Preparing for Bible School

Currently, Jason is very busy preparing to open the first year of the Wipim Baptist Bible School. It has been our desire to see people saved and trained to take the gospel to their own villages.

You cannot walk into any village and say, "Here I am. Here's a gospel tract. 1-2-3, Pray after me!" Someone from that village has to invite you to present your message to that community. There are village rules, village elders, village court, etc. We are outsiders, and our motives and actions are often misjudged.

From Ana: About Wipim

We live in Wipim Station in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. Wipim is a small inland community made up of mainly government workers. There is an elementary school, a health center, and a newly arrived treasury office. That is it. There aren't any stores, no post office, no police station, no telephones, no transportation services, etc. It is a difficult picture to paint for those who have never been here. The closest place to "civilization" as you would understand is Daru Island which is about 60 miles away via airplane. However, the main airline company that serviced our small community has stopped all flights to our area. Because we are missionaries, we are usually able to book flights with Mission Aviation Fellowship to travel to Daru where we can buy supplies or else catch a larger airplane to the capital city. Otherwise, Jason travels by dirt (or mud) road to a river where he pays a dinghy to then take him to Daru. Our only personal mode of transportation is on our tractor which takes him four hours to the river if the road is dry. Six months out of the year the road is nearly impassable because of the rain and mud so we try to bring in as many supplies as we will need during the dry season. Sometimes he is able to catch a ride on a government vehicle which then only takes one and a half hours to the river if all goes well. From the river to Daru via dinghy is another two or three hours depending on the size of the boat engine.

And there was communication!

Well we are pleased to annouce that for now...we have broadband internet in Wipim, PNG.

Yes, Broadband Internet. We can check e-mails on a daily basis and even check our blog page to update now.

To e-mail us in Wipim we have to use a web based e-mail program so we have set up jrussell.wipim@yahoo.com to contact us through.

We are rejoicing that God has allowed us contact to the out side world.

Work Day!

Hey, I am using internet in Wipim and it is Broadband! The technicin is a friend of mine who has come to finally hook up that Satelite Dish but (I think) just to prove that it can be done.

Anyway he is letting me try it out tonight and he will take the modem back with him. The company wants me to build a simple office for them... I might be willing to do it if they can get some communication in here!

We had a church work day the first Saturday of October when we hung the church sign board on the church building. On that day we also planted a power pole for the church. We should have power sometime within the next two months in preparation for Bible School.

Well I get more later! Bye from Wipim, PNG.

Jason Russell