‘The Ford Mission?’ Placing a calloused hand over Mia’s, she looked around the table. ‘It’s one of the oldest surviving church organisations in Papua. Oh, bless you, Doctor Carter. Of course, we’ll do all we can to help a fellow traveller.’

The epithet made Mia feel only mildly embarrassed. Most white people here were missionaries, and shared faith was a common assumption.

Agnes looked at her brother. ‘We have a boat, don’t we, Kevin?’

‘But it’s more than 300 kilometres to the border.’ Wilting under her stare, Kevin thought for a moment. ‘There are no cruise boats due for a couple of days. I suppose I could run you up to Pagwi – it’s about seventy kilometres upriver.’

Agnes nodded enthusiastically. ‘There’s a hospital there, and we’re good friends with Jean-Bernard, the director. I’ll give him a call. They might be able to fly you to one of the villages near the border.’

A surge of relief widened Mia’s smile. ‘Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you so much. I could find my own way from there.’

‘Not without an escort,’ Kevin told her sternly.

Agnes patted Mia’s hand. ‘I’m sure Jean-Bernard will be able to help with that, too.’

After a rustic dinner of sweet potato and chicken stew, Mia helped the nuns wash up. Everything at the mission was simple, clean and spartan, and in no time it was back in its proper place. Most of the nuns left for bed, as they liked to start early to beat the heat. Mia was curious about the challenges of long-term commitment, and asked Agnes to share her experiences.

Agnes explained that they had been there for a little over ten years, trying to address the endemic poverty and domestic violence by educating the children, and of course, building the Kingdom of God.

‘Sometimes it’s thankless,’ she admitted, ‘but in your darkest moments just a single act of kindness can make sense of it all.’ Closing her eyes for a moment, she opened them again and smiled. ‘I expect that sounds like a missionary cliché!’

‘No, not at all.’

Mia was hugely impressed by Agnes’ and the nuns’ work ethic, but the evangelical subtext had always bothered her. Was it really a free service if you were looking for souls in return?

‘Well, I had better make that call.’

While Agnes went to the office, Sofia came in with a pot of sleepy herb tea.

‘You have someone?’ She was looking shyly at the slim platinum ring on Mia’s finger.

Mia thought of Brad, the oncologist she had dated for the past couple of years. A handsome, successful and driven man, inevitably his priorities had become alien to hers.

‘No,’ she smiled. ‘I’m far too busy for a husband.’

Sofia’s eyes sparkled. ‘That’s what I told my papa.’

‘You don’t feel you’re missing out?’

Sofia looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Do you?’