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A Challenging New Mission in Papua New Guinea at Yilui, in the West Sepik

Under the patronage of Our Lady of Visitation 

(From an account written by Sr Theresia Salatum)

Part One  

On the 12th of January Sr. Pauline and I were the two passengers on our first chartered flight into Yilui with our Dove Airline Pilot, Kevin.  We were taking with us some of the supplies for our new mission among those beautiful people of the kunai country of Yilui.  

It was a 20 minute flight from Lumi in the Torricelli Mountains, and so when the plane was getting closer to the place Kevin turned and pointing to the airstrip said, “Sisters, there’s Yilui over there”.   I was on the seat behind Kevin and on hearing the words – there’s Yilui, tears of joy just flowed down my cheeks and within me I just repeated a few times, “Thank you Elizabeth Hayes”.  

When the plane landed, the people were all around the edge of the airstrip ready to welcome us into their parish which is dedicated to Saint John Vianney.   Kevin unloaded the plane quickly with a few local hands that aided him.   Before he took off he came over shook hands with me with a big smile and said, Sr. Therry, I will never forget this, today is my birthday and I flew the MFIC sisters into Yilui to begin their mission among the people of Yilui”.    A later flight brought in more cargo as well as 3 passengers – Srs Leonie & Mildred plus Peter – the mechanic/technician who will work on the two-way radio which will provide the only communication for the Yilui mission with the outside world.  

 In the mean time back in Yilui, Raphael the catechist told us that the sisters would stay in his house while the convent for the sisters was still under construction.  He explained that their local builders would take two to three months to complete the new house.   A group of young men & some women picked up the sisters luggage and carried everything into the Catechist’s house.   Kevin with his extra runs to Nuku, Aitape and Lumi again made it possible for me to have over two hours to meet different community leaders who were on the station that day plus some women, children, the youth of the parish and some men who had come in with materials for the sister’s new house. The school has three classrooms:  two classrooms are semi- permanent & one is built of bush materials. The administration block and the Headmaster’s house are also semi-permanent.  

The Yilui people have seven big villages which are far from the mission station and the big Opan River runs between the station and the 1st village which is about 20 to 30 minutes walk from the station.  

Thanks to Peter, the two-way radio was fixed before the last flight out of Yilui that day and so we can communicate well with our sisters on fine days .  However, communication will depend very much on weather – rainy days will make it impossible – and these are many.   We set times with our sisters to talk on Wednesday and Saturday.

Part Two  

After working on the house for over 4 months, the house was finally completed and so the three sisters moved in on the 21st of May.  The sisters appointed to this new missionary endeavour are Sisters Pauline Jamison, Mildred Savien, Leonie Wanawa and Elizabeth Wermek.  The much needed thing for them now is the 1,000 litre Tuffer tank that was bought from Fr. Giannie (an OFM Friar) back in January and was transported up to Ningil, one of our mountain parishes.   After a month or so it was transported further along the way - again to another parish, Puang, and it has been sitting there ever since.  There were a few unsuccessful attempts made to float the tank down the River Opan.  

On Monday 25th of May, two sisters – Pauline and Ellie - left with six men on the walk to Puang which would take them two days.  Their objective was to try once more to float the tank down the Opan River to Yilui.

                               

Sister Elizabeth Wermek resting during the two day walk to Yilui                                      Sister Pauline Jamison on the trek through the jungle and kunai to Yilui

The message came through on the radio sked on Friday 29th of May that the tank was eventually floated down the river by some men from Puang and so the two sisters and the six men from Yilui began their long walk back on Sunday after the  Sunday Mass.

 

Stopover for rest and refreshment on the way

 Sisters in the Church at Yilui 

                                                 

                        Sister Pauline leaves the Convent for the school where.                                                                                              Grade Five students.Lack of opportunity in
                        she is the Headmistress                                                                                                                                                      the past, means that some of the students
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        are much older than normal.The presence of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        the sisters gives hope for the future of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        formal education. 

   

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