I am so anxious to hear how little Danny is doing.

Beryl and Bruce Westphal in 1961, Ina’s sister

1962 October 1

Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA 

Dear mom, dad, Willa, Martin and kids,
I listened to your tape last night. It was truly wonderful to hear you all. Jennifer can talk so well. It’s so precious to hear each of the kids. I am so anxious to hear how little Danny is doing. It sure hurts to have to have their wonderful expectation be hurt, anxiety and disappointment, however I’m glad that little Danny could come to parents that will love him, baptize him and care for him as long as he lives. I’m sure they will find that they will grow closer to each other and God through Little Danny. He may very well be an ‘angel unaware’ and grow stronger in spirit for a physical handicap. I truly believe Beryl and Bruce with God’s help, strength and love can make their tragedy work for the honor and glory of God. I’m sure happy you all went down. It helps so much to have such support and assurance that everyone cares and is hurt as much as they.1
Willa do you know how much research has been done on that contraceptive pill that was making Beryl so miserable? Is there any other medication that she has taken? I don’t see how it could have been the Rh factor with her first baby.
I don’t actually know how cold it gets here during rainy season. But most nights I put flannel pajamas on the kids plus Dorothy‘s blankets and we had a blanket spread and flannel nightgowns and pajamas. During the morning I often had Paula in her corduroy coveralls. I have Tommy and long pants and a T-shirt. I am in a sweater and Al wears a long shirt and pants. We have no way of heating the house or even closing out the wind. We have louvered windows and they have rusted so we can’t close them. A few suggestions for Christmas. Suspenders especially for Tommy and Paula could use a pair too. Some plastic pants for nighttime, medium or fairly large. Picture puzzles like the big ones for when we have company and easy ones for the kids, Chinese checkers and Al could use a ballpoint that doesn’t leak,-we can buy unretractable ones for about a quarter and he has big spots on every one of his shirts. I have seen refills so I don’t know what kind to suggest. We got one of Al’s dad’s by mistake if you could find a refill for a shield brown. I can use size 36 A bra. I can get Jell-O pudding, the chocolate candy was pretty well melted, but cake and frosting mixes are ever a luxury. We have a child craft set but a few picture books for Paula and Tom are nice. Paula has enough dolls for now and this year they don’t really need clothes. These are only suggestions to choose from if you want. I’m not asking you to send them. I’m happy to hear Willa is active on politics. Hope you can get some of the Kennedys out and Richard Nixon in. He still my favorite and I hope he can win in California. I think he is a much too valuable man to cast aside, even if none of you like him.
I’m anxious to hear how Keith and Elsie and the kids all fair, more tragedy. Poor Bette. I really don’t feel too badly about a second baby but I do hope she ends up with a supportive husband. Claude, Lois and Betty all love children though it will be hard, two will be better than one. Please pray for God’s love and change Frank’s heart.
Thanks much for all your greetings on the tape and four letters.
Love Al, Ina Paula and Tom

Bruce with Danny in 1964.

1 Danny was born to Beryl and Bruce without a leg and problems with his spine.

1962 October 3 to Beryl
Letters from Papua New Guinea.

Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Beryl and Bruce 2314 So 7th St. Minneapolis 6, Minnesota, USA

Dear Beryl, Bruce and Danny,
According to a letter from Willa, you should have Danny home by now. I surely hope and pray that all goes well. It was really strange with both Paula and Tommy, but I can’t say that I actually loved either one of them until after I got them home and their little personalities began developing. I’m sure each time you change his pants you’ll feel an ache and wonder why my baby? I’d like you to read John 9:1-4. That’s been ringing in my head ever since Danny was born.
Since we have come to New Guinea, Al’s pastor at Glendive, Reverend James Hansen has really and truly been visited by the Holy Spirit and has received the gift of healing. Al’s mother has mentioned various people that have had diseases cured and hearing restored. I know that in Episcopal churches they have healing services. I don’t want to sound like a religious fanatic. But I do believe Christ can heal, now as he and his disciples did in Bible times. Do pray for God‘s guidance and remember he has promised to give us what we ask. Ask and it shall be given onto you.
Paula can say baby Danny very clearly and unkie Bruce but she can’t say auntie but gets Bura out. I thought it was you on the tape and after listening to it again I realized it was Willa. We’re looking forward to hearing from  both of you. Helen O said that the pictures you and Bruce took at Caroline‘s wedding were so good. Maybe you could slip one on a slide. We’d like a picture of Danny too. I can imagine it’s awfully lonesome in Minneapolis without Willa around. I used to rely upon them to ?? all the time.
Bruce is it good to be back to the books or not? I would imagine it might be a little hard to get back into the groove of studying again.

October 6, 1962 today the village at the bottom of our hill, Buakup, opens their trade store. It’s the first business place. They will sell everything the people need from pots and pans and lanterns to food, bread which is fresh once a week, tinned meats and fish, dresses, laptops which are loinclothes that the men wear, (The ladies only wear them as slips).
They are having a church service and then a feast in which they bought a calf from us for the occasion. And that gives us about 20 pounds of meat for us to fix for the feast.

We love you and pray for you for strength and courage.
Love Al, Ina, Paula and Tommy

1962 October 7 to Beryl
Letters from Papua New Guinea.

Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Beryl and Bruce 2314 So 7th St. Minneapolis 6, Minnesota, USA

Dear Bruce, Beryl and Danny,
When you get this letter, Danny should soon be a month old. I hope he continues to gain weight. At first it’s hard to love a baby, but as they fill out and their personality develops they begin to grow into your hearts. When are you able to take him home? I guess he would be on at least a three hour feeding schedule, which means a little sleep for poor mommy. Does he eat well? What formula is he on? Is he fussy? Has his wound healed well? I’m so anxious to hear all about him. It’s so hard to understand why tragedies have to happen, especially to us. Unfortunately sin came into the world, so we have to live with our sorrows. I hope you don’t feel guilty or feel you’re being punished for something. These things just happen. God loves us and doesn’t like to see us sad. He promises to give us strength to endure trials, lean upon him each day. Danny is fortunate to indeed to have such sunny parents, with so much love. And as you see your personality is developing in him you can really feel proud. We love you and pray constantly for you. If there’s anything I can do tell me.
Yesterday we had a trade store opening in Buakup. They killed a calf and set some meat up for me to cook as we would like it. I browned it and put it in the pressure cooker for two hours on Friday. And Saturday I left it in a slow oven from 8 AM to 2 PM. When I cut it. It seemed real nice. So I sliced enough for us Phyllis and another couple and wrapped it to keep it warm.
They brought us some poloumb which is a bread that they make out of ground tapioca (Sago) and coconut cream, they mix it, put it in a pan, Cover it with leaves and then put hot rocks all around it and bake it. It’s so rich you can only eat one slice and they brought us two big cakes of it, about the size of an angel food cake tin.

Preparing Sago to cook

They also fixed us some taro which is like a dry potato with sugar on it. A little less than delicious, but edible. Then I brought out our meat, and it was so tough I could not hardly eat it with a steak knife, not too embarrassing after they brought it to me to cook as we like it. We brought some of the poloumb home, it’s real good with butter and in small quantities.
I am afraid we didn’t do much justice to their food. I think I probably could have eaten more if I hadn’t drank so much green coconut milk. But by the time we got down the hill we were so thirsty. I just drank so much of the juice. Paula and Tommy only eat coconuts. Paula loves tipping up a coconut and drinking like the natives do. They are so bashful with white people, but very much at home with the natives even strangers.

Read James first again.
Love and prayers Ina

Eating Taro

"This is how we make sago. The men chop the sago palms down and they beat the meat of the stem into pulp. We get the pulpy mass and we place it on this filtration frame here. This is where we add water and we squeeze out the good bits, where it collects at the bottom of the dish.” From FB page Humans of Papua New Guinea