On June 11, 2005, the Wantok Radio Light Network in Papua New Guinea will be dedicated to the Lord's service.  Our Director of Ministries, Garry Sutley, was there in this incredible event that drew thousands of jubilant supporters

Our dear friend and co-laborer Joe Emert, was there and filed these reports....

Try to imagine this scene:

• Over 10,000 people under a big-top tent hearing Christian radio for the first time...
• 35 pigs cooking overnight in the ground, along with all the related fruits and vegetables for a Papua New Guinea “pig feast”...
• The first live nationwide Christian radio broadcast...
• Members of Parliament and a Provincial Governor attending to lend their support...

If you can put all that together in your imagination you get a glimpse of what we are experiencing here in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

We arrived here on Friday, following our flight from Lae. When we arrived at “Kaupena Station”, about one hour from Mt. Hagen, we were greeted by several thousand applauding and happy people. They are gathering here for a time of celebration and formal “launching” of the PNG Christian Broadcasting Network, specifically the shortwave station and the first 3 FM repeater stations. Our flight was quite late but they had delayed their “presentation of gifts” until we arrived. How surprised we were! People lined both sides of a long grass airplane runway as we were escorted to the place where the presentations would be made. This is all in preparation of a big “pig feast” being planned for tomorrow (Saturday).

Almost immediately, various churches and village groups began to bring their gifts for the big celebration…. Pigs, chickens, potatoes, sugar cane, fruit, and various other vegetables. The local area organizing chairman, shown here on the right, would symbolically receive the gift, then turn it over to a member of the board for Wantok Radio Light. What an honor it was to be one of those recipients! This is strong symbolism here in this country so rich in tradition and community. And the groups with their gifts continued to march down the runway, some singing songs of praise as they rejoiced at the opportunity to have a part in supporting their national Christian radio network. Talk about a “Sharathon”!!

This group is representative of over 20 presentations. Their particular specialty seemed to be sugar cane and bananas. Sweet gifts which must have pleased the heart of God!

As each group’s gifts were received they would march away to the place further down the runway where the “Moo Moo” would be performed. The food was cooked overnight in long pits, lined with banana leaves. Stones made almost red hot in nearby fires lined the pit and created one very big crockpot!

It was a deep honor for me to meet the one remaining brother who “received” pioneer missionary, G.T. Bustin over 50 years ago to this area called Kaupena. He was one of Rev. Bustin’s first converts and has been a Pastor and church leader for many years now. If you look close you can see where his nose was pierced where he wore pig tusks or some other ornament. What a joy to know that he, and many thousands like him, have exchanged their nose piercings for The One who was pierced on the cross for their salvation. It brought tears to many eyes as this precious man of God exhorted the crowd to live holy lives before the Lord.


A ladies group from the local area presented a beautiful custom hand-crafted banner for Wantok Radio Light. They then presented “belium bags” to all the American guests. The belium bag in PNG is almost a national treasure! They are used by men and women alike to carry everything from fire wood to babies! These beautifully crafted bags will be great prayer-reminders for us as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have found the joy of having all their sin placed in God’s mighty belium bag and laid at the foot of the cross!

Thousands more continued to gather as excitement ran high. We all anticipated the next day’s 5 hour live nationwide broadcast from this site where, over 50 years ago G. T. Bustin established a work of God which has grown into over 600 churches with multiplied thousands of dedicated believers who daily serve Jesus Christ and who have a strong desire to use Christian radio as a missions tool with which to tell many others.

In my next and final report I’ll be coming to you from under the big red and yellow tent! What a tent-meeting we will have!

In Christ, in Papua New Guinea….

Joe Emert