A LETTER FROM NIPSAN

Nipsan, January 17,1979

To our dear mission friends,

Yes, indeed, a letter from Nipsan, the place with so many memories, the soil that drank the blood of 13 martyrs.

Many of you have been praying and beseeching the Lord for this dark valley, and see, the Lord has heard your prayers and opened up a way to Nipsan. I firmly believe this was God’s timing for Nipsan. Actually we planned to go back to Nipsan in the month of August, but the Abenaho chiefs were very much opposed to giving and sending their sons into Nipsan. We can understand their attitude. They lost so much, a whole family was murdered, husband, wife, and child. I cannot blame them at all. But since we had planned to take Abenaho helpers with us, and this had to be cancelled, we looked for other possibilities. After all the Lord also planned for us to go home to Holland for a short visit to see my old parents who were going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at that time. We had an opportuntiy to meet with the Dutch mission board, on several occasions, and with Mr. Mike Meeuwse. And since you read, I am not telling secrets, plans are for two helicopters to be shipped to Irian Jaya to serve the reached and the unreached. The Lord has graciously fullfilled His promises although we need a little faith yet for the importation of these necessary means. No doubt He will accomplish what He has started. And … His Bride will be gathered in even if He has to collect them from the trees, the dense jungles, the low and highlands. You know, I rejoice in His greatly to be praised Name for the fact that He wants to use our congregations for this tremendous task. We still carry in our Banner: “Not where Christ was named.” Until the moment that He will say: “It is enough.” I know, you have always been supporting this work with your prayers and gifts. May the Lord grant you grace to continue, prayers and gifts for His Name’s sake will never be in vain. In her old age, Elizabeth conceived and prayers were answered, although Zacharias and Elizabeth may have thought: “The Lord has forgotten us.” No, prayers sent up to heaven in faith are heard and even if we have to wait a long time, maybe years and years, before the Lord will answer. He also saw the gifts of Cornelius, He saw his good deeds of charily. Therefore we rejoice that you made it possible for the Treasurer to send the royal gift of US $10,000, -- for the general mission work in Irian Jaya. May God indeed bless you not with material blessings only, because they will vanish away, but above all with spiritual blessings that we cannot give you. Much money will be necessary, for the older stations, new stations, the Helicopter project and the rebuilding of Nipsan, and the Lord knows how many more projects He will grant unto us as a mission and a church. Clouds are collecting above Indonesia and Irian Jaya. Time may run short, however, we should work as long as it is day-time. The night is coming and then we cannot work anymore.

Since our August advance to Nipsan had to be cancelled, a new date was fixed for the 27th of November. We could make use of the M.A.F. helicopter during three days after which the action should be completed. Also we had to arrange for helpers to go with us and whose first job would be the clearing of the old air-strip. We knew that tall grass was growing on it and even jungle growth was starting on it. In the recent past we heard of damage that was made to the strip by the Nipsan people. Furthermore, supplies had to be ready once the light was on green. Place of concentration was Kosarek. Especially the older ones among you certainly remember this name. In 1962, I walked to this place and made friends with the Kosarek people. Several of them were ready to go with me. To be sure that, in case of disappointment from the Kosarek people side, I would have some helpers I could rely on, we asked Pyramid, a mission station in the Baliem valley if they had some men to go with me. Indeed some of the Pyramid people were ready to go and were flown to Kosarek on the 27th of November. By the middle of the day all men and supplies were at Kosarek. However, the weather became poor and not too much could be done by the helicopter. Just one flight could be carried out with Sabonwarek, our faithful Abenaho helper and three Koserek people. Plans were to make a final survey and check the Nipsan people whether their attitude was favourable towards our coming back. This was quite a heroic deed, because nobody knew what would happen if the Nipsan people would take a hostile attitude. Due to the weather the pilot had to come back to Kosarek, sooner than he had planned, and there was no opportunity to pick up the four pioneers. This of course caused some concern as we could not contact them by radio. So we recommended them to the grace of God, and if it might please the Lord, to protect them and help them and encourage them. Very early in the morning the next day the pilot took off again with some helpers to go to Wolmak, the name of the stripside, to bring these there and go as fast as possible to the villages where the four were dropped. We from our side had continuous radio contact with the pilot and you will imagine how happy we were when the pilot reported that all four men were safe and happy. He was going to bring them to Walmak to join those who just were dropped over there. That day about eight helicopter flights were carried out. Then Nipsan was weathered in and the pilot had to stop activities. Again very early the next day the pilot continued the shuttles and by nine o’clock in the morning all flights had been carried out. My first job was to erect the aerial of our SSB transceiver. As soon as that was completed Nipsan was on the air and we could give a full report to loved ones and co-labourers that thus far the action was successful. Work on the strip was continued and a start was made to build a shed. When it started to rain, late in the afternoon, I put up my little tent and spent the night in it. The boys put up some aluminum sheets and spent the night sitting up around a campfire. That first night was the worst, after that all went smoother. Work started at 5:30 in the morning and a crowd of some 250 men came to help us to clear the strip.

A very important act took place on the 29th of November, the day of our arrival. Peace was made by two pigs that we were able to buy in Kosarek. Promises were made that we would not attack one another and even hands were shaken. Of some, I guess, this was meant, of some others, I doubt. Anyway, until this very moment contacts are good and an amazing thing is, that nobody is armed coming to our compound. Before we went to Nipsan there was a rumour that to make the balance equal the head of the whiteman should fall. His life should pay for the losses they suffered. And just recently before our departure the Nipsan people had cut the footsoles of some of the Kosarek people who were treated in the Kosarek clinic. Again, as far as we can see, the situation seems to be normal and we wait for the Lord to send His convincing Spirit to this dark valley. May we soon report to you that also these prayers were heard.

This report will be continued the Lord willing. In the mean-time receive our hearty greetings. May the Lord bless you all.

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