Everyday People PNG : Diane

I am from Chimbu. I am married and I came to Port Moresby in 1986.

     

I went into marriage problem in 2000, when my husband resigned from his job and didn’t want to give me any of his money so I got upset and left home. I roam the streets ending up here at Boroko.  I found that there are many who also live on the streets and even sleep there so I joined them there. It’s like 20 years I have lived on the streets at Boroko.  There are many Papua New Guineans roaming on the streets and we live and eat together.  We lived as prostitutes like the story of Mary Magdalene. So now in 2020 Sister Nerolyn went and witnessed to us about the Word of God so in July I came in. 

When I came in, I saw that life is better when I received the Word of God. The Lord changed my life. Although there were a lot of words that they shared with us with stories. I know that many times  charitable people visit us and give us food and clothes for many years. Many of them were Adventists and Salvation Army who looked after us. Whether in good times or bad times they were always there. But now when I heard the word from Nerolyn when she came to share with us, I observed her for a while and I thought, this lady is always coming and visiting us so I said I should try and follow her.

 

When I decided to follow her, I saw that the Lord changed me.  A verse in the bible, though I am illiterate but I only know one verse from the Bible in Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5, which says that ‘when you were conceived in your mother’s womb, I already gave you a name. He already knows me so I repented and changed my life.  So when I go and stay with Nerolyn, she gives me books and clothes and I take them back to the streets and share the Word of God with the others living on the streets.

 

And when I am doing that, I realize that there were many who were together with me have passed on.  I used to think about those who died already and wonder whether they have prepared themselves before passing on, because when we were roaming the streets, we used to get drunk and do all sorts of evil things. So when they died where are they now?  They say there is heaven and there is hell. So if they are ready, their lives will be okay but if they are not ready, they go straight to hell. They just wait to burn in hell forever.  So when I go back there, I tell them, ‘look at me’. I am ‘Mama Diane’ who used to fight on your behalf, bearing your burdens. I make a lot of mistakes, I used to stab people with knife, break and enter into buildings. I did that until now I am old. So I thought that all my friends have died and passed on, what happened to them? So I thought maybe God has a plan for me, that’s why I am still here so I must do something for God.

Now I am 54 years old and I just got baptized in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. My heart is full of joy and I want to tell the world the change that happened to me.

 

Diane Joseph  - Boroko, NCD.

Author: 
Frieda Kana