Engan couple defies cultural norm

By MAUREEN GERAWA
WHEN Steven Thomas was doing grade six at Mulitak Primary School in Laiagam District, Enga, in 1973 there was a rule that no two children from one family or tribe would be allowed to go to high school due to limited space.
So out of desperation he prayed to the Lord, saying “If you let me go to high school, I will serve you for the rest of my life.’’
It happened that he and his elder brother were in the same class. When it came to selection of students for high school, both he and his brother were selected to go to St Paul’s Lutheran High School in Wapenamanda.
After four years, Steven did well and continued to Aiyura National High School and eventually to the University of Papua New Guinea where he completed a degree in economics in 1985.
In December of that same year, he went home and married Elizabeth. The following year in April, 1986 he got his first job with the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Ukarumpa, Eastern Highlands. This did not go down well with his people in Mulitak. Being the first to graduate from university from his home area, there was a lot of expectation from them. They expected him to get a job with either a government department or a private firm where the salary was expected to be higher than with missions and support his people as was the cultural norm.
But Steven stuck to his decision. After a year with SIL, he moved to the PNG Bible Translation Association at the invitation of the then director David Gela.
Elizabeth also moved to work with her husband. She was a graduate of library studies at then Admin College. Prior to marriage, she was working with the Pacific Adventist College, now Pacific Adventist University.
Interestingly, Elizabeth had made a similar prayer as Steven while in a separate primary school. Out of desperation to go to high school, she told the Lord that “If you make me go to high school I will serve you for the rest of my life’’. Over the years she forgot about that prayer until years later when she and Steven had got married and were working with PNGBTA.
“We said we’ll go for two years work experience (with BTA) but we stayed on,’’ says Elizabeth. This year marks 35 years of their work with PNGBTA, serving in various capacities including director of PNGBTA.
“A bad woman”
It was not easy, especially with relatives continuing to show contempt over their decision to serve with missions.
“Out of anger, when they visited they would walk away from the house with anything. They thought I influenced Steven’s decisions and considered me a ‘bad woman’’’, says Elizabeth.
They were always bitter towards Elizabeth, but she always told Steven that “your people are my people’’.
In 2005, while on holiday in the village Steven and Elizabeth were taken to court over the matter that he could not meet this cultural obligations by helping raise children of his siblings and relatives. This really affected the fourth of the couple’s biological children.
Outspoken, then 10-year-old Karol Tandani, told her parents and siblings that she would never return to her father’s village.
Her name, Tandani, in Enga means ‘Jesus got pain for us’. For the past 26 years of her life she did not like the name because her siblings teased her saying she was living up to her name by being a pain them.
Miracle at a funeral
Two weeks before her death in 2015 Karol had a change of mind and was really excited about going to the village and accepted her name. God did a miracle during her funeral programme which became an eye-opener to Steven’s people who have since then changed their attitude towards the Thomases.
Despite being advised by relatives against taking Karol’s body home due to lack of finance, Karol’s siblings were adamant to take her body home. The decision drew support from many people.
“Money came from friends and family members – much to the shock of the relatives and the body was taken home,’’ says Elizabeth.
There was an even a bigger surprise awaiting the family at Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands. When they arrived with the body, 26 vehicles awaited them, including two ambulances (one from Elizabeth’s district). In the village, there were hundreds of people waiting for them.
All the different Christian churches operating in the area also took part in the funeral programme – from receiving the body, organising and running the funeral service to laying it down.
“Today, I can speak in public. It started when they allowed me to speak during the funeral time,’’ says Elizabeth.
Last year while on a long-service leave, she and Steven started a ministry in the village to address many concerns of the villagers, one of which is sorcery-related killings.
One of those women Elizabeth had helped protect from being killed by her accusers will be working with her when she goes back to settle and work in the village.
They also started an inter-denominational women’s prayer group and set up a library at the village primary school, using their own money as well as funds that came for Karol’s funeral programme.
“We’re excited about going home,’’ she says.
The Thomases have been operating from PNGBTA headquarters in Port Moresby in the last 20 years. They now feel led to go and serve in their home area.
Last month, friends, co-workers and relatives gathered at PNGBTA centre in Waigani to farewell the couple and to fundraise to support the new ministry they have begun in Tumandan village. The ministry is registered under the Tandani Community Empowerment Association Inc.
Funds being raised will cater for a house for the Thomas family in the village as well as an empowerment resource centre to cater for a long list of programmes. These include:

•  Training and empower rural women in agricultural crops, animal husbandry and farming for their economic benefit;
•  Counselling services for rural areas in general and particularly violence against women;
•  Proving counselling and dealing with sanguma issues that cause violence against women;
•  Facilitating inter-denominational pastors in-service training so that they improve and better understand and apply the word of God in rural Christian communities;
•  Encouraging church leaders from all denominations in the villages to partner and reach out to communities together;
•  Promoting care of environment through cleanliness, better public toilets, disposal of rubbish, etc.;
•  Encouraging prayer ministry among women and men;
•  Providing skills training such as adult literacy, sewing, new farming methods and cooking skills and others as needed;
•  Assisting and setting up libraries in rural schools and communities; and
•  Facilitating translation services (English to Tok Pisin and English to Enga and vice versa).
  The vision of the association is to see spiritual and physical transformation come to Mulitak community and other parts of Enga.
  It is a big project, but they will be working with other people to fulfill the mission so it can benefit the people.
  Once they are settled in the village, the couple will also be travelling to and from Mt Hagen to coordinate the setup of the Highlands Regional Centre for PNGBTA which will serve Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Hela and Enga.
  Those who wish to support the couple’s ministry can contact them on the following phone numbers: 71779664/ 76527986 (Elizabeth); and 72639763/76870484 (Steven). Email: [email protected] or [email protected]