Solomon Islands District Newsletter (Volume 2, Issue 7)

Solomon Islands District

NEWSLETTER July 2019 Volume 2, Issue 7

Farewell to USA Mission Team After 5 weeks of mission and ministry in the Solomon Islands, the USA Mission Team were treated to an amazing farewell dinner and program by Honiara Corps.

Over 100 people gathered at Honiara Integrated Primary School to say thank you and goodbye to the team. The night featured singing and dancing by the children, with items from the Home League and youth. Many words of appreciation were expressed by the various groups whom enjoyed the ministry of the mission team. The laughter and tears were testament to

the impact the visitors had on the local Salvationists. Among the many gifts presented was a Pijin Children’s Picture Bible each to remind the team of the special connection they made with all the pikinini at the congregations and schools where they served throughout their visit. Maybe they will have a go at teaching some Pijin language to the children

back in their home territory from the featured Bible Stories?

The night concluded with a shared fellowship dinner, which is a common expression of Solomon Islands hospitality.

At the airport a number of the youth gathered for a final farewell. While there was a sense of sadness around their departure, the exchange of contact details and social media information will ensure that the relationships formed during the mission trip will not end at the departure gate. The Solomon Islands District is very grateful to the USA Mission Team for their ministry and service!

Inside this issue: District Women’s Ministries Planning

2

Farewell to Expat Friends

2

U16 National Soccer Team Ministry

2

Candidates for Officership

3

Promotion to Glory

3

DME Certification & Training

3

A Personal Note

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Adam & Tiahly Visit June and July have been busy with the hosting of oversees visitors that included a cross-over between the USA Mission Team and a visit by Major Robert and Vanessa’s son Adam, with his girlfriend Tiahly. The timing of Adam and Tiahly’s visit allowed them to spend a week with the mission team where they joined in on a number of tourist activities that were saved for their final week.

This included a trip to Tenaru Falls in East Guadalcanal. The spectacular falls required a strenuous two hour return walk along tropical jungle trails and

through cool rivers. A swim at the falls was a refreshing interlude before the tough climb back up the mountain, which was followed by a much needed lunch and cold drink at Parangiju Mountain Lodge.

Adam and Tiahly got to enjoy a number of other cultural experiences as well as valued time with Mum and Dad. Such visits alleviate some of the challenges of long distance parenting.

Special points of interest:  International Visitors  Farewells  New Ministry Roles  Officer Candidates  Comfort & Support  Village Training

District Women’s Ministries Planning The other international visitor for July was Pastor Norma Cayzer from Turning Point Church in Cranbourne, Australia. Pastor Norma came to Honiara on her way home from Port Moresby to plan a combined Women’s Ministries Bible Conference with Major Vanessa Evans from The Salvation Army and Pastor Mary Vasula from the Christian Revival Centre (CRC).

This event will bring together women not only from these two churches in Honiara but from other Salvation Army and CRC churches around Solomon Islands.

The theme for the conference is “With Confidence.” The idea of the conference came about as Major Vanessa & Pastor

Mary came together to encourage each other in their respective ministries and found that both their women’s ministries programs were facing the same issue of their women lacking confidence in their abilities. It is felt that bringing the women together to encourage each other through a bible conference would unite many women within the Solomon Islands and would then empower them to pass it on to the next generation of young women.

The planning team is very excited about the impact that this combined Women’s Conference in January 2020 will have and look forward to what God is going to do through the guest speakers.

Farewell to Expat Friends One of the realities of living and working in the Solomon Islands is the movement of expats in and out of the country.

These changes in positions means saying goodbye to some terrific people with whom you build strong relationships in a short period of time.

Surveillance Operations Officer RAN Commander Jeff Williams. Each of these people have provided valuable support and networking for The Salvation Army over the past 18 months and have become good friends for Majors Robert and Vanessa.

Over the past few weeks Majors Robert and Vanessa have attended farewells for Deputy British High Commissioner Paul Drysden, RSIPF Maritime Technical Advisor RAN Chief Petty Officer Dale Zanker, Australian High Commission Media Officer Nikki McKinney, and FFA

Saying goodbye is never easy but a part of the rhythm of life in the Pacific. The Salvation Army deeply appreciates the strong support that is extended by the expat community in Honiara, providing practical and personal support for its growing mission and ministry.

U16 National Soccer Team Ministry During the Solomon Islands Under 16 National Soccer tournament, a ministry team from Honiara Corps were invited to pray with the national soccer team before

their games and to offer them a word of encouragement. This was an exciting ministry opportunity for Honiara Corps Leader Wency Ramo’oroa, together with Daniel Hagi, Joshua Henry and Alex Hagi.

The Salvation Army ministry team’s presence provided much appreciated moral support for some of the players who had never played before a large national crowd. The other role the ministry team were asked to perform was to offer a prayer of commission for the new uniforms for the soccer team.

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This invitation to engage in such a ministry role is another example of how The Salvation Army is being recognized as an important ministry presence in the Solomon Islands. Doors are being opened for new and unique opportunities for mission and ministry that is allowing local Salvationists to exercise their faith beyond the boundaries of Sunday worship into broader community life.

It is also encouraging to see the Honiara Corps leader proactively engage other members in these ministry opportunities.

Solomon Islands District

Candidates for Officership Raising up and developing future leaders for The Salvation Army Solomon Islands remains a very high priority for the District. This involves investing in local Salvationists who are called by God and who display a gift of leadership.

Two such people are Tony and Jennifer Kinikoroa from Honiara Corps. Tony previous entered the Officers Training College (OTC) in Port Moresby, PNG with his first wife Rose in 2015 but had to leave at the end of his first year due to Rose’s illness that very sadly led to her ‘Promotion to Glory’. Tony has since remarried to Jennifer who shares a strong calling for full-time ministry that has been

nurtured over the past twelve months at The Salvation Army. Jennifer has now submitted her application to become a Salvation Army Officer alongside her husband Tony. She is pictured here completing her C2 Entry Test at the District Headquarters.

Tony and Jennifer’s pathway to Salvation Army Officership will be the first in the Solomon Islands to combine a Flexible Training mode in Honiara for Jennifer’s first year (as Tony has already completed his first year) and their second year together at the OTC in PNG. This is an important step towards building an Officer base for the Solomon Islands.

Promotion to Glory struck down with a nasty chest infection, from which he thankfully recovered.

The Salvation Army Solomon Islands was very sad to receive the news that Concy Diau from Gateway Corps, Suafa Bay in North Malaita had died after struggling with a respiratory condition.

In the absence of Gateway Corps Leader Charles Akwasitaloa, who is recovering from an illness in Honiara, the Malaita Area Leader Joshua Henry went to North Malaita to conduct the funeral and minister to the grieving family and congregation. His ministry during this sad time was deeply valued by everybody affected by Concy’s death. Please pray for continued comfort for Concy’s family and healing for others who are struggling with illness in this village.

Concy was only 16 years old, a newly enrolled soldier and much loved part of the Gateway community. Her illness exposes the vulnerability of remote villages that are far from medical facilities with little, if any, access to suitable medical care. This is a reality that Major Robert experienced first hand a week later in the same village while being

DME Certification & Training In September last year work commenced on establishing a DME Coconut Oil Plant in North Malaita. In March this year the DME Equipment was installed and now in July the organic certification process commenced and training was conducted to operate the plant. After many months of hard work and anticipation the first DME Plant for The Salvation Army Solomon Islands is now operational.

Local coconut plantation farmers gathered at Gateway Corps to register their farms with Kokonut Pacific for

Volume 2, Issue 7

organic certification. This certification process is necessary to maintain the high standard of VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil) output that will enable The Salvation Army to sell back the oil extracted from their DME Plant to Kokonut Pacific for use in their high quality products.

and extracting the oil through DME press.

The first batch of oil extracted from 30 coconuts produced 1.7 litres of VCO, which was a good start by the newly established plant.

Training on the DME Plant attracted a very enthusiastic group of 18 prospective workers to learn how to operate the equipment and produce coconut oil. This process involves cracking the nuts, shredding and drying the coconut flesh,

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Support Needs:  The cost of printing is very expensive in the Solomon Islands: You can support by printing and posting copies of our Soldiership Training Manuals from the original PDF file.  Building Funds for Gateway Corps and Ramah Fellowship: You can support by donating funds to support the reconstruction of these village church buildings.

The Salvation Army Solomon Islands District Officers - Majors Robert & Vanessa Evans PO Box 323 Honiara, Solomon Islands Phone: (677) 30344 Fax: (677) 30344

 New signage needed or our DME Plant & Vilij Kaleko Project: You can support by donating funds for us to have signage and banners printed locally in Honiara.

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.

Mobile: (677) 749 4524 Email: solomon.islands@png.salvationarmy.org Website: www.png.salvationarmy.org

Prayer Points:  Comfort and healing for Gateway Corps in North Malaita  Processing of Candidates and Envoy applications  First ‘Father & Son’ Weekend for Solomon Islands  Larger venue for Honiara Corps for Sunday worship  Acquisition of land for Honiara Corps

A Personal Note...

I count it a privilege to represent my Territory and District leaders to engage in a special ministry to North and Northeast Malaita during the month of July, where I was sent on an assignment to prepare Gateway Corps for the DME Kokonut Pacific Workshop but ended up to also bury two dead ladies. Although it was a sad and dark moment, the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ we bear even shine brighter in these communities. Concy Diau was ‘Promoted to Glory’ at Gateway Corps from a long illness and I arrived just in time to conduct her funeral, as the Corps Leader is still away on medical grounds. There were three of us in Salvo soldiers uniform and God did a marvelous thing by just stopping a heavy downpour of rain the moment we walked to the house where the mourners gathered around the dead body. The meeting went smoothly, although many relatives connected this death to witchcraft. There was peace provided so that there was no violence during or after the funeral, which

means success to all. During our second day of the Kokonut Pacific Workshop, I was requested by my cousin brother, calling from Honiara, to go further northeast and conduct another funeral service for my sister-in-law who fell dead while selling food at a nearby market. Upon hearing that request, Major Robert Evans who was with me at Gateway Corps for the DME Workshop saw an opportunity to send me up to Kafomouri Village. This community belonged to a local charismatic group who was described by the village leader to be like a ‘careless father’ after the service when I asked him why he called me for the funeral. The Salvation Army responded to the call and filled the gap. Again our presence in full soldier uniform brought comfort and a positive edge that they were being heard. This was publicly acknowledged during the Thanksgiving Service on Sunday when this community leader expressed in tears when he thanked The Salvation Army to send Joshua Henry Aebata as a rescuer to the village. The burial

took place on Friday 26/07/19. What an honor to represent God and The Salvation Army to fill in the gap by bringing comfort and peace when and wherever it is needed without discrimination. To God be the glory great things He has done. Thank you.

Joshua Henry