Andy and Helen Symmonds share a snapshot of what it’s like to serve the beautiful people of Papua New Guinea – and be taught by them.
Story by Pushpa Lawrence
“We love it here,” say the Symmonds. “We love the beautiful landscape, the mountains, the coast… and the people are beautiful too.”
Pilot Andy Symmonds, his wife Helen, and their two boys, Joel (13) and Daniel (10) are from England. They have lived in Papua New Guinea (PNG) for six years now, serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
Helen and Andy heard the call to missions at a very young age.
“A very special verse for us is ‘I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me”’, says Helen.
Work in PNG is not run of the mill for Andy and Helen. Even though they follow a routine, there is always something that brings a freshness to their day.
For Andy it could be the nature of a medevac, the variation in who he is flying, different situations that demand ingenuity, or the need to think creatively when passengers reschedule – or when the weather is unpredictable.
For Helen, who volunteers with the MAF women’s ministry, it is the interactions with people that are invigorating.
“This is such an oral culture,” she says. “I love listening to stories about their day-to-day lives, which are very different from ours in England. I have learnt so much from sharing life with them.”
Helen is involved in awareness programs and hospital visits as part of MAF’s broader outreach. She is trained to run oral-based trauma healing workshops, through which participants come to a place of healing by engaging and identifying with Biblical characters. She finds this to be a powerful tool.
Helen finds life in PNG stimulating and has learned some Tok Pisin, one of the nation’s official languages.
She holds dear what has learned from local friends, especially the value that they hold in looking after family.
“There's rarely a homeless person here,” she says. “Someone in the family or community will take you in. Relationships are so important. They come above keeping time commitments. If you meet a friend on the street, you don't say, ‘Sorry, I need to go,’ or ‘I'll be late’. You spend time talking, regardless of commitments. Life moves at a different pace here.”
Another cultural aspect that Helen finds meaningful is grieving, so different from what she is used to.
“When someone dies, there is no holding back,” she says. “Grief is public and shared. Tears are welcome. Tents are erected and people sit together, cry together, and share stories about the deceased.
There are so many different nuances and various cultural traditions in Papua New Guinea...
“There are so many different nuances and various cultural traditions in Papua New Guinea. It is educational,” say the Symmonds.