Return to Carterets

All Ready to Go!

After five months of “waiting”, two members of the NRV team, Donald and Zainol have made their return to the Carterets islands.

Adam sending off his dad, Zainol

They arrived safely to Buka, Bougainville on Saturday 24 July 2010. Tomorrow they leave for the Carteret Islands. This is exciting. We are finally returning to continue the next phase of Project Live-fish.

In these months of “waiting”, God has been doing a quiet work of preparing the people called to this project. What is clear is that His glory is revealed in our weakness. A pastor defined ‘weakness’ as simply admitting that anything we do is inadequate. But he added that our inadequacy is God’s opportunity.

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are grateful that He has called us to be His co-partners in this amazing project. Indeed we testify that we may have been hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

See You At The Islands

Donald and Zainol's flight to PNG, Thurs 22 July 2010

For we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

So keep trusting Him and don’t give up! In His Time He makes all things beautiful.

Let us celebrate our victory in Christ! And through faith and patience we will inherit His Promises!

New Britain Island, PNG, Hit By Another Quake

Papua New Guinea which had been hit by two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.3 and 6.9 on Sunday 18 July (13:35 GMT) has again been hit by another earthquake at the same area on July 21, Wednesday.

U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck at 5:18 am local time, 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of Kandrian on New Britain Island at a depth of 35.9 km (22.3). This is considered to be an aftershock to the two other earthquakes. It was reported by Reuters that a pair of earthquakes measuring 5.8 and 5.1, also struck southern Iran hours after.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that, based on historical data, there was no immediate threat of a widespread destructive tsunami. However USGS said in its website that aftershocks can continue over a period of weeks, months or years. Papua New Guinea sits on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

Language Map of Bougainville, PNG

Language Maps of Papua New Guinea, Courtesy of Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.

The Carteret Islands inhabitants are a Halia-speaking community

Wikipedia:
Politically, Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 (2000 census). It includes the adjacent island of Buka, and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets. (The nation of the Solomon Islands is a separate state.)

Geographically and ecologically, Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago in Melanesia. It is part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion.

Geography
Location Melanesia
Coordinates 6°00′S 155°00′E / 6°S 155°E / -6; 155
Archipelago Solomon Islands
Area 9,318 km2 (3,597.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation 2,715 m (8,907 ft)
Highest point Mount Balbi
Country
Papua New Guinea
Province
Bougainville Province
Demographics
Population 175,160 (as of 2000)
Density 18.80 /km2 (48.69 /sq mi)

Two Earthquakes Hit Papua New Guinea

Radio New Zealand News reported two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.1 that occurred in Papua New Guinea on Sunday, 19 July 2010.

The earthquake agency in Indonesia issued a tsumani warning after the second quake, of magnitude 7.1, was recorded 537km northeast of Port Moresby, at a depth of 26km. The tsunami warning has now been lifted.

The first, deeper earthquake, measured by the US Geological Service at magnitude 7.2, occurred 117km east of Kandrian on New Britain island. PNG Emergency Services say the quakes were felt in the port town of Kimbe on New Britain but no damage has been reported. (Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand).

Some members of our Project Team leaves this week for Port Moresby en route to Bougainville. On the ground, our local partners reported strong winds and rains. We look forward to returning back to the islands very soon and going into the next phase of the operations in partnership with the people.