Location: Kainantu—Aiyura High School
 
“Today we went to the official beginning of the 24^th Annual ELC-PNG Synod. We marched with a large processional from the gate of the town. There were local villagers doing a huge singsing. The men all had shields and wooden clubs and were dressed in the traditional warrior dress of their village. They danced and sang. We were second in the processional behind the assistant Bishop. Then it was us and all other invited guests (they called us dignitaries). The other guests included the President of the Lutheran Church in Singapore, the President of the ELC in New Zealand and Australia, and the President and Secretary of the ELC in Bavaria, Germany. We marched about a kilometer with these and about a thousand more delegates and their families.
 
Finally, we all arrived at a large podium/stage built specially for the Synod. We were joined by another 2,000 or so people who had come to listen in and cook for the delegates and participate in Lotu (worship) and hear preachers at morning devotions. Meanwhile the national radio and TV stations taped the entire six-hour ceremony and aired it nationally to the five million citizens and ex-patriots. I was called to represent the ELCA and LCMS during the ceremony. I spoke fourth in a series of 30-40 speeches given over the next three hours. We had no idea that the gathering would be so big, or that my speech would be so important, and so I had to throw out what little I had prepared. But God was faithful and laid words on my heart that I was later told by many was the most heartfelt and sincere that were spoken that day. It was a very humbling experience speaking on behalf of the churches in America. Even when I am unfaithful, God is faithful.”
 
Bjorn Peterson
 
Location: Lae
 
“This morning we visited with the seminarians at Martin Luther Seminary. Martin Luther is one of a handful of seminaries in PNG that provides education for pastors in the ELC-PNG. It also provides education for nearby countries like Solomon Islands and the Philippines. We sang and performed a program for the students and had a question and answer time. It was here that we met Godfrey and he gave us a testimony of when he met his first New Dawn team in the Philippines. I sat down with him later and we shared some of the songs and stories.
 
He said that he was in 6^th grade when they visited his school. While he and his friends were excited to see a music group from America, some were skeptical. They saw the short-term impact and doubted that it could have any significant value in ministering to youth. Godfrey, however, saw the teams’ enthusiasm for the Gospel and the positive effects on youth. He formed his own youth ministry music team later on after university, and traveled throughout the Philippines, based on the team ministry model that he saw. He organized and led the group for two years before pursuing other ministry activities. He is now working towards becoming a pastor. Godfrey says that part of the reason he is at seminary is because of the ministry of the New Dawn team he saw back in 6^th grade, and that you cannot know how a life will be changed in short term missions and ministry work.
 
I have met other people here in PNG who have seen previous teams. Some, like Pastor Yana, have had as many as five teams visit in his lifetime. The impact is revealed in a much different way. We don’t know how the Spirit moves and how God will use us in this ministry. And in many ways I have to leave that to God and ask only that God would use me however He sees best.”
 
Joel Mailand
 
Location: Bialla, West New Britain
 
“Shaking hands. In PNG it’s like getting an autograph, except that while in the U.S. normally it’s only the big fans that ask for autographs, in PNG everyone wants to shake hands. They want to shake our hands after a program, after church, after any contact whatsoever that lasts more than twenty seconds.
 
After most of our concerts we shake hands. Sometimes it’s only a few of the church elders, sometimes it’s some of the youth we know, and most of the time it’s everyone. So when after our program tonight where there were about 250 people in the audience, we were told they want to shake hands, we prepared ourselves to be there for another thirty minutes. We’ve got the system down pretty well right now, the five of us find a pretty central location and either sit or stand in a light (tonight it was the edge of the stage), and then we have one or two of our contacts organize the crowd so they can walk in a line right past us. Tonight we had each row in the audience come up one by one. Then we shake hands, hoping not to get too many people with really firm handshakes that crush your hand.
 
I will be the first to say that I am bad at short-term relational ministry. I’m bad at starting conversations with people I don’t know. So I really like this. I smile, maybe say a few words in passing like “Bless you” or “Thanks for coming” and I’m able to touch so many lives. I can see it in their smiles, especially the little kids, they are so thankful for attention from us, and I hope they can see the love of God in our eyes.”
 
Elise Coakley
 
Click here for more information on New Dawn and our four other International Teams. And keep an eye out for full newsletters with stories from EACH MEMBER of New Dawn, coming SOON to the Youth Encounter website!