St. Valentine’s Day & the Onobasulu

The Onobasulu people do not know about Valentine’s day, esp. as a holiday for romantic love. So, as a single lady, Walagu village is a great place to spend February. I am the only person who knows the romantic holiday is looming. It is also great to not be bombarded by advertising. (smile)

I love being with children, so here is a fun photo of Onobasulu children working on pre-literacy activities, a.k.a. coloring!

I do have a favorite Papua New Guinea memory about Valentines. I knew Valentine’s day was coming. My mom and a dear friend had both sent me messages that they had mailed packages to me, but those presents would be late. I can get chocolate in PNG (important fact!), but I began to really wish that someone, somewhere would/could give me a heart of chocolates. I knew that it was ‘impossible.’ Yet, my heart became sick with desire. Valentine’s day came and went. Still, I kept thinking on the impossible desire.

We have a small post office in our small center named Ukarumpa. I went to that post office one day, there were 2 yellow cards. Yellow cards that meant the arrival of a package! One package was a package from my mom with a movie I had wanted to see. The other package was labeled, “sweets.” What was that?! Well, I stood there at the side of the road and opened the second package from my friends. It was a large, pink, heart-shaped box of chocolates! I just stood there and cried. Even now, I still kind of tear up. You see, God prompted my friend to mail me that heart of chocolates before I began to wish for it, it came when I really, really wanted it. Was this something that I needed? In a way, not really. However, as a symbol of God’s tender love and care for me, yes, I needed this pink, heart of chocolate.

Today, I pray for you that you will hear the loving voice of God whispering into your heart that He loves and cares for you. And join me in praying that the Onobasulu also can hear God speaking love into Onobasulu hearts in the language of their hearts.