Further reflections on opening of new Temple
The inauguration of the National Bahá'í House of Worship in Papua New Guinea was celebrated on the weekend of 25-26 May 2024 and marked an historic milestone. Among the attendees were official representatives from the New Zealand Bahá'í community, who joined in the momentous occasion. We initially shared an account from Penina Hitti who was one of the three representatives and are pleased to share the reflections of two more New Zealand representatives, offering their insights and experiences from this significant event. Their accounts highlight the spirit of unity and devotion that permeated the ceremonies.
Reflections from Dr Audrey Aumua - representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand
Friends,
It was the deepest honour and privilege to represent the National Assembly.
It is very hard to express the incredible feelings of excitement and joy that everyone felt to be present during this auspicious and monumental occasion.
The joy at the completion of this beautiful structure and what it represents, sitting in the midst of a challenged nation, was not wasted on the multitude.
There was excitement at seeing the thousands of local friends, many who had walked for days to be present, and to watch them proudly look upon the House of Worship with pride and gratitude. And then to see the many hundreds of pioneer families who had served in Papua New Guinea over the past 70 years return to witness the results of their efforts and the gift of the Universal House of Justice to the nation. Watching them greet each other, weep at their reunion, tok stori* all of them grasping the significance of the moment. All of these moments added to the deep emotion of the event.
The very moving programme organised by the Universal House of Justice, the reading of their message by the beloved Counsellor from Papua New Guinea, Mrs Kessia Ruh, and the presence and representation of the youth and children who were the most visible during the programme, created a very respectful atmosphere.
Further, the viewing of the Holy photos added a special element to the occasion.
On the morning of the opening, I was invited by the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly to host and accompany a number of the invited dignitaries. A special morning tea was prepared by the National Assembly for the guests prior to the opening event. Guests included religious leaders from various denominations as well as senior political and government officials.
At the morning tea, Counsellor Jalal Mills gave a moving talk on the history and journey of the Faith in Papua New Guinea and acknowledged the government and people of Papua New Guinea and thanked them for walking alongside the Bahá’ís.
Sir Julius Chan, the Governor of the Province of New Ireland and a former Prime Minister, was the guest of honour, along with the Governor of Port Moresby. Sir Julius has been a friend of the Faith for more than 50 years.
A key highlight of the opening was the heartfelt speech on race and religious unity by the Governor of Port Moresby.
For the Hancock family, being able to support dear uncle Rodney (93 years of age), having arrived in Papua New Guinea 70 years ago, was also very special. Twelve Hancocks attended. The fact that Rodney was able to be present and talk with the 2,000-3,000 friends on day two of the festivities and tell stories of the early days was pretty special.
I conveyed the heartfelt love of the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand to the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea and to as many of the friends of Papua New Guinea that I was able to meet.
It was a memorable two days. I am sure the photos of the event have been circulated and these are a testament to the atmosphere, size, and excitement of the commemoration.
Much love,
Audrey
*Tok stori is a Melanesian term for telling stories and creating a joint narrative.
Reflections from Michael Vaughan - one of two individuals officially representing the Bahá'í community of Aotearoa
Anticipation
With fond memories of our time pioneering in Papua New Guinea, my heart yearned to be at the opening of the new Temple. To once again be immersed in the love and laughter of so many pure hearted friends whose eyes and hearts radiate the light of God.
In the few weeks before departing Aotearoa, recollections flooded back of past great adventures and extreme crises while living on the remote Karkar Island; hundreds of new people being touched by the love of Baháʼu'lláh for the first time. Many specific memories, such as the words of a young person upon hearing the Word of God for the first time, “… this is [like] pure light coming into my heart.”
A passage from the Book of Certitude comes to mind, “The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit.”
The Day of the Dedication
We felt excited as we walked through the bush and up the pathway towards the House of Worship. With our first glimpse of the stunning beauty of the structure, we paused as one of us chanted an ancient incantation calling to the Blessed Beauty, the favoured angels, and acknowledging the hallowed hilltop, and the sacred edifice.
Turning the corner, we were struck by the sight of a sea of black and brown faces and the bright coloured clothes and head dress of the 1000 people gathered from every region of Papua New Guinea.
As we made our way to the back of the large marquee to get one of the few remaining seats, a few old local friends came towards us for a tearful embrace.
Overwhelmed by the spirit, the magnificence of the House of Worship, the colourful crowd, and the heat, I sat fanning myself as the opening ceremony began. The readings and singing of the choir lifted one’s soul into another realm.
One could not but feel a great sense of gratitude to Baháʼu'lláh for this momentous occasion. An event many years in the making. The sacrifice, steadfastness and efforts of so many.
Several speakers talked of the significance of this House of Worship for the peoples of this country. The secretary of the National Assembly struck a chord with the phrase, “A beacon of light and hope for the future.”
The Governor of the National Capital District spoke of the unifying power of the House of Worship for a nation of a thousand tribes, and that the temple belongs to all the peoples of the district and the nation.
The speeches, interspersed with choir singing, culminated with the reading of the message from the Universal House of Justice.
In one part of the letter the House of Justice said,
“We rejoice to see how, in villages and neighbourhoods, worship and service have come to form the basis of a rich pattern of collective life wherever community building activities are flourishing. In such places, brothers and sisters in spirit are learning together how they can contribute their share to the betterment of their communities—and beyond this, how they can provide for the material and spiritual prosperity of their whole society.”
The message concluded,
“Let all rejoice! For this is the moment when faith, hope, and shared purpose all converge. May the anthems of praise that are raised within this sacred space send your spirits soaring and call down blessings upon all who assemble inside.”
Entering the House of Worship
Gently and humbly the many young ushers, all in red shirts, guided each large group quietly inside the House of Worship for a short devotional programme. At the same time according to a well organised schedule, small groups were ushered into the nearby visitors’ centre to view the two Portraits of the Manifestations of God. The only time in their life that the vast majority of those present would have such an opportunity.
Catching up with friends
During lunch with friends from Karkar Island and the wider Mamose Region, we caught up on who had died in the past decade, what different people were doing back in our former home village and cluster, and most of all, people talked of the progress in their region in this Nine Year Plan. Things had changed since our departure in 2010. Most of the people in leadership roles are young; women are now in the forefront of the progress in villages and clusters; the conversation has a regional focus. Stories were shared of how 3rd milestone clusters were assisting other clusters to establish ‘centres of intense activity’ to spearhead the learning and growth; how social action (such as the village based secondary school programme, ‘Preparation for Social Action’) and involvement in discourses have developed during the past 16 years.
Remarkable changes and progress within one generation.
Pioneering on Karkar Island
When we lived there for 3 years (2008 to 2010), Karkar Island had a population of 55,000 people in 74 villages and was a learning site for large scale growth for Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It spearheaded much of the remarkable progress that had preceded the approval in 2012 to establish one of the first two national Houses of Worship. It was a cluster of exceptional receptivity, where one constantly avoided direct teaching and where individuals, families, clans and villages were usually told ‘no’, when they wished to become Bahá'ís. There were never enough workers to sustain growth. Every second cycle, when sufficient new workers were available, new declarants were restricted from between 50 to 200. This number would double with the children and junior youth of the new families. The spiritual forces and dynamics at play are impossible to describe as the next world orchestrated everything from on high. Photos below from Karkar Island, Madang Province, Mamose Region. The last photo is of Bahá'í elementary school students, Marangis village, 2008.
The second day of the Opening of the House of Worship 2024
The day after the opening, a further 3 thousand people arrived. A day of celebration and performances. Stories, dancing and singing. The new arrivals partaking of the opportunity to pray and sing within the House of Worship and to view the Portraits of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh.
It was a chance to catch up with more friends. Tears of joy all round when meeting up with a group of people from Bunisi village, one of the most remote places in the world. These friends had walked for days down out of the mountains and travelled along the coastline: a six-day journey.
Some of the friends from Bunisi village attending the 2024 opening of the House of Worship in Port Moresby with Michael.
In the afternoon a young man from Bunisi, sat down beside me and spoke of his memories of Te Ira Davidson and myself staying for a month in his village (Bunisi) in 2007 when he was 7 years old. He remembered how some people had walked from neighbouring mountains for 2 days to see a white man for the first time. He had attended the new elementary school established in his village but for primary school had walked for 2 hours each morning down the steep valley to a neighbouring village. A Bahá'í primary school has just been established in Bunisi for the next generation. He had attended the secondary school programme, Preparation for Social Action, in the Daga area across the nearby mountains. Now at 28 years old he was serving on the Local Spiritual Assembly. His stories demonstrated the incredible resilience, initiative and perseverance of the mountain people from this area.
Bunisi Village in 2007
Bunisi village was the base in 2007 for the first teaching campaign applying the approaches outlined in the institute course ‘Teaching the Cause’ (known as Ruhi Book 6). It was held in the remote Daga/Weraura cluster. Thirty visiting teachers walked over neighbouring mountains to join with locals. Within a few days hundreds of people responded to the call of God. Strong and at times violent opposition slowed the project, but crucial learning was gained.
Photos from Bunisi village in 2007, and the last image is of a group in nearby Anett village, Weraura, 2007.
Final comment
Now that the House of Worship, a ‘beacon of light and hope’ has been opened and new spiritual forces released, we can but look forward to the as yet unimaginable feats that will be achieved by the pure-hearted, steadfast people of Papua New Guinea.
