Programs of PIM

Leadership Training

The training of pastors is an important work of PIM. Rev. Eric Schering spends most of his time conducting various classes for pastors and writing resource materials for pastors.

Eric was also involved with the one week Teacher's In Service Course that was held for the 42 PIM teachers who have since left to serve in their assigned villages. Eric also serves as consultant for the Sunday school Ministry.

Experienced PIM nationals also conduct courses for pastors, for teaching and administration, Sunday schools, community guidance, as well as other specialized areas such as health and marriage issues.

   
Rev. Eric Schering conducts a training class for leaders in Wewak.                           These teachers are learning how to teach God's Word.

Sunday School

Teaching materials are produced in PIM's U.S.A. office and the Ambunti office for distribution to over 11, 000 Sunday schools students in different areas of PNG. These Sunday schools materials are in high demand as well as the teacher training workshops that are regularly conducted by national personnel.

Etewe explains Sunday school workshops to Rev. Eric Schering and Johannes and Sabine Schaber.

Elementary Schools

PIM conducts K-3 classes in Melanesian (PNG Tok Pisin) to assist primary age children's adjustments to the English orientated classroom of the community school by learning the basics. Highly successful and in great demand, the village schools, with hundreds of students, coordinated by experienced supervisory national personnel, focus on knowledge of the Scriptures. They foster God's law, principles, memorization and Bible stories, along with achieving literacy in Melanesian.

New Guinea students practice lessons using chalk and slate.       Students are studying the book With All My Heart

Martha Kooyers and Leah Heidema check the translation of
With All My Heart from English into Melanesian.

Village Health Care

PIM supports medical and health care services. Volunteer health workers are trained by PIM (developed in conjunction with the Stanford Medical School) to provide service to many Sepik Basin villages. Health training courses are conducted on PIM's Ambunti premises.

   
Village health volunteers practice what they have learned            Elfriede Urschitz and staff member pack medical supplies
during the 2006 medical course.                                                           for health aids .

Church Development

PIM promotes church growth by training pastors and teachers in its short courses. It also sponsors an active Sunday school publishing program for various churches in PNG.
   

Baptism at Bikaru                                                                                                   Christians have converted their rain catchment metal roof, with tanks, into a church building.

Service Programs

PIM operates a mechanical repair shop, a joinery for wood working, small sawmills, an air agency, and communication and transport services for the sick. In addition, PIM construction crews aid communities by building service centers, health care facilities, water systems, schools, community facilities and churches.

The Sepik River Valley area teems with swamps; there are virtually no roads, and bridges are non-existent. River travel is time consuming and expensive, all of which means that airstrips are a valuable resource for remote villages. The Airstrip Construction and Maintenance Ministry of PIM plays a vital role in the development of airstrips.

Depending on the diligence of the villagers, an airstrip can take anywhere from 3 to 15 years to build. Most of the time, PIM provides the needed shovels, pick axes, grass knives, axes, rakes, wheelbarrows, etc. The opening of an airstrip means that the people, if they are willing to do the work, can establish a school and/or health clinic in their village. The airstrip also spells hope for the person who is deathly sick with malaria or is struggling through a complicated childbirth. MAF can be contacted via radio to do a medical evacuation.

Once the airstrip is completed and approved by the PNG government, an opening is held in which we thank God for the work accomplished and dedicate the airstrip to Him. On November 26, 2005, an airstrip opening ceremony was held in the village of Sumwari. This opening was a great celebration because this airstrip had taken 15 years to build.

Yatoam people welcome the first MAF landing on their strip.      Yatoam people watch as MAF pilots make their test landings.

   
 Ambunti Headquarters

Water Systems

For over 25 years PIM has been erecting and maintaining rain catchment systems. Over 185 systems have been completed. Other systems using springs of clean stream water have been installed. Currently, corrugated iron tanks are being replaced with polyethylene ones when the funds are made available. Much appreciated by villagers, the water systems improve village health and ease the subsistence living conditions of the people.

This school has a rain catchment system.                                                               The tap provides clean water to wash.