A Local carpenter, Hepson Mekpe from Bomai, Chimbu Province, has put his hand up to build a permanent church building for his remote community.
The old and rundown semi-permanent structure was built decades ago by missionaries of the Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC), ministering at Bomai.
According to Mekpe, it takes people at least one and a half days to trek to the nearest road where they get on a PMV to get to the provincial capital. Otherwise, it takes three days on foot to Kundiawa. Getting all the building materials to Bomai without the assistance of the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) would not be possible.
“I live in a very remote place. That’s why there are only aircraft to bring materials to my home place. MAF is the only service provider to deliver that service. Our school and health centres, all our lives (depend) on air transport”, he said.
Mekpe has been working at the EBC mission station at Kugark for 5 years now. There, he prepared all he needed for the new church building. He cut the timber and planed the planks. In his village, he has timber ready as well.
During the festive season, Mekpe consigned a total of 780 kg of building supplies, stacked around the seats of EBC’s 15-seater bus. Cut to size timber, cement bags, steel bars and roofing iron nails, paint, and half a gas bottle to be the church bell.
For Mekpe, time was running out as he had the festive period and an extra week to realize his dream.