Solomon Islands District Newsletter (Volume 4, Issue 2)

Solomon Islands District

NEWSLETTER February 2021 Volume 4, Issue 2

Promoted to Glory

The Solomon Islands District has sadly lost a third leader in six months, with congregation leader Miriam Panai from Moscom Fellowship in East Areare being ‘Promoted to Glory’ after losing her battle with breast cancer.

Miriam was a true pioneer, taking on the leadership of the second Salvation Army Church in the Solomon Islands in 2013.

Moscom Fellowship was established on Maru’upaina Bay on the east coast of Malaita Province when village leader Paul Harohau returned to his village during the ’Tensions’ in Solomon Islands to discover the difficulty his community was having walking across rugged terrain to the SSEC Church on the other side of the bay.

The village expressed their desire to start

their own church, so Paul contacted his close relative Peter Maeatua to explore the possibility of The Salvation Army commencing in their village. PNG Officer Captain Soddy Maraga, who was appointed to Honiara Corps at the time, travelled to Moscom to speak to the people about The Salvation Army. They were very receptive of his visit and responded positively to his message, which did not please the pastors from surrounding villages. Yet, this did not stop Moscom from wanting The Salvation Army in their village because they wanted a church that cared for more than just their spiritual needs. Despite the opposition and against cultural norms that oppose women in leadership, Miriam took the courageous step to accept the leadership of the

Inside this issue:

new Salvation Army Fellowship in Moscom. Since then, Miriam has faithfully and tirelessly served the congregation while juggling her responsibilities as a mother and grandmother. She enthusiastically welcomed the Women’s Ministries Leadership Training course conducted by Major Vanessa Evans in 2018 and actively encouraged the other women at Moscom to use their God-given gifts in the church and village.

Miriam can be described as a hard worker and passionate worshipper who lived to serve her family and her God. The impact and influence she has had on other women and girls in the village will leave a lasting legacy and strong foundation for the future growth and development of the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Moscom.

Community Care Ministries Training & Basket

2

Ngalifalisi New 2 Opening Recognition Moscom Fellowship Combined Service

2

Learning Space in Burns Creek

3

Rotary Donation for School Fees Loans

3

SDA Pastor Seke Okehanua

3

Personal Reflections

4

Special points of interest:  One Common Basket  Mission Recognition  Ecumenical Service  Literacy & English Classes  Keeping Kids in School  Mission Partnership

Community Care Ministries Training & Basket In follow-up to the successful training and induction of the first group of six Community Care Ministries members last year, a second training event was conducted on the 6th February, which

added four new members to the team.

This team visits the sick, supports those in need and provides general pastoral care.

Each week, Honiara Corps members have an opportunity to contribute food items to a Community Care Basket for distribution to struggling families in Honiara. Community Care Ministries provide a ministry pathway to reframe the cultural value of ‘wantok’ that expresses “collective responsibility, traditional practices [that] include obligation by the community to look after the needs of all; a social security provision coined “one common basket.””

Ngalifalisi New Opening Recognition Malaita Area Officer Envoy Joshua Henry Aebata travelled to Ngalifalisi New Opening this month to present a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of THQ to the congregation leader Seth Niufurae.

This new opening of The Salvation Army uses the Christian Revival Crusade (CRC) church building for their services while they are preparing to construct their own. The presentation of the Certificate of Recognition was witnessed by 40 people from both churches who expressed surprise and delight at such an acknowledgement.

After the service a couple of men from

the CRC church joined in discussion with Envoy Joshua and Seth to hear more about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army. At the end of the weekend, while Envoy Joshua was waiting for transport back to Auki, a group of locals started setting up a building profile ready to construct the new Salvation Army church. Ngalifalisi is a small village situated in the Fataleka Constituency in Malaita, about one and half hours drive out of Auki by public truck along the North Road. Due to very heavy rain, access to this village is now restricted because of a collapsed bridge!

Moscom Fellowship Combined Service Moscom Fellowship combined with the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) and South Seas Evangelical Church (SSEC) in Raeao Village on Maru’upaina Bay for a combined church service to celebrate the life of a SSEC Pastor who had passed away. The presence of the Moscom

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Fellowship members was unmissable with them all walking across the bay in their uniforms to represent The Salvation Army at this service. These photos were taken by the SDA Pastor, who was impressed by the presence and support of The Salvation Army at this community celebration. Moscom Fellowship has 15 Senior Soldiers and 18 Junior Soldiers who are actively engaged in ministry in their village. They have embraced the ‘Heart to God, Hand to Man’ ethos of The Salvation Army and look for ways to serve and care for each other. This has been particularly evident over the past

couple of months during Miriam’s time of illness as they gathered together to care for Miriam and her family. The women in this church have taken a lead role in ministry activities, under the strong leadership of Miriam, and will no doubt continue to soldier on!

Solomon Islands District

Learning Space in Burns Creek For the past 18 months, Major Vanessa has been teaching Literacy and English Classes in a ’Learning Space’ at a café in Honiara with four women from Honiara Corps. Last week, this ’Learning Space’ branched out and commenced a new

’Learning Space’ at Burns Creek Outpost in East Honiara with 70 enthusiastic participants (37 adults and 33 children) gathering from around the community.

These four women have stepped way out of their comfort zone to pass on the knowledge they have learned to other women who only have a primary school education and children who have fallen out of the education system. Envoy Fostina Ramo’oroa paved the way for this new mission outreach in her community when she shared with her neighbours what she was learning each week. They eagerly requested for this learning

opportunity to be made available for them as well. The positive start to the first week gives every indication that this ‘Learning Space’ will have a huge impact in Burns Creek as word spreads among other women and children.

Rotary Donation for School Fees Loans Over the past two years, The Salvation Army has administered interest free loans to families in Honiara and Malaita that have enabled 13 children to stay in school longer. This has been made possible through the generous donations received from locally based businesses and community organisations that support the aim of the Schools Fees Loan Program to reduce youth vulnerability by “Keeping Kids in School Longer.”

13 children assisted by this program so far is just a small representation of the enormous number of children who are unable to continue their education due to the inhibitive cost of school fees.

After receiving a two year progress report outlining successes and challenges of the School Fees Loans Program, the Rotary Club of Honiara donated another $10,000 SBD towards the program. This contribution has enabled The Salvation Army to respond to new loan requests in Burns Creek for the second school term, which is especially important given the large number of children not in school in this community.

The modest start to this program has affirmed a mutual concern among both recipients and supporters of “keeping kids in school longer!”

The demand for assistance with school fees is the biggest financial stress on parents in the Solomon Islands and far exceeds available funds. Therefore, the

SDA Pastor Seke Okehanua Pastor Seke Okehanua, leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the neighbouring village to Moscom, has been a great friend of The Salvation Army and a tremendous support to Moscom Fellowship leader Miriam Panai. He has

stood by her when she was being opposed for being a woman pastor, guided her through ministry challenges and provided practical support where needed. Seke is a mighty man of God with a Kingdom vision for his community that extends beyond traditional denominational boundaries.

It was a great pleasure for the District Team to meet up with Seke during his recent visit to Honiara for a SDA Leaders Conference. Seke gave a helpful update of what was happening at Moscom, as communication with this very remote village is a real challenge with no mobile

Volume 4, Issue 2

coverage. He also shared that the house plans that Major Robert had drawn up for him over a year ago have been used by village chiefs as a template to construct a nurses quarters at the village clinic in Moscom. He expressed his sincere gratitude for these plans and the continuing relationship with The Salvation Army at Moscom.

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Support Needs:  Seed Funding for Micro Enterprises You can support by donating funds to purchase equipment required to establish income generating initiatives at our village churches in the provinces.  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  Approval of project proposals submitted to supporters  Preparations for 10th Anniversary & General’s visit

Personal Reflections...

This month our personal reflections come by way of brief testimonies from a couple of our customers who are regular users of the organic virgin coconut oil produced at The Salvation Army DME Coconut Oil Plant at Gateway Corps in North Malaita.

These customers are parents and teachers at Honiara Integrated Primary School and purchase their oil through the School Administrator Webster Buakalo, who is the Young People’s Sergeant Major (YPSM) at Honiara Corps.

“Thank God for The Salvation Army oil.

We see big things that we use it in our life. We are from Renbell Province. We are from Bahai faith and SDA Church. As a father, I have kidney problem, but the oil always heal and keep me warm.

Sometimes when my oil is finished, I must get the oil from The Salvation Army.

Sometimes I do not rely on the tablets I get from Hospital but I use the oil from The Salvation Army. God is working through this oil. God is great!”

These two testimonies speak of the ‘healing’ properties of coconut oil, which is believed by many Solomon Islanders to be among the many uses and benefits of this product. While The Salvation Army has NOT promoted our coconut oil in this manner nor do we advocate using it in place of prescribed medication, it has been interesting to learn that the oil we produce has wider applications than cooking in this cultural context...

Price Tepuke

“I really thank you indeed for The Salvation Army oil that help me. It help me a lot in the cold time. I apply to the painful part of my body and I feel well.

Before I go to bed, I apply all over my body then go for sleep and the next day I feel fresh. So, I thank God that I am really blessed with the oil, and I thank Major Robert and Major Vanessa for the wisdom that God give you to produce this product as it help me a lot when I use it.”

Teacher Jecobeth Job