The Fly River is one of the three longest rivers in Papua New Guinea and is the biggest in terms of its volume discharge into the Gulf of Papua. From the rangers of the Star Mountains to its mouth, it runs the 1060 km length of the Western Province supplying the both sides of the banks with all sorts of marine life and the natural habitat of wild life.

Its natural down stream flow and its upstream current powered by tides sets the timing for all movement in its 76,000 km² basin.

The OK Tedi mine operation upstream has contributed to vast sediments build up making it a challenge to travel by river. All movement is tied to the tide and so timing to do anything is very important.

Our first crossing of the Fly after we landed at Tapila airstrip was around midday to Kawiyapo Local Church where we would be for two weeks. This training held at Kawiyapo is a result of 2019 participants wanting more training and new participants discovering that such a training was available in a remote location.

Some of these pastors brought along their laptops for the Kawiyapo training thus freeing up our training laptops to be used by more participants.

This second training indicates the need for more training for the ECPNG pastors and ministry leaders. The timing for ECPNG as a Church to receive basic computer skills for ministry was the result of ECPNG’s Ministry Coordinator, Rev. Dacky Wakili attending the Connect Conference held at CLTC Banz Campus in 2018.

It is all the Lord’s timing to connect churches and organizations for ministry. After the all the communication and confirmation is finalized, the last factor that determines the actual delivery of the basic computer training is the tide.

The high tide fills up the little waterways that are actual inlets into communities which makes it easy to travel by canoe and dinghy.

Some of the original banks of the Fly River is

all taken up by sediments which became new ground over a period of time. Even river boats that bring store goods and building materials follow the rules of the tide.

In terms of ministry, the tide is good for movement in the Middle and South Fly districts of Western Province. We look forward to using the “high tide” that the Lord has given us to bring help, hope and healing to the pastors and ministry leaders of Wasua District.

The canoe is the vital form of transport that took the Gospel of Christ in all the parts of the Western Province when the first missionaries

came and continues to bring services to the remote parts of the province with the tide as the X factor for logistical planning in movement to get work done.

We thank the Lord for the opportunity to equip the pastors and ministry leaders at the ECPNG church with a challenge to preach the truth of the Gospel in the Western Province.