Lae City Mission

At a recent visit to one of the local Rotary Clubs I had to opportunity to meet Larry George. Larry is an Australian that come to PNG over 30 years ago and worked in banking for around half of this time. Around 18 years ago he left banking to startup Port Moresby City Mission. Lae City Mission got off the ground at the beginning of this year.

The purpose of both Missions is to basically help street boys. Young men from the settlements and from broken homes, most of these young men have had to resort to crime in order to survive. I suppose one could say that these Missions give the boys a second chance at life.

Something is happening to me here in PNG – probably similar to what happened to Larry all those years ago. A shift from wanting to make money and keeping that corporate machine well oiled to a life of wanting to help and assist those in need. From this perspective PNG has been high impact for me. Since coming to PNG and the longer I remain here – I sense a shift deep down, deep down in my soul, perhaps a re-alignment of purpose and meaning in life. Its certainly is not a christian or a Jesus thing that is happening to me but more of a spiritual re-alignment of purpose and direction (words-words-words).

When I was 12 years old I lived in Spain with my family. We lived on a large property and as a 12 year old – as 12 year olds do – I would go exploring and go on long walks in the bush. On the property (Florimar) there was a rubbish dump. An old man used to visit that dump from time to time, scavenging for food and scraps to feed his family and also to sell. See, this old bloke was poor and happened to live closer to town in one of the settlements or slums. I remember talking to the old bloke one day and found out that he had 8 kids. His form of transport was one of those three wheeled motorbikes with a tray on th back – a Vespa we would call it back then.

One day I was down at the dump watching the old man from a distance. As usual he was scavenging and picking up scraps and bits and pieces. I was a curious lad and the concept of poverty and folks going hungry and without was foreign to me. On this particular day and as the old man was driving off on in his “Vespa” with his takings for the day I started to cry. I started to cry for the old man and his family. I cannot describe what it was that I was feeling back then – perhaps it was empathy or compassion – or perhaps at that moment I was introduced to the social injustice and inequity that so characterises our planet. And as those tears were rolling down my young face I remember making a promise to myself that when I was older I would help people like the old man and his family.

That experience back in Spain all those years ago all but disappeared from my memory banks… until recently. This is how the PNG experience has been high impact. That dream from all those years ago as a 12 year old and that promise I made to help people has resurfaced. When I walk the settlements and do those give-aways or like on the weekend at the Mission, spending time with the street boys, I feel an alignment of purpose, something within my sloul has gone “click”. It feels like the PNG thing has put this human back on the path that he was meant to walk.

Who knows where this will all lead… 

One thing is for sure…  that 12 year old boy still lurks somewhere and he is buzzing, man is he buzzing.

In the meantime the 47yo cries…

NB: For photos of the Lae City Mission and surrounds please visit the Lae City Mission photo album.