Jessie's House of Needles

by John Algate

  The New Testament dedication held in West Papua during March, was a trip down memory lane for those who had worked in Korupun over the past 40 years. My friend Jessie Legge and I had an uneventful trip to Sentani. We were welcomed by a group of Kimyal students studying at the university there. They insisted on taking us out for a meal where they paid the bill!!! After several days of waiting to get our ‘permission to travel’ we flew to Wamena and spent a couple of days with my Irish friend and former colleague Sue Trenier and saw her work amongst the AIDS and TB patients. We parted from Wamena courtesy of MAF at 5.30 am on a very misty day headed for Korupun.

  We were welcomed by a huge crowd of excited people. They greeted us with a gift of a necklace of local beads and many hugs. The local band was playing as the people sang, chanted and danced around us, many decked out in their finery of feathers, large net bags and painted faces. They had been dancing for days and their enthusiasm was infectious. The rugged mountains, swirling mists, creeping fog and thundering rains had not changed, but many of our Kimyal friends now had grey hair as did most of the attending missionaries.

  The week of the dedication was a fulfilment of all their hopes and dreams to read the Word of God in their own language in one book. Praise God he has used his Word to change many lives. The initial language analysis, alphabet and some translation was accomplished by Elinor, until she had to return home due to health reasons. The Lord challenged Rosa Kidd to take up the unfinished task. She felt very inadequate but began the translation before she too had to return home due to family and health reasons. Rosa continued to work from home in conjunction with two National translators. She returned to the field for two months every two years. Now, after 15 years of perseverance, the New Testament is completed.

  Three days before the dedication a MAF plane brought in the boxes of New Testaments. The air was charged with emotion as the first box was given to the pastors and elders. Many were weeping. Pastor Siud prayed and thanked God for this very special day when they would have the Word of God in their own language under one cover. He said he felt like Simeon when he held the baby Jesus in his arms and he could see the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Messiah. The box was given to the old people who had prayed for this day, and was then passed onto the young people adjured to read God’s Word to lead them in the way of righteousness.

  The day of the dedication began with excitement mounting to fever pitch when the people were woken to start making fires, killing over 100 pigs and chickens and preparing the vegetables etc. Organised chaos like an ant hill. Everyone knows their duties and does it. The vice-governor and his party duly arrived and the celebrations began with prayer and praise sung by the school children from different villages. Many people dressed as warriors re-enacted the coming of the first missionaries and how they had planned to put them into the spirit house, hang them up and kill them. Instead the men gave out gifts of salt and peanuts which they received. Salt being a precious commodity they decided not to kill them. Many speeches followed. After the formality of cutting the ribbon Phyliss Masters opened the packages of New Testaments. She gave the first copy to Pastor Siud which caused great rejoicing from the people. Siud thanked the missionaries for coming and bringing them God’s Word which has changed their lives. (June 2010)

  In this newsletter Jessie also recounted a general reflection made by several of the missionaries that the current (third) generation of Kimyal Christians didn’t know the darkness, the wars, the cannibalism, the sickness, the deaths and the very bad earthquakes of the 70’s and 80’s which had coincided with the original conversions of Kimyal Christians. How quickly time had moved on in the remotest highland areas.

  During my recent trip to West Papua it was very special to be part of the enthusiasm of the people to own and read the New Testament in their own language. Each Christmas they would re-enact the Nativity story with a live black baby as Jesus and black faced angels in their white robes. It was a day of celebration. So sad to see the real Christmas slipping into oblivion here (in Australia). Once the dedication of the New Testament and celebrations at Korupun were over, Phyliss Masters, Jessie Legge and myself headed for Dani Karubaga where I had begun my missionary career in 1966. Phyliss had returned there after Phil was killed in 1968 and we had worked there with the Karubaga staff, Phyliss in the medical accommodation section and later in the women’s ministry and me in the hospital and clinic work. As we landed on the new, enlarged asphalted airstrip I wondered how many people would remember me after 20 years absence whilst I worked in Korupun. No need to worry that I was forgotten as we were mobbed by people as soon as we stepped off the plane. It took us two hours to work our way to the house as there was a line of people all wanting to be greeted, hugged and hands shaken. A constant refrain to me was: ‘I thought you had died’ but they were glad to see me in the flesh.

  We stayed in the doctor’s old house which was quite comfortable except for some uninvited guests we found in the house in the shape of rats, bedbugs, mosquitoes and cockroaches. The people immediately set to work preparing a big pig feast in our front garden. They asked Phyliss to share a ministry with the women and asked me to give some lessons on AIDS which we were happy to do. We were overwhelmed by gifts of veggies, fruit, net bags and meat. I was astonished when an old lady brought me a net bag to say thank-you for saving her husband’s life some 25 years previously. Many others brought gifts for the help I had given to their babies all those years ago which I had long since forgotten about. It was a time of reminiscing with them over those early years and putting older faces with grey hair to the people we had known. Sadness for the ones missing from the ranks. We wandered around the city which had grown up since we had left and wondered at the changes. They even had vehicles that travel over the dangerous roads and bridges to bring in supplies from Wamena for the ever growing population of people from other islands - military, police, school teachers, even a bank and mosque. Times have changed and the people are facing many choices and temptations. We need to pray for them. (December 2010)

  It was the last time Jessie visited West Papua, though her long-time friend and colleague Sabil made one last effort to encourage Jessie to return when he asked ‘are you sure you don’t want to come back here to live? I would make sure we would have plenty of wood for your funeral!’

  The Kimyal do not bury their dead and the family provides wood for their cremation. Jessie said he must have been thinking she would need a fair bit of wood.

  33. Back home – the later years

  Once more I am surrounded by boxes and suitcases needing to be unpacked and sorted. This time, in Australia, I go through an accumulation of things stored in my garage over a number of years, plus the suitcases of sentimental things I brought home from Irian Jaya.

  When Jessie retired from the field she returned to Melbourne, though she continued to travel within Australia sharing information about World Team and West Papua and continued distributing her prayer letters.

  On my way home I took the opportunity of stopping off at Darwin to visit a niece, then on to Sydney to stay with my sister Thelma. Then on to Melbourne and the unpacking! I will need your prayer as I try to get settled in this ‘foreign land’. There are so many things I need to learn about shopping and running a household here. Huge supermarkets are a little daunting with all the choice and advertising. Rather different to sending in an order form to our agents in Jayapura and then being surprised at what comes three months later on the plane. (March 2001)

  Do you realise that it is now 35 years that you have been receiving my prayer letters and have been part of my team of prayer warriors. I have greatly appreciated the faithfulness and expertise of my sister Vera and brother-in-law Ken, who have faithfully sent out my prayer letters over the years. Many, many hours of work. Now it is my turn to do more than just write and send it off. (September 2001)

  Not surprisingly it took some time to make the transition from Jessie’s busy village life to semi-retirement in Melbourne.

/>   They tell me it will take five to 10 years before I really feel ‘at home’ here in Australia socially and emotionally. There have been so many changes to get used to; it takes time to adjust to them all. Of course Irian Jaya is never far away from my thoughts most days and I often wonder how they are coping. (September 2001)

  Retirement also brought new opportunities. Jessie was asked to attend a study school in Canada involving missionaries from around the world. She jumped at the chance to spend two months in Canada and the United States.

  It was a time of learning new concepts, mind stretching, fun and fellowship as we all worked together in teams. Following the month in Canada I was excited to visit many old friends in the U.S.A. who had lived and worked in Irian Jaya years ago. It was good to reminisce of days gone by. (September 2001)

  In 2001 Jessie enjoyed just the third Christmas she had spent in Australia in 35 years. She began her new job as prayer coordinator for World Team to link people up in a huge prayer chain in Australia. I am not too sure as to the best way to go about getting it all together. Another first for me and another challenge to trust the Lord in a new way. (December 2001)

  She continued to travel with her work, connecting with family, friends and supporters around Australia, and still keen to test herself physically with new challenges.

  When I was in Sydney my sister Thelma gave me a ticket to do ‘the bridge climb’ for my birthday. This is one of the newest tourist attractions in Sydney. We climbed the span of the Sydney Harbour Bridge right up to the flags. (December 2001)

  We have had an unexpected sadness in our family when my sister Vera suddenly passed away in October after an 18 months battle with leukaemia. We are thankful that she was spared a long, debilitating illness, although it was very hard for us having her go so unexpectedly. But death is not the end for those of us who have trusted Jesus – it is just a new beginning. (December 2001).

  Jessie’s brother-in-law Ken passed away in August the following-year after a short illness with a brain tumour. Vera and Ken both gone within a year is not what we anticipated. (December 2002)

  Whoever said to me that ‘life must be boring for you now that you have retired’ should have been with me over the past three months. It has certainly been packed with new experiences. During February and March I accompanied Phyllis Masters as she travelled and spoke in many different venues in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. It was good to catch up with some of you on our travels. Phyllis has a very special message to give. We met up with many relatives and friends of Stan Dale on our travels. Many of them prayed for Phyllis over the years so it was good for them to meet face to face. (April 2003)

  Last week I got a surprise when I opened up the computer to find two messages in the Kimyal language there for me. The clinic workers had written letters and given them to Sue Trenier to send to me through the email. One from Sabil asking for prayer as they are finding it harder to get the medications they need if they have an epidemic. He mentioned that 18 had died from amoebic dysentery because of the lack of the right drugs.

  Some exciting news to hand is that I have been chosen to go as a delegate to the World Team Conference in Hungary in March. It will be my first trip to Europe. I hope to meet up with many co-workers from past years. (November 2003)

  My trip to Europe to visit so many old friends was fantastic and I enjoyed every minute of it. People were so kind and helpful everywhere I went. They all killed the ‘fatted calf’ and took me to all their favourite places.

  She visited many places including Holland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy and Great Britain. In London she did the usual tourist things – visiting the Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park, watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and wandering around Windsor Castle, the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

  It was very special to meet up with my friend Sue Trenier who is still working in Irian Jaya but was on furlough in the UK. She was leaving to return to Papua in three days’ time. We sat and ate waffles and ice-cream in Covent Garden and talked and talked. There couldn’t have been a vaster contrast as our ways separated to leave me in London and her back to the wilds of Irian Jaya. (July 2004)

  After a hurried trip to Cambridge and Keswick in the Lake District Jessie visited Scotland, reconnecting with Jack Leng, one of her first colleagues when she arrived in Karubaga.

  Jack was the Doctor who operated on Stan Dale in 1966 which was my introduction to life in the Karubaga Hospital. They took me the length and breadth of Scotland in a whirlwind visit to Aberdeen, Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, walked on the shores of Loch Lomond, drove along the road the Romans built, walked on Hadrian’s Wall, ate and enjoyed all kinds of Scottish delicacies. In fact I was spoilt rotten but enjoyed it all. (July 2004)

  Jessie called the trip her trip of a lifetime, stopping off in the United States on her journey home to visit Rosa and Orin Kidd whom she worked with in Korupun. Back in Australia, the turning of the years was continuing to take its toll on her family.

  Another sad event that happened in our family ranks is the loss of our eldest sister, Olive, five months ago. She had been unwell for 18 months with different problems and passed away three weeks after I returned from my trip overseas. I was thankful to be at home at the time. Coming at the tail end of a large family it suddenly happens that as I get older, the ones up ahead are also clocking up the years. I am thankful to be keeping well at present. (November 2004)

  But the good health didn’t last.

  Over recent months I have been seeing a haematologist because my blood had some strange things floating around in it. The final diagnosis last week was that I have a type of leukaemia. At the present time I am stable and I do not need any kind of chemotherapy or medications. My own doctor will continue to monitor my blood levels and he will be made aware if there is any need for medication or chemotherapy later on. As you can imagine this has come as a shock. (June 2008)

  I had an appointment to see the haematologist specialist in December. He was surprised and pleased with my blood results as it had not changed from the previous visit. Because it is stable he has not given me any medication and doesn’t want to see me for six months. What a wonderful Christmas present. Over these uncertain days the Lord has encouraged me from Isaiah 41; 10. Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand. (December 2008/January 2009)

  My elder brother Jim passed away in October. He had been failing in health for some time and had been in respite care for one month when he had a massive heart attack and didn’t linger. A happy release for him but a break in the chain of memories for the rest of us. (December 2009)

  It is amazing how life can change in a few short hours or weeks. Just before Christmas my oncologist was concerned about my blood reports and suggested that I have a bone marrow biopsy to get a clearer picture of how things were progressing. The result was not favourable. He found that I had changed from a low grade leukaemia to an acute myeloid leukaemia which is far more aggressive. I was given the options of different types of chemotherapy or no treatment with six months to live. I had to make a decision. After much prayer I went to see the professor and before I could give him my answer he said: ‘I have heard that there is a drug trial for your type of leukaemia starting at the Alfred Hospital. I think it would suit you better as the chemo is reduced and the new tablets have minimal side-affects.’ I am now a regular visitor to the Alfred Hospital drug trial most mornings, but that is a long commitment for the next six months as I am not allowed to drive.

  Jessie suffered some bad side-effects from the drugs, lost 10 kilograms and spent 10 days in an isolation ward suffering from septicaemia.

  I don’t remember much of the following 10 days but I am very grateful to the three teams of doctors who discovered, isolated and treated the two bugs in my system. Because I was very shaky on my legs because of the length of time spent in bed and the loss of mus
cle tone I had to learn how to walk again. It was decided to send me to a rehabilitation hospital for 10 days. I have been so grateful to family and friends who have been so helpful since I came home by staying overnights, cooking meals, cleaning the house and making it easier for me to stay in my own home. After being independent for so long it is hard to stay put and let others do it….When I went back to my first review with the doctor at the trial clinic he was amazed when he read my blood results and couldn’t believe that they were so good. He said to me, you have had such a bad reaction to the drug, been put through the mangle and we nearly lost you, but your blood levels are better than they were three months ago. I replied that I had a lot of people praying for me. (June 2011)

  34. The last word

  I hesitantly stepped onto Indonesian soil, feeling very inadequate, and very naïve about the situation to which I was headed. Let’s take a walk down memory lane as we remember God’s goodness and faithfulness over the years.

  On 14 May 1991 Jessie clocked up 25 years’ service in West Papua. In her regular update to friends and supporters at the time, she reflected on these years. Her words touch on the adventures, the triumphs, the struggles and the joys she found in the mountains, particularly among her Kimyal friends. While another 10 years of missionary service still lay ahead of her at the time she made these jottings, I found no other writing that more succinctly summed up the driving forces in her life, her work and her faith – a faith that sustained her through many difficult times, and comforted her in her last days.