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A roadside village scene on the way to Lufa

Visit to Lufa, EHP

Uploaded 21 January 2008

• There are many more photos from our Lufa trip!
• Be sure to view video clips from our visit!

13 January 2008

We went to Lufa because I had heard from the Pastor, Bro Abraham Kotogopa, of the amazing things that had occured there just two weeks previous (see Bro Abraham's account of the Miracles at Lufa). I wanted to go there to confirm the reports and to photograph the three notable miracles.

We headed off to Lufa, about two hours away from our home at Goroka, on a cold and rainy Sunday morning. Fortunately the road to Lufa is vastly improved, making the journey quite a pleasant drive through beautiful mountainous countryside, not treacherous like it used to be.

Lufa is a Government Station at the base of Mount Michael, the second-highest mountain in the Eastern Highlands. As we approached, dozens of church members gathered around the car to welcome us and bring us to the church. Apparently it was their first visit by a missionary ever, and they were very excited to have us come. Some brothers scooped Timothy up upon their shoulders, and kids and adults of all ages surrounded us as we walked the half kilometre to the church building down a slippery mud road. To our surprise, none of us fell over, except Timothy, about 10 feet from the church door, during the welcoming ceremony. Needless to say, he was quite embarrassed in a typical Timothy sort of way, but fortunately only for about 5 seconds.

Lufa, below the imposing backdrop of Mt Michael

We had a beautiful service. It was lovely to hear the way these village people worshipped and sang, having so little in the world except for their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The presence of the Lord was felt amidst joy and singing, and it was a blessing to experience the simplicity of faith and worship, free from the cares of modern life, unencumbered by praise programs, sound systems, or worship professionalism; just a simple heartfelt desire for God that was an absolute delight to experience. The children, even three year-olds, sang at the top of their lungs, and I felt again the reason for Christ's heart toward the pikinini's (children). It seemed as if they were sitting on the knee of the Saviour, and he was saying "Except ye become as a little pikinini..."

We all sang as a family "Out of His Great Love", and "Jesus is Mine". Timothy had a little 'humbug' session during it, pulling faces and flopping all over his mother, which everybody (except Andrea and I) thought was great. I preached on 'The Name Above All Names', and the people's hearts received every word with hunger.

I won't go into the detail of the miracles that occured there two weeks previous, as they are fully described in Pastor Abraham's report (it is amazing; be sure to read it). But afterwards I did meet the blind woman, sick man, and Bro Abraham's son who rose from the dead and took their photo.

As we fellowshipped under the imposing backdrop of Mount Michael, and looking the other direction over the border to the distinctive mountains of Chuave, Chimbu Province, I was reminded that, nestled in the misty mountains of Papua New Guinea, there is a group of people upon whom His Name is called; the family of God near the ends of the earth.

• There are many more photos from our Lufa trip. Be sure to view them!
• Be sure to view video clips from our visit!

- Richard Carver (Jnr)

Laura makes some friends	The church members at Lufa