I woke up before sunrise. The day was going to be very busy! Conrad Vine, AFM President, would soon be arriving, and I needed to get the house ready.
I began with quiet time, dedicating myself and my actions to God for the day and asking for strength and wisdom for myself, Orion, Steve Erickson and Conrad, who I knew were already on their journey to our village home.
Ping! I received a message from a member of the AFM prayer team: “I just wanted to let you know that you were covered in special prayer this morning. A brother from a creative access country was burdened by the dangers you face in the form of river travel and crocodiles.”
I was humbled. In PNG, we can be open about our work and direct in our ministry. I prayed that God would bless my brother with the challenges he faces in a location where it is difficult to share the gospel.
As I walked into the kitchen, I smelled something. A rat? Curious, I stood on tiptoe to look behind my gas kitchen stove, where the scent seemed to be originating.
No! It was a snake! I couldn’t tell how long it was, as only one loop was sticking out from under the oven. But that loop was as large as my arm and a rich brown color.
I instantly sensed that my feet were way too close, even with the front panel of the stove as a barrier. Hurrying to the next room, I thought through my options. I needed help.
The clinic is next door. I knew several inpatients had family members nearby to take care of them, so I grabbed a flashlight and hurried over.
“Good morning!” I said.
“Good morning,” replied the woman sitting on the clinic’s porch. “What is wrong?” she asked, sensing my distress.
“There is a snake in my kitchen! I need some people to come help me.” Immediately, she called to several people who were resting under a tree nearby.
Soon, I had five men and a woman in my house, carefully peering behind my stove and refrigerator and evaluating the best method and tools for helping me. They moved a small table out of the kitchen and asked for my machete. “Do you have any fishing spears?” The sharpened metal barbs attached to the end of an arrow would allow them to catch and hold the snake. Alas, I didn’t have any. (All these items they had in their homes a quarter mile or more away, but they are generally not required when attending to patient care, so they left them behind.)
Once they were ready, they moved the stove. The snake immediately but unsuccessfully tried to escape.
I took pictures and thanked my friends by giving them some food to prepare breakfast before they took the now lifeless snake out to show it to the people waiting at the clinic. I then did some research on the specimen, an amethystine python. They typically grow to just over eight feet long, eat small mammals, and avoid human contact, although they often live near humans to easily find rodents. This one was fully mature.
While I had worked on identifying the snake, I got some messages from Orion. A small bridge had washed out just ahead of them, and they were the second vehicle on the scene. It was just light enough for their driver to see the gap in the roadway and stop safely. As they got out and assessed the situation, they saw a solid cement structure they could walk across. Very soon, a vehicle arrived from the other side, and they were able to continue their journey to the river. The rest of their journey was without incident.
By the time my guests arrived, I had finished housework and prepared a tasty evening meal.
I recognized the work of the Holy Spirit, influencing my brother in the creative access country to pray for Orion and me and the dangers we face. I believe these incidents, occurring on a critical day in Conrad’s visit, were a direct spiritual attack.
Thank you to our prayer warriors. The dangers here are real, both from the physical and spiritual worlds.
