It was another sunny, hot and humid afternoon. I was sitting at my desk typing out the next lesson for our Bible class a few days later. The small breeze from my battery-powered fan provided only slight relief from the stifling heat. Needing a break, I leaned back in my chair to stretch as I gazed out the window at the bamboo thickets. Just then, I heard a knock at the front door. Opening the door, I found Ipila, the husband of one of our church members, standing on our front porch.
Ipila met and married his non-Gogodala wife Linna while they were living in Port Moresby. They both worked for the government in the lands department. Tiring of city life, they decided to raise their three boys in the country. They moved to Western Province, back to Ipila’s childhood home—our village of Kewa.
Linna is a Seventh-day Adventist, and her quiet witness spoke loudly to Ipila. By Gogodala standards, Ipila is well-educated and comes from a well-educated family. Two of his brothers became leaders of religious organizations that have had large impacts on the Gogodala tribe. Ipila often attended church services with his wife at our house in Kewa, but his involvement with our church was limited.
The day he showed up at my door was a turning point in his life. He had come to ask a favor of me, but in the course of our conversation that afternoon I invited him to join our Bible class. “I’ll come,” he said with a smile and a nod. Ever since then, he has faithfully participated in the class studies. With his skill at reading, he happily assists other students in the class who read poorly.
Ipila and Linna have helped us put up guests who come from outside our village to help with church work. We had some theology students from Pacific Adventist University come to our village last year to do their practicum, and Ipila and Linna happily gave them a place to stay. This proved to be a blessing to Ipila as well. In the evenings at the end of the day’s work, the theology students and Ipila would get into discussions about the Bible. Ipila’s understanding and admiration for Jesus grew. Bonds of friendship were forged between Ipila and these godly students.
Ipila seems always ready and willing to help. In his quiet, humble way, he is responding to God’s call.
