Bougainville

The Ice Age

IN

A CHRISTMAS and New Year gift for some isolated women in Bougainville, TNG, arrived in the form of kerosene-operated re frigerators sent to Methodist mission stations as a result of a fund raised by the Methodist Women’s Missionary Union of NZ. It is dif ficult for those living in civilisation to realise what a “fridge” means in these places.

Sister Merle Carter, of Kekesu, has described in a letter the ex citement at the mission station when a “fridge” was unloaded from the Malaita at Teopasina, four miles away, carried the last part of the way on a pole framework by 20 mission boys, and set down in the mission kitchen.

“Greater was the excitement when, five hours later, we dis covered that there were real ice cubes frozen in it,” wrote Sister Carter. “Imagine our delight when on the following Monday we turned out a lovely brew of ice cream! We had the Rev. and Mrs. Trevor Shepherd over to celebrate.

“There is so much less food wasted now. One of the major uses is to keep babies’ milk cold.

Previously, I had to make milk twice daily; now once daily is

sufficient.” (This mission station has many motherless babies under its care).

In the same strain Sisten Helen Whitlow wrote of the arrival of a “fridge” at Skotolan by pinnace, after being unloaded from the Malaita at Soraken. Twelve mission boys carried the heavy case on

poles up a slippery path.

“The sweat just poured off ther Well, the ‘fridge’ was put in tl kitchen, the tank filled with ken sene, and the wick lit. In aboi three hours we had it frosting, ! later the station was shouted i< cream. The kitchen was filled wil natives—just looking, as they sa They were thrilled with it.”—AJ,