Called from the midst of emptiness

FAITH

By DAVID SUSUVE
GOD gives each person gifts in order to serve his people to fulfill their destiny.
This is the story of a man whom God called and anointed with a special gift in the midst of emptiness while serving his term as a prisoner at Bomana outside Port Moresby.
Rev Laio Poka is a living testimony that God can take nothing and make it into something.
I was convicted to write this story because I believe it will transform and bring hope to many who think their lives are hopeless or worthless and are being crushed because they have never made it in life.
I visited Rev Laio and his family one Saturday afternoon, at their home at Taikone Village in National Capital District. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by his wife, daughter and elder sister. Before we could start the conversation, Rev Laio opened with a prayer.
What really inspired me was a phrase on his desktop that stated “Your rubbish is my business”. I wondered to myself, truly it doesn’t matter how messed up our life maybe, if Jesus Christ can change water into wine, he can definitely change anyone’s life into something more than what man can comprehend, if only one surrenders to him.
I was honoured to finally meet and chat with the man whom I had heard so much about while growing up. Not just about his involvement in crime, but most importantly I wanted to know how God transformed his life in prison.
And so the story begins.
Rev Laio Poka was born in 1964 to parents (dad) Poka Ravu and (mum) Toisari Kerekere in Port Moresby. He is the second born in a family of three. The family moved over to Lae were they spent 10 years but sadly migrated back to the capital and settled in Vabukori village after their dad passed away.
Laio attended Kilakila Community School, in 1974 but because life was tough without dad around, he entered into criminal activities. He never completed his formal education and for various crimes he entered prison. And that is where he spent most of his youth, at the juvenile camp before moving into the main compound. And because of numerous prison escapes, he was transferred to the maximum prison.
His name was “a hit” back in the early 80s and 90s as some will recall. I insisted that elaborate on his life of crime but he refused to, because that life had been buried long ago.
The current Correctional Service Commissioner Stephan Pokanis who was an officer at the headquarters also described Laio Poka has one of those hardcore criminals including others like Leslie Leslie and Yangelo Yume that always gave a hard time to CS officers.
While in maximum security his mum passed away in 1994. Laio could not come out to witness the mother’s burial although he tried in vain.

Called from prison
He didn’t know the cause of his mum’s death but as a matter of fact, his mum died of depression. She could not cope with the fact that she was never going to see her son again.
With walls surrounding him and a little light from the corridor to tell him the time of day, that was when he made his turning point. Laio knelt down and made a prayer of confession asking Jesus to come into his life.
At that very moment, he felt like a thick blanket of darkness covering him was removed, and God spoke telling him: “You have been called and set apart for greater things.”
While in prison God showed him to venture into crafting old discarded tyres, which later on helped him to identify his skills and potential in fulfilling’s Gods calling upon his life.
He came out of prison in mid-1998 after serving nearly 20 years. Upon hearing of his release, villagers at Vabukori organised a big celebration, in anticipation to welcome home their hero. Instead, Laio headed straight to the Rev Sione Kami Memorial Church (RSKMC) at Gordon. After some time, he went down to Vabukori United Church to consult elders to endorse him to a pastoral college, but was unsuccessful.
And so he decided to take another way around, visiting jails around the country preaching the gospel. The mission also provided prisoners the opportunity to witness to people in public places and communities. They also visited schools encouraging students with their experiences, as well as blessing them with inspirational messages of hope.
“All my trips were made possible through people whom I do not know but believe God directed them to invest in the mission,” he said.
“Jeremiah 33:3 says ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’.”
During one of his trips to Kerevat jail, he spoke to prisoners about the rod of Moses (Exodus 4:2), that turned into a snake.
He said a typical Papua New Guinean will always admire other people’s gifts and talents, without realising they themselves carry something they don’t know that can impact and transform their lives. Just like the rod in Moses hands that did miracles and wonders in Egypt.
“Travelling to prisons and witnessing was not a church or government-sponsored programme, but was a walk of faith just like the Apostle Peter’s walk on water when he saw Jesus (Mathew 22).”
In 2007 Laio decided to become a full-time United Church pastor. He enquiredat several colleges but was unsuccessful because he wasn’t endorsed by a church region or circuit. He ended up at a college in Kavieng, New Ireland, and after much negotiation he was accepted, under the condition he paid for his own fees.
He started crafting tyres and selling them at the main market and cleaning the college toilets to pay for his fees. This went on for three years until he completed his pastoral training. He was posted to Metago Theological College in Central where he spent another year. At Metago, the school principal occasionally made fun of Laio telling the nearby villages that if there was a widow, please advise her that there was a single pastor here in the college.
Laio was ordained reverend of the church on March 15, 2015 by the then United Church Moderator Rev Vaburi Dabada at the Vabukori United Church.
While at Metago, it was his prayer that the Lord would bless him with a woman that had a prison background so both of them would have a common understanding. Coincidently, Idau the principal’s daughter was a woman who grew up under the watchful eyes of her parents, thus it was like she was living in a prison without walls.
Laio and Idau got married in 2016 and had a wonderful baby girl, Gracie who is now three years old. His wife later became a reverend. She was ordained a minister last year by Bishop Rev Jacob Harry.

Overseas missions
God also took Rev Laio to other prisons in Australia, Malaysia and Cambodia where he ministered and demonstrated the significance of the end product of what a useless tyre could become of if properly crafted. His international exposure was made possible through Christian brothers like Sir Mari Kapi (deceased) Uvenama Rova and Poro Renagi, to mention a few.
On one occasion he was invited to attend a prisoners’ children’s camp in Malaysia, and then to Cambodia to train prisoners how to craft tyres.
This was the scariest and craziest trip that popped up at an uncertain time. He had to look for means as the trip required more than K20,000 due to transitional airline routes. While making bookings, the lady who served him at the Jacksons International Airport counter looked with amazement because he had less than the required amount, which was enough to cater for the trip to Malaysia and return.
Arriving in Malaysia, the team on the ground noticed that his travel arrangements had not been done according to their schedule. There was no provision for onward travel out of Malaysia. He was told that re-arranging the ticket would cost a lot of money, which he didn’t have.
After much discussion, they decided to go for church and later on come up with a resolution. In Malaysia the only English-speaking church was a Catholic church located five miles away from the place they were staying. In church, the priest gave the opportunity to Laio to introduce himself and explain his purpose in the country. Rev Laio used the opportunity preach to the congregation and before he could sit and allow for the priest to do the normal rituals, but eventually he proceeded to the benediction. That day all tithes and offerings collected were presented to him as a love offering.
The money was in Malaysian currency so he passed it onto the woman who was arranging his ticket for the Cambodia trip. And to her surprise, the money totaled up to the amount for the ticket to Cambodia.
It was time to leave for Cambodia after spending Christmas with prisoners’ children in the woods. As per the Cambodian prison laws, visitation appointments are to be made three months in advance. Upon receiving a letter from Laio and his Malaysian counterparts, the commanding officer had to break prison regulations for the first time, allowing the team to conduct their programme and bring the gospel to those that were held captive. Many responded and were saved and by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Reaching out on Facebook
In another testimony, Rev Laio was appointed to represent PNG at the Asia-Pacific Forum in Malaysia. This was his second trip to the country and again on short notice. He uploaded a picture of the accreditation that had his name on Facebook, advising friends and families of the trip. Obviously, preparations for such trips are often made prior to the actual events. With no money for a ticket, he was depending on God to intervene.
Posting everything he does on social media was one of his hobbies, and his post attracted followers from all over the world. An old woman from America who had been following him on Facebook responded to the post asking for details of the trip. The lady eventually bought the ticket, paid for accommodation and provided spending money during his stay there.
Truly God will never abandon those who are called according to his will and purpose.
There are many other testimonies of what God did through Rev Laio’s life that had impacted and brought changes to the lives of many, even to this day.
Just like a useless tyre, God can still craft you and make you into something beyond expectation.
One of Rev Laio’s visions that he is working on is for the United Church of PNG to develop a prison desk that can help prisoners, especially juveniles to make a difference in life.
Rev Laio has dedicated his life under his tyre ministry to train youths from all walks of life on how to craft tyres into flower pots, children’s swings, chairs, tables and other useful products. The ministry continues to conduct outreaches to prisons and public places nationwide.
This is a gift that God used through him to inspire and transform millions of lives locally and abroad.
If God can do wonders and miracles through such a person, I believe God can also do it for you once you discover your life in him.

• David Susuve is a senior journalist with Kalang Advertising Limited. He can be contacted on ph: 7305 7475/ 7562 4099 or email [email protected]