Christians gather for commemoration

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya (JP): Thousands of Christians began to gather here on Friday to participate in the commemoration of the 145th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries in Irian Jaya.

Celebrations will be centered at a mass prayer at the Evangelical Christian Church on Mansinam island. The church was the first established in the island after two German missionaries, C.W. Ottow and J.G. Giesler, arrived in 1855.

Participants have flocked from all over Irian Jaya and most arrived on the island for free using six ships. (eba/04)