The windy northwest coast of New Britain Island in Papua New Guinea is home to the Anem people. The Anem area consists of bamboo houses on stilts with either thatched or tin roofs, one primary school and three elementary schools, and a Catholic church in each of the four villages. The people typically eat garden produce including taro, sweet potato, sago, and greens. They also include seafood, chicken, and pork in their diet. There are trails along the beach that connect each Anem village, but the people often choose to travel by boat instead.
Kimbe is the nearest town where the Anem can buy manufactured goods, sell produce, and interact with the foreign logging companies. However, the trip to Kimbe is long and costly. The people travel by boat for one day to get to the nearest point of access for a road. They spend the night at a small guesthouse and continue the journey by public transport the next day. The trip is cost prohibitive, so women and children are rarely ever included.
The Anem language is very difficult for outsiders to learn, so in order to cooperate and interact with neighbouring groups, the Anem people have become highly multilingual, knowing up to five languages apart from their own. Despite their access to Scripture through some of these languages and through Tok Pisin, the local trade language, the people yearn for the Bible in their own language. Their belief system mixes the traditional story of a man named Titikolo and the Biblical story of Jesus. The people believe that the story of Jesus is a parable or reflection of the true life of Titikolo. Until they have an Anem Bible and see that the story of Jesus is not just the "white man's Titikolo," they will continue to reject the Gospel as something that belongs to outsiders.
For the Lord to sustain and strengthen the community and church leaders
Wisdom for the SIL leadership in knowing how to serve the Anem people
Funds for a new church building
Scripture Prayers for the Anem in Papua New Guinea.
| Profile Source: Anonymous |
