Warrior Women, The Holy Spirit and HIV/AIDS in Rural Papua New Guinea (Author Abstract‪)‬

INTRODUCTION In late 2004, early in the morning in Balimo town, Western Province, Papua New Guinea, a group of well-dressed women walked along the main street. They were alternately singing and praying in loud voices, and marching with great purpose. As they neared the entrance to Buila Mission Station, now the property and concern of the Evangelical Church of Papua New Guinea (ECPNG) and populated primarily by teachers, nurses and other health officials of the District, they saw a young woman quietly leaving by one of the gates. She was carrying a small plastic bag in her hand. The group of women, assuming that the girl's bag was filled with rice, tea and sugar from the trade-store, immediately called out to her, demanding that she explain her presence at Buila Station at this time in the morning. The young woman, grasping her plastic bag, ran off in the direction of Balimo village. The group of women, many of whom were much older, took off after her, yelling for her to stop. The girl kept running and was soon out of sight. The group of women, out of breath, responded to the call of one of the most senior women, who told them to leave the girl alone. With much shaking of the head and grumbling, the women regrouped and resumed their march down the main street of Balimo, raising their voices in unison in a Christian hymn of praise.