Milne Bay

Alotau, Papua New Guinea, the capital of the Milne Bay province, is located on the south-eastern tip of the main island. Located on the bay, it is a beautiful town with a busy harbor. People of many different language and tribal backgrounds converge there to sell their goods (often using English) and to find work. Because of its central location, Alotau serves as the base for the team's mission work. It is also a good place to live, thanks to electricity, running water, general stores, and other trappings of a modern town.

Alotau, Papua New Guinea

Hut In Rain Forest

Many tribes make their home in the Milne Bay province. Some linguists have counted thirty distinct languages within the province, while others identify as many as fifty. The province includes the southeastern tip of the mainland as well as numerous islands surrounding the tip. Almost all of the land is covered in rain forest, with small villages interspersed throughout. The villages usually have no electricity or running water, and often they maintain a cashless economy. Each village supports itself through communal gardens, gathering, fishing, and sometimes a village craft. The main staples are tubers such as sweet potato.

The people of the area have many different religious backgrounds, but one religious trait that most of them have in common is the worship and fear of spirits. They explain virtually everything that happens to them in terms of the spiritual world. They pray to their recently deceased ancestors for success in gardening, fishing, war, healing, and other endeavors. When bad things happen, they pay a diviner to tell them who cast a curse on them or what kind of spirit they have offended, and then they seek to discover a spell, charm, or potion that can remedy the situation.

Animist Hut

Woman Washing Dishes

Another religious trait that most of the people have in common is some attachment to a Christian denomination. Naturally there are different levels of knowledge and involvement, but most people are only superficially associated with Christianity. They generally do not have a complete Bible in their language, and even the residents of Alotau who speak English are often unfamiliar with the Bible. We are truly grateful for all of the good that has been done by the various denominations--most of it within the last fifty years. However, we also see a great need in Milne Bay, especially considering the common desire of the local people to learn more about the God of the Bible.