SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION
International – Papua New Guinea / Malawi Africa
P.O. Box 60150 Ndirande Bt. 6 Blantyre Malawi /
P.O. Box 233 – Mt Hagen (WHP) Papua New Guinea
Tanggi Mission Station – North Koroba, Hela Province, PNG
Missionary / Evangelist: Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite04@gmail.com
Website: sgbm-malawi-africa.com
Dear Pastor, Church, & All Supporters:
This report is being written from my home in Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea, much has passed since my last report, the amount of news, happenings, events, challenges and so on are much more than this report will detail. I will need to start a series of reports in order for you…the reader to facilitate the ease of reading. It is not the object to load you or place you under heavy load in the reading of my mission reports, on the other hand, it is my obligation and desire for you to know what goes on in the mission work of which, you are a part of, either financially or prayerfully or both.
The last report was written (from Malawi side) and we (Jacob and I) were only a few days away from departure. I will pick it up from there.
8th January our journey began for PNG, a couple days prior to our departure, I had been informed by a longtime friend (PNG) former politician that the ‘option’ for U.S. citizens to obtain a short-term visa upon arrival here in PNG has been dismissed, meaning, all U.S. citizens arriving here in PNG must apply online. Turnaround time usually is minimal of three business days for an answer. I received the news a day before departure from Malawi Africa.
I had Jacob make his application to the PNG immigration entry (short term) 60 days, this was filled out (lots of data to upload), submitted for approval, and the prayers started. I put in order as much as I could the mission work in Malawi, gave firm directives to Edwin & Eric for the mission work, and the morning of departure we were up early, had our bush showers, breakfast, packed and hiked to the road. I had organised a public vehicle to transport us to the airport. With five of us (Eric, Edwin, Jacob, the driver and I, plus our two backpacks, two suitcases, & handbags the vehicle was packed.
Our check in at Chileka Airport, Blantyre International Airport was quick (being a small airport), the farewells were mixed with emotions as always. We soon were inflight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Our time there was only in transition, however when we attempted to renew our boarding passes (different airlines) do this, mine was ok, Jacob’s was denied due to the idea that his PNG online visa had not come in yet. I took time with Jacob, and we went to the LORD to help us out on the matter, to return to Malawi we cannot, to stay in Johannesburg we cannot, to board we were denied, or at least Jacob, but how do I leave him?
Time passed, much prayer was made, God opened the door, we were given a boarding pass for Jacob, and we departed South Africa for Dubai. Once there, (eight hours later) we had a short window, and faced the same issue, the airline did not want to grant Jacob a boarding pass, because his PNG visa had not come in yet, I explained the process, showed proof of payment, a sponsor letter that I had to write for his entry to visit the mission work etc… but still they refused. We prayed again, and again the LORD opened the doors, we were granted a new boarding pass and departed Dubai for Brisbane AU. We also needed transit visas for AU. I had mine from previous travel, Jacob had to apply, online and this was granted. Fourteen hours later we arrived, disembarked and started the process through immigration. A short window for our departure to PNG, Jacob was held up with Immigration five times pulled, all this due to the fact (Americans need to pay attention) to this if you plan to travel abroad.
No one else in the world writes, dates, or names like the Americans, this put Jacob’s name in the AU system as him having two passports with different identities. Reason being, his passport states the Surname: (Americans say last name) the passport states given names: (First and Middle): Birth dates written in the U.S. are opposite from the rest of the world, only the U.S. military and security will write it out as used in other parts of the world, meaning (day then month, then year) or possible (year first, month secondly, and day finally). All this said, there was a senior officer who figured out the error as a typo-error, and they cleared the system for future reference, and we were given the green light to carry on. Don’t just assume the rest of the world complies to your way of doing things. Jacob’s visa came through to his email, as we had landed at Brisbane, AU! Answer to many prayers.
We did make the flight to PNG, it was a two-hour flight, we passed through Immigration, and Customs no issues in Port Moresby, then about two hundred metres walk to domestic, we checked in and waited for our flight to Mt. Hagen. The flight was soon boarded and forty-five minutes flight across many large mountains and touched down in Mt. Hagen. We collected our baggage and out the terminal where we were met by a team of excited Papua New Guineans that were there to greet us.
A minibus was organised (public transport) to ferry us to the Lodge quarters, where I stay. People were excited and several men came all the way with us to the lodge quarters escorting us. They stayed for a little while whilst we talked, had some fellowship and then they departed to go home. It being Saturday and we had travelled for two days getting to our home now. Tomorrow would be Sunday where we had church services scheduled at Kim Baptist church within Mt. Hagen. The four independent churches around Mt. Hagen area would merge together for church services, I asked Jacob if he could be ready to teach a S.S. lesson as I would preach the main service.
We unpacked, had dinner, scrubbed up and called it a day after many miles, prayers, and doors being opened that no man may close. We had a final prayer for the evening thanking our LORD for answering our prayers, and opening doors that Satan wanted closed. Greater is HE that is in you, than he who is in the world.
Thanking each of you who had joined us in prayer during that long, trying journey. Stepping into the unknown is simply an act of (faith). We walk by faith, not by sight. This makes great
preaching; it’s a different story when your called upon to live it
This will conclude the first part of a series in the mission reports. I will be sending out more in order to bring you up to date before the end of February.
Thanking each of you who have a part in the work, both prayerfully as well as financially and or both. I could not do what I do without you participation and cooperative efforts.
To God be the glory, may He bless the work of our hands for His eternal Kingdom Amen!
In His Name,
Missionary Peter Halliman