Both the Erickson’s going through tremendous adjustments as well as the New Guineans adjusting to a modern world
The following letter was written to the Rasmussen’s in Stevens Point who typed it up, copied it and distributed to the mailing list.
1962 April 12 (general letter to everyone on their mailing list)
Hi everyone,
Greetings, in the name of our Lord and savior. Jesus Christ, as we’ve rejoice in his victory over sin, death, and the devil that we might live with him forever.
We really feel like seasoned missionaries now that we know how to churn butter, roast and grind coffee, roast peanuts, pasteurize milk, shred and dry, coconut, cook, bananas, and use a woodstove for cooking.
Al is coming along very well with language and has a number of mission trips under his belt. Some of it hiking over mountain 6000 feet almost straight up. We’ve moved since our last letter to you. We hope to stay put now for a few years. We’re now coastal people instead of mountain dwellers. It’s a little bit warmer down here but with the sea breeze is it still comfortable.
We live on a 500 foot hill, the overlooks the ocean. Although the coast below are some typical South sea island villages with her grass roofed houses and beautiful coconut palms against the blue, blue Pacific. I really don’t think one could find a more beautiful place in all of the South Pacific. We can see some coral reefs from here also.
The villages are strictly residential. The natives have no businesses. Some bring their garden vegetables to Lae by boat on Friday or Saturday where there is a native market. Others bring their garden vegetables to our door for me to buy. You would think living on the ocean, fishing would be a big business with them. But as yet, they fish only for their own needs. We hope to be able to develop something along this line.
We have a trail (a super highway in New Guinea as it is 6 feet wide) that whines up a mile to the station. We have a little tractor that can really climb if the trail is dry. We get our supplies up this way. Until a year ago, everything had to be brought up on backs, like kerosene drums, flour drums, hundred pounds sack of sugar, etc. At first it took us a half hour to puff our way up but now we’ve improved to 20 minutes. When we get good, it should take us only 10 or 15 minutes. Paula even tries to walk some of it.
We have a beautiful bay for swimming, supplied with a coral reefs for us to explore. It is really fascinating blow the water as it is above. With goggles we can see many tropical fish of all sizes shapes and colors. Would you like to come and spend some vacation with us?
And back of us we have tall, majestic mountains, towering over us. Here the clouds, hang lazily around the slopes and playfully dance around the tops. For people have who never seen either mountain or ocean before we are in quite a location.
The people are so easy to like. Everyone has a friendly smile and a warm greeting. Three of the teachers here speak fluent English and my house girls understand a lot, so now we can progress with language a bit more rapidly. Pidjin English is spoken by the majority of men and now we can use that a little so we are getting along pretty well. However, the phrases we still use the most are “ me no savy”. (a as in father.) which is Pidgin , and. “ I guy-um cou” Jabem but for I don’t understand.
The natives have a wireless radio that they use for communication. We can hear it even up here. - a hollowed out log. They beat on this to carry messages from village to village.
The children have adjusted quite well. Paula has started to copy some of the native ways as well as words. She likes to carry her dolly and a string bag hanging from her head like they do. Yesterday she decided she would be carried in one so my house girls carried around-was she ever in her glory.
Speaking of housegirls, I’ll have to tell you a funny story. I made some apple crisp.”Kai-kai behind”. I asked one of them to put some ice cream I had made in the refrigerator on it before she brought it to the table. She came in with an ice cube balance carefully on each serving
One fat jolly Tommy is no longer content to watch as the world goes by. He joins in – emptying cupboards, and waste baskets, climbing, climbing, climbing, and defending himself against his big sister, by grabbing two fist full of hair with an occasional bite thrown in some good measure.
This photo was mislabeled by Estelle. This is the early housegirls at Malalo not Gurakor. Tom is too old for Gurakor here and this is a building at Malalo
Our congregation here is a little more advanced than it so our chief function will be to train natives to take over. The congregation is building a big permanent church and a permanent dispensary. They also have built a sawmill which is still in its infant hood but growing so they are quite industrious.
The New Guinea people are going through some tremendous turmoil. They are a very religious people, so Christianity has been important every aspect of their lives, but now, as there are things to buy and money to buy with, and some of them find employment and outside, interest that conflict with what they feel is important as a Christian, many are going through a lot of struggle. They must now do a lot of thinking. Pray that as they progress, Christ may rain supreme here and at home
Sincerely in Christ, Al, Ina Paula, and Tom.
Paula and Tom at a costal village circa 1963
Small tractor Trak Grip for hauling up and down the Malalo hill.