Papua New Guinea —
Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’” Luke 18:16
With its jutting mountains and sharp, dropping cliffs, Papua New Guinea is as rugged as the lifestyle of the people occupying it. Though naturally very loving and tenderhearted, these people are tough survivors in a harsh and merciless environment. Torrential rains, relentless sun, pestilent pigs that root up gardens, and the theft culture make existing off their food gardens a great challenge.
Children are at times an overwhelming burden—a straw that breaks the camel’s back. As ABWE missionaries here for the past 18 years, my husband and I have seen babies murdered at birth; their tiny little bodies thrown into the bush or carried downstream in the river near our home. Some have been left to die alone or be eaten by animals in the rainforest. But some God has allowed us to rescue.
One such baby, named Deborah, was thrown away at the town dump. Her body was so covered in scabies that I could not let my children hold her for fear that this skin parasite would infect them as well. Through loving care, God restored her and gave her a loving Christian home.
We have taken in several babies who were abandoned at birth. Some were orphaned by their mothers’ death; the maternal mortality rate here is one of the highest in the world. Some mothers are unable or unwilling to care for their babies due to tribal fighting. And some babies are too sick to live in the village or are simply unwanted. Each of their stories offers unique opportunities for us to show love to the hurting around us. We have seen God use these little lives to open doors for the gospel message in the villages from where they come or go. What greater way could there be to demonstrate God’s love than to sacrificially love and care for these helpless children until they can survive on solid food in the villages that are willing to take them in? The people here know the financial and personal expense of caring for an infant, and they see the love of Christ as we welcome and work with the adoptive families. In every case, we have seen at least one parent trust in Christ over the months that we cared for their babies. Even after these families leave, we share a very real and intense bond. That means that as they return, we have more opportunities to share Christ.
Assisting these innocent babies has been the most rewarding and painful ministry experience of our lives. But we find true joy in the amazing spiritual fruit that God has supplied through this unique ministry. Loving the least of these has opened many hearts, not only to us, but to the gospel message. Many have been saved, Bible studies have been started, and now a growing church has been established—one baby at a time.
Editors Note: Bill and Lori’s ministry has not been all goodbyes. Despite the difficult international adoption policies of Papua New Guinea, the Smiths were able to adopt one of the abandoned children they took in during their ministry.
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Papua New Guinea
