Araimiri community witness - Mary Help of Christians Parish

By Fr. Joseph Thanh, SDB

Araimiri, PNG, 18 July 2017 -- A big mission service is happening in Araimiri, parish of Mary Help of Christians during this time as we are focusing to the completion of the second chapel at Ova’a, one of the three main communities in the parish. This community has been longing for this chapel to complete. Many years ago at the beginning it was just a roof and simple wall to support the roof.

One of the main challenges to do the building works here is transportation, since there is no access road to transport materials. The community combined of nearly ten villages located in a remote area, along the sea coast. The only material available locally is the fine black sand on the shore of the sea. In order to collect a single stone and bring to the community, men and women, young and old in the community have to travel more than 15 km and with different means of transport including a long walk and carry a bag of stones on their shoulders or with a rope around the foreheads. The same way to do transporting other materials such as timber and iron sheets for many kilometers to the chapel.

Stone perhaps is just a cheap and ordinary material in most places and sometimes stone even becomes a disturbance and uncomfortable thing. However, in our situation even a single stone for the floor of the chapels of our mission is very appreciated. Each stone becomes gold to us since it's covered with much sweat, efforts and sacrifices. We need it, treasure it and value it!

Through this service of collecting stone, the community is shining out the beauty and goodness among the parishioners, a WILLINGNESS and TEAM WORK. We are convinced that to work and serve in the mission, in the parish ministry in particular, is always a ‘journey together’ with many others. No matter what the attitudes and behaviors among the people are, either positive or negative, or even sometimes more negative than positive - there is always the greatness in each person. In such a way to deal and work with people in the MHC parish is like digging for gold. In order to find an ounce of gold, tons of dirt need to be put aside because the aim is to look for gold not dirt.

I thank God always for this grace that I can see the gold in the people I am serving. It certainly becomes daily inspiration and encouragement for those who work in the mission of God. Our parish also surrounded by other Christian denominations. Therefore we use to encourage one another that we have to live our life witness in a way that others see what and wonder about it and put us questions. And we are also ready to explain to them the reasons of our faith. It is our mission. A mission within the mission. With the grace of God we will becomes his witnesses.

---

---