As a Papua New Guinean, standing in the workshop of former missionary Dean Rose during the 23rd missionary reunion, my heart swelled with gratitude and awe. This gathering, only my second in 23 years, was a sacred moment to honor the missionaries who poured their lives into our nation. The workshop, filled with Dean’s mechanical tools—his hobby in his old age—was a testament to a life still vibrant with purpose. Yet it was the wall of memories that brought tears to my eyes, a gallery of faded photographs capturing the heart of their mission in Papua New Guinea. Among them, I recognized faces from my childhood—Miss Suzie Lorimer, my teacher of the ABCs of ACE program, and others my late mother cherished in her own photo collection. But it was the list of missionary companions they had lost—G.T. Bustin, founder of the EBM work that birthed the PNG Bible Church; Glenn Pelfery, founder of Highlands Bible College (now Pacific Bible College); and Dale Mahan, whose mechanical genius inspired my own path toward computer engineering—that broke my heart. Tears fell uncontrollably as I was reminded again of the depth of their sacrifice.

These missionaries, peculiar people as described in 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV), “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,” left behind lives of comfort to bring the Gospel to our rugged villages. As a child, I played with their children, unaware of the cost they bore—uprooting families, facing language barriers, enduring life-threatening situations, and carrying the emotional weight of leaving loved ones behind. One Papua New Guinean pastor, visiting America for the first time, marveled, “You were living in heaven on earth, and you came to PNG?” Yet every missionary I spoke to echoed the same sentiment: “I would never trade my time in PNG for anything else!” Their love for our people was evident as they spoke Tok Pisin among themselves, their voices warm with memories.

The reunion, hosted every two years by Dean Rose, brought together former missionaries of the PNG Bible Church and other holiness groups. Jeff Rose, a former missionary kid, led the group in preparing a mumu, a traditional feast, and as we sat around the fire, red and green Tok Pisin songbooks were passed around. Their voices—some frail with age, others trembling with tears—rose in harmony, singing hymns that carried the weight of their shared history. The presence of the Holy Spirit was undeniable, enveloping us in a sacred moment. I knew in my heart that, if they were young again, these missionaries would return to PNG without hesitation, ready to serve once more. Even the younger missionaries, their spouses, and their children—the third generation—joined in, wearing PNG caps and shirts adorned with our flag, singing hymns despite never having set foot in our land. It was a powerful reminder that Papua New Guinea had touched their hearts as deeply as they had touched ours.

The missionaries shared updates from their personal connections in PNG, their faces lighting up with joy. “Remember that boy or girl? They’re still serving the Lord!” they said, recounting stories of young men and women who had taken up leadership roles and remained faithful. Despite challenges—some, like Ken Thompson, recovering from heart surgery, and the Brock family attending the commissioning of the Rev. Robert Merrill Brock Memorial Tabernacle in PNG—their spirits were unbroken. They gathered to pray for the PNG Bible Church and our nation, celebrating the goodness of God. As Lorena Glick shared, these reunions are a time to intercede for PNG and give thanks for God’s mighty works.

Being a missionary is a profound, often traumatic experience, not in a negative sense, but as a deeply affecting journey that shapes entire families. It requires courage to face misunderstandings, dangers, and emotional trials, yet these men and women, now white-haired and seasoned, carry a grace that radiates joy. Their sacrifices echo Psalm 126:5-6 (KJV): “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Now with over 900 churches, two Bible colleges producing 100 to 150 pastors a year, God continues to move. Many of their stories cannot all be told on this side of eternity, but one day they will be revealed, and those who have shared in the sufferings of Christ are going to be co-heirs with Him, as we read in Romans 8:17 (KJV): “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

As Papua New Guineans, we owe these missionaries and their God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is now our God—a debt of gratitude. Their legacy calls us to be a peculiar people, carrying the Gospel forward with the same fervor. The work of the PNG Bible Church is tremendous, a foundation laid through sacrifice in hostile territories. Let us rise, inspired by their example, to continue this mission into the next century and beyond, proclaiming His marvelous light and the Holiness message to all nations.