On Matt Hill

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We take a long walk every Saturday, more often if possible, around the SIL Center (though still inside the security fence).  We try to take a different route each time, exploring roads that we haven't yet been on.  After being here for about 6 weeks, it's getting harder to find new paths.

Today's walk included a new street that went by a small wooded cemetary on the side of a hill called Matt Hill.  We took a few minutes to visit each of the 27 graves, some of which are unmarked.  A surprising number, with poignant writings on the headstones, were of children, some of whom died the day they were born.  A 15 year old boy was buried there, too.  A few graves held people who had apparently dedicated their entire lives to the work of Bible translation in PNG from the time the center was established in 1958.

As we were leaving the cemetary, Newton H., a translator here in PNG for 25 years, was walking by.  He told us the story of a very good friend, Mike, buried on the hill.  In 1995, Mike, aged 41, had been riding his motorcycle beyond Goroka (two hours west of here), on a mission of compassion, when a truck came around the corner on the wrong side.  Mike left behind a wife and 5 children.

Newton also told us of a Scandinavian couple whose infant child is buried on the hillside.  Twenty plus years later, when they had finished their translation work here and were leaving for home, Newton asked the wife if it would be difficult to leave PNG.  She replied that it was terribly hard leaving her child's grave behind.

We left Matt Hill once again feeling deeply the level of commitment and sacrifice of the people who come here from all over the world.