Jesus March.

Our first day of ministry in Mount Hagen left us sunburned and foot sore. We were invited to take part in a Jesus march. We were instructed that the march would begin at 9am and not to be late. We showed up at the designated meeting place at 8:45 am. Where we joined hundreds of others waiting to start the march.

 At 9:30 the March had not started, and it did not look like it was going to start any time soon. So our guide and guardian deciding we needed something to do while we waited and approaching a group of children  asked do you want to play a game, the children excitedly responded YES!, he then brought the children over to us and announced they would like to play a game. Word quickly spread among the children that fun was to be had and before we knew it a hundred children were excitedly gathered around us waiting for the game to begin. We brought the children to middle of the field and instructed them to make a circle holding hands. We then began to play a form of tag with them. To play two children holding hands would circle the group until they picked a pair from the circle to chase them. Upon finding their chosen pair they would tap their hands then take off around the circle. Now the race was on, would the first pair make it back to the open space in the circle before their competitors tagged them. Most successfully made it while a few were tagged before reaching the goal and were left to chose again. I do not know if you have ever tried to run around a circle of a hundred children while holding the hand of child, but I can tell you it is not an easy feat. I quickly learned that this task is not easily accomplished in flip-flops, but when one is in a race to make it around the circle before being tagged their is no time to worry about your footware. But if you happen to lose your shoe, or get a flat tire as it was soon called. there were plenty of spectators around who were more then willing to return your flat tire...err ...shoe.

When we grew tired of this game we decided to play Whats the time Mr wolf. In this game one person is chosen as the wolf he/ she stands with they back to the group. Everyone else stand in a line a ways away from the wolf and calls out whats the time Mr wolf? The wolf responds 3 o clock, 4 o clock, ect. The group then takes that many steps towards the wolf. When the wolf decides his prey is close enough he responds its dinner time and the chase is on. If you can make it back to the starting line without being tag by the wolf you are safe, but if you are tagged then you join the wolf.

Now it was nearly noon the march was still not starting and we had been running around with the children for 2 hours, and we were tired. Our guide seeing that we were tired and out of energy took pity on us and commanded us to go sit in the shade.

After an half hour rest it was time to line up for the march.

After a few false starts and some more waiting we were finally off to March around the city. We marched through the streets yelling Papua New Guinea for Jesus, and the same for every province of PNG.  We also chanted Jesus as we marched. A couple of hours of marching brought us back to the field where we started.  After a long day in the sun we were released to go home sunburned and foot sore.