MULIA, a small, quiet city in the highlands of Puncak Jaya district, was suddenly a noisy hubbub one morning last June. People had emerged from the hamlets of Yambi, Mondu, Urgele, Pruleme, Wuyukwi, Kulirik, Wondegobak, Pagaleme, Wuyuneri—to name just a few. They walked barefoot for hours to Mulia, the capital of the district.

They wanted to share the good news that had been spreading over the past weeks. From church sermons to cars with lou