Compensation

I spent most of last week being sick and then getting better, but I’m back now and I want to write some about a cultural topic I’ve been thinking a bit about lately: compensation.

Demands for and payment of compensation are big parts of PNG culture. Asking for compensation is pretty similar to the lawsuits we're too familiar with in the US, except that the courts do not have to be involved. People demand compensation for all kinds of things. A search for "compensation" on the website of one of PNG's national newspapers reveals 366 articles, many of which talk about compensation claims hindering development, shutting down services or causing warfare.

I read a story in the newspaper last week that seems like a typical example of compensation claims for land. A big high school has been shut down indefinitely because landowners are threatening to shut down the pump that supplies water to the school if the school does not pay 500,000 kina ($190,000). According to the article, the pump is located on school land, but people are still demanding payment for the use of the water. (This happens every few years with one of our water sources at Ukarumpa too.)

People also demand compensation for help they give to other people. Remember the guy I asked for prayer about awhile ago, who was hurt in motorcycle accident? The people who helped transport him from the accident scene to the clinic (maybe a mile?) are now demanding compensation from his family. There was a big car accident here last year, and compensation claims came out of that too.

People demand compensation for people who were killed or injured; property damaged; help they give others; roads, pipelines or water sources built on their traditional land, even if the land now legally belongs (or is leased) to someone else; etc.

Compensation is part of PNG culture that helps restore peace between the groups in conflict, but when the compensation claims aren't met, violence often results. The idea of always asking for compensation is one aspect of PNG culture is so far from my own cultural ideas that I don't know if I’ll ever get it!

Around Ukarumpa

Check out my friend Joy's blog for some interesting posts (with lots of pictures) about life in Ukarumpa:

The post office

The store

Yummy fresh donuts

The market

and Hamburger night

If you take a look at that last one, you'll see what I was doing last night. :-)

Security prayer request

I'm headed to bed soon, and hopefully I will be able to fall asleep without worrying too much. The security situation on our center has been getting worse lately. The number of break-ins and attempted break-ins has been growing over the past few months.

When you get up in the morning, would you say a prayer for all of us going to bed here in PNG? The situation is stressful on all of us and we need God's peace and protection to sleep at night and to keep working effectively here.

Thanks for your prayers - I know many of you pray for me often!

Answer to prayer...

Thanks for praying for Luke.  He was released from the hospital in Australia early this morning after being there most of the night and having lots of tests done.  He has a bad concussion, broken wrist, some abrasions and is bruised all over, but will be ok. 

He'll be in Australia for a little while recovering, but will be able to return to PNG after that.  You can keep praying for his recovery, and that he'll be cleared to come back soon.

On behalf of the family, thanks for your prayers!

When you read this...

Please stop and pray for Luke, a guy here who was just in a motorcycle accident.

I don't have any details of his condition, but it is fairly serious because he is being airlifted to Australia immediately.

Pray for Luke's body...

Pray for God's peace for his parents and siblings (especially Scott)...

Pray that God will be close to them all in this really hard time!

Pray for the pilots and doctors and others involved in this medical evacuation...

Thanks for praying with us - I'll post updates when I have them.

1 Cor 10:13

As I was preparing a Tok Pisin Bible study lesson this week, I noticed how much longer one verse was in Tok Pisin than in English. Tok Pisin, one of PNG's national languages, often uses more words than English to express a similar thought.

Here's the verse I was looking at... first, in English with 47 words:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Then in Tok Pisin, at 91 words!

Ol traim i bin kamap long yupela, ol i no narakain traim. Nogat. Ol i wankain olsem ol traim i save kamap long olgeta man. Na God i save bihainim tok bilong em, na em bai i no inap larim wanpela bilong ol traim i kamap long yupela, em i winim strong bilong yupela. Nogat. Sapos traim i kamap long yupela, orait God bai i wokim rot bilong helpim yupela. Dispela rot i olsem. Em bai i mekim yupela i sanap strong, na dispela traim bai i no inap daunim yupela.

Here's my attempt at a phrase by phrase translation of the Tok Pisin: (Note: all of the 'you's in my translation are plural.)

The trials that have happened to all of you, they are not a different kind of trial. No! They are just the same as the trials that happen to everyone. And God follows His word, and He will not let any of the trials that happen to you, win out over you. No! If a trial happens to you, God will make a way to help you. The way is like this. He will help you all to stand strong, and the trial will not be able to get you down.