Secure in Paradise

A major change around Kudjip Station is a new security force. Up until the first of this month, Nazarene Health Ministries (the administrative body that runs Nazarene Hosptial) has hired the security guards. They did not have any real training, just a little coaching from their boss. Their equipment has been pretty minimal. For a time we had enough small hand-held walkie-talkies for all the men on duty to carry one, but one by one they either broke or were lost.

This past year the national board of the Church of the Nazarene here in PNG decided to hire a professional security firm. There are a lot of these in PNG! They selected one that has worked at a near-by non-denomination Bible college, to the great satisfaction of the people there.

We want even the security guards to be part of the ministry here. The ideal would be men who could witness to patients or their families, or to pray with people from time to time, but who would still be firm with people who's behavior is out of bounds. After NHM signed a contract with Asila Security Service, we found out that the owner of the company is a member of the Church of the Nazarene.

The Asila men wear neat and distinctive uniforms. They are extremely polite. They line up at attention for report at the beginning of each shift. They each carry a large billy stick that looks like it really means business. The supervisor and two assistant supervisors on each shift carry two-way radios. At the front gate they have a hand-held metal detector wand, and they check everyone coming in for weapons, and hold any knives until their owner leaves. We have not had a crisis or challenge since they have been here, so we don't know how they will handle a situation, but I have the impression that they will handle anything well.


Sad note: Ruth, the subject of yesterday's blog died early this morning.

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