Title: Traces of Pneuma: The Unseen Hand in My Journey

Subtitle: How the Holy Spirit has guided, strengthened, and shaped my life across seasons of change

1. Introduction: What is Pneuma?

The word Pneuma comes from the Greek, meaning spirit, breath, or wind. It refers to the Holy Spirit—God's active force, invisible yet powerful, comforting, guiding, and transforming lives. My journey, like many others, has been shaped by this unseen presence. Looking back, I now see clear traces of the Holy Spirit gently yet firmly moving through my life's joys, struggles, and transitions.

2. Early Glimpses: Strength in Loss

When my father died in 1965, I was only eight years old. That moment marked the beginning of a life shaped by responsibility and quiet strength. As the eldest son, I had to support my widowed mother and siblings. I did not know it then, but Pneuma was already at work—giving me courage, endurance, and the emotional resilience to walk paths I hadn’t chosen.

3. Walking with Purpose: From Bugandi to UPNG

From boarding at Bugandi High School to flying to Port Moresby for studies at UPNG in 1975, the journey was filled with uncertainty. Yet, I was driven by a quiet sense of purpose. It wasn’t ambition alone—it was something deeper, a call. Looking back, I believe Pneuma was preparing and positioning me, even in those silent academic years.

4. Spirit in the Workplace: Lessons from Air Niugini

As a manager at Air Niugini, I faced numerous challenges—especially during Aircraft-on-Ground situations that demanded quick, wise decisions. In those moments, I often felt a calmness beyond myself. I would later understand this as the Spirit’s gift of wisdom and counsel. Leadership, I realized, is not just about control—it is about service, and Pneuma enabled that.

5. Spirit in the Village: Life after Retrenchment

After I was retrenched in 1999, I returned to village life. We adjusted from a diet of chicken to tin fish and homegrown vegetables like wild aopa and kangkong. Though it was a drastic change, we experienced contentment and provision. Pneuma taught me gratitude, adaptability, and dignity in simplicity.

6. Pneuma in Ministry and Relationships

Not long ago, I guided a young woman to reconcile with her colleague using James 1:26 and 3:5. That conversation and their reconciliation meal later that day felt Spirit-led. So too was my visit to Boaz and Michael in Nadzab, bringing apple cider vinegar and encouragement. The Spirit often moves us to serve in both practical and spiritual ways.

In mid-November 2019, I saw Pneuma’s hand again. I was in charge of the kitchen, feeding volunteers who were helping build the new Kingdom Hall for the Munum Congregation. I had no congregation funds at the time but still needed to buy supplies. After a short prayer, I decided to use the only 50 kina I had, which Michael Babul had kindly sent me. I went into Raumai 18 in Lae, bought what was needed, and headed toward the exit. At that exact moment, I ran into Pat Babul—my daughter-in-law. She shook my hand and, without knowing anything, gave me 50 kina—the exact amount I had just spent. Pneuma responded to my prayer immediately. That encounter was no coincidence. It was a direct affirmation that the Spirit watches over even the smallest details.

7. Writing as a Vessel: Legacy with the Spirit’s Touch

These stories, whether about my late wife Haivetamori’s flour ball trade at Munum market or Nowang, the last chief of the bloodthirsty Leiwomba, are not just memories. They are ministry. Pneuma urges me to write—not to boast, but to build, teach, and bless the next generation.

8. Conclusion: Still Carried by the Wind

The Spirit is like the wind—unseen, but unmistakable in its effects. I cannot claim to have always known where I was going, but I’ve always known I was not alone. Pneuma was there when I stood as a boy beside my grieving mother. Pneuma carried me through school, through work, through family life, and now into writing. These are the traces of the unseen hand—the Holy Spirit—active in my journey still.