Ipita happy to spread God’s Word

By HEZRON KISING
PEOPLE are used to seeing Pastor Ipita Wangiyu walking through the jungles and crossing fast-flowing rivers to spread the gospel.
The man from Magana village in the Koroba-Lake Kapiago electorate in Hela has been doing it since 1983 when he and wife Tapali Ipita from Muka village were sent to Hides Valley as the first missionaries of the Wesleyan Church.
Ipita was born on Jan 20, 1961. His father passed away when he was four years old. He was raised by his mother. And when he was five, his mother remarried, leaving Ipita to be brought up by his uncle Tipi Yagua and a church pastor named Karape.
He married Tabali in 1987. They have four sons and one daughter.
Ipita started thinking about becoming a missionary when he was a Sunday school teacher at the Ereiba Wesleyan church in 1975.
In 1983, at a church conference at the Fugwa Wesleyan Mission station, the church was looking for a volunteer to serve as a missionary in Hides Valley. No one raised his hand.

“ I love the work because Jesus loves me and the greatest job ever is serving his people.”

Ipita then slowly rose to his feet and said he was willing to go to the area where tribal fights were common and malaria was on the rampage. Everyone at the conference became emotional and hugged him because they knew how difficult life would be there.
The area had no electricity supply, lacked food, water and sanitation, there were no medical centers and no roads.
In October 1983, Ipita left for Hides Valley walking for two days through the bush tracks.
He set up a church at Kambeya in 1983.
“I travelled to remote areas, sleep in huts, eat food cooked in the open fire and preached the gospel to the people.”
Things began to change in 1993 when natural gas was discovered at Mt Kikinawini by the British Petroleum Company, then Oil Search then ExxonMobil. Development in the area quickly picked up.
Ipita continued his gospel work travelling the jungles of Mt Kikinawini and Kokogaga, and crossing the Gu Hanimu, Puya, Irapua and Tagali rivers.
In 1994, he moved to Yuni and set up a second church. Later he set up churches at Nikite, Perapu and Takiruma. Many people were baptised and moved away from the evil practices they had been used to. Ipita also visited 20 churches in South Kemo.
“I love the work because Jesus loves me and the greatest job ever is serving his people.”
Locals who meet him on his trips call him the missionary man.
“They used to say missionary man kam. There are many challenges I faced but I am used to them.”
He is today the deputy district superintendent of the South Kemo Wesleyan Church looking after the Wesleyan churches in Hides, Yalupa and half of Fugwa in Komo and Koroba of Hela.
He plans to retire next year and hand over his responsibilities to younger missionaries.
“I have prepared people for heaven, I have produce more human resources. But all good things must come to an end.”
He plans to return to his Magana village.
“I plan to give time to the young ones to take up my position on how to run the church. God’s calling is the highest calling always. All must seek God first before everything else on earth.”
Well done, good and faithful servant, Pastor Ipita.