Unwavering faith in God – and education

By Ps ALPHONSE KAWAGE
UNLIKE other provinces in the Highlands region, Chimbu is mountainous and rocky.
We are not like Southern Highland, Hela and Enga which are blessed with mineral resources, oil and gas. We are not even like Western Highlands, Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands which are geographically blessed with valleys and plateaus which yield bountiful supplies of agricultural commodities like coffee and tea.
When you talk about Chimbu, you are only talking about blue lofty mountains white lime stone and sticky soil.
However, Chimbus are so proud and always contend with whatever resources Mother Nature has placed before them.
Although Chimbu has contributed less compared to other provinces towards economic development of the nation, it has contributed immensely in human resources. And so in order to extract something worthwhile from a human being, it is all rooted in education.
Indeed with right minded Chimbus putting their heads together with the provincial government, education is seen as very in important for the province.
I am among many Chimbu parents who believe strongly in education, especially for my children. As a result two of my children made it to the highest level of education. One, namely John Bob Kawage is doing his masters degree in Chemistry at the University of Hokkaido in Japan.
He will be graduating in September this year.
My daughter, Gertrude Kawage graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Works recently at the University of PNG.
Since I am a simple pastor tending the Lord’s flocks at home, I went through extremes to raise my children’s school fees. At every level of their education, the school fee burden has been like a chronic sore in my life.
However, I am very thankful to my great God above because he always came to my rescue on time. My faith in the scripture in Matt 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things you need will be given to you by God himself – has become real for me.
To attend my girl’s graduation is quite a story. On Thursday, April 19, I jumped on a tulait-tulait bus in Kundiawa and arrived at Nadzab airport outside Lae at 1am. I spent the morning hours of Friday with the security guards and boarded the PNG Air flight at 11.30m and arrived in Port Moresby at 12.45pm. I got on a waiting cab and drove straight to the university and arrived there at exactly 1pm.
I saw that my girl Gertrude had already graduated and come out to wait for me at the security checkpoint with her degree and gown.
I was so amazed to see my girl in such an attire. I picked up the degree scroll and thanked the great God above.
My hard work has really paid off.
I would like to make a special appeal and challenge to parents, especially young couples whose children are still growing up and in school, to make tough decisions now for the betterment of their children’s future.
Bring your children up in a godly environment with strong discipline. Parents must take their children to church.
The conduct of the parents must be upright and without blemish, filth and lust.
Our children are presents from God; they were born with full potential and ability but we the parents make our children to become what they are.
If a child is spoilt, the parents are fully to be blamed. We the parents are blockages and hindrances to our children’s success.