Malalo is one of the most advanced places in our mission and therefore has quite different problems and challenges than many of our newer stations in the Highlands.

1962  April 20 Good Friday

Written by Alvin Erickson form Malalo station to Gertrude and Lawrence Rasmussen, 112 Jefferson, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA

Dear Gertrude and Lawrence,

Thank you for your very nice letter it was good to hear that you were able to take a nice vacation and have a chance to see your kids and their kids again. We have appreciated the continuing interest of Stevens Point people in us. It is a place which we have a special place in our hearts because of the many wonderful people we met and no. It is really the only place my wife and I have in common. So when we get a letter from Stevens Point, we can both take a real interest in it.

We really upset the apple cart as far as work is concerned and there are again strange faces and places and problems which we want to adjust to as quickly as possible. When I was in a trip in the mountains, I started to write one of our letters to be sent out, but unbeknownst to me, Ina wrote a letter at the same time and she sent it before I got back.  However, I’m sure she is given a good picture of our new work and we would appreciate you’re sending it out again. Although we are writing many personal letters, this is one way of assuring ourselves at all our friends and interested people are up on the general bearing of our work.

Malalo is one of the most advanced places in our mission and therefore has quite different problems and challenges than many of our newer stations in the Highlands. It is not a very good place to develop a martyr complex since the scenery is breathtaking, the weather has treated us good, and the natives have learned a little about being courteous. Broadly speaking, we hope these people will be completely under their own leadership in the next 20 years. That at least means politically and in the church. I think it will be quite a bit longer before the native people will be able to run their own schools and their own economy. New Guinea face is great problems. It has no rich resources yet found which can lift at the economic level and its people are almost totally unskilled to do anything but gardening which usually only meets their own needs. Right now, the great task of breaking down the great language barrier is being faced and English is being taught in most of the schools. For many, learning English and Arithmetic is the full extent of their education.

View from Malalo hill. Buakup is the village at the base of Malalo hill and Busameng, a large village is at the tip of the penninsula seen on the left. This view is looking toward Lae.

Many of the people are too poor to really get going on their own. that is one of the reasons we have asked the Vacation Bible school at Trinity to sponsor project of helping us acquire fishing net. Not only would it be a very great resource of food for two of our mission schools in the area, it would also be a start in the right direction for all of our people along the coast. Not one village near us owns a fishing net when actually this should be a main source of income for the people. If acquired, we believe very definitely it will help the people help themselves which is not always the case with overseas money.

May 3

We had a letter from Clara Habermann which we hope to answer later period she asked us about shipping the colors and books from the Sunday school period we would suggest they be shipped as educational materials and not be  sent by airmail. I think they best be packed in a strongbox and shipped by slow freight or a trucking service and sent on a boat. It doesn’t really matter if we wait a few months for them to arrive. The number one virtue of New Guineans is patience. They have developed the habit of waiting to the maximum. Would you please contact Clara and tell her this?

You also asked about records. We have received some long playing records and they have all arrived in good shape however sent. One package of 3 was wrapped in is cardboard box is specially made for records and it has arrived in good shape. Montgomery wards has a special Department for mailing overseas and I’m sure they would do a very good job. Slides, I would put in a box just big enough for them and send them by regular mail. It is so good to have people like yourselves interested in our needs and going far out of your way to help us. We have felt with increase joy the wonderful uplifting power of such support and truly say are people have not forgotten us. Rather we feel we are truly representing a concern church.

As we watch these people moving rapidly through a tremendous transition, we are more aware of the fact that it will only be the power of God in His Gospel that will keep these people within his family. We see our challenge here as mainly is it gospel be preached and taught with godly fear and conviction. Our work will mainly be with the leaders, pastors, and teachers who alone are able to bring this about. We would like to drop in on you one of these nights, show you are two healthy kids and have a chat. We might even have a game of scrabble. On the other hand, we would like you over here also.

We have a saw mill that the congregation owns with an Australian man as the operator. It is kind of an impossible venture and I’ve often told my wife that one of the only man I know who could make it stand on its own is Lawrence.

May the grace of Christ lead us constantly into that piece which he has already won.

Sincerely,

Al Ina, Paula and Tommy

Please give our best to the whole Holtan’s and congratulate them on their second boy.

 The Erickson’s were one of the few missionaries whose circuit of 90 villages included both the mountain villages and the costal villages. Alvin was responsible to get to approx 60 of them annually.

Busameng village

The Malalo Circuit included the costal villages and 3 distinct mountain groups which included multiple villages within each area. 1. The Buangs, 2. The Hotec area (the c is silent) and 3. the Kaiwa tribes. This was the only mission circuit that included both coastal and mountain villages.