As Balimo Pathfinders set out to travel across the country for a conference, their prayers were answered through help from MAF and PNG’s Department of Community Development.
Story by Ashley Leyenhorst
“I know that in the future they won’t be the same Balimo kids. We’ve seen the changes ourselves, and we know that these kids will be better. The next generation has been improved.”
That’s how Matilda Sangkol, the deputy director of the youth group Balimo Pathfinders, described the transformation of young lives as the group awaited flights home. The group was returning to the remote Western Province community of Balimo via five no-cost MAF flights over two days.
“We carry with us the lessons learned, the friendships forged, and the unwavering belief that anything is possible with faith as our compass,” said the Pathfinders group.
Pathfinders is organized through the Seventh Day Adventist church and has participants around the globe. The youths had journeyed to Lae to attend the conference with over seven-thousand others.
“With the conference the youths went to, they met other kids their age from different areas in PNG and different personalities, and they got some really good lotu (worship),” said Matilda.
After the conference, the group had driven back to Mt Hagen. They had not been able to fundraise for return flights to Balimo and prepared for a long route ahead.
[MAF] assured us that God was in control and offered to fly us home at no cost, saving us from the arduous journey we had
planned
“We had initially planned to take the long but economical route, traveling through Kaguga, Erave, and Kikori before finally braving a six-hour banana boat ride back to Balimo,” said the group.
MAF Booking and Flight Programming Team Leader Nancy Ikate had heard their plans and wanted to help, especially considering a potential safety risk of reported killings on the main highway.
“We got a phone call from Nancy that we’re flying to Balimo, four flights today and one tomorrow,” said Matilda with relief as they waited to board in Mt Hagen.
Nancy had recalled specific funding available to MAF that was provided by Rex Hibuye, the Program Coordinator for PNG’s Department of Community Development: Youth and Religion. After explaining the need and potential risk of the Pathfinders’ travel to Mr Hibuye, he readily agreed that the funds could be used for the return flights.
“[MAF] assured us that God was in control and offered to fly us home at no cost, saving us from the arduous journey we had planned,” said the Pathfinders group.
Many areas of PNG are not connected by road, and the roads that do exist are often not safe to travel due to roadblocks and tribal conflicts. MAF provides a means for safe travel throughout PNG to remote places so that groups like Pathfinders can come together and support one another in God’s love.