“HAVE you tried McDonalds?” David Miringtoro was asked during the final days of his Australian stay late last month.
The Papua New Guinean smiled and nodded but couldn’t convey “what” he’d consumed.
“A Big Mac?”
“I don’t know the name of it,” he replied animatedly.
Marist counterpart Christian Nobleza – tour guide, advisor, friend and all-round-nice-guy – quickly interjected.
“Yes he had a Big Mac and fries … but David’s trying everything,” and with that, the men erupted in laughter.
The duo visited The Catholic Leader to relay the positives of the two-week visit, which further cemented the connection between various Marist schools and David’s ministry in PNG overseen by the Marist Oceanic Council.
A Marist formation program in Mittagong, in the southern highlands of New South Wales, was where the stay began.
The 36-year-old visitor met many others in the Marist family at “Sharing our call” and then visited schools including St Joseph’s, Hunters Hill; Marist College, Pagewood; Marcellin College, Randwick; and St Francis Xavier’s College, Newcastle.
Arriving in Brisbane for two days towards the beginning of March allowed time with the boarders at Marist College Ashgrove, and a day visit to Mt Maria College, Mitchelton.
The students all had many questions about David’s ministry within “Project Sankamap” – which takes its name from a pidgin English word meaning, “The sun is rising”.
“Project Sankamap started in 2005 after identifying a need for teachers to be resourced and supported in their roles,” Christian said of the central PNG outreach.
“The Marist Asia-Pacific Solidarity (MAPS) is the ‘actor’ on behalf of the Oceanic council to work the project.”
David is one of three on the project, taking over from Marist Brother Gerry Burns last year as community liaison officer of a newly built resource centre in Arawa, a town about halfway down the east coast of Bougainville and north of Kieta (which was once the capital of the North Solomons Province).
Christian said David “has enormous respect from the Papua New Guinean people”.
“David was sixteen years old when he first became part of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) which was rebelling against the PNG forces during the ‘crisis’,” Christian said.
“During the crisis he was a platoon commander in charge of more than forty soldiers aged between sixteen and twenty years.
“Because of his history and because he’s a local man he gets us through roadblocks without having to pay or be threatened or held up by guns.”
The Bougainville “crisis” of 1989-2000 resulted “in the loss of much of the education, health and administrative capacity in the region”.
Christian said “education is the Marist ‘thing'” and so the Church has “been a leader in the rebuilding process”.
David’s role is “a bit of everything”.
Witnessing the impact of David’s presence among the Brisbane students was significant, many of them commenting on the benefit of “seeing a face to the project they have been supporting” and renewing their interest.
Back in Bougainville now, David has returned to the resource centre, which has equipment such as computers, is staffed by three people and caters for 50 schools.
While “phase one” of the project was to build the resource centre, “phase two” involves its promotion.
“I visit a lot of remote schools,” David said.
“The main thing is I go there and hear from teachers what their needs are and how we can help.
“It’s important we have that contact once or twice a year.”
David’s sights are also set on the needs of the students.
“I love to be involved with the young kids,” he said.
“I want to get them into school so they don’t become problems.
“I have been criticised at times for encouraging some who are considered dangerous … Others said they are not trustworthy.”
David’s trust of others, stemming from faith, was first modelled at home.
“My parents are very good people and very spiritual,” he said.
“They have prayer times in the morning and the afternoon.”
The second child of six has a long history with the Marists, attending a Marist Brothers’ college at Rigu before the “crisis” (up to Year 10) and completing his education, aged 27, at their school in Mabiri.
David admits what he “now does is difficult” and his “spiritual side has to be in balance”.
“I don’t think I could do this work without God’s help,” he said.
“I’m very strong in my spiritual life.”
“Phase three” of the project is about sustaining it.
“We have a big problem of young kids getting into school,” David said.
“There aren’t enough places and they just hang around and cause problems.
“I see myself with good relationships with everyone because of my background.
“I know many kids and teachers and they come to the project because they know me.”
Christian also looks to the future with continued hope.
“In the MAPS office we are about strengthening the ties with the Marist family,” Christian said.
“We don’t see it (Project Sunkamap) as an Australian project at all.
“We support the local people and want them to realise their own aspirations and where they want to go with the project.
“We are there to offer support.”
Supportive Christian also had some thoughts on their next destination – for lunch.
“I just love seeing David’s reaction (to the food),” Christian said.
