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98 pages

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Born and raised in the jungles of Papua, Indonesia, Deena Fuchida questioned everything. Baliem Ballet is the story of how God provided answers for her most amazing questions.Author Dave Scherling, former Oak Hills Christian College student, board member, and staff administrator, creatively weaves together the story of Deena, fictional heroine of Baliem Ballet, with source documents and scriptural interpretation to form an intriguing story that sheds light on Gods sovereignty in the ups and downs of life.Steven Ware, PhD, dean of education, Oak Hills Christian College, Bemidji, MinnesotaAs one who has spent his life researching for evidence that supports the veracity of the Sacred Scriptures, I have pondered the possibility of documentary finds that could shed light on aspects of Scripture that we often wonder about. The Baliem Ballet heroine, Deena, finds a document, though fictitious, which portrays the exciting reasons why we continue.Bob Cornuke, PhD, president of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (BASE) Institute, author, and speaker, Monument, ColoradoBaliem Ballet reminds me of our ministry among the Sawi people of southern Papua. The story is fiction, but not farfetched. It describes how one girl, Deena, exemplifies the call God is placing on the native people there. The church today is sending missionaries, not only to other areas of the island, but around the worldtrained missionaries who do admirable work. Don Richardson, Author, Missionary/Minister-at-Large (World Team), Conference Speaker

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Historical fiction

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Publié par	Inspiring Voices
Date de parution	14 novembre 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781462404285
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0240€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Baliem Ballet

ONE GIRL’S QUEST FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

J. David Scherling

Copyright © 2012 J. David Scherling

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Inspiring Voices
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.inspiringvoices.com
1-(866) 697-5313

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0428-5 (e)
ISBN: 978-1-4624-0427-8 (sc)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012922169

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Chapter 4
Quote taken from Our Daily Bread , 2009 by RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and used by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 5
Adaptation from DeShazer by C.H. Watson, Seattle Pacific University, used by permission

Chapters 6 and 11
Lyrics of “I’ve Got a River of Life” are public domain

Chapter 6
Quote of limerick by Elizabeth Johnson, used by permission

Chapter 7
Quote from Sketches of his Presence by J. David Scherling, used by permission

Chapter 8
Quote from www.findadig.com , used by permission

All other quoted or referenced material is used by permission.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 12/4/2012
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue

For Delores
Preface
The Baliem River dances its way through the tropical island of Papua, Indonesia. Its headwaters, high in the mountains—some snow-capped peaks higher than sixteen thousand feet—are fed by melting snow and artesian springs. Dancing the reel, the Baliem River passes through highland villages of aboriginal peoples who, although they share similar cultures, speak many different languages. Reaching the central high valley area near Wamena, the Baliem tangoes through ever-ripening fields of fruits and vegetables and around the city of Wamena, which serves as the government, commercial, and aviation center of Papua. The few roads in the high valley extend only a short distance in each direction. The Baliem then jitterbugs through the deep and rocky gorges, collecting flow from several tributaries, to the flat lowland jungle on the south of Papua. Finally, weaving and turning, it quietly waltzes to the coast. Through the lowland it becomes a highway for boats, barges, and canoes, serving the villages along its banks. The Baliem truly is a river of life for many in Papua.
A ballet tells a story. The Baliem River has thousands, maybe millions, of stories. Here is one.

Acknowledgements
Baliem Ballet: One Girl’s Quest for the Rest of the Story is a historical novel — a work of fiction. The basis for the story came to me while I was studying Isaiah 61:1–2, Luke 4:18–19, and Luke 7:22–23. Some of the incidents detailed in this book actually happened and are experiences I have thought about for years. Others occurred to me as the book came together.
Many places, people, and incidents are real and genuine. I have been there, know the people, and have seen the places, but in the book the names of people and some places have been changed (except in the case of well-known individuals) since it is a work of fiction. If anyone described is offended, I apologize and plead for forgiveness. Other places and people I invented to fit the situation.
I owe much gratitude to granddaughter Elizabeth Johnson, who wrote the journal entries from her own experience at school, and niece Kathryn McCannell, who actually participated in the 2009 archeological dig at Clunia, Spain, and found skeletal remains as described in her journal entries adapted in the book. Also to her dad, Daryle McCannell, a university professor, who invented the game “Pebble Toss” that John the Baptist’s disciples played in the story.
I especially appreciate the help and encouragement of my wife, Delores, who proofread every line over and over and added so much to the story. Others who offered excellent comments are Jane Ardelean, Dow Chamberlain, Hattie Caswell, Valerie Johnson, Mary Jorud, Barbara Kroeker, Joyce Conkling, and Marie Gunderson.
Some writers of historical novels have been accused of devaluating or even revising the sacred Scriptures, changing traditional interpretations or meanings. I understand that I risk this possibility. It is not my intention to “add to Scripture” or devalue Scripture. My hope is that the Scriptures are always considered God’s authoritative Word and divine revelation.

Chapter 1
Papuan Village—Spring, 1995
“Mommy, why do I have to wear this new dress? It scratches me!” Deena complained.
“It’s so cute and makes you look like a little ballerina,” her mother soothed. “You remember the story we watched where the actors danced while music played their parts? Weren’t those girls pretty? Besides, your father has returned to the village and is coming to dinner, along with the pastor and his wife, and we want to let him see how beautiful you are and how well you are doing. You remember that your father loved your mother and after she died has not taken another wife. He loves you just as much.”
“Mommy, why did God let my mother die and let me live?”
“We do not know yet, Deena, but maybe He has something special for you to do.”

South Papuan Jungle—Spring, 1990
Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled. “The spirits must be mad at me again,” Darius mused out loud to himself. Why does it have to rain with such turbulent furor during the time of the full moon?
Thunderstorms are a common relief to the hot, sunny days in the swampy jungle of the southern Papuan lowlands. It rains almost every day but not always with scary thunder and lightning, which rarely continues after dark.
Darius thought of the foreign missionaries in the village. Aylea and Carol tell us that God loves us, but I still think the spirits are out to get me. But then, I am also going against the advice of the village elders, hunting and gathering so far away. It would take us almost four days to get back to the village if something life-threatening happened here.
“You better hurry and find some more palm fronds for the lean-to shelter you put up. The kids are getting wet, and I think the baby is coming,” Darius’s wife, Yolana, chided over the noise of the wind and rain, between thunderclaps.
She is so beautiful—tall and slender, still a teenager—yet expecting her third baby, he thought. Ana and Jorus are still very small and dependent. Why have I taken them so far from their grandparents and the help we need? I wonder if our ancestors who lived in the tree houses ever went through all this anxiety?
Frantically Darius searched for more fronds low enough to be cut in a hurry. Just then lightning bolted across the sky and brightened the area. He was able to see some fronds and hurried to hack them off with his machete. This storm will bring out the snakes and leeches; we need to see them when they come. We also need to find some more dry wood for the fire .
The swampy lowlands of South Papua are home to many native people groups who speak 268 different languages, according to the Ethnologue . They speak different languages but have a similar culture trait, what anthropologists generally call “cargo cult,” meaning that they are forever expecting the spirits to provide them with great riches, inaugurating a period of prosperity. The people have similar aboriginal features, are dark-skinned with kinky hair, and wear similar clothing—grass skirts for the women and gourds for the men—and these groups are traditional enemies. Only in recent years have families dared to attempt to survive alone in the jungle as they hunt and gather for their subsistence. Fear of their enemies, natural disasters (storms, floods, fire), and illnesses haunt the people continually. They are plagued by malaria, elephantiasis (both transmitted by mosquitoes), malnutrition, infections, and other diseases; little hope of medical assistance exists. Wild beasts in the jungle, such as snakes, wild boars, cassowaries, crocodiles, poisonous insects, lizards, and huge bats with wingspans of three feet or more, can turn on their predators and kill them when confronted. Fear of these adversaries turns to panic whenever the reality of danger threatens the people.
Generally life is quite ordinary and routine, with days of hunting for wild hogs and other game such as crocodiles, large rodents, birds, and, in the higher areas, rabbits. When a hunter is fortunate enough to run across wild game, he shoots it with bow and arrow or, in some cases, poison darts from his homemade blow gun. Firearms and ammunition are not a