Solomon Islands District - Territorial Leaders Visit (Day 6)

Officer's & Nominees Retreat

Thursday, 17th November 2022

On Thursday morning, the District Team travelled out to SWIM (Supporting Work in Ministry) Conference Centre and Transit House to set-up for the Officer’s & Nominees Retreat ahead of the arrival of the congregation and Territorial leaders. Colonels Garth and Patti joined the delegates for lunch before the District Officers launched the retreat with an Opening Worship session. The District Emergency Services Coordinator Festus, together with his wife Freda, prepared lunch and the rest of the meals for the retreat. During the Opening Worship, Major Robert introduced the leaders from each of The Salvation Army congregations across the District using a PowerPoint presentation to feature mission highlights from each location. Major Vanessa then introduced the Nominees/Candidates who have applied to enter the Officer Training College in PNG. A message was given on ‘Choosing a Covenanted Life’, based on Deuteronomy 30:11-20, to set the tone for the three days together.

The first session was led by Colonel Garth, who spoke from 1 Samuel 15:1-35 on ‘Spiritual Integrity’. After highlighting some of the barriers to spiritual integrity, Colonel Garth outlined the requirements for leading with integrity. His message resonated strongly with the leaders present, providing a challenge that spoke into each of their cultural contexts. The second session was led by Colonel Patti who spoke from Matthew 5:43-48 and Philippians 4:8-9 on ‘Spiritual Perfection’, building on the verse—”be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Colonel Patti explained the biblical context for spiritual perfection and gave some practical guidance on how to live a holy life that is set apart from sin and for Christ. Both sessions were powerful and timely messages that complimented each other and incorporated the Territorial theme ‘Rebuild, Restore, Renew’ that has been taught across the Territory, including Solomon Islands for the past two years.

Following another delicious meal prepared by Freda and Festus, everybody gathered in the communal lounge for evening devotions, led by Auxiliary Captains Wency and Fostina. It has been wonderful to see Fostina’s growth, as she is now standing alongside Wency with more and more confidence in an upfront leadership role. As she emerges from the shadow of her husband, her God-given gifts and abilities are shining brightly, inspiring the other women to break free of the cultural constraints placed upon them because of gender and lack of education. Nominee Jimley led the evening worship and everybody joined together in a time of prayer to end an inspiring day. The rest of the evening was kept free to encourage unstructured social interaction between the leaders, who are normally separated by the seas and remoteness, with very limited mobile and internet coverage in many locations. The value of fellowship becomes very evident during these types of events.

Solomon Islands District - Territorial Leaders Visit (Day 2)

Holiness Meeting & House Cry

Sunday, 13th November 2022

On Sunday morning, 170 Salvationists gathered at the new Honiara City Council Multipurpose Hall for a combined Holiness Meeting with the Territorial Leaders. This venue was chosen to provide more space for the expanded congregation and to allow additional time for a fellowship lunch after the service. The Territorial Leaders were led into the service by the same cultural dancers and timbrelists that greeted them at the airport. After an official welcome by the District Officer, the Honiara Corps Worship Team led an opening time of vibrant praise and worship, displaying the spiritual fervour of the congregation. A number of items were presented during the service by the Children & Youth and Brass Band Learners from Honiara Corps. Testimonies were shared by two representatives from the Malaita and Western Provinces - Envoy Judith Akwasitaloa (Gateway Corps) and Kendrick Lonisasa (Barakoma New Opening). YPSM Webster Buakalo presented an engaging children’s story to 40 energetic pikinini, who are an active part of the life of the Corps.

One of the highlights of the Holiness Meeting was the enrolment of five Soldiers from Honiara Corps and a Soldier from Rauai Fellowship, including the acknowledgement of 15 new recruits from Vella Lavella, Western Province, who recently completed their Soldiership Classes and are now awaiting enrolment upon a return visit by the Area Officers. Another highlight was the commissioning of two Local Officers from Honiara Corps - Martha Hakolo as Corps Secretary and Mitlyn Taba’a as Corps Treasurer. Festus Ganiomea was to be commissioned as Corps Sergeant Major but was absent due to a sudden death in his family that morning. Colonel Garth spoke powerfully from Ezekiel 37:1-10, asserting, “Our greatest need in this territory, is personal and corporate holiness.” The Holy Spirit spoke through his message, prompting 38 people to respond by coming down to the altar for prayer. After the final song, Major Vanessa acknowledged the visit of the Territorial Leaders by presenting on behalf of the Solomon Islands District the original artwork commissioned for the 10th Anniversary, depicting The Salvation Army flag by local artist Riaz Maninga. Envoy Alick Hagi presented a wood carving of a turtle on behalf of the Provinces and Auxiliary Captain Wency Ramo’oroa presented shell money on behalf of Honiara Corps. These gifts are a cultural expression of appreciation and honour, demonstrating to visitors how much they are valued.

The scheduled evening activity of an Open Air Outreach at Borderline was cancelled due to the death of the brother of a member of the District Team. Instead, the decision was made to release the Corps to attend the ‘House Cry’ as an expression of support and care for the Ganiomea family. Colonels Garth and Patti were gracious and understanding of this change to the program, willingly accompanying the District Officers to engage in this pastoral response. A ‘house cry’ is a Melanesian cultural response to grief where family and community members gather together at the deceased’s home to mourn prior to the funeral and burial. The house cry will usually consist of singing and storytelling to celebrate the life of the deceased and to acknowledge the hope that is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, followed by feasting from the food contributed by those who gather. It is common for a house cry to go until the early hours of the morning. However, once the Corps Officers arrived at the house, a natural handover occurred, allowing the District and Territorial Leaders to leave after spending an hour with the family, so they were home at a reasonable hour. The change of program and attendance of the Territorial and District Leaders was deeply appreciated by Festus and his wider family. It also released the Corps leaders from the tension between fulfilling their cultural and church duties.

Solomon Islands Ministries - North Malaita Visit

Before arriving in Solomon Islands we read about a new Salvation Army Fellowship that had commenced during May 2017 in North Malaita after two newly enrolled soldiers from Honiara Corps returned to their home village on the Kwai River.  Their arrival home was good news for their village as the church they left behind had disbanded due to the infidelity of the pastor.  After sharing their joy of joining The Salvation Army in Honiara, their witness led to a number of conversations among the community leaders that resulted in their decision for the discouraged church members to become the first Salvation Army Fellowship in North Malaita.  Previous leader of The Salvation Army Solomon Islands Ministries, Major Malcolm Herring, visited this fellowship just before returning to New Zealand and 15 new soldiers of The Salvation Army were enrolled!  As the newly appointed leaders of The Salvation Army in Solomon Islands we knew straight away that we would need to plan a visit to this Fellowship early in our role to see for ourselves the progress of what God had commenced in this remote location and to encourage this newly formed Fellowship of The Salvation Army.  We also wanted to make a strong statement to these new Salvationists that our appointment was not just to Honiara but to wherever The Salvation Army extended throughout the Solomon Islands. 

Our trip to Malaita started at the port of Honiara on a passenger ferry that took three hours to sail to Auki on the west coast of Malaita.  From there we climbed onto the back of a public truck with nearly 20 other passengers and a mountain of luggage for a bumpy four hour drive to the furthermost point of North Malaita.  The road trip took us through some stunning tropical landscapes, over some precarious river bridges and along the beautiful western

coastline of Malaita.  We were greeted upon arrival by a very enthusiastic congregation dressed in their full uniforms eager to meet their new leaders.  This warm welcome extended to a weekend of generous hospitality and rich fellowship that expressed deeply the kingdom values of Christ and their cultural values of community.

While our visit was certainly to meet and greet the members of this Fellowship, it was also to provide some teaching and to participate in their worship services.  Each day commenced with a 4:30 am Prayer Meeting and concluded with a two hour Fellowship Meeting that featured some of the most passionate worship and prayer we have ever experienced!  In many ways, Vanessa and I felt like spiritual dwarfs among these people.  If we thought the singing in Honiara was inspiring (which it is), this church took it to another level.  

On the Saturday I conducted a Teaching Seminar in two parts to teach on 'Salvation Army Symbolism' and 'Salvation Army & Sacraments'.  For such new Salvationists, these themes filled in a lot of gaps in their knowledge and understanding about the distinctives of Salvation Army worship and culture.  They fully engaged with the teaching and asked appropriate questions to seek clarity and to make sense of my Aussie accent.  During this Teaching Seminar Vanessa took 17 children through Junior Soldiers Preparation Classes, which is a young people's discipleship program in The Salvation Army.  At the end of the classes 7 children indicated that they wanted to become Junior Soldiers; which is the first group of Junior Soldiers in the Solomon Islands.  

Sunday Worship was something special!  Their church building is an old wooden, open-walled structure, positioned on top of a very steep hill that stimulated nearly as much physical energy to get to church as the spiritual energy that was generated during church.  A congregation of 46 gathered to celebrate their love for Jesus in their usual passionate style.  One of their leaders led a lengthy testimony time that had people eager to not only share their testimony through words but also through song.  Vanessa then had the absolute pleasure of enrolling the 7 Junior Soldiers before I had the privilege of preaching the Word of God.  It is always humbling to see people respond to the Word of God, but to have 13 of these soldiers kneel at the make-shift Mercy Seat (that I had taught them about the day before), recommitting their lives to God and His mission in North Malaita, was a truly overwhelming experience.  The afternoon included a Leaders Meeting, another first for North Malaita, that completed the picture for us about the scope of ministry already occurring in and beyond this village.  To listen to their leaders express their vision for the future was energising.  I cannot wait to write up my report for the PNG Territorial Commander about this growing ministry!

Throughout our stay in North Malaita we enjoyed fully engaging in the simplicity of village life.  From swimming in the river with the kids, watching food being prepared with cultural methods, eating food grown in the village, to showering under a tap behind a canvas screen out in the open air; life in this village offered an unexpected richness that is rarely experienced in the city.  

Returning home to Honiara was a bitter sweet experience.  Despite our enjoyment of village life, we did miss being connected to the wider world.  Yet, leaving this place, even after only a few days, was like being separated from a sense of family again.  There is something supernatural about the body of Christ that transcends culture and language through a deep unity of the Spirit, I imagine much like the disciples experienced in the early church.  We left North Malaita with a great deal of excitement for the future of this Salvation Army Fellowship.  We also left with enormous anticipation for what might be ahead in the second part of our journey to visit another Salvation Army Fellowship in South Malaita next week.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Days 19 & 20

Return to Jakarta

Following Stav's saga of getting home after a number of flight cancellations due to lingering smoke from fires, we were watching the flights in and out of Palu very carefully.  Fortunately, our early flight out of Palu departed without incident and we arrived in Jakarta on time for the final stage of our journey.  It was great to be greeted at the airport by Nyoman's brother and brother-in-law, who welcomed us as a part of the Timonuli family.  We enjoyed refreshments at Major Spener and Rai's quarters at Jakarta #2 Corps before booking into our hotel and heading out to the local shopping mall for lunch and an amazing massage!  Unfortunately, Nyoman's misfortune of losing his phone the day before transfered to me with my phone disappearing in the shopping mall car park.  More about that in my final blog post!

One of the things I love about traveling overseas is exploring the local market place, especially experiencing the flavours and fragrances of street food.  There is something captivating about the buzz and activity of street stalls that come alive at night!  The first night in Jakarta we played it safe by enjoying a delicious duck meal - bebek goreng.  The following night Neville was determined to try cobra, which was selected from a cage live and we got to see every stage of its preparation before eating it coated in satay and chili.

On Sunday we were doubly blessed by worshipping at Jakarta #2 Corps in the morning and Jelambar Corps in the evening.  I had the privilege of preaching in both meetings and praying alongside two special people who have been journeying through some very difficult times.  Leading up to our mission trip we became aware that the two year old son of a couple we met during our Jakarta Mission Trip in 2011 had a stroke.  His condition was serious and we united with an Army of Salvationists all around the world to pray for his healing.  I can't describe our joy to see this little boy walking around as a testimony to God's grace!  The faith of his young parents is inspiring and to see them totally surrender to God's will for their lives despite their son's condition is as much a testimony as his healing.  

 

We were particularly looking forward to sharing with our friends at Jelambar who have remained a special part of our lives since meeting and serving them in 2011. Our two day stopover in Jakarta on our way home from Palu allowed us time to follow-up and renew these friendships, being mutually encouraged by seeing how God is at work in each other's lives.

 

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 18

Final Day in Palu

Waking up on our final day in Palu was a little surreal after three very busy weeks working alongside three shifts of amazing team members who have fully engaged with our mission trip.  Not only have we accomplished what we came to do but have been richly blessed by generous hospitality, good friends and a number of unplanned ministry opportunities. One of these unplanned ministry opportunities was to participate in the Youth Meeting at Towua Corps, an invitation we received earlier in our trip.

Before the Youth Meeting we ventured one last time out into Palu for a motorbike tour with Nyoman and Tato, who took us up a mountain that overlooked the city.  Half way up the single trail track Nyoman's motorbike overheated leaving us stranded on the side of the track.  Tato and Neville continued up the mountain while Nyoman and I rolled back down the mountain to get help.  Fortunately, part way down the bike restarted and we avoided a long walk back home!  Unfortunately, Nyoman lost his phone where we had broken down somewhere back up the mountain!!

After our little misadventure I finished preparing my sermon for the Youth Meeting and we then joined a very eager youth team for a great night of worship.  Throughout our trip we have observed a vibrancy and passion among Indonesian Salvation Army youth in a number of locations and the Towua Corps youth were no exception tonight.  Their worship team, dancers and timbrelists expressed a joy that transcended language, uniting us in spirit as we worshipped together.  Once again we were deeply moved to see the Spirit of God minister in the lives of these young people who responded to the message.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 14

#SelfieWithJesus

The morning started with the news we all were hoping to hear - 'Flight GA623 has departed!'  Stav FINALLY got on his way to Jakarta for the first part of his long awaited journey home.

The morning then continued with a drive out to the Donggala area to visit a campsite in Pusat Laut that the Palu School are interested in purchasing from THQ.  This site would provide an ideal location for a proposed campsite to host retreats and camps not only for The Salvation Army but other Christian groups.  Once we got past all the mining along the coastal road, the views were beautiful and they got even better as we headed inland among forests of coconut palms and stunning mountain and coastal views.  We parked at a government run campsite neighbouring the property of interest, and it wasn't hard to picture the potential for development.  A walk along the beach to view the boundary lines revealed why this location was chosen.  Although the local beach goers seemed as intrigued by our presence as we were theirs.  Oh, did I mention that the beach goers were cows?!  True!  Anywhere else in the world that might seem strange but somehow with the frequent presence of cows wandering around the streets of Palu, this sight didn't seem all that out of place.

The afternoon changed pace and mood as we attended the one year memorial service of Bapak Oscar Hohoy, whose funeral we participated in last year.  Like at the funeral, a large crowd of family and friends gathered outside the Hohoy's house for a time of worship and remembrance.  Oscar's wife Ibu Deasy displayed courage and strength as she shared the difficult journey for her and her family over the past twelve months.  It really was a privilege to once again share this time with the Hohoy family and observe another stage of the grieving process in this culture.

From sadness to joy, we continued into the evening by attending the Youth Christian Community service at Palu #1 Corps.  It was so exciting seeing this massive hall filled with passionate young people from around the city of Palu who had gathered for a combined praise and worship service.  On Sunday morning at Towua Corps a couple of the youth leaders asked me to share a word of encouragement at this youth service.  Their theme was great!  #SelfiesWithJesus, which I had a bit of fun with as I invited the youth to take a selfie and tell me what they saw.  I then spoke about how they are made in the image of God and as God's children, filled with His Spirit, reflect the glory of Jesus.  It was an awesome night of worship led by the youth and a passionate message shared by Major Erik Kape.  God is clearly at work in the lives of the youth in Palu!

 

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 13

Unity in Worship

Worshipping in Indonesia brings with it an interesting paradox for me.  On the one hand it is steeped in tradition and a familiar form everywhere we go.  Yet on the other hand, there is a tangible presence of the Holy Spirit and a deep hunger for worship.  It is not difficult to connect with the heart of Indonesian Salvationists as we unite together in songs of praise in both Bahasa and English.

Today, I had another opportunity to preach, following on from last week's message in Joshua with the theme - 'What Next?'  God had prepared Joshua to take over the leadership of Moses and lead the Israelites into the promised land.  In the reading today we picked up from when Joshua told the people of Israel to "go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own" (Joshua 1:11).  Joshua was READY, the plan was SET, all that was left to do was for the people to GO!

At the conclusion of the service, after a moving altar call that saw many in the congregation respond to the call to 'go' and take possession of God's promises, I was confronted by the final prayer of the Corps Officer.  He prayed for Christian churches in Aceh that had been burned down last week.  Knowing there had been fires across some parts of Indonesia, I asked Nyoman if these churches were affected by the fires, but was informed that they had been burned to the ground by militant Muslims.  There is something very sobering about worshipping in a country alongside Salvationists who don't pray for the persecuted church from a distance but from a very real position of vulnerability.

 

After two previous attempts to get home, we accompanied Stav to the airport in the afternoon for his third attempt.  And yet again, his flight was cancelled!  Even with boarding passes in hand and baggage checked in, Stav was grounded for another night.  It seems Garuda didn't listen to my message - READY, SET, GO!  

"What next?"  We try again tomorrow morning on the early flight.

Denpasar Mission Trip (Day 7)

Sunday, 28th June 2009

The Salvation Army Bali Girls Home

Sunday Worship at Denpasar Number 1 Corps

 

Bali Girls Home & Timonuli Family