Lu Piper, a Uniting Church volunteer in Papua New Guinea, has been awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for service to the international community through educational, health and pastoral roles.

The Medal, awarded on Australia Day, recognises Lu’s extensive work in PNG as well as her contribution to indigenous education in Australia and her work as a parish minister in the Anglican Church. Lu, a trained teacher, worked in PNG in this capacity from 1968 – 1972. She then was seconded to the Melanesian Council of Churches to work on a Christian education syllabus for Primary school students. She spent several years teaching in a remote indigenous community in Australia before returning to work at Gaulim Teacher’s College in PNG.

Since 2004 Lu has worked with the United Church of Papua New Guinea (UCPNG) in Salamo, a remote area in the Papuan Islands region. As one of UnitingWorld’s Experience Volunteers, Lu, alongside local church leaders, supports the construction and renewal of Health Clinics and remote Health outposts. These clinics and outposts are vital in PNG, where many communities live on isolated islands or in remote areas and access to clinics and healthcare can be limited.

Regarding her work in PNG, Lu says,

“I have come to the point where I understand ministry is washing feet, and that alone. All else is peripheral, it seems to me, and hopefully, with God’s help, it is eventually possible to let all else go.”

The United Church in Papua New Guinea has long been a partner of the United Church in Australia. They play an important role in service provision in PNG, particularly in relation to primary and secondary education. The Development Unit of the UCPNG has been active in community development initiatives, particularly focusing on ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and health services in remote areas. UnitingWorld, the agency of the National Assembly of the United Church in Australia that relates to our overseas partners, works with the UCPNG to run these programs. Find out more about UnitingWorld’s work in PNG here.

To find out more about how you can volunteer with UnitingWorld, visit the UnitingWorld Experience website.

In the Solomon Islands, many people live in remote communities where transport and communication is very limited. For many people, accessing healthcare is near impossible. The churches play a key role in the provision of these services.

UnitingWorld has supported the Helena Goldie Hospital in conjunction with the United Church in Solomon Islands since 2007.

Central to the work of the hospital are the mobile health clinics that travel to remote regions to provide health advice, child immunisations and emergency treatment to people who would be otherwise unable to access professional care. The visiting medical teams also deliver staff education and training to local health clinic staff.

These trips, which started in 2009, often involve hospital staff traveling for several hours by canoe. Since 2009, health services have been provided to around 25,000 people living in remote communities through this program.

We have just received an encouraging newsletter from our partners in the Solomon Islands, the Helena Goldie Hospital.

“These tours are only possible because of the generosity of our friends and donor partners of Uniting Church Australia. Without their continuing support, the grass roots people of our remote villages would be denied these visits that they appreciate, need and deserve. We thank our partners humbly and hope that they can understand the importance of the work that their donations make possible,” the newsletter said.

The newletter went on to highlight the success of the remote visits:

“Villagers welcome our teams with excitement, as they know that the special services that the Doctor and Nurses can provide are very important to the health of people that live in these remote areas. Most of the villages visited by our Medical Tour have a small health centre, many of which are manned by only one Nurse Aide, and these people also
appreciate the visits as they provide a chance to learn and to share experience that they are unable to do normally because of their isolation.”

UnitingWorld would like to join our partner by thanking all who have supported this project.

You can read more about the mobile health clinics and the latest updates here. 

Update 21 December

Official government figures have indicated that nearly 1000 people have lost their lives and thousands more have been displaced as a result of Typhoon Washi. The death toll is expected to rise. In total, the typhoon and subsequent flooding has affected over 340,000 people across 13 districts.

UCCP General Secretary Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza has highlighted the extent of the damage. “Many people are traumatized at the extent of devastation in terms of loss of lives and damage to property. The areas hard hit by the storm were not the usual areas visited by typhoons in the Philippines so they were not quite prepared nor did they anticipate the fury of the typhoon,” he said.

The local bishop of the UCCP, Bishop Melzar Labuntog, has visited some of the affected areas with Church leaders to assess the situation as well as to provide the Church’s presence and assistance where possible.

To donate to UnitingWorld’s Typhoon Washi Flood Appeal, click here.

UnitingWorld has prepared a PowerPoint resource for churches to use over the Christmas period. The PowerPoint outlines the situation in the Philippines and includes a prayer for churches to use.

We encourage all to join with us in prayer and solidarity with our partners in the Philippines and all affected.

To download the PowerPoint Presentation, click here.