Australia has provided PNG with a shipment of vaccines that the government then disseminated to major urban centers, Madang included, under the vaccination campaign called “Sleeves Up.” The Madang Chamber of Commerce sent out a notice weeks ago asking businesses and NGOs around town to send in a list of employees wanting to be included in this initial rollout. Unfortunately, there was little to no interest due to widespread fears based on Facebook rumors. The rollout has been plodding and generally eschewed. During this first phase (hospital staff and police), the Chamber sent out another notice asking anyone at all to go get it and avoid waste. Brian and I had already decided we would get the vaccine during our early days stateside, not wanting to take doses from PNG. However, we changed course once we heard that vaccines were going to waste and saw that Papua New Guineans close to us were unwilling to even consider getting the vaccine until they saw others go first.

COVID is a bringer of chaos. There is such confusion, misinformation, mishandling of resources, and division in every country relating to every aspect of it. We’re praying, and are asking you to pray with us, that the people here will be able to make well-informed decisions about whether they ultimately will or won’t get the vaccine. We were excited to get it, and discouraged that so few Papua New Guineans are willing right now. That being said we fully trust that God is in control. Where there’s chaos, God brings order. One way or another that order will come and it will be at God’s bidding, not our own. We each must do what we think is best and treat each other with gentleness, patience, and kindness bearing in mind what Jesus himself said is primary: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.