May 2023

Dear Friends,

A tangle of tall grass and vegetation line the sides of the narrow waterway to the small village of Yalaku. In recent years this includes an invasive plant, the water hyacinth which was first observed downriver three years ago.  Perhaps someone enthralled by the beauty of the lavender blossoms placed a solo plant to float in a water bucket or a fish pond, yet did not realize the biological potential of the plant.  It grows, no, multiplies easily.  Given space and warm non-salty water this plant will double its coverage in two weeks through its roots plus the flowers produce thousands of seeds.  Hippos and manatees can eat water hyacinth; however, these mammals likely will not be introduced as biological controls in PNG.  Villages like Yalaku on small lakes or lagoons depend these waterways for their livelihood, but this pretty plant can seriously impact the navigation and fish populations.
親愛的朋友們，

通往雅拉庫小村莊的狹窄水道兩側長滿高高的草和其它與交纏的植物。水葫蘆這種入侵性植物三年前首次在下游出現。也許有人起先看到一小搓水葫蘆在水塘裡或水桶裡，被它薰衣草顏色花朵的美麗所吸引，但沒有意識到植物的生物潛力。 它很容易生長，不，應該說是很容易繁殖。 只要是空間夠大，在溫暖的淡水中，透過花朵和數千顆種子，這種植物會在兩周內將其覆蓋範圍增加一倍。河馬和海牛可以吃掉水葫蘆，然而，新幾內亞不可能引入這些哺乳動物來做生物控制措施。 像雅拉庫這樣的小湖泊或瀉湖上的村莊必須依靠這些水道謀生，但這種漂亮的植物會嚴重影響船隻航行和魚類數量。

Last year, the PIM workshop completed welding steel trusses for the Yalaku church, however when the dry season came and water levels dropped it was not possible to move the truss pieces. Fortunately, heavy rainfalls of the wet season flushed the main channel clear of floating vegetation and finally the trusses have made it to the village. The first week of May on a hilltop the location of the new church building was measured out.  Villagers have proceeded with their shovels and other hand tools to level an area directly next to the old church building that was installed years ago by PIM as a rain water catchment system. The wood of the old church has been attacked by termites, so replacing it is timely.
去年，PIM的鐵工廠完成了雅拉庫教堂的鋼桁架焊接，但是當旱季到來，水位下降時，我們無法運送這些桁架。幸運的是，雨季的強降雨將主要水道的漂浮植被沖刷很多，桁架最終到達了雅拉庫村莊。五月的第一周，我們在山頂上測量了新教堂建築的位置。  村民們使用他們的鏟子和其他手動工具，直接在舊教堂建築旁邊整平了一個區域，該舊教堂建築是PIM多年前安裝的雨水集水系統的建屋。老教堂的木材遭到了白蟻的襲擊，所以是時候更換它了。 

Although the new church will not be a cathedral and require decades to build, for a village of less than five hundred people this project is a large undertaking and commitment financially.  When needed PIM helps mostly with the technical advice, a few experienced carpenters, and the use of some equipment. However, the villagers themselves have started this project and want to see it completed.
雖然新教堂不會是費時幾十年教造的大教堂，但對於一個不到五百人的村莊來說，這個專案在財務上是一項艱巨的任務和責任。 他們需要PIM的協助主要是技術諮詢、一些經驗豐富的木匠，以及一些設備。然而，村民們自己已經開始了這個建案，並希望看到它完成。

In the rural villages of PNG, people spend much of their time and effort in getting the primary physical needs. Everyone gets hungry, so firstly, sustenance is sought by fishing, hunting, gardening, raising a few chickens, ducks, or pigs. Then some form of covering or shelter for protection from the elements, especially appreciated with the frequent rains of the wet season and with all of those biting insects. A tribesman will acknowledge people need more than just to eat, drink and have shelter. So, to raise their standard of living cash crops of vanilla beans or cocoa have been planted, yet getting these to a buyer takes away much of the profit for those who travel by river or air, but it is income.
在新幾內亞的偏鄉，人們必須花費大量時間和精力來滿足基要的物質需求。每個人都會餓，所以首先通過釣魚、狩獵、園藝、養幾隻雞、鴨或豬來得到食物。然後是某種形式的覆蓋物或庇護所，以保護免受雨季頻繁降雨以及眾多叮咬昆蟲等等因素所影響。 部落成員也不可否認人們需要的不僅僅是吃、喝和有住所。因此，為了提高他們的生活水準，已經種植了香草豆或可可的經濟作物。即使將這些作物交給買家，必須透過中間商的船運或飛機運送，中間商運費折損掉大部分利潤，但仍然可以帶來收入。 

Importantly however, there are spiritual needs and intellectual needs as well. PIM ministers to the needy with assistance which includes: Christian elementary schools for the young, village health aid posts, Pastors training seminars, supplying Sunday School curriculum, printed religious education literature for High Schools, assisting isolated villages with communications equipment and facilitating air strip maintenance, and the latest, sewing instruction and Bible classes for women. Development is not a matter of addressing a single issue yet this we know from God’s word.      Proverbs 14 :34 “Righteousness exalts a nation; sin is a reproach to any people.”

然而，重要的是，人們也有精神需求和求知需求。PIM向有需要的人提供援助，其中包括：設立基督教小學、鄉村保健援助站、牧師培訓研討會、提供主日學課程教材、為高中印刷宗教教育教材，協助偏遠村莊提供通訊設備並促進飛機跑道維護，以及最近開始的婦女縫紉班和聖經課程。  發展不是解決一個單一議題的事情，上帝的話語教導我們： “公 義 使 邦 國 高 舉；罪 惡 是 人 民 的 羞 辱 。” 箴言 14：34

Thank you for your support of Pacific Island Ministries in Papua New Guinea.
感謝您對新幾內亞太平洋島嶼事工的支持。

Douglas Heidema 道格拉斯‧海德瑪