WANTING TO ELIMINATE BLISTERS AND SORE LEGS

WANTING TO ELIMINATE BLISTERS AND SORE LEGS

Pal people working on the helicopter pad.

By David Bell - 2009.08.03

Eighty miles of hiking, 40 each way, left Nate Claasen and Mason Lockwood with blisters and sore legs but the groundwork was begun on a helicopter landing pad that will give the missionary team easier access to the Pal people of Papua New Guinea.

The missionaries weren’t able to finish the job in their allotted time last week but they left with the assurance from the Pal men that the landing pad would be finished and some posts for the missionaries’ houses cut in time for a September building trip.

Two of the Pal men -- Kogomunga and Liguras -- decided to build a hut for the team to stay in during their building trips.

"It is just about right for us and the five guys that we’ll bring in September," Nate wrote. "Praise God for prompting them to [do] that work."

The Pal people are very excited that the missionaries will build houses and begin to live among them. But in their excitement about having the missionaries come, the Pal people still have no clear understanding of the purpose for the missionaries living among them, even though the missionaries have several times communicated their purpose.

"Pray that their imaginations of sudden wealth, fame or power do not cloud their minds to the message that we will bring," Nate wrote.

Pray too that the team will build good relationships with the people and have keen skills to learn the culture and language of the people.

The people "enjoyed sitting around the fire with us at the end of the day and teaching us some of their language," Nate wrote.