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Notes from a Spinning Planet--Papua New Guinea
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About Notes From A Spinning Planet--Papua New Guinea
Product Description I have to wonder–if the AIDS crisis in Papua New Guinea is so hopeless, what difference will it make whether Aunt Sid writes a good story about it or not? What difference will it make that I’m here with her? I ask God to do something miraculous for both of us in this third world country. I ask God to use me… After her life-changing journey to Ireland, twenty-year-old Maddie Chase feels ready for whatever she and her Aunt Sid will find on their trip to Papua New Guinea. But when she sets foot on the beautiful South Pacific island, she can’t help but notice the sense of hopelessness around her. Through their investigative reporting, Maddie and Aunt Sid learn that this developing country is literally dying of AIDS. As Maddie delves deeper into the culture and history of the land–and develops relationships with nationals who are eager to share their lives–she finds a tangled past that could help to explain the current health crisis. Will Maddie be able to see past the darkness to offer light to these gracious island people? Join Maddie on her latest international adventure as she learns that maybe it is possible for one person to change history. About the Author Melody Carlson is a world traveler, a preschool teacher, a youth counselor, a political activist, and a senior editor. Her favorite role, though, is writer. In the past decade, Melody has published more than a hundred books for readers of all ages and won numerous writing awards. Melody has two grown sons and lives in central Oregon with her husband and her chocolate lab retriever. She enjoys skiing, gardening, camping, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains of central Oregon. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. It’s amazing how much more comfortable I feel on this trip. Nothing like when my aunt and I flew to Ireland a couple of months ago and I was a total basket case. Not that I’d exactly call myself a seasoned traveler. That would be a huge overstatement. But as I snooze and read and basically just chill on the first leg of my latest journey with Sid, flying high over the Pacific, I think maybe I’ve evolved just a little. “Listen to this, Maddie,” says Sid. My aunt’s been poring over a bunch of articles that an editorial assistant downloaded onto her laptop just before we left. “Instead of protecting the public and children from violence, it is the police who are committing some of the most heinous acts of violence imaginable.” “Huh?” I look up from a Margaret Mead book I’m reading, one that Sid recommended called Growing Up in New Guinea. “What?” “It’s from an article about human rights atrocities being committed in Papua New Guinea.” She frowns as she removes her reading glasses. “It’s really tragic. I had no idea.” “Is that going to be the focus of your article?” Sid and I are headed to Papua New Guinea, or PNG, which is less of a mouthful, so she can find out how the country has changed since emerging from the Stone Age into the new millennium. “I’m not totally sure. But I’d like to find out.” She taps her computer screen. “And listen to this quote, Maddie. ‘As a result of HIV/ AIDS, Papua New Guinea could lose up to thirty-eight percent of its working population by the year 2020.’ ” She turns and stares at me. “Can you imagine how many people that would be?” Actually, I can’t. Numbers have never been my strong suit. Still, I know that thirty-eight percent is a lot, and I suppose 2020 isn’t that far off, even if it sounds like another lifetime to me. Then Sid spews some more statistics, telling me that although PNG is somewhat remote, its number of AIDS cases is far higher than any of its neighboring countries. She also explains how inadequate the country’s health-care and medical facilities are, and I’m starting to feel seriously concerned. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder why I agreed to come with Sid on this trip in the first place. Okay, it’s not like I came along just for the fun of it. I mean, seeing
