written by Carol Holland, wife of David Holland, missionary to PapuaNewGuinea
Susan Kimin is the wife of Pastor Kimin Mawe. He is the pastor of Karimui Baptist Church in Simbu Province, PapuaNew Guinea. In PNG the wife and children take the husband’s first name as their last. Susan doesn’t know her age, but we estimate it is near 40 now. She was saved in 1991 (on my birthday--a nice present). She was the first lady to get saved after we moved to Karimui. Pastor Kimin was the first man to be saved there. NEAT!
Susan’s personality is naturally quiet spoken and introverted. It took her some time to get used to taking the leadership role among the ladies in the church, but she has done well. She and Pastor Kimin have no natural children of their own, but have two adopted children, Rachel now 12 and Immanuel age 7. They usually have several others staying with them so their house is usually full.
Women in PNG do a lot of hard work in the gardens and Susan is no exception, typically working from early morning until late afternoon. Sometimes their gardens are quite a distance from their houses, which makes the work even harder. They carry big loads of food in their bilums (string bags which thy make). At night they fix the meals with the help of older girls, and then sit around the fires in their cook houses or houses.
When Susan was a child, it was common practice to mount the skull of a deceased male leader of the clan inside the houses. In her home (houses are long and have 3-4 families living inside) it was her grandfather’s skull. She said that it would scare her a lot and she had a fear of death. After salvation, she reported that her fear was gone. Her favorites Bible verses are Romans 8:38-39 and I Corinthians 10:13. She says that she relies on these verses a lot.
For relaxation Susan sews on a hand crank sewing machine, making the “meri” blouses, native PNG dress, for herself and her daughter. She also makes bilums, which involves not only weaving the design, but also separating yarn piles and making a cord of them. It’s a talent.
Susan is a precious lady and I thank God for the friendship He has given to the two of us.
When Susan was a child, it was common practice to mount the skull of a deceased male leader of the clan inside the houses. In her home (houses are long and have 3-4 families living inside) it was her grandfather’s skull. She said that it would scare her a lot and she had a fear of death. After salvation, she reported that her fear was gone. Her favorites Bible verses are Romans 8:38-39 and I Corinthians 10:13. She says that she relies on these verses a lot.
For relaxation Susan sews on a hand crank sewing machine, making the “meri” blouses, native PNG dress, for herself and her daughter. She also makes bilums, which involves not only weaving the design, but also separating yarn piles and making a cord of them. It’s a talent.
Susan is a precious lady and I thank God for the friendship He has given to the two of us.
2 comments:
Loved this post! We love the Hollands too! What a blessing to have them here for Missions Conference. Such genuine servants of the Lord!
What a great post! Wonderful to hear! Makes what the Hollands do much more "real." Also gives a better and more personal face on my prayers for missionaries, especially the Hollands. Thanks!
Post a Comment