BY LYNETTE KIL

I was only 20 when I came to Papua New Guinea with two other Catholic sisters in 1971, recalls pioneer Catholic nun Sister Bernadette Ganthier (pictured).

Sister Ganthier, 66, left for Australia yesterday after 46 years in the country saying she will take with her the great memories of Papua New Guinea.

She shared her experience with Post-Courier yesterday, on how difficult it was as a missionary in a foreign land to build up and improve a community.

“It was difficult at times as for us three Sisters when we arrived in 1971 at Ei Besson, Buna, Haurebeingo area in Gulf Province.

“It was difficult because the three have different trainings, one was doing surgeon while the other was building airstrip for plane landing then we started building, health, education infrastructure and also evangelism,” Sister Ganthier recalled.

She said her motivation to come to PNG was that everybody has a right to some improvement in their lives

“The Christians left Jerusalem because they wanted to spread the message of Christianity to people or otherwise it would be only heard in Jerusalem.

“We Catholics don’t just preach but we do a lot of things for people and I’m profoundly happy with my connection with Papua New Guinea

“They were times we have difficulty but it was a dream as young missionaries as people will come back and serve their own.

“My biggest dream was education, I never actually taught in the primary school, but 20 years from now we have 25 schools and I’m happy,” Sister Ganthier said.

Sister Ganthier challenged today’s young educated people to improve their community like the missionaries did.