“We are moved to Malalo into the Scherle’s house”

Mission Station house at Malalo. Fred and Edna Scherele arrived here after World War II and had to rebuild the Malalo station after being damaged by the Japanese Army.

1962, March  9 

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 so much for all the letters and thank you so much for the package. Oh how I enjoyed getting the pretty handkerchiefs, lipstick, hand lotion, address books with all the addresses and birthdays in it and the nice canning books.  Thank you ever so much. If you hear from Mrs Franze tell her we got the fruit cake and enjoyed it so much and hope to get a letter sent as I have such a nice card from her. We’ll have to see how things go. Thank Dorothy and Lois for their letters and thank Lois for the picture of Lisa. She sure is a little doll. I can imagine the turmoil Bette goes through not being able to have her all of the time.

Well we are moved to Malalo into the Scherle’s house and they have not left yet, but do so on Monday. Then once more we will be left on our own to fend for ourselves. Scherle’s have the station built up so nicely. They have provided and cleaned and have everything real nice for us. They moved into the guest bed room so that we could have their room and settle in. There is a crib here for Tommy and a bed for Paula which she fell out once last night for the first time. 

Tommy can creep now and really gets around. The first day he was out on the front steps looking around the cement stairs. He tipped over the wastebasket, crawled under the kitchen stove and went into the cupboard. Now he pulls himself up to the side of the davenport and the kitchen cart and any other thing that he can get ahold of such as my dress or the bathtub. His legs are very shaky, so he takes many tumbles. He is so shaky but so determined. He loves to walk if he can hang on to our hands. He doesn’t like to sit, so feeding him is a battle. He’s even more lively than Paula. And you really have to go some to best him. I’m afraid he’s going to be a holy terror. He’ll go up to Paula and with both fists pull her hair with all his weight. Paula usually says owie or laughs and as of yet he hasn’t gotten punished for it, but just wait. He is constantly biting my shoulders and arms when I hold him or will creep up on Paula and bite her.

We have electricity here and a good plant with 110 Volt so I can use my appliances. We carted our washing machine here and using it to wash today. We have a lovely bathroom with a nice white bathtub and shower in the wall where there is running spring water. We have a big wood stove and hardwood so baking will be fun. There is a nice refrigerator and a wash house with running water and a drain in the floor of the wash house.  I’m really living in luxury.

I have 2 house girls that Edna had, so I won’t have to break new ones in. The Congregation is building a lovely new church and a permanent one, not a bush one. There is a dispensary but they have a native doctor boy and a native nurse so I only have to handle emergencies. We have a boat so I can take them to Lae if they are too bad. There are  supplies and medicines to suture up small lacerations and medicines to deliver the babies.

The old bush dispensary at Malalo. Alvin organized a new one to be built as you will read in later letters. You can see the beginnings of it in this photo.

Education work will be a real headache. Won’t be teaching both refresher courses and supervision is so necessary. Do pray for us in taking over such a huge project as Fred and Edna have built up from scratch. Al especially will need so much strength and so much wisdom. Only we can rely upon God.  Anything can be done for his honor and glory and will last. The seed has been planted and now we have to water and nourish, trying to hold the reigns until they can go at it alone. We hope to be able to go swimming so we must unpack.

Some of the houses at Malalo Station for the teachers and workers

We love you all and love to hear from you. God’s blessings and guidance as you are missionaries at home with just as much responsibilities.

God’s blessing Al Ina, Paula and Tom

(Lois is the mother Bette who is the mother of Lisa who is baby at this time. Lois is married to Ina’s uncle Claude, Estelle’s brother. Estelle’s sister Dorothy).

Malalo view overlooking Buakap village

Photos taken from the Malalo station on the hill 500 ft above sea level. The black and white taken by the Erickson’s in 1962 and the colored photo I found on Malalo Circuit facebook in 2020.

Buakap village seen below and the village of Busemeng on the first peninsula. Looking north toward Lae.

Malalo hill from the back looking toward the ocean

Moving really wasn’t so bad, no decisions, we just took everything we brought and had everything in one pile and stuck it back in the barrels.

1962, March 29   Shortly after move to Malalo, PNG

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,

Thanks for the pictures and for the news clippings, and your letters. We surely look forward your letters. We surely hope your winter has let up a little. Were sure enjoying our sunshine and as Al says we’re still waiting for snow.

Moving really wasn’t so bad, no decisions, we just took everything we brought and had everything in one pile and stuck it back in the barrels. We have everything we packed and nearly in order. I seem to have a way of opening my mouth too big as I told Aunt Dorothy we had only one earthquake so far but now we’ve had 6. Fortunately, they have been real mild and nothing has broken but at night we put all our lamps on the floor and turn down our knic knacks. Now we’re used to them so we aren’t so scared of them we just sit and shake for a few moments and then it over.

We have been getting plenty of eggs, milk, cream and butter so I’ve been making ice cream in the refrigerator. Ohh does that taste good. Natives have been selling us watermelon so in the hot afternoon we all, including Tommy, sit down and have some cool refreshing watermelon. Tom chews away the juice like he’s real big stuff. Paula feeds herself pretty well, but she is kind of messy yet. We have a crib for Tom now and Paula sleeps OK on an army bed so why don’t you just keep the crib for us and we probably will need it when we get back. Anyway, it would be nice to have one piece of furniture to pass on to our kids. Beryl and Bruce would  be welcome to use it. Everything here belongs to the mission so even if Al makes something it stays. It would be nice to have something we can give them. I wrote a letter to Helen O and told her I thought you would be willing to help if there was anything you could do. ( mostly I imagine ). I thought maybe some of my top (mat) ? might work for Jane if she’d care to use them.

I’m real sorry to hear about Frank. I had so hoped he would be able to make a go of it. I’m sure the only thing can do is to make him get out and work. I do pray that God’s love will enfold him and  that he might have eternal life. Remember Christ died for him too. (Frank is Ina’s cousin Bette’s husband.)

I was sorry to hear Kathy L had had a baby. I am glad that Edna and Harold stood by her. It’s a good thing they were in Minneapolis. That would have been a difficult thing to live down in Carlos.

I still have to make curtains for all the rooms. Edna  Scherle left some up for me but I still have to make some of our own. Those boils I have had, finally cleared up. Al lanced all but one that wouldn’t come to a head but after 2 weeks they disappeared. Tommy and Paula have had impetigo but thank God they have cleared up. We’ve all been really well.  Al does not have any difficulty with the stomach except to keep it full.  He’s getting a small pot belly of which we are both proud. He is so tan and looks so healthy now. Tom is really getting around. He walks around the furniture, hanging of course, his little legs are so much stronger. He also walks around the railing hanging on to the railing. He has 6 teeth now and 4 almost through. He just started with mum mum mum and da da da. He loves to get on the bottom shelf of my serving cart. One day I was defrosting the refrigerator so opened the door. Paula helped her self to half of a watermelon and put it on the lower shelf of the cart. When I came sure they were both chewing away. Tommy mostly on the rind.

Paula still calls Tom ‘Tonny’ and me Ina. I work and work but still when she wants something-- its Ina. For about a week she wakes up at night and goes potty so is dry at night. I started her with no diaper at night so will have to see how that goes. Tommy was always getting into her potty so now she has to set on the seat of the big stool.

God’s blessings we love and miss you both. Ina.

Paula and Tom at Malalo