“COME AND TEACH MY PEOPLE”

Early in 1952, Bobogi Naiori, a Koiari chief and prominent witch doctor, visited Heni Heni​—his wantok, or fellow tribesman—​and attended a meeting at his home. Impressed by what he saw and heard, Bobogi later approached Tom Kitto and pleaded: “Please, come and teach my people about the truth!”

Soon afterward, Tom and Rowena drove their old pickup truck over boggy dirt roads to Bobogi’s home at Haima, a small village about 15 miles [25 km] north of Port Moresby. Tom preached to the assembled villagers while Bobogi interpreted. As a result, about 30 people began studying the Bible.

Later that month, the group at Haima built a small hall for Christian meetings. “The hall had a bush timber frame, thatched grass roof, and waist-high plaited bamboo walls,” recalls Elsie Horsburgh, who later attended meetings there. “Sapling seats, a kerosene lamp, and a small blackboard completed the internal decor.” This modest structure became the first Kingdom Hall in Papua New Guinea.

Under such pressure some interested ones fell away. Yet, a nucleus stood firm. In 1954, the first Witness baptism in Papua New Guinea was held, and 13 Bible students were baptized in the Laloki River at Haima. One of them was Bobogi, who declared: “Even if all the Koiari fall away, I will not, because I know this is the truth.” True to his word, Bobogi maintained his integrity, serving faithfully as an elder in the Haima Congregation until his death in 1974.

John’s visit culminated in a one-day circuit assembly at Haima. “When the candidates for baptism were asked to rise, . . . seventy stood up!” recalls Tom Kitto. “Our hearts literally welled up with gratitude to see forty brothers and thirty sisters lined up along the jungle river ready to symbolize their dedication to Jehovah.”

The following year, the brothers arranged to hold a second circuit assembly at Haima. Bobogi, the village chief, was assigned to build the needed facilities and prepare food for those expected to attend. Three days before the assembly, John (Ted) Sewell, the new circuit overseer from Australia, met with Bobogi to discuss the preparations.

“What have you built?” asked Ted, getting right to the point.

“Nothing yet,” Bobogi replied.

“But this is Thursday, Bobogi, and the assembly is on Sunday!” exclaimed Ted.

“That’s all right, brother,” answered Bobogi. “We’ll make everything on Saturday.”

Ted was aghast and returned to Port Moresby convinced that the assembly would be an organizational disaster.

That Sunday he drove anxiously to Haima to see what had happened. What a transformation! Under a sweeping tree facing a large area of cleared ground stood a sturdy wooden podium. Farther away lay stone cooking pits, where pigs, wallabies, deer, pigeons, fish, yams, and sweet potatoes were being roasted. Teakettles boiled on an open fire. Crowds of people mingled happily at a cafeteria made from bush materials. And there, in the midst of all the activity, stood Bobogi, looking quite unperturbed. Ted was flabbergasted!

“Bobogi, where did you learn to do all this?” he gasped.

“Oh, I saw all of this in that film John Cutforth showed us last year,” replied Bobogi.

Over 400 people from eight ethnic groups attended that assembly, and 73 were baptized. In later years, it came to be called Bobogi’s assembly.

[Picture on page 85]

The country’s first Kingdom Hall, at Haima, Port Moresby