Solomon Islands District - Easter Campaign (Honiara)

Reports written by Aux Capt Wency Ramo'oroa and Fred Ganiomea

This year, 2023, the Solomon Islands District sent out teams to the Provinces for the Easter Campaign. Our theme for this year’s Easter Campaign was ‘Sacrificial Living’ and the Scriptures were Philippians 2:5-8 for Good Friday and Romans 12:1-2 for Easter Sunday. Almost half of Honiara Corps members, including our District Officers, went out on the Easter Campaign to our village churches in the Provinces. So, Aux Capt Fostina and I conducted the Easter Campaign at Honiara Corps with the few of our members who did not travel. Not much was happening at Honiara Corps during the Easter weekend but we conducted a service on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Daniel Hagi led worship and preached on Good Friday on the theme ‘Sacrificial Living’ from Philippians 2:5-8 very powerfully. I did the Easter Sunday message under the same theme based on Romans 12:1-2. I can testify that people were very emotional about what Jesus did on the cross for us and the question on Easter Sunday was very challenging, because we were asked to respond to what God has done through Jesus Christ.

During Easters I have experienced and witnessed in the past, we only preached about the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. That was our routine celebration year after year. But this year it is quite different, as we looked beyond the event and focused on the actions.

First, we focused on Jesus’ action to set the tone for the Easter campaign and also it is the essence for Easter celebrations. Secondly, we focused on Christian’s actions to respond to what God has done through Jesus Christ. I reflected on the action of Jesus on Good Friday message and that challenges me deeply in a sense that His action is why I have life and I can live. Without His sacrifice there is no guarantee of life for me to live. And He shows me the way to live in order for me to have victorious life as He did. On Easter Sunday, I was challenged by the message too. Instead of preaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we preached about our action in responding to what God has done through Jesus Christ. I was in a moment of surprise because the Scripture has taught me to look beyond the event and not to get stuck in the event. If I still revolve around the event, then I will go nowhere.

So, after the Easter weekend, hearing those messages, I am very encouraged and that gives me a new lens to look at how I could move and look beyond the events. Coming back to the weekend, I am very blessed and the onus now is on me to imitate Christ’s humility and to respond to what He has done in order for the Easter theme ‘Sacrificial Living’ to be meaningful and to have an impact in my life as a person that has accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Thank you King Jesus for showing the way to eternal life.

All glory and honour unto Your Name. Amen.

Aux Capt Wency Ramo’oroa

During the Easter weekend campaign, those of us who were left behind at Honiara Corps were really blessed from the Word of God spoken by God’s servants Daniel Hagi and Auxiliary Captain Wency. I was once a real committed Soldier of The Salvation Army over the past years, then for the past seven months, I began to grow colder with my Christian life and I stopped attending church and other church activities that I usually attend. I followed my own desires and started hanging out with friends and work colleagues during my free time. I even ignored some of my church leaders who requested to visit me. Somehow during the Easter weekend, I made up my mind to visit church again. While I was sitting down and listening to God’s word, I started to feel guilt in myself. It was like a mighty storm started in my soul. As I opened my Bible, the Word of God spoke to me from Luke 15—’the parable of the lost sheep’, and it has encouraged me to recommit myself back to His presence. Now, I thank God for His greater love and mercy to send His only Son to save a sinner like me again. If He can do it for me, He can do it for you. God bless.

Fred Ganiomea