High in the mountains South West of Goroka in
Papua New Guinea lies the
isolated village of Ko Ko. A little distance
beyond it at Omena, stands a
small bush material church. For some years the
mission did not had the funds
to employ a trained pastor to lead the
congregations at Omena and neighboring
Wamenagu. The church members have struggled in
their isolation against
spiritualism and discouragement without a
trained shepherd to lead them.
Sadly many had apostatized and gone back to the
old ways. Concerned about
this situation Pr. Jessley Faragasso President
of the Eastern Highlands Simbu
Mission of the Seventh –day Adventist Church,
approached us and asked if we
could sponsor a lay missionary to go to this
area to be used of God to bring
about revival and reformation in the life of
the church.
Steven Bernard is the energetic and dedicated
young missionary Pr. Jessely
selected for the job.
Soon he and his young family were earnestly
working to revitalize the church
and bring back those who had stopped coming
along. Roofing iron was needed to
complete their church building. The cost of
this was sponsored by mission
supporters in Australia. It really gave the
people a lift just to know that
some one cared about their needs and was
willing to help them.
Steven began visiting around in the area and
noticed that we did not have a
church over at Ko ko. As he spent time with the
people there, he found several
people who were interested in getting to know
Jesus but there was also
opposition. The old ways die hard and for many
the coming of the gospel was
an unwelcome intrusion into their lives.
Steven decided to go ahead anyway and run a
crusade at Ko Ko. So he mobilized
the church for action. Supported by Jon one of
the elders of the Omena
church, Steven began preaching the gospel at
night and visiting in peoples
homes and praying with them during the day.
Anywhere the gospel is fearlessly
preached there are normally staunch supporters
of it and strong opponents
too. Ko Ko was no exception.
The sun shone brightly as Steven and Jon set
out one morning for Ko Ko. As
they walked the muddy mountain road they talked
about the joys and the
challenges they were encountering in their work
for Christ, encouraging one
another as they went.
Presently they rounded a bend in the road.
Suddenly they heard a man yelling.
Out of the bushes to their left ran a man
wielding a large bush knife. Now
bush knives in PNG can be a meter or more long
and they can used as very
deadly weapons. Steven and Jon stopped as the
crazed man approached. Steven
watched in horror as he saw Leo raise the bush
knife above his head. The
knife shimmered momentarily in the morning sun
as it swung with dreadful force
towards the motionless Jon. He breathed an
earnest prayer for God’s
intervention.
Steven watched as the knife sunk into Jon’s
left arm just above the elbow. The
knife cut through Jon’s arm like it was made of
tissue paper. Leo yelled as he
forced the knife onwards into Jon’s body just
above the waist. In disbelief
Steven saw the knife protruding out both the
front and back of Jon’s body as
the back of the blade disappeared into the
flesh. With frenzied power Leo
forced the knife right through Jon’s body and
out the other side cutting his
body in two.
Not satisfied with that, Leo raised the knife a
second time and swung with all
his might cutting Jon’s body right through a
second time. Jon stood there
motionless before him. Leo paused quizzically.
Then he raised the knife again
and with every last bit of energy he had, he
swung the knife through Jon a
third time. As he swung the knife down a forth
time, he paused part way
through incision and withdrew the knife. He
stood there for a moment unable
to believe his eyes. So did the onlookers. Here
Jon meekly stood yet. With
not a drop of blood to be seen. The left arm
which had been severed 4 times
was still attached to the body. There was no
apparent injury anywhere on
Jon’s body. Leo realized that God had protected
His servants from harm and
hastily withdrew back up the hill to his house.
The other villagers present
stood in awe as they took in the scene and
tried to understand what had just
happened before their very eyes.
The people talked excitedly about what they had
just seen. These people are no 
strangers to demonic power. But here was a
power that was able to withstand the power of
the evil one and protect God’s servants from
it. This was different. Everyone of those
onlookers attended the crusade that night.
Two Sabbaths ago, I had the privilege of
attending the baptism of 6 of those people. Jon
and Steven took me to the place where they were
attacked and introduced me to Leo, who they
pray for and visit regularly. The local people
have given ground for a new church to be built
near where the attack took place. Several have
indicated that when this church is built close
enough for them to walk to, they will come and
be a part of it.
The picture to the right shows Leo on the
left standing next to Jon in the suit.
The man on the right is the District
Director, Pastor Robin Kasi. I
don't know who the boy is.
Please pray for and support faithful laymen as
they risk life and limb at times to take the
Light of God’s Word into areas hostile to the
gospel. Please pray also for isolated
congregations as they struggle to follow the
Lord often without trained ministers to lead
them.
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