Woodleys Around the World

In late 2019, High School Musical star turned Bear Grylls wannabe, Zac Efron, attempted filming of a new survival TV show ironically titled, “Killing Zac Efron.” The premise of the show was to follow Efron while he went “off the grid” for three weeks in an island nation with only basic survival gear and a local guide. That island nation was Papua New Guinea. I am wondering if he now wishes he picked an easier location for the inaugural season.

Prior to filming, Efron said, “I tend to thrive under extreme circumstances and seek opportunities that challenge me on every level. I am excited to explore uncharted territory and discover what unexpected adventure awaits.”¹ Soon after filming started, Efron contracted “Typhoid or a similar bacterial illness,” and required immediate evacuation to an Australian Hospital. Efron was not killed in the process, but the show did get axed.

Sadly, this true story only serves to illuminate what is painfully obvious to those of us who live here: Living in Papua New Guinea is hard. On a daily basis in the hospital, we see the effects produced by the harsh landscape, poor infrastructure, and humans’ tendency to harm each other. However, Efron’s story does not illustrate the glimpses of beauty that shine through the harsh realities of life in PNG.

This landscape is a typical view of the PNG Highlands along the Waghi Valley. As you can see from the jagged mountains and powerful rivers, the landscape is not only rugged, but even harsh. I have heard it said, “Only strong things survive in PNG.” Yet if you get close enough, you will see glimpses of fragility and intricate beauty as brightly colored flowers burst forth from riverbanks and elaborately decorated Birds of Paradise dance and sing in the treetops.

“Here and there even in our world, and now and then, even in ourselves, we catch glimpses of a New Creation, which, fleeting as those glimpses are apt to be, give us hope both for this life and for whatever life may await us later on.”

• Frederick Buechner

I was sure the visit was going to be difficult. I was going on a palliative care trip with one of our chaplains to see a nine-year-old girl diagnosed with untreatable cancer of the bones of her face. Due to the cancer expanding and pushing on her eyes, she was blind. She was looked after by her grandpa as both of her parents had died. My colleague had seen her initially and referred her to my palliative care program.

I packed up some basic medicines and kids’ toys. After a problematic drive into the bush, we came to a clearing with a church in the middle made of rough-hewn logs and thick bush grass. Kids ran down from a nearby grass hut, laughing and greeting us. Kupa came next, slowly walking and clutching her grandpa for guidance. Alongside them came Kupa’s uncle and aunt, the pastors of the church.

We gathered in the church and “storied.” This is the PNG way—to sit down and be present with each other and share our stories. The church was surrounded by colorful flowers, banana trees, and green grass. Inside, the church was filled with laughter. There was much joy and laughter as the pastor and grandpa told their stories. The grandpa was the first Christian in his small village. Missionaries came when he was a young man and told him about Jesus and his life was changed by this new hope. He said he had exchanged a machete to fight for a Bible to bring peace and joy. In one hand he held a Bible; in the other, he held Kupa’s hand, always clinging to her grandpa.

Amid the storm of terminal cancer in this beautiful child, there was a glimpse of beauty, of joy, of light.

The “New Creation” in the quote above is the promise of God in Revelation 21 that there will come a time when all will be made right. It will become what we all long for deep in our souls – perfect communion with God, each other, and creation. There will not only be glimpses, but the ever-present reality of this perfect harmony.

For now, we hold on to these glimpses that shine through the darkness of our world. They can come anytime and anywhere, and sometimes even in the most shocking of circumstances. These glimpses can even come through a gentle, former warrior grandpa, and his blind granddaughter with terminal cancer in a bush church “off the grid” in rural PNG.

¹https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/zac-efron-killing-zac-efron-adventure-series-quibi-1203410336/