. Upon arrival at Sasari Island, we were welcomed with mesmerizing traditional dances and followed their traditional procession of stepping on a plate and handing over a crown made of Cassowary chicken feathers.
As in Pai, on Sasari Island we again distributed Bibles and children's spiritual readings. We explained the importance of the Bible and how Bible comics can help them understand the teachings of the Christian faith better. Most of the people on Sasari Island live as fishermen. They told us about the challenges they have to face in living their daily lives in Sasari. Faith and hope are the main drivers for them in struggling to make ends meet. They are truly grateful for the presence of LAI in their place as a bridge from God and partners to bring the Good News.
The third day we were still on Sasari Island. We used it for evaluation and reflection. We made visits to several houses on Sasari Island. Seeing the daily life of the people here gave us a new perspective. They live in simplicity, but the strength of their faith is very inspiring. During this visit, we also distributed Bibles and comics to the children who were very enthusiastic to learn.
However, the journey was not always smooth. On the fourth day, the weather suddenly changed. The tide was low in the morning and we had to wait for the tide to return so we could continue our journey to the next island. We learned to be patient and adapt to unexpected situations and conditions. We also spent time with the local community, sharing life testimonies and encouraging each other.
After the weather improved, we were finally able to continue our journey to GKI Immanuel Meos Mangguandi on the next island. Here, we met more children and adults who wanted to learn about the Bible. We held an interactive learning session, where they were able to draw and create their own stories based on the teaching they had received.
These activities not only provided new knowledge, but also built a stronger community. People started discussing the importance of sharing knowledge and supporting each other. It was a precious moment that reminded us that although we are different, we all have the same goal: to live in the love and hope of Christ's love
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After almost a week of visiting these beautiful islands, we finally returned to our starting point to Pai Island and then back to Bosnik. We had mixed feelings: happy to have accomplished our mission, but also sad to leave our newfound friends behind.
The trip to Aimando and Padaido was not just a trip to share Bibles and Bible comics. It was about building relationships, sharing stories, and giving hope to those living with natural challenges and underdevelopment. The people of these islands taught us about what resilience and strong faith mean.
We returned home with hearts full of joy. We are determined to continue supporting them, despite the distance. This trip has encouraged us to remain steadfast in our shared vision: The Bible is available to everyone. With more and more people supporting us, we believe that there will be more and more people in various corners who can feel the Good News present in their midst. The Good News of Jesus Christ that brings them to new life. (victor jun)
