Oro Province

Oro Province (Nov 2007)
A Message from Archbishop James Ayong,
Primate of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea

A belated acknowledgement of the situation in Popondota Diocese. I received the news about the disaster which hit Popondota Diocese, during my Diocesan Synod, so we ended the Synod three days earlier to the actual closing day.

The immediate reaction was to send our Provincial Health Secretary to the Provincial Office in Lae to set up a base in Lae to co-ordinate collection of what we can collect from Anglicans in Lae and from the people and the Morobe Provincial Government, and from other organisations to put together with what the Church can purchase in way of Food and Clothing and to have these shipped by the Lutheran Shipping to Gona. The boat has left for Gona.

I appeal to the Five Anglican Dioceses in the Province and to the people of Papua New Guinea to work around clock to do what we can to help the homeless and those who have lost food gardens and relatives. I remind us all, Christians, that at times like this we need to stand together as "One people of One Country" and allow God to give his blessings to those who are in need throughour combined effort of love and care. This is not the first time that our Nation has gone through such disaster. We have stood together with our Provincial Governments and our National Government in previous situations as this present one, which affects the livelihood of our fellow Oro Province people.

From the latest reporting I have realised that the scale of the damages and losses are large, but nothing so large and impossible for God to put right. We pray that as we stand together God will make the impossible possible.

I thank you all for your combined effort; ABM-A has made its presence noticed and felt among us by sending its representative, Brad Chapman to monitor and to co-ordinate the situation from Pop and so is the Church in UK, New Zealand, Canada and friends within the Pacific.

We, the nationals are taking the lead in this situation, Diocesan Offices, other than Popondota, must send out circulars of appeal to all the parishes.

I appeal to all of you for your prayer and for effort in kind

May God our source of life bless you all.

++ James Ayong

 

 

For more information about the disastrous Cyclone in Oro Province:
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/pngcpluxton/ and http://www.popondota.anglican.org/