Central Province Governor Rufina Peter presented a cheque worth of K20, 000 to the Manumanu United Church in the Hiri-Koiari district of the Central Province early this week. The money was presented to support the church to host their thirty second (32nd) annual church council meet for the West Red Scar Circuit, which started yesterday Tuesday 11th July and will end on the 15th of July. About 96 delegates travelled in from Papa, Bogi, Lealea and other surrounding villages to be part of the 5days church council meet. Chairman of the West Red Scar Circuit Bisia Lahui in welcoming the delegates stated that despite the difficult times the circuit has managed to survive through the blessing of God with whatever little they had. Mr Lahui added that he is grateful with open arms for the kind gesture shown by the Governor of Central Province, because the church is also struggling to keep peace and harmony both in the church in all the surrounding communities. Governor Peter who was the guest at the opening of the church council meet, said that she was happy to be part of a program and the congregation. She added that the occasion reminded her of the passion of early Christian missionaries that brought the Good News to Papua New Guinea. "As I was coming here to Manumanu, I was thinking about the missionaries who first landed on the shores here in Manumanu and in PNG generally”. Governor Rufina said that at that time the country was not advanced, the world was not advanced in technology, and these missionaries they did not have ships that had automated piloting and all the state of the art technology to even fly a plane. “They (missionaries) came on vessels that perhaps had to use both the sails and the understanding of knowledge, how to use the stars and moon to determine the weather how it would be and whatever else they had in that boat or vessel to bring them to our shores the shores of Papua New Guinea to bring the good news to the people of Papua New Guinea.” “And so reflecting on that to me it just shows the missionary zeal that the early missionaries had, they were God focused and centred, they did not look at the weather and let that diminish their faith, they decided the land in the Southern Hemisphere called Papua New Guinea and was focused to bring the Good News the Sivarai Namona to this place and they landed here.” The Central Governor than challenged the delegates as leaders of the Church to check themselves if they have that missionary zeal. “We need it in this time when you see the changes happening around you, some things you feel you can’t do with your own human strength the forces that are much greater than you and I, and so your help, our help comes from him our Lord who is our rock our strength our tower of hope that we ran to in our time of need." “So for me it’s in the physical development sense, as you all its in the spiritual sense, spiritual leadership so just as I feel the pressure as Governor for Central Province looking after the affairs of five hundred thousand (500, 000) people together with the Open members." "I am sure you are feeling the pressure as spiritual leaders to guide the people of God that you and I are serving in different spaces of leadership.” Governor Peter further encouraged the church leaders that they play a much more important role than the political leaders because the foundation that must be set for a nation is through the word of God on which political leaders can join on and build on.