A letter from Joe Ensing MSC, Eastern Papua
[We received this letter from the now ‘Deputy Emeritus’, Steve Dives, who is now involved full-time as Community Leader of the Kensington Campus, the Monastery, Chevalier Resource Centre, St Joseph’s.]
This is a standard letter to take the opportunity of Christmas / New Year season to renew contacts.
Christmas Day has come and gone, so I am a bit late with my greetings. Sorry, but as they say, better late than never and we are still in the season and spirit of Christmas.
So as we continue to celebrate the birth of our Saviour at Bethlehem, may God bless you at this very special time. I also pray that you may experience God’s blessings of peace, joy, happiness and goodwill in the New Year of 2021.
All continues to go well with me in Papua New Guinea, also known as the land of Paradise and it is surely living up to this name in regard to the Corona Virus Pandemic. My most recent official figures of 10/12/20 country wide is only 8 deaths and 720 confirmed cases out of a population of about 8 million. Even allowing for the low level of testing there are no reports of possible serious outbreaks at present. Our Capital City, Port Moresby has recorded the vast majority of confirmed cases at 360 out of the 16 Provinces, with my home province, Milne Bay at only 2 cases.
Where ever I go, particularly to town, life is much as usual. Not much evidence of social distancing, and masks only in shops and places of business such as banks, with notices of warnings and advice to avoid the disease.
Pray that we may continue to be spared any major outbreak in this country which has very limited medical resources to cope.
I continue on at our Diocesan Pastoral Centre for the formation and training of local Church lay leaders in a variety of Ministries.
Early this year, February, I was invited to Christchurch, New Zealand, for the wedding of my nephew, James to Eva, and on my return to PNG I took part in celebrating my older brother’s, 80th birthday at Caloundra, Queensland Australia.
The rest of the time has been at home taking part in short courses and seminars, apart from 3 weeks last month, November, traveling around the islands to the East, from Misima to Rossel, on behalf of the Bishop. I was happy to do this as I spent about 20 years in that area at Nimowa Parish.
Kind regards,
Joe
