Solomon Islands District Newsletter (Volume 4, Issue 4)

Solomon Islands District

NEWSLETTER April 2021 Volume 4, Issue 4

District East Campaign

This year, the District Easter Campaign was coordinated by the Honiara Corps Officer, in the absence of the District Officers who were on their homeland furlough in Australia.

Prior to their departure, Major Robert prepared a two part sermon series for Good Friday and Easter Sunday to be delivered by local leaders over the Easter weekend at six locations across the District by a team of Salvationists from Honiara Corps.

The theme “It is Finished” was chosen to unite Salvation Army congregations in the Solomon Islands around the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross through His death and resurrection.

This sacrifice that set humankind free from the bondage of sin was presented as a challenge for Salvationists across the District to live in that freedom by

declaring “it is finished’ to a self-directed life and “it has begun” to a life centred in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

Nominees Daniel and Rachel Hagi led the Easter Services in Honiara, with Rachel preaching the Good Friday message at Burns Creek Outpost and Daniel preaching the Easter Sunday message at Honiara Corps.

Envoy Wency Ramo’oroa and YPSM Webster Buakalo, with youth from Honiara Corps,

Inside this issue:

travelled to West Kwara’ae in Malaita where they led the services at Rauai New Opening.

Home League Leaders Elizabeth Tolilalo and Joyce Maeatua, travelled to North Malaita with two young people returning home, to conduct the services at Gateway Corps. The long journey to the east coast of Malaita was taken by Festus Ganiomea and Joseph Atkin, who led the services at Moscom Fellowship.

The services at Fouele New Opening in South Malaita were led by local leaders from the village, while Alick and Esther Hagi travelled across to the Western Province to lead the services at Munda New Opening.

The impact of bringing together Salvationists from across the District to these locations for Easter is shared in the following pages through the reports written by each team...

Easter Campaign Honiara Corps & Burns Creek Outpost

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Easter Campaign Gateway Corps

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Easter Campaign Moscom Fellowship

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Easter Campaign Rauai New Opening

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Easter Campaign 3 Munda New Opening Personal Reflection

Special points of interest:  Team Ministry  Soldier Recruits  Leadership Needs  Officer Recruits  Healing  New Buildings

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Easter Campaign - Honiara Corps & Burns Creek Outpost Report by Nominees Daniel & Rachel Hagi The Honiara Corps and Burns Creek Out Post were blessed with the Easter program. While most of our Corps members are out for the Easter weekend, Honiara Corps and Burns Creek Outpost continued to celebrate the Easter Weekend. Rachel did a good job

preaching at Burns creek on Good Friday from John 19:28-30. While the attendance at Burns Creek during Good Friday was very low, those who gathered enjoyed the service which was followed by a light refreshment. On Sunday, we also have a good time at Honiara Corps

with 98 in attendance where Daniel preached from Galatians 2:17-21. The congregation were really blessed by the theme “It is Finished.” We give glory and honour to our God for his faithfulness and goodness.

Easter Campaign - Gateway Corps Report by Home League Leaders Elizabeth Tolilalo & Joyce Maeatua Elizabeth Tolilalo, Joyce Maeatua, Madalyn Akwa and Philomena were sent off to Gateway Corps for the Easter Weekend. The Team left Honiara on the 1st April 2021 via MV Pelican Express.

They arrived around midnight of the same day at Kwai Village, North Malaita.

The Easter weekend program ran very smoothly with congregation members enjoying the presence of the Honiara Team. The Word of God, especially the Easter theme “It is Finished,” was very touching.

Gateway Corps members received the Easter message with

gladness and excitement. They were seeing the Holy Spirit touching lives during the Easter Program People from Gou’ulu Mission and other surrounding villages were also attending at Gateway Corps. The village leader of Gou’ulu Mr. Sam reported about the development taking place at his village.

He said that their church building was completed; they are just waiting for The Salvation Army to commence.

The Honiara team also provided some encouragement to the Corps members at Gateway; encouraging them to continue

with their ministries like the Home League, Junior Miss, Sunday School and Youth Group. Gateway Corps needs refresher training on doctrines and the structure of The Salvation Army.

As the Corps continues to grow, they really need an Officer to be on the ground with them so that they can keep up with the current growth. Another round of Soldiership Classes is also another very important teaching that they are waiting for because there are some new people who want to be part of The Salvation Army.

Easter Campaign - Moscom Fellowship Report by SAES Leaders Festus Ganiomea & Joseph Atkin Festus Ganiomea and Joseph Atkin were sent off to Moscom for the Easter weekend. They left Honiara for Moscom on the 30th May 2021 at 6:00pm via LC Gulatatae and arrived at Moscom in the evening of the next day. They were well received by the congregation at Moscom.

During the weekend they held some crusades showing the film about the crucifixion of Jesus which the village really enjoyed watching. It was a very touching moment watching the film.

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Joseph spoke very powerfully on Good Friday, so did Festus on Easter Sunday, even though people did not respond during the altar calls, but they were touched by the messages. And they can see that the Holy Spirit moved and touched lives. It was expressed by the congregation members that they were very blessed with the Word of God during the Easter weekend.

The congregation members were very pleased to see Joseph and Festus visiting

them during the Easter weekend and also following the passing away of their congregation leader, the late Mirriam Panai. There were some questions arise around the passing away of Late Mirriam, that Festus and Joseph were able to give them some clarity and clear up some of their misunderstanding.

Moscom needs new leadership, enrolling of some new Soldiers and officiating of marriage ceremonies for two couples.

Solomon Islands District

Easter Campaign - Rauai New Opening Report by Envoy Wency Ramo’oroa & YPSM Webster Buakalo Envoy Wency Ramo’oroa, YPSM Webster Buakalo, Gideon Sency and Abraham were on the team that went to Rauai.

The team to Rauai left Honiara on the 1st April 2021 at 9:00 am in the morning via MV Pelican Express to Auki. The team arrived at Rauai in the evening and was well received by the community in a special welcome ceremony organized by the leaders at Rauai.

The Easter Campaign at Rauai commenced on Thursday evening with the welcome program and the launching of the Easter Theme for the weekend.

The program continue the next day, which was Good Friday and ended on the evening of Easter Sunday with a Thanksgiving Service acknowledging God for what He had done for the congregation during the weekend.

This is the first time a team from The Salvation Army visited this New Opening.

They were waiting in excitement to host the team for the Easter weekend.

Entering into the community, the atmosphere was different; you could feel the presence of God is at work. Rauai is a well organize and clean community.

The Holy Spirit moved mightily during the weekend touching lives, changing lives and transforming lives. People gave their lives to Jesus Christ and responded to the Word of God during alter calls. After each session during the weekend we also did deliverance, counselling and leading people to accept Jesus Christ. This is

evidence that the Holy Spirit is moving and working during the weekend. It is a joy to see people’s lives change and families reunited.

Gideon and Abraham were a blessing to the youth at Rauai. They got along with them very well and shared their talents together to improve some of the areas that are needed the most. YPSM Webster also took time to talk to the youth and the women at Rauai encouraging them to continue with their ministries. The Easter weekend was attended by Salvationist and nonSalvationist around Rauai and from as far as Ngalifalisi New Opening.

Easter Campaign - Munda New Opening Report by Area Leaders Alick & Esther Hagi Alick and Esther boarded MV Fair Glory on Sunday 28th March 2021. Our trip had two purposes: 1. It was for the Easter celebration and 2. Our two applicants for Officership Rex and his wife Manalyn to do an assessment test.

We also we brought four bags of Vilij Kaleko for Munda New Opening.

We arrived at Noro port at 4:00 am Monday, 29th March. I went looking for any transport to Munda and found a 25 seat bus at the wharf bound for Munda.

The bus dropped us at Tolovae where Rex and Manalyn met us. In the morning another Soldier Ms. Mauna met us and I told them to sort out the Vilij Kaleko and to price the items for sale to raise money for local mission. The message spread out and women came to look at the clothes and purchase them.

Volume 4, Issue 4

On Good Friday we had our Easter fellowship with nine in attendance.

Afterwards, the women prepared lunch for us with fish, chicken and pudding. On Saturday afternoon I supervised Rex and Manalyn to do the assessment test in preparation for training as Officers in The Salvation Army. I hope both will do their best as they pursue this training. The Western Province and the District needs Officers. Our Easter Sunday service had ten in attendance and I had the opportunity to pray for Miss Jemina who came with her mother.

It was an exciting time for our Munda congregation because it was the first Easter as a New Opening and so we had testimonies expressing the Easter theme “IT IS FINISHED.” Ms. Mauna expressed her joy as she came to join The Salvation

Army. She said Munda needs a church that will reflect Christ in the Community, as children were being left out doing nothing on Sundays. My wife testified about how God healed her after an admission in hospital before coming to Munda. Now, she said, “it is finished.”

I am requesting our members to keep praying for Munda. Our top priority is to build a church house. A lot of people I personally met echoed this because they want to join The Salvation Army.

One person who is under alcohol asked me why I came back to Munda. I answered him saying, “because of you I came to Munda. You need Jesus. You need Salvation.” What a blessing to fulfill the assignment this Easter and preach the theme “IT IS FINISHED.”

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Support Needs:  Construction and repairs of village church buildings You can support by donating funds to purchase materials to repair existing buildings and build new buildings in villages.  Purchase of furnishings for Officer Quarters: You can support by donating funds to purchase furniture and appliances for Quarters at each of our village churches.

The Salvation Army Solomon Islands District Officers - Majors Robert & Vanessa Evans PO Box 323 Honiara, Solomon Islands

 Purchase of additional equipment for SAES: You can support by donating funds to purchase a deep freezer to store food for Emergency Services and Disaster Relief.

Please contact Major Robert Evans at robert.evans@png.salvationarmy.org for more information if you are able to help with any of these needs.

Phone: (677) 30344 Fax: (677) 30344 Mobile: (677) 749 4524 Email: solomon.islands@png.salvationarmy.org

Prayer Points:

Website: www.png.salvationarmy.org

 Local sponsorship for construction of Officer Quarters  Land for Honiara Corps  Progression of Nominees/Candidates towards training for full-time ministry in The Salvation Army  For God to raise up local leaders for growing mission  Implementation of new Social Enterprises in village churches

Personal Reflection...

This year the District organized an Easter Campaign with the theme ”IT IS FINISHED,” from John 19:28-30 and Galatians 2:17-21. The theme itself was powerful in a sense that it captured the foundation of a lifelong commitment to God on the part of Christians.

I was amazed to hear and see what God has done through each of our congregations during the Easter weekend. The theme “It is Finished” really touched many lives during the weekend.

The Holy Spirit moved mightily during the Easter program touching lives, changing live and transforming lives. People gave their lives to Jesus Christ and responded to the Word of God during altar calls.

Deliverance, counselling and leading people to accept Jesus Christ happened

during the Easter Campaign too. This is evidence that the Holy Spirit was moving and working throughout the weekend. It is a joy to see people’s lives changed and families reunited.

For myself, going out in a mission team energized me a lot. Sharing with people, leading people to give their life to Jesus excites me the most. I am forever grateful to God for what he has done to me during the Easter weekend.

I can feel the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon me when I led the Easter Campaign at Rauai. In each session I felt the difference. This Easter is the most powerful Easter campaign I have ever been a part of it. If we give ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He will use us powerfully.

My sincere thanks to Majors Robert and Vanessa Evans for organizing the Easter Campaign program. Thank you for all your hard work in putting together the Easter Program. And also I would like to thank our Almighty God for his faithfulness.

Envoy Wency Ramo’oroa