On Friday we went to see the ‘Lae show’.

1962 April 4 (Wednesday)

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

Dear mom and dad,

Thank you for your faithful letters. We surely look forward to them. On Friday we went to see the ‘Lae show’. The natives and Europeans have exhibits of their produce. It is to show progress and one another of doing things. Then the natives have their sing- sings which they dance and beat their drums for days. The dress- or should I say- undress- in their native leaves and vines and grass skirts with elaborate headdresses of feathers. The show was also on Saturday but since we don’t run our boat on Sunday we had to miss half of the day. The having to drag the kids around I was glad to go home. The sea was rather rough so I fed my supper to the fish. What a good sailor I am.

Lae Show

On Monday we went by boat along the coast about 4 hours south to have a look at the sawmill that our congregation runs. It started to rain and started blowing after we got going. I got the kids to sleep then I started feeling nauseous. I had to hang my head over the boat so I got really drenched. Al got pretty green but he was able to keep his breakfast down. I’m sure it was determination to not throw up in front of all the church elders that were with us.

We had to spend the night with them. It was fun watching the surf rolling with such a roar. It would be lovely surfboarding except there are sharks lurking around in these waters. Tuesday was a beautiful sunshiny day so we could really see what the country was like coming back. We saw school of porpoises then 4 of them swam in the front of the boat playing with each other diving. It was so fascinating watching these huge fish playing in swimming so fast they had such long graceful big like noses and Tommy even enjoyed watching them. Today neither Al nor I were up to par. I guess we will just have to get used to it.

Thursday.

Well, after a good night’s sleep we all feel better.  Tommy gets around on his hands and knees now instead of sliding around on his tummy. He chatters and chatter mum mm or da da   and imitates Paula’s squeals. He and Paula have such fun together. Al will make his first missionary trip since we’ve been stationed at Malalo next Tuesday. He will be gone about 10 days or 2 weeks. This weekend he has to go to Lae for conference. We have a novice captain on our boat that will stay around all of the time. So we can get our supplies even when Al is gone.

Recently I sent  some black and white negatives last week of the 3 native girls that are the house girls at Gurako. Elizabeth is holding Tommy, Susan is with Paula and Pelip is standing alone. Susan is the one Paula loved and still talks about. In the picture of Paula, you can see our Land Rover and the other picture of Paula is in front of our wash house. Tommy is on the front steps of our veranda. Our dogs Victor and Wolf are in the same of the pictures. We don’t have the dogs here at Malalo. I also sent some slides but not too many turned out from our trip. There are a few at Gurako. When you’ve all seen them would you send them on to Al’s mother.  I think from now on we will just send the underdeveloped rolls of film to you. The service here is so poor and they have to send nearly everything to Australia.

Poor Bette. I hope Frank will eventually settle down,- he needs love so badly and  it’s too bad he couldn’t accept Bette’s love. I continue to pray that God’s love will fill his heart.

We love and miss you both. I hope dad is better period thanks again for your letter. Say - if you send a package, could you send a couple of white rubber scrapers. They have such brittle plastic ones that melt in anything warm.

God’s blessing Al Ina, Paula and Tom

1962 April 9

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

Dear Beryl and Bruce,

Oh thank you for the PDR. Arrived in good condition and I’ve used it quite a bit already. I do hope you’re still feeling well. The worst should be over. I sure wish I left it more of the kids clothes home oh well we will probably use them later.  Al is bent on a larger family. (Note: Beryl is pregnant with Dan)

The captain of our boat takes it anywhere and they fish from behind. Monday they caught 2 big fish and brought us some- it was so good.  (Note: Metegemeng the captain of the boat Victor.)

Paula has started to copy some of the natives. She likes to carry her doll in a string bag, the bilum,  on her like the natives do. My house girls laugh and laugh at her so she does it all the more. Today she decided she wanted to be carried in a bilum and the girls have been lugging her around. It seems as someone here always has diarrhea. Al was having problems when he got better, Paula had it. Now she’s better and Tom had it. Fortunately it doesn’t seem to last long. Things are little quiet without Al but he’ll be back a week from today. 

House girls with bilums carried on their heads. Presumably they are carrying Tom and Paula here as the title indicates.

I made a duster (maternity duster) and missed the boat when it took Al to Lae so it will be weeks before one of us will get back to Lae. We can’t mail any packages unless we going to Lae and mail them ourselves. We can send letters with Metegemeng, our boat captain, and he can mail them for us. Today I burned some insecticide that is supposed to help keep the house free of cockroaches, ants, spiders and other pests for 6 months period I haven’t seen any ants since so I hope it works. The house was literally crawling with them.

Paula’s favorite word is eat. All day long she either has her bottle or she’s looking for some food. She sure doesn’t get very fat except for a big belly.

How is Bette getting along? And Jamie? How did Caroline feel about Jaime getting married? What year is Caroline at Fairview? How do you feel?

Our little tractor has been broken down for awhile so we have to walk up and down the Malalo Hill now -poor us. I’m reading Robert Kennedy’s book Enemy Within. It is really shocking that such corruption could be going on in the good old USA.

God’s blessings during this Lenten season. Alvin preached a Lenten service in English through a translator.

God’s blessing Al Ina, Paula and Tom

There is no dock so everything is loaded on canoes and hauled back and forth to the boat such as the Victor.

Metegameng, our Victor captain which means Gospel came.

Metegemeng. He came from the village of Logui. He is with is family. Sons Rueban to his right and Micheal in red were constant playmates of Paula and Tom.