MEDICINE WON'T WORK

The Bom Village in the Patpatar Tribe rests about an hours drive between two government medical aid posts. There are a few flatbed trucks which drive the only road to and from these areas hauling people and market goods. If someone in the village is sick, they are able to get on one of the trucks and go get medical help. Though it is quite limited, and often short on supplies, it is a service that has greatly helped the people.

One day, I was out in a hamlet visiting with some people. We walked into one of the houses made of bamboo walls and a grass roof. There, sitting on a bench was a young girl trying to keep the flies away from her leg. As I got closer I realized she had a huge open sore on her leg. Immediately, I was concerned, especially knowing how fast infection can spread in this climate. I asked if they were planning on going to the aid post to get some medicine or at least a bandage. The mother shrugged and told me that it would not help.

As I inquired more, I was told that she had had the sore about two weeks and it had developed because of a curse that had been worked by a magic man on a piece of ground where the girl had been playing. They went on to say that medicine and bandages will not help this kind of wound because the magic is too powerful. I then asked what they could do to help it and they told me that they had done what they could the night before. Another man that knew white magic had passed through the area. He had mixed some herbs and leaves and tobacco and burned them while he spoke words to take the bad power away. Now, they were assured that the wound would get better and that there was no reason to worry.

What would you do in my situation? Thank you for your prayers for us and for the Patpatar people.

ALL for Him,

Aaron for the family

PS - The answer to last NGN question about Avalon's pet: It is a Tree Possum, which is called a cuscus in the trade language of PNG, and the Patpatar people call it a Kapul. The winner with the quickest and closest response is Justin Culp.

PSS - The picture attached is of the girl with the wound on her leg.