by John Algate
P.M. Conclusive evidence that both men have been killed by this cannibal tribe in a small gorge and the bodies carried to a higher grassy slope. Their spirits are now forever with the Lord. Please pray for the wives and children of these men, that the Lord will be close to them in these days when many decisions will have to be made.
There was, as Jessie wrote, the greatest feeling of losses.
They are planning a memorial service here at Karubaga next week. The night they first heard the news Pat said she could feel the people praying for her and was borne by the prayer. Please pray on. It has been a tremendous shock to everyone. Before she goes Pat wants to finish typing the Gospel of Mark, which Stan had finished translating, and get it printed and in the hands of the people.
There was also anger.
The people of Ninia and Korupun were very shocked of the news and the folk of Korupun were all set to gather arms and wipe the tribe off the face of the earth. Pray for the two little groups of Christians at Ninia and Korupun who will be left without their spiritual fathers.
In the confusion that followed the deaths Jessie made some assumptions that later proved to be incorrect.
The tribe that attacked is not in any way related to Stan’s last attack as it was in another valley one-and-a-half days trek from Ninia, and these tribes are enemies to one another.
In fact the Yali, who were responsible for the first attack, had recently sent messages to the Seng Valley tribes urging them to kill any duongs (white people) that came their way. It was a tense, difficult and unsettled time with further violence, intimidation, resentment and fear for Christian and non-Christian alike. Jessie kept supporters updated on the aftermath. Her words cast the event as she saw it. It was a mixture of first-hand knowledge, second hand tales, rumours and gossip.
Still it was exciting stuff for the impressionable young missionary nurse and her equally impressionable team of supporters. You can imagine them being equal parts thrilled and appalled by the bloodlust in the mountains of West Papua.
It was also mistakenly believed, with some reason, that Stan Dale and Phil Masters had been cannibalised by their attackers. Seven years later Don Richardson’s investigations, including eyewitness accounts, found that although the bodies had been dismembered and prepared for a feast, there was argument among the villagers on what should happen next. In the end the two missionary’s remains were cremated in the normal Yali way to appease their spirits. Meanwhile, more trouble brewed.
The people of Korupun began to threaten the Dani workers who were caring for the station and said that if any other white man came into the station they would kill them too. This seemed to be because the death of the two men had not been avenged in their eyes. Hence, a government patrol including Frank Clarke and Don Richardson went into the Seng Valley just one month later.
The Seng Valley people were antagonists and … twice tried to ambush the patrol on its way into the valley. Peace negotiations failed. The Government had to take strong action and quite a number of people were killed as they attempted to escape from the house into which they had been placed as prisoners. One of the prisoners was finally taken to Wamena which is the closest Government post. The folk around Ninia were overcome with joy at the action that had been taken as this would in some measure protect them. Many who had been too frightened to show any feeling before now expressed a desire to seek the way of Life. (January 1969)
In later, undated writings Jess reflected further on the deaths of the missionaries and its aftermath.
Pat Dale and Phyllis Masters and their children were evacuated from Korupun and went to live on the coast. At the time we wondered what God was doing through this situation but had to remember that God was in control. It seemed all wrong to us but we knew God had a plan to open up this area. When people around the world heard what had happened they were so horrified to think that there were practising cannibals that they began praying for the Yali and Kimyal tribes. Two other mission families were willing to take the place of the Dale and Masters families and work with the people.
Little by little there were signs of change among the Yalis and the Kimyals; they wanted to listen to the message that the men had told them. Different groups from different villages came and asked if a missionary could come to their village to tell them about the great God who loved them. As time went by, more and more of these people trusted Christ and life changed in the Eastern Highlands.
There was another interesting sequel to the deaths of the missionaries, a story of redemption and conversion that is also related in some detail in Don Richardson’s book. This was Jessie’s version as expressed to her prayer supporters at the time.
‘Emergency – emergency’ MAF Cessna MPH had not had radio contact since 11.05 am. The pilot, Menno Voth, had called to say the weather was bad in the mountain pass and if it didn’t clear he would have to turn back. No further word was heard from the plane.
The clouds rapidly became thicker and finally blotted out the entire landscape over the Eastern Highlands as search planes endeavoured to seek the lost plane with the Newman family (Gene and Lois Newman and their children Joyce, Steven and Paul) on board. Early the following morning – in the cloudless sky – the fleet of planes took off to comb the surrounding valleys from which the last radio contact had been made. Each plane carried three or more passengers on board as searchers because the country is steep, rugged and tree covered, and the more eyes alerted the better chance of locating the plane.
Two hours after the search began Paul Pontier called to say they had located the wreckage in the SENG VALLEY – exactly opposite to the village where Stan and Phil had spent their last night on earth.
‘Coincidence’, you say, Out of hundreds of valleys in those Eastern Highlands for it to be the exact spot of the recent patrol and abounding with hostilities – this is no coincidence.
It seemed impossible that anyone could be alive as the wreckage was scattered down the mountain side and the main body of the plane was burnt out. However, next day a helicopter from Australian New Guinea came over and shuttled MAF personnel (pilot Hank Worthington), Frank Clarke (Australian World Team missionary) and a Ninia Christian Luliap, into the site (Luliap could interpret the local language into the Dani language which Frank could understand).
A doctor, Jerry Powell, was also on board.
The helicopter was able to land quite close to the crash and you can imagine the surprise and delight of the first party who landed to find nine-year-old Paul Newman waiting to greet them.
A few scratches and bruises were the only evidence of Paul’s ordeal. Apparently, when the plane finally came to rest, the tail broke off and he climbed through the hole as the plane was beginning to burn. He saw a village close by so he went across the river (a bridge right there across the fast-flowing river). And those same people who had just three months earlier refused the Gospel and killed Stan and Phil, took him into their homes and looked after him. They even got up in the night to put wood on the fire so he wouldn’t get cold. The mountains are 6000 feet and over and it is very wet and cold at night.
Paul said that the next day he waved at the search plane but no one saw him as he was away from the crash site on the other side of the river. He cried most of the next morning thinking everyone had left him and he began to wonder if he should start walking to the next station. Then, to his great joy, he heard the helicopter coming and ran to meet it and Hank Worthington who had stepped down from it. A bath – a good bed – food other than sweet potatoes – and friends – did wonders for the lonely boy who spent two nights alone in the Seng Valley.
That wasn’t quite how the rescue happened. Paul Newman was in fact some distance away across the valley when the helicopter landed. While Paul, with the help of a Yali tribesman, raced down the steep-sided valley towards the landing site, the helicopter team hastily recovered the bodies of the dead pilot and Paul’s parents and siblings and loaded them onto the helicopter. Young Paul was still some distance away a
s the helicopter prepared to depart the valley. Don Richardson captured the moment in Lords of the Earth.
‘Wait!’ Luliap shouted above the engine’s roar. ‘Someone wearing clothes is running down that hillside!’
Stunned, the searchers wondered, ‘Who on earth could it be?’ Hank stepped forward from under the swirling blades to take a clearer look at the small clothed figure racing toward them.
‘Dear God! It can’t be!’ Hank shouted. ‘But it is! It’s Paul Newman!’
At the time, Frank Clarke pieced together details of the plane crash and its aftermath by talking to young Paul and combining his recollections with additional information gleaned from local people through the Ninia interpreter Luliap. Jessie duly reported his findings to those back home.
It seemed that a large cloud settled down on the plane and in attempting to turn and gain height the wing hit the ridge on top of the mountain and they spiralled down to the bottom.
The Seng people told Frank they had looked after the little boy as one of their own. Because of this contact with Paul they now seek to be friends and want a missionary to come in and help them. They desire to build an airstrip and want a teacher to come in and help them read. Coincidence, or the Mighty Hand of God? Only God could change the evil hearts in that place to ones that are now seeking the Way of Salvation. Our God is the God of the impossible.
The seed which has been sown to reach these people has been a costly one. It would seem that God is giving them another chance to hear the Gospel. (January 1969)
Don Richardson’s later investigations revealed that it was just one Yali man named Kusaho, not the whole village, who showed compassion for Paul Newman. It was Kusaho who took the boy into his home and looked after him and it was Kusaho who got up during the night and put wood on the fire so that Paul wouldn’t get cold. Thus it was Kusaho’s actions that provided the bridge towards better understanding between the missionaries and the Yali tribesmen who had originally rejected the new religion and killed the white missionaries.
Jessie maintained contact and friendship with the Dale and Masters families for the remainder of her life, often reporting on their continued involvement in West Papua. Stan’s son Wesley following in his father’s footsteps, returned to West Papua as a missionary.
I have the Dale family here. Joyce is up visiting where they used to live, and where her father was killed, and then Wesley, wife and baby came along too. I had forgotten what it was like to have a three-month-old baby around the house. (August 1985)
Last month we had Phyllis Masters, her son Curt and daughter Crissie in here for the dedication of a memorial stone for their husband and father who was killed near here some 25 years ago. The people worked hard bringing in gravel the week before so the memorial stone could be built. They worked for nothing because they wanted to share in the special day.
There was lots of reminiscing from the older folk who remember the day when the Masters arrived. After the dedication, the people had a big feast and killed 75 pigs. That is a huge amount for the people here…. In his sermon the pastor said to the people, ‘Now we are not to worship this rock. It is here for us to remember what it cost Phil and Phyllis to bring us the Gospel and that God loved us enough to send them here to teach us his love.’ (August 1993)
And two years later, this amazing news….
We are praising the Lord for three new visas. One is Paul Newman. He is the boy mentioned in the book ‘Lords of the Earth’ after he escaped the crashed plane in the Seng Valley some years ago. Now he is coming back with his wife and child to work with RBMU. Pray for them as they start language study in Bandung in two months’ time before coming to Irian Jaya.
11. Adjusting to change
Changes are in the air again. Conference has come and gone for another year and with it many changes will be put into effect. The most important one being me of course!!
Jessie’s writings give a personal insight into how missions operated in West Papua. While based at Karubaga she often filled in at other remote and difficult locations for colleagues who had fallen ill or taken furloughs after their four-year stints of duty. Similarly, others moved about to cover Jessie’s periods of leave or ill-health.
Sue Trenier, a long-time colleague, recalls that it was through this merry-go-round of relief duties that she first met Jessie shortly after arriving in West Papua in 1978.
‘I had heard about her skills as a nurse when she worked in Karubaga, especially how she had helped when missionary Stan Dale had been wounded in the Yali area. She was making a move to Taiyeve from Karubaga and needed assistance to pack up her belongings ready for the move. Allocated to the task I got to stay with Jessie, for a short time at least, and strike up a lasting friendship. She was eager to encourage me in my early steps as a missionary and she quickly made me feel wanted, busy and useful, important for a new person eager to do something and please. We packed boxes and sorted endless medicines and food stuffs. My next short encounter was when Jessie was actually in Taiyeve and she was called off to look after a missionary family whose child had been born premature and was in an incubator somewhere. I was on a short break (two months) from my Indonesian language study so it was thought fit to pop me down to Taiyeve for part of that time and take Jessie’s place. Talk about being dropped in at the deep end, with a few short practical instructions she was away and there I was trying to fit into Jessie’s shoes.’
After Taiyeve, Jessie and Sue ended up living and working in the same area, Sue at Soba in the Eastern Highlands and Jessie a short distance away at her new posting in Korupun – but that was all in the future. First Jessie had to serve her time in Taiyeve, and in May 1978 gave her praying friends an insight into her own movements, and by extension, the operation of the mission service and the difficulties encountered by missionaries going about their work. This excerpt shows the tremendous geographic, ethnic and cultural diversity that missionaries had to adapt to as they moved around West Papua.
Different locations: Yes, I am on the move again! This time just 15 minutes flying to the north (but 10 days walk for the Danis). It would probably take me three weeks. The two nurses from Taiyeve are both due for furlough while Costas Macris had to go home on an emergency medical furlough which has drastically depleted the Lakes Plain staff.
As there is another nurse due to return from furlough to Karubaga, it was thought that I could fill in here at Taiyeve for 12 months till my furlough.
Different climate: As we came over the last mountain range and left the cool mountain air behind us the heat was very noticeable as we sank lower into the Lakes Plain where the weather is very hot. We could see the heat haze shimmering over the tree tops as we came in to land. Hot, humid and sultry most days there is very little to alleviate the heat. It really saps the energy.
Different people: The Taori people are nomadic and are here today and gone tomorrow. They hunt and fish for their food. They search for wild pig in the jungle and are often gone for days or weeks at a time. There is a large river by the station so they also travel far and wide in their dugout canoes.
Different work: I will be in charge of the clinic with a clinic worker who has trained at Karubaga. There are also a large number of Dani workers and helpers here so I can always get a bilingual to help me.
There are 18 outposts and airstrips to be supplied with medicines for the teachers and evangelists to give out to local people. The plane calls at least once a month to supply them with medicines and other needs. These supplies are made up ahead of time and given to the pilot who delivers them to the one in charge. If they have any special needs they can call up on the two-way radio and ask for instructions or help.
Yesterday I went along with the plane to an outpost when the teachers there asked for a nurse to come as he had an epidemic on his hands and he did not know what to do. I treated a number of people and gave him instructions as to what to do and left a good supply of the needed medicines.
Different tribes: At each outpost the
people speak a different language so it is important that the Dani evangelists, teachers and clinic workers learn that language to communicate the Gospel. Do pray for these folk who are living in such isolated conditions, often among hostile people, that the Lord will use them as shining lights in a dark place. It is not easy for them to leave their cool mountain homes with plenty of potatoes to come to these hot and humid places amongst strange people with different food.
Different hazards: Because of the numerous swamps close by, the place abounds with mosquitoes of all kinds causing two different types of malaria and encephalitis (this causes swelling of the body). TB is also prevalent amongst the tribes’ people. Poisonous snakes are quite common and there are crocodiles in some of the nearby rivers so please do pray the Lord’s protection in the days ahead.
Different co-workers: Annagret and Jurgen Otterbach are in charge of the church work plus numerous other details. Jessie and Marilyn Loffer and Bill and Bonnie Rush are the pilots and their wives are all involved in the Regions Wings flying program. Mavis Honnecher, the bookkeeper, takes care of all the correspondence, finance etc. We also have several Indonesian families who take a large share in running the program and caring for the children’s hostel.
In her October letter she provided a similar insight into the aerial mission work undertaken by her and her colleagues flying out of Taiyeve, with its 13 different languages at 18 outposts.
I have just returned from a stay at the outposts and am weary, dirty and very hot. Working from one airstrip to another makes for a very exacting but challenging day. The teacher and evangelist had been warned by radio that we were coming, so dozens of people crowded around the plane as we skidded to a halt. All the people with medical problems were there to greet us when they heard that the sisters would be on board.