Solomon Islands District - Easter Campaign (West Kwara'ae)

Reports written by Festus Ganiomea and Nirit Taba'a

Our mission trip to Rauai in West Kwara’ae was a very successful one, with five of us who travelled down during the Easter weekend. Our trip began here at Honiara ports on Thursday, 6th April 2023, where we boarded MV Auki Express and departed at 8 am. The trip was very exciting because two of our mission teams boarded the same ship to Auki. We reached Auki and boarded a truck to where we headed to.

My team arrived at Rauai late in the afternoon and we took a little rest and later prepared for our first program in the evening. During that evening we had our first program, which was the film crusade about Hell and Heaven. There were more than 80 people who attended that film show during the night.

On Friday, 7th April, which was Good Friday, we had a morning service and elder Jackson took the opportunity to share from the Word of God to the people. His sermon was based on Philippians 2:5-8. After that sermon, he gave an appeal and 14 people responded to God’s Word. Out of that 14, only two couples accepted Christ for their first time and the others recommitted their lives back to Christ. In the evening, we showed the film the Passion of the Christ and 70 people attended that show. Next day, we just rested.

On Sunday, 9th April, for the Easter Sunday Service, Solomon and the youth at Rauai lead us powerfully into worship and Elder Jackson got another chance to share again to us from God’s word from Romans 12:1-2. His sermon was very powerful and after that sermon 5 people responded to God’s Word. Later that evening, we had to refilm the Passion and Hell movie as they requested.

On Monday, 10th April, the team returned back to Honiara safely on the Auki Express. These mission trips were truly a challenge for those of us who we left our comfort zone and stepped into the field where we encountered so many things. We just want to give all the glory back to our Lord Jesus Christ for His strength and guidance throughout the whole mission. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Festus Ganiomea

This year’s Easter Campaign has been a joy and blessing for me. I have been challenged by the theme saving others and sacrificial living. I had experienced God’s blessing and God answered my prayer after this campaign and I thank God for that, as it motivates my faith and belief that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who has risen from the dead so I may be saved.

I also want to express how God has been with me, as I can see what has been done at Rauai community throughout the weekend. We experienced the devil trying to disturb our program and families had been attacked by evil spirits but as Ephesians 6:12 says, ‘we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in the dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.’

However, I’ve picked an object when reflecting back on my journey with the Lord. The object is a key to a lock. If there is a right key to a right lock, nothing can stop you to unlock that particular door that has been locked. Nothing is hard for the Lord to fight against the right enemy. And then I release that if I want to be sacrificially living for Jesus. I must have the right spirit in me, make right choices, with right armour to fight against evil, like a right key to a lock to unlock it so that I will be able to save others. I praise God for all He has done for me, to save me and accept me for who I am. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Nirit Taba’a

Solomon Islands District - Easter Campaign (North Malaita)

Reports written by Webster Buakalo and Abraham Taba'a

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is risen indeed and lives forever! What a great time that God is at work. It was an exciting and challenging trip and there were 28 of us that travelled to Gateway. We boarded Auki Express to Auki and travelled by truck to Gateway, arriving at 5:30 pm.

There was a great experience of joy, peace, love and harmony between Gateway, Kafomauri and Honiara Corps sharing things in common. We shared our duties for cleaning up, morning and evening devotions. Spiritually and physically, we were filled by the power of God. There was something new, something great, something beautiful happening among us; something we never experienced before. God is at work because He has risen indeed and He is our King that reigns forever.

With the powerful theme ‘Sacrificial Living,’ the character demonstrated about itself as we saw all Christians and even the backsliders working together as one. The Friday session was led by Honiara worship team and the preacher was sister Elizabeth Tolilalo. There were people who gave their lives to Jesus. On Sunday, Gateway worship team led the worship and the preacher was Webster Buakalo and also people gave their lives to Jesus too.

We would like to acknowledge Solomon Islands District leadership for allowing us

to go on this mission trip. Let’s give glory, praise and honour back to our God for great things He has done. Amen.

Webster Buakalo

Easter is a significant holiday in the Christian faith and it is a time when believers reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My reflection of our Easter program in Kwai Village includes:

The significance of Easter: This reflects on the meaning of Easter and how it impacts my life. Easter represents the hope of new beginnings and the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

The program's theme (Sacrificial living): This considers the theme of the Easter program in Kwai village and how it relates to the message of Easter. When I think about how the songs, readings, and

other elements of the program that contributed to the overall theme of the Easter campaign, it is very effective to my personal view as a young Christian.

The music: The music involved in the Easter program, reflecting on the songs that were sung considers the lyrics and how they relate to the Easter story. How the music impacted my emotions and helped me connect with the message is really meaningful to my spiritual life.

The message: Reflecting on the message that was shared during the Easter program in Kwai Village, it impacted my personal life and how it can be applied to my daily life as a Christian.

The community: When I think about the community of people in Kwai who attended the Easter program, I reflect on the fellowship and sense of belonging that comes from being a part of a community of believers in sharing the goodness of Christ.

Overall, the sacrificial living of Jesus Christ teaches us important lessons about selflessness, humility, love, obedience, and forgiveness. By following His example, we can live lives that are pleasing to God and impactful to others. Committing you and I as a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ is not a one-time event but a daily decision to follow Him and live according to His will.

Abraham Taba’a

Solomon Islands District - Easter Campaign (Western Province)

Reports written by Envoy Alick Hagi and Irene Aebata

Our mission team departed Honiara on the 2nd April 2023 and was the first team to leave. Our team consisted of two youth, namely Junior Ganiomea and Irene Aebata, myself and wife Esther Hagi. Our destination was to stop at Noro and catch a public bus to Munda. We got a public three tonne truck from Noro to Munda. The transport dropped us at the church in Dunde, an area called Tolovae. Our team met up with Rex and Manalyn and had morning tea before children began to arrive for the morning Learning Space. Rex requested Junior and Irene to take the morning devotion. They had a class and then Rex told the children that they will have an Easter break.

Our team rested while Rex went to Lambete station to do the shopping for the old people that will be visited and given a little blessing. We accompanied Rex to distribute the food to the old people. The families appreciated the food given to them. In the afternoon, Mr. Apollos Tuzakana arrived at Munda. He walked across Kohingo Island and got a boat at Rawaki across to Noro and a bus to Munda.

The next day, Tuesday 4th April, Apollos wanted us to visit his place. He organized a bus from Munda to Noro, and then a boat ride from Noro to Bonosi to his place in Vonavona lagoon. All the expense were meet by Mr. Apollos. We got to his place and were met by their family who prepared for us. I had the opportunity to conduct an awareness session about The Salvation Army for the whole community and after Mr. Apollos ask his family what is their decision. He made it clear to them that he will join The Salvation Army even if they will wait. We went back to Noro and caught a public bus back to Munda.

On Wednesday we had a rest day then on Thursday 6th April, in the evening Junior and Irene did a session for the youth. There were 7 youth that attend the session. Friday, 7th April was Good Friday and so I preached on our District Easter theme “Sacrificial Living” from

Philippians 2:5-8. On Saturday, 8th April I did Soldiership Classes with three recruits. Then in the afternoon, Irene and Junior Gani did a class for five of our leaders: Rex Tiokomateana, Manalyn Tiokomateana, Apollos Tuzikana, Mary Tuzikana, and Kendrick Lonisasa from Barakoma New Opening.

On Sunday, I preach again on our theme for Easter “Sacrificial Living” from Romans 12:1-2. We had 7 seekers that responded to the message. I had the opportunity to present a New Opening Certificate to Kendrick from Barakoma. After the service on Sunday, Kendrick and Apollos left for Noro by Public Bus. Our mission to Munda, Western Province was a very successful trip. Junior Ganiomea recommends that in the future we need to send two youth to help in our new mission and fellowship. I am in support of the idea and will wait for our District Team to approve the vision.

Envoy Alick Hagi

I was so blessed to be in Munda for the Easter campaign as part of the team to Western Province. We had a great time together with the youth, as well as the adult leaders of our church. I saw that God is moving in Munda. I was very excited when I saw what God is doing in the lives of the young people.

For Junior and myself, we didn’t expect that we would lead a youth program but somehow God had spoken in our hearts when the youth at Munda came forward and asked if we could do the youth program for them. We led a program for them on Thursday afternoon. What God is doing by using us when we were in Munda, I haven’t seen anywhere except in Munda what God has placed in the hearts of the young people. I’m so very excited that we came to meet each other and share with them the Word of God through the songs we sang and through our testimonies. Also Junior and I had the privilege to share the ‘Good Life for All Boys and Girls’ training. For me to lead our leaders in this training was a challenge, but now I am able to teach the adults and I can confidently say that they are also excited about the training. It feels different when God has called you to be His witness and when you are His witness, He will bless you.

In Bonosi, I see that God will continue to touch the lives of the people and the families in Bonosi. They were very excited by our visit to their village and were interested to learn about The Salvation Army church, so we shared with them what God has for them as a community. For me, going to Western Province was not easy because I thought that I’m too young to go on a mission, but somehow God has a plan for my life, so He changed my mind that I’m His witness and I will go wherever He calls me. I will answer His calling.

I just want to give all glory and honor back to God. To God be the glory, great things he has done in Western Province.

Irene Aebata

Solomon Islands District - Youth Mission Trip

Special Report written by Hudson Kwale...

The youth program was held at Rauai Family Worship Centre in West Kwara’ae, Malaita on the 2nd to the 4th July 2021.

The name for the program was “New Things” and the Scripture was Isaiah 43:18-19. Our youth should be focused on new things that the Word of God has for us in the future, which determines our destination. It was really a weekend of blessing for our families at Rauai Village.

We experienced that our Lord has given us a chance to learn from the youth at Gateway Corps and Honiara Corps as well. We come to realize now that God has been with us throughout the years of our past life. However, we are now focusing on God’s words to reward our future. We really enjoy and learn a lot during the weekend from what the other youth put on show. It was a challenge for us.

The drama displayed to us a reality of lifestyle of today. The program helped us to be strong and caused us to put our focus on God to live as Christ Jesus, the One who hold the future for us despite our wasted past life. The program helps our spiritual life grow up one more step and thank God for keeping us to the maturity of life.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank God for His presence with us during the special weekend. We will always remember the youth mission team in our life for what they have done as we venture into the future.

We pray that God will allow us another opportunity to come together in the future. This is for our youth to feed from the Word of God. Once again, thank you very much. Looking forward to meet your youth group again in the future. God bless!

YOUTH TESTIMONIES...

Jesmah Taka (Rauai Youth Leader)

To define the theme “Do not dwell on the past” which means youth do not hold onto what had happened on the past in their lives, but to look forward to our future for new things that God will provide for us.  During the youth program held from Friday, 2nd July to Sunday, 4th July 2021 at Rauai village, the youths were really blessed and got spiritual food from our mighty man of God Pastor Wency. It also helps Rauai youth to move up next level in their lives. We experience from many good things from different youths that they came to attend the youth program with us. We do learn from them from their characters and actions that they display during the youth program.  To conclude my brief story, I would like challenge Rauai youth to follow the examples that Gateway youth from Honiara has shown us. Rauai youth is now blessed and can now feel the blessing and presence of God after the program and onward.

Jeffrey Kalia (Honiara Youth)

The program was mandated or set on Friday 2nd July 2021. We departed from Honiara at 1:00 pm in the afternoon to Auki, Malaita Province. There were 36 youth members on board in the ship to Malaita. Now we were finally grounded in Auki wharf at 5:00 pm and also board the truck on the same port. The youth arrived in Rauai village at 8:00 pm where the program was held and also location of The Salvation Army church.  On the same Friday night the program was started at 9:00 pm, and I know that there are four (4) youth groups that gathered for the program. They are as follows: Honiara youth, Gateway youth, CRC youth and the hosting youth which known as RAUAI youth. These are youths that came together for the program. During the youth camp I can see that God has done great and mighty things in the life of the young youths even the people of Rauai village and surrounding areas are also blessed by God’s Word at the camp. Indeed, that’s how you can see intervention of the Holy Spirit is in this young people on the Sunday worship at Rauai, the pastors, women and the youths are carrying; even I was filled with the presence and power of the almighty God.  Finally, but not the least, God is at work and moving power of the Holy Spirit is changing and transforming the three ex-prisoners of Rauai young men, they are no longer under the power of darkness or evil, but they are now, the sons of God and we as youth, should give honor, glory and praise back to our almighty God for what he has done in the life of these young men. Therefore, greater things are yet to come! This is the beginning of our journey with our God with more to come. God, you are great and more than enough to us. But I would like to leave one verse in the Scripture, it said ‘always give thanks to God because his love endures forever.’

Gideon Sency (Honiara Youth)

For me the youth mission to Rauai was a blessing. I have experienced God’s power moving mightily and done great things in the lives of all that attended the weekend camp. As an individual I have felt the anointing of God was upon all the young youths during our time. God transformed lives and set a new beginning for people in Rauai to abide in. Under our youth theme we carried to Rauai NEW THINGS — ”See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).  God fulfilled His promise by making a new thing in Rauai and I see His mighty hand moving and touching the lives of each person that attended our youth camp. Souls were saved, relationships restored, and covenants were made with God.  For me, I am very happy and blessed because everything that God prepared in me for the mission. I was able to share with everyone that attend on that weekend camp and seen positive feedback which I know it does impact lives of individuals that join our weekend fellowship. To God be the glory for all the marvelous things that he has done.

Solomon Keniruahia (Honiara Youth)

Mission to Rauai was a really great opportunity for us to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of His Holy Spirit upon all young people of Rauai, Honaira and Gateway.  During this mission, we got a lot of experience with the young youths of Rauai, how God does transform their life from darkness to light. In addition, some of these young youths are great rascal boys, but God change them and now they have a testimony to share.  “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).  Firstly, to God be the glory, great things He has done. Through this mission God really touched my life and I’ve seen the mighty move of God in this mission to Rauai.  Secondly, young people of Rauai are really a great testimony for the people in and around Solomon Islands. God really works in their life and transforming their life and through our life they have seen and have more courage to have God in their life.  Lastly, but not the least, I just want to give all the glory and honour back to our mighty God for His provision, protection and blessing in this mission.

Regina Akwasitaloa (Gateway Youth)

The program was very good. It was well organised and we really enjoyed our time on the weekend. Physically the environment was good, which we enjoyed our time in sharing with other youths at Rauai. And spiritually the program really impacts great things in our lives!  As the theme ‘New Things’ in Isaiah 43:19-20 and the sessions organised for the weekend were successful, which we really appreciate the sermon from the servants of the Lord. Their main emphasis was for us to watch for the great things that God is going to do in our lives, rather than dwelling in the past. So, we really blessed by the Word of God throughout the weekend.  In addition to that the prayer chain organised was also successful, which throughout Saturday night we prayed continuously until morning. This brought great impact in the lives of the youths as well.  And during Sunday night, which was our social night, it was a great time where every youth really enjoyed the items presented from each youth. As from the Gateway Youth we really enjoyed our time on the weekend. We were really blessed with the Word of God through the changes that we experienced in our lives and it’s a blessing for us in our journey with our God. So, the youth program was successful. God bless us all.

Solomon Islands District - USA Mission Team

Throughout our Officership, Vanessa and I have had the joy of leading five overseas mission trips with Salvationists from our appointments at Noarlunga Corps and Cranbourne Corps to Thailand and Indonesia. This month we have had the pleasure of been on the receiving end of a mission team from The Salvation Army USA Southern Territory. On Tuesday, 4th June six young Salvationists arrived in Honiara as a part of the USA Salvationist Service Corps for five weeks of mission in the Solomon Islands.  A team of Honiara Corps members eagerly greeted the USA Mission Team at the airport with songs of welcome and presented the visitors with a lei made from local tropical flowers. The drive through Honiara confronted the team with a new cultural reality that was literally and figuratively a world apart from their familiar surroundings. They couldn’t wait to get to their motel to change out of the jeans they travelled into something a little more suited to the tropical conditions!

After a rest day to recover from 26 hours of travelling we took the team to the Coral Sea Resort for dinner and the annual Solchoc Festival to experience the flavours of locally grown cocoa at the chocolate tasting night. The evening included information about the emerging cocoa industry in the Solomon Islands. Before launching into the mission schedule, we set aside a morning for cultural orientation, which included a language lesson in basic Pijin with a local language teacher. It was pleasing to see the Mission Team integrate these cultural lessons into their interaction with locals throughout their trip.

The first week of mission activity included learning how to make lavalavas with the Home League ladies from Honiara Corps and participating in a couple of social enterprise projects — sewing reusable sanitary kits (girls) and constructing a backyard foundry (guys). Their first Sunday was Pentecost, which provided an opportunity to engage in an ecumenical service at the Holy Cross Cathedral. This was a significant occasion for the Catholic Church and Salvation Army in Honiara, coming together in worship for the first time with the musical support of The Salvation Army Brass Band Learners.

The second week focused on preparing for the “One Army Congress”, which I think is fair to say was the highlight of their mission trip. So many cultural, spiritual and relational experiences were packed into an unforgettable journey to West Kwara’ae in the Malaita Province. You can read a full report of the Congress in the June Newsletter. In summary, the Mission Team experienced the reality of sea travel on the Fair Lady Ship, trekking through the bush to the village and the simplicity and beauty of village life in the Solomon Islands. The program contained many powerful spiritual moments and stunning cultural expressions that left a lasting impression on the team members. Their participation through worship, dance, preaching and teaching also left a lasting impression on local Salvationists.

The journey back to Auki (main port of Malaita) opened up an unexpected ministry opportunity while meeting with the Provincial Police Commander. He invited our team to a local village where he worships to introduce the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army. The village chief invited us to stay overnight and conduct a program to a couple of hundred curious onlookers. Our team was once again blessed by the gracious hospitality of village life.

Following the Congress, the team began preparing for their VBS (Vacational Bible School) program at two primary schools in Honiara. The first two days of VBS was conducted at Honiara Integrated Primary School, which is a council run school. The Salvation Army has developed a ministry relationship with this school through a number of teachers who attend Honiara Corps. The final two days of VBS was conducted at Advance Christian School, which is a private school established and run by the Honiara Corps Secretary. The VBS program included worship, teaching, craft activities and interactive games. Reports from both schools indicated that the children loved the program and the teachers appreciated the investment into their respective school communities.

One of the other Corps activities the Mission Team supported was our Brass Band Learners. Three of the team members who played brass instruments engaged in our practices, providing musical tuition and support to help prepare the two pieces of music being practiced for the ecumenical service and Congress. Having extra players in each section of the band gave a boost of confidence to our local players and contributed to the success of our public performances. The worship team also enjoyed the musical engagement of the Mission Team as they participated in practices and Sunday worship. It was obvious the enjoyment was mutual.

Engaging in local communities, not only offered unique ministry experiences but fostered meaningful relationships between the team and members of the Honiara Corps. Through our Neighbourhood Fellowship groups the team shared in village life in an urban setting. Even in the capital city of Honiara, the simplicity of life is a stark contrast to suburban life in North American cities. We paired off the team members and sent them to visit five of our Neighbourhood Fellowships during their visit, which meet in very different settings. In each group they shared in a meal, a time of worship and participated in the ‘One Army International Teaching Resource’ used for discipleship across all groups. Everybody loved this up close and personal engagement with the visiting team.

Scattered throughout the mission program were opportunities to experience the diverse cultural expressions of the Solomon Islands. This included watching cultural dancing at the Coral Sea Resort and listening to a bamboo panpipe band at the National Museum during the Solchoc Festival. On the Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday, we took the Mission Team to a formal parade at Lawson Tama Reserve with the Prime Minister and the Governor General in attendance and a performance by the RSIPF Brass Band. This ceremonial occasion highlighted the strong links that still exists between the Solomon Islands and Great Britain, even after 40 years of independence.

A visit to the National Referral Hospital was another highlight and a confronting experience for the Mission Team. The conditions of the hospital are quite frankly ‘third world’ with patients having very limited access to quality medical care in deteriorating facilities. The hospital is known to run out of essential medicines and patients have to rely on friends and relatives for access to clean drinking water! Together with our Community Care Ministries team, the Mission Team prepared some care packs for distribution to 31 beds in the maternity ward. It was a lovely surprise to find one of the women from Honiara Corps, who had just given birth, during their visit. She was very pleased be a recipient of one of the care packs.

The mission trip wasn’t all work and no play. Rest and tour days were scheduled throughout the trip to allow the team to enjoy some of the recreational activities available in and around Honiara. A trip to Mbonege Beach provided opportunity for a welcomed swim and snorkeling through a sunken Japanese shipwreck. Visits to Central Market and a craft market provided opportunity to buy souvenirs and local handicrafts. Wency took the team up to the American War Memorial for an insight into the Battle of Guadalcanal and a panoramic view of Honiara. He also took them to the Art Gallery where the team fell in love with the beautiful paintings from local artists.

Echoes of Another

"In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me." (Jonah 2:2)

There are about 50 people huddled underneath
that tarp with about another 100 below deck
 in the cargo hold and 50 more on the stern.

It was around 3:00 am sandwiched between my camera bag, where I was leaning my head, and a group of teenage girls who were literally sitting on top of each other in a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the rain, that I felt a level of distress I cannot ever recall experiencing before. We had already been on the boat for 35 hours on our journey back to Honiara from the east coast of Malaita, and the conditions on the open sea had deteriorated with waves splashing onto the deck and rain lashing against the tarps that were flapping furiously in the wind, providing minimal protection for the 200+ passengers on board. Together with an electrical fault that caused the rusty metal floor in front of us to become electrified, nobody was having a good time!

In that moment, I did call out to the Lord in my distress from underneath the pandanas mat my travel companion unselfishly shared with me in an attempt to protect me from the elements. Somewhere between my tiredness and borderline seasickness I found myself praying, 'Lord, get us to dry land or end it now!' From the security and comfort of my living room my prayer now sounds a little melodramatic and somewhat irrational for a man of faith. However, after two sleepless nights on an overcrowded, unseaworthy vessel with a crew who were uncertain of our exact location (the disadvantage of sitting next to the cabin with someone who could understand the frantic conversation between the captain and crew), rational thought had long escaped me!

God answered me in a most unexpected way! Dry land was still three hours away and the boat stayed afloat, but God confronted me with a very personal and powerful reminder of a family who took a similar journey to Australia five years ago. For the first time their story that had previously received deep sympathy from me, now evoked a deeper empathy as a small part of their journey became my reality. These conditions that I had absolutely no control over all of a sudden made their story very real for me!

I remember when I first met the Afshar family from Afghanistan. As I listened to their story of how they escaped serious threats from the Taliban by boarding a small boat that took them on a long and dangerous journey through Malaysia, I struggled to imagine the sort of conditions they would have experienced. I had absolutely no doubt that their story was true. But as a person who at that point had never sailed longer than an hour on a comfortable and well equipped passenger ferry, with room to move around and enjoy the journey, it was difficult to really connect with their experience. Their journey across the ocean was a compelling tale that was far removed from anything I had ever experienced or could imagine experiencing. Until now!

While the similarities between our respective journeys start and end with a boat trip, I found this uninvited reminder of another family's distress in the midst of my own a profoundly emotional experience. It right-sized my own circumstances and redirected my reality towards the reality of another. For the next few moments I imagined myself sitting alongside the Afshar family with their bodies leaning against mine, sharing the same pandanas mat to protect each other from the discomfort of a shared experience. In my distress I was given a rare gift to feel the distress of another more deeply than I thought was possible. Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamid is quoted as saying, "Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself." Out there on that ocean in the dead of the night and during a raging storm, I found the echoes of another family in myself. My prayer now is that those echoes will resound through a more empathetic life and ministry as I continue to pursue a passion for the LORD, the LOST, LIFE and LEADERSHIP!

Would I want to go through an experience like this again? Absolutely not! Am I grateful that I did? Overwhelmingly so!!

Solomon Islands Ministries - South Malaita Visit

Our trip to the Moscom Fellowship in South Malaita started and finished with travel dramas!  We were scheduled to leave Honiara at 8:00 pm on the Sunday night following our return from North Malaita but the boat departed at 6:00 pm instead, despite confirming the time with the port that morning.  A second attempt to depart the following day on another boat was also frustrated when transportation at the other end could not be arranged.  Therefore, the trip was rescheduled until the end of the week with a change of route through Auki and Atori.  Instead of a direct 24 hour boat trip from Honiara to Moscom, the change of plans would mean the ferry from Honiara to Auki (as with our northern trip), a four hour truck drive to Atori and then two hours on a small 'mosquito boat' south to Moscom.  This change of plans meant that Vanessa opted not to go on this journey due to her fear of very small boats and open water.  This proved to be a wise decision as we encountered up to 2 metre swells in some sections of pretty rough waters over this leg of the trip.

The name ‘Moscom’ was originally coined as a radio call sign by the local village leader when he worked for Australian Aid.  It is a hybrid of the actual village name ‘Mosipe’ and the word ‘community’, which stuck and has now become known throughout Malaita.  This village leader responded to the need for a church in Moscom by contacting his close friend in Honiara who was instrumental in bringing The Salvation Army to Solomon Islands.  The community wanted a church that cared for more than just their  spiritual needs, so they were very responsive to the message they heard about The Salvation Army through the visit of Captain Soddy Maraga from PNG.  Over the past few years, the Moscom Fellowship has been led by a local Salvationist named Miriam, with the strong support of the nearby SDA Pastor Seke.  Like Kwai in North Malaita, The Salvation Army has grown around a few families in their village, but unlike Kwai, this congregation has a notable absence of men, who watch on from a distance when not attending their watermelon farms.  Miriam is a hard worker who does her very best to juggle her duties in the village as a mother and grandmother with the responsibilities of being the congregation leader.

We were greeted at the beach, further along the shore than planned due to rough waters, by a large group of very enthusiastic village kids, .  This meant a 20 minute walk through the neighbouring SDA village and up a rather steep hill back to Moscom, with the kids super keen to carry our luggage.  We arrived at the village on dusk and were once again blessed by a lovely welcome song by a group of children and a time of worship and fellowship.  

The Saturday program was much the same as Kwai in North Malaita with a session of teaching about Salvation Army symbolism and a session discussing the Sacraments.  Unfortunately Ness wasn't there to teach the kids so they all (25 of them) decided to sit in on the adults session.  I'm not really sure how much they took in but they at least pretended they were interested.  The Sunday Service had quite a different feel to up north but was nevertheless a wonderful time of worship.  The girls performed a vocal item that featured some beautiful harmonies that lived up to the reputation of amazing singing in the Solomon Islands.  On Monday, Wency led four sessions of Soldiership Classes and I got to sit back and watch this wonderful man of God in action.  The questions that followed each of these sessions demonstrated a genuine desire to integrate what they were learning into the realities of living out their faith in a remote village.  These classes resulted in two Adherents being accepted that evening during a Fellowship Meeting.

Village life in Moscom maintained the beautiful simplicity and generous hospitality that we enjoyed in Kwai.  It was such a pleasure to interact in the life of the village through conversations over meal times and even joining in a spontaneous game of mud soccer with the boys!  It was somewhat of a spectacle having the visiting 'white Pastor' playing in the mud and word spread through the village like wildfire.  The boys thought it was hilarious every time I slipped over in the mud while trying to kick the ball.  Another aspect of village life we witnessed was the migration of watermelons from the hillside farms down to the beach in readiness for the boat to Honiara.  The farmers hauled countless bags of melons, weighing approximately 50 kg each, on their shoulders down the steep hills.  I couldn't sit idle watching all this physical activity so I followed one of the farmers back up the hill to lend a hand, which was very much appreciated.
  

Unfortunately, village life is not an Utopian existence.  While engaged in one of our evening conversations, thieves from a neighbouring village broke into our room and stole all the money we brought with us to support this Fellowship from my bag!  This was a significant amount of money that would have been a real blessing to Miriam and this congregation.  The village leaders were devastated that this happened to their guests while in their care and it was a harsh confrontation with a growing problem in this remote area where people have to work very hard to survive.  Nevertheless, this disappointing experience did provide a platform for prayer and teaching from Ephesians 6:10-20 about the spiritual battle in which we are engaged.

I said at the beginning of this post that our trip started and finished with travel dramas.  Well, our trip home was a 38 hour saga!!  We were scheduled to leave on Tuesday but our boat didn't show up.  It was then supposed to arrive at 10:00 am on Wednesday but ended up arriving at around 3:00 pm.  It took three hours to load up the melons from all the farmers waiting along the shoreline that spread across four villages.  When the boat eventually set sail out of the bay it was starting to get dark so it docked at a nearby port for the night because the Captain wasn't confident sailing in the dark due to the lack of navigation equipment on board!  We slept on the boat to stay close to our belongings and woke up very early in the morning to a large crowd waiting to board the boat with their cargo, including a rather large pig.  The journey through the channel dividing Big and Small Malaita was rather calm but got very wet along the way.  It also got very crowded as we were met by smaller boats along the way to transfer even more people and cargo on board.  By the time we reached the last port at the end of the channel our boat was overcrowded with barely any room to even stand with people jostling for positions to get out of the rain.  This was the scene for a cramped, cold, wet and miserable final 10 hours across Indispensable Strait between Malaita and Guadalcanal during the night (fortunately we picked up another Captain before departing the port who was confident sailing in the dark!).  At around 3:00 am we noticed some sparks on the floor in front of my feet.  An electrical wire was exposed between our deck and the engine room below, which was shorting out sending sparks through a rust hole onto the 

metal deck that was awash with sea water!!  Together with rough seas and constant storms, it was a very long night and the sight of land couldn't come quick enough.  We arrived in Honiara port at around 6:00 am but had to wait another hour before we docked as the crew pushed through the crowded boat to collect fares.  Praise God that Wency had the money for our fares in his belongings, which didn't get touched by the thieves a few days earlier!

Despite the dramas and discomfort of the journey, the experience was irreplaceable!  We got to share in the reality of many Solomon Islanders who have no other way to travel between the Provinces.  We got to see island life up close and personal.  Underneath the tropical beauty that surrounds us everyday is a challenging existence that exposes the vulnerability of these incredibly resilient people.  This experience provides us with a deeper understanding of the context in which our brothers and sisters in Christ are serving under the flag of The Salvation Army.  May God give us wisdom to use this experience to inform and guide us as we lead The Salvation Army in this context.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip Reflection

Feeling Accomplished

One of the common critiques of short-term mission trips is around the immediate and long-term impact of the mission activity.  Some wonder if anything of lasting significance can be accomplished in a couple of weeks.  Others question if the money spent on the cost of the mission trip could be better utilised by sending it directly to the mission field.  While these are valid questions that should be given reasonable consideration, at the end of our three weeks in Indonesia I am left with the following reflective conclusions:

• We have mobilised a team of Salvationists from our Corps to actively engage in the international mission of The Salvation Army.
• We have evoked a spirit of generosity in our Corps and community to resource the vision of an overseas Corps and community.
• We have invested into the lives of 180 children and their families by helping to establish a school building more appropriate for the needs of the local community.
• We have partnered with a community by participating alongside them in a project that has laid the foundation for ongoing relationship beyond the end product.
• We have shared life with other Salvationists through local hospitality, mutual encouragement and pastoral ministry.
• We have been mutually enriched by exchanging broader perspectives of Salvationism through our respective cultural expressions and experiences.
• We have responded to unplanned ministry opportunities adding value to and alleviating stress from local leadership and discipleship initiatives.
• We have followed-up relationships established during previous trips through ministry engagement that continues to sow into the faith journey of other Salvationists.
• We have returned home better equipped with a higher level of cultural intelligence to more effectively engage cross-culturally in our Corps and community.

It is one thing to contribute to a mission by sending money but quite a different experience to commit to a mission by going and personally engaging with those on the mission field.  Both can be valuable, but approached with right attitude the latter fosters a level of engagement that puts relationships ahead of the task and helps to develop a level of cultural intelligence that can integrate into mission and ministry back home.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 21

Answered Prayer!

In my previous blog post I briefly shared that I lost my phone at a major shopping mall in Jakarta.  This is not how I imagined finishing up our mission trip!  However, after some fervent prayer and the determined actions of my travel companions, this happened (as shared on Facebook):

"I would like to share with you an extraordinary experience I had this morning! On Saturday I lost my iPhone while at a major shopping mall in Jakarta, which contained my credit card, driver's licence and medicare card in the cover. You can imagine my distress at losing my phone and identification in such a busy foreign city!! Yesterday morning, Neville and Nyoman decided to try calling my phone from Nyoman's Indonesian number, to no avail. However, last night we noticed two missed calls on Nyoman's phone from my phone number. Nyoman called back and discovered that my phone was found on the ground beside our car in the car park at the mall by a man from Bandung. He took the phone home and tried to send a message to me via my Instagram account, which was still logged in on my phone. This morning, this man and his family drove all the way from Bandung, about a 3 hour drive, back to Jakarta to return my phone and identification to me! While this alone is remarkable, my phone was still in 'flight mode' and my SIM card was disabled by Telstra after we reported it missing, so it shouldn't have received our call; the battery on my phone never holds charge for more than a day anymore; and it was found by a Muslim man and returned by his family who wanted to demonstrate the integrity of their faith. I praise God for this miracle against the odds of ever seeing my phone again and the risk of my ID being used for identity fraud overseas. I'm still astounded by this incredible blessing!!"

What threatened to be a spoiler of an extraordinary mission trip became a major highlight!  Once again I was reminded how God can use any situation to bring unexpected encounters and blessings that reinforce how great He really is!!  I also can't help thinking that my encounter with this family is no accident and that our paths will cross again some time in the future.

 

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 - Days 16 & 17

Last Hurrah at Dongi Dongi

Today we headed out to Dongi Dongi for the third and final time; this time with Neville and Major Erik Kape onboard.  Before we left Palu we stopped by the Mecure Hotel to catch up with Commissioner Ros Poke who was finishing up her trip around Indonesia.  Commissioners Vic and Ros Poke were on staff at the Training College with Vic being our Training Principal when Nyoman and I were Cadets training to be Salvation Army Officers back in 1995-96.  It is amazing where God has led us each over the past twenty years and how our paths have crossed on this mission trip.

Like previous team members earlier in the trip, Neville was keen to get involved with rebuilding Dongi Dongi School.  Majors Paulus and Felma weren't home when we arrived, so we didn't waste any time heading up the hill to see the progress of the builders over the past week and to plan out our work for the next couple of days.  Once again we were amazed at how much work had been done!  The front verandah had been concreted, the brickwork was complete, internal walls had begun to be rendered, and the timber cladding was almost finished.  The builders weren't onsite, so once Nyoman and Eric left to return to Palu, Neville and I got started cleaning up the building site, emptying the classrooms of building waste and sweeping out a mountain of wood shavings and concrete dust.  The cloud of dust combined with our sweat made for one very dirty afternoon of work.  There was also a load of timber delivered on the side of the track out front, so we decided to haul it into the classroom that stored the remaining building materials.  Maybe we were just tired, but this load of timber was way heavier than a previous load that other team members had moved.  In fact, it had been cut thicker and was still very wet (that's our excuse, LOL).  

The Corps Officers returned home late afternoon to find our belongings hidden out the back of their quarters, so Major Paulus came up to give us a hand to finish off our afternoon of work.  As with previous team members, Neville and I were warmly welcomed into their home and blessed by their hospitality.  We engaged in conversation after tea with Major Paulus, without Nyoman present to interpet, and had a lot of fun teaching each other new words and phrases in our respective languages.  Despite the language barrier we managed to communicate well enough to enjoy each others company and discover new things about each others culture.

The next morning before we got back to work, I took Neville across to the old classrooms to see for himself the conditions in which the children were learning.  On our way out Nyoman had just arrived back from Palu and joined us for another day of hard work.  The job for the day was to level out the ground out the front of the verandah by 'cutting and filling' with dirt from the land beside the building.  A couple of local labourers started digging a hole for the septic tank for the toilets so we joined forces as we relocated the soil they dug out of their hole.  The speed these guys worked was impressive. 

After our lunch break we were amazed to see that they had dug their 3x3 metre hole to a depth of 1.5 metres and had built a lean-to shelter in the process to give themselves some shade while they worked!  Not to be outdone, Neville, Nyoman and I worked equally as hard to finish off our levelling, which required more and more fill as the gradient increased along the length of the verandah.  It was a very tiring but satisfying day of work.  

Leaving the building site for the last time was a little emotional after three weeks of working on this project.  Neville and I really connected with how Tony, Jill and Stav must have felt as they left Dongi Dongi knowing it would be the last time they saw the project before completion.  Yet, that feeling of sadness was mixed with a deep sense of satisfaction with the knowledge that together we had contributed to the rebuilding of Dongi Dongi School.  Our belief in the Corps Officer's vision for the school, our collective fundraising over the past twelve months and our presence on this mission trip is a significant investment into a community, a church and a generation of children who will be educated in these new buildings!  Praise the Lord!!

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 15

Eager Young Minds

One of the many joys of this mission trip is the diversity of unplanned ministry opportunities that have added value to our primary mission activity for both our team and hosts.  Last week I was asked to present a seminar on 'Problem Solving' to a class of high school students.  Today I was asked to present a seminar on leadership to a class of vocational school students.  Both seminars excited me as they appealed to my passion as a leader to equip others!

With the arrival of Neville last night, Nyoman seized the moment by offering Neville one of the topics he was required to teach to the same group of students.  Despite the late request, Neville stepped up to the plate and willingly accepted the offer.  So, Neville taught on 'Healthy Relationships', I taught on the 'Nature of a Leader' and Nyoman taught on 'Drugs and Sexuality.'  What a team!

One of the funny moments of the day was driving to the location of the seminar.  Due to an interruption by one of the Palu teachers as we were about to leave, we were running very late and the morning Palu traffic didn't help matters either.  Just as we were about to make a right turn at a main round-a-bout a police motorcade with sirens blaring entered the intersection stopping all traffic to allow them through. Except Nyoman!  He saw it as an opportunity to tag on the end of the last police vehicle and use it as a police escort. It worked!! The normally heavy traffic pulled aside to allow the police vehicles (and us) through, giving us a clear run all the way to our destination in a fraction of the time. Genius!