Tyler and Emily in PNG

A few weeks back I was asked to join a work team to help a family with some repairs and setting up solar panels for their village house. The village of Igoi is only accessible by foot or helicopter. There is no road or waterway for travel. Igoi sits on top of a mountain around 2000 ft above sea level in the Madang Province. My role of the team was to mount two solar panels on the roof, stop bees from coming into the house, and clearing a clogged water line from the header tank. So after praying and considering the trip I agreed to go on this short 3 day/2 night trip.

We left at 7am for a two hour drive to meet the helicopter for a very short 5 minute ride to the village of Igoi. The 5 minute ride is the equivalent of 6 hours or more of hiking . Once we landed, we began to unload and grasp our bearings on what needed to be fixed. Of course the most important item is power. In the village your only options are generator or solar. Luckily there is both but once petrol runs out after a few weeks, you need to be more resourceful. Good thing in the tropics of PNG there is plenty of free sunshine to use for energy.

Right away the solar electronics were tested by another individual on the team and the 200 amp hour battery was set in place. Luckily the battery had a charge at 12.6 volts. We were immediately able to pump water from the 5000 liter tank to the two header tanks mounted on the roof which provides gravity feed water to the kitchen and bathroom. In the meantime, the third part of the team was sweeping and cleaning the house.

I found the extension ladder and went to the roof to find out what was next for the solar panels. I found the old structures for the previous panels were rotten and too far beyond for use. I also found the hot water header tank had 6 empty plastic containers floating in it. I knew the clog was from the cold water header tank and found it to be algae buildup in the outlet line of the header tank. That was easily freed to allow cold water to the taps.

As I planned the mounting of the new solar panel stand which I previously bought, painted, and cut in town before bringing them to the village; it was time to figure out where they would be placed on the roof. After that, it was time to begin the assembly of the stand. Thanks to the generator I was able to use a power drill to predrill holes in the very dense hardwood of PNG, kwila. Though my cordless 20v DeWalt hammer drill was excellent at sinking 4” screws into the 2”x2” timber.

The next day the panels were mounted and the stand went up the ladder to be screwed into the roof rafters. The wiring was completed and tested. Right away, the solar controller was charging the batteries even though the day was cloudy. The two 65 watt panels will provide the family enough power for lights, charging phone and computers, as well as the water pump. The refrigerator/freezer is configured for LP gas as well as the stove/oven.

For the bees, the simplest and easiest fix was just to seal up the gaps where the bees were coming and going from. A tube of No More Gaps caulk got the job done and not a single bee sting though they were very upset.

The next day, day 3, the helicopter came back to pick us up for our 5 minute shuttle ride to the truck for our 2 hour ride back to town. It was a trip well worth it and got much accomplished in a short amount of time.

The thing that continues to amaze me is how God still uses me in ways I never could have imagined. What next God? You must be careful when you sign your name and say ‘Here I am, Send Me.’ To God be the Glory.