Solomon Islands District Newsletter (Volume 2, Issue 8)

Solomon Islands District

NEWSLETTER August 2019 Volume 2, Issue 8

Medical Emergency

This month presented Majors Robert and Vanessa with a most unexpected medical situation that required a medevac for Vanessa from Honiara to Brisbane on an air ambulance jet for surgery.

Vanessa was taken to a local doctor after being up all night vomiting while experiencing extreme abdominal and back pain. After some initial tests she was transferred to the NRH (National Referral Hospital) by ambulance.

By chance, a doctor from Adelaide was doing a placement in the Emergency Department. He immediately recognized the symptoms, which were later confirmed to be the result of a large gallstone.

Given the limitations of surgical options in

Honiara, it was decided that Vanessa be sent to Australia for immediate surgery. THQ in PNG and Australia contacted the insurance company who consulted with local doctors before ordering the medevac to Royal Brisbane Hospital. The Air Alize ambulance flew to Honiara from Noumea, New Caledonia with a French doctor and nurse aboard who provided exceptional care for Vanessa during the three hour trip to Brisbane.

Once in Brisbane, fresh scans and blood tests revealed a 3.6 cm gallstone and a gallbladder that was in pretty bad shape that needed to come out ASAP. The condition of the gallbladder meant the surgery took a lot longer than expected but was successful.

Vanessa was discharged a couple of days later and was required to stay in Australia for at least two weeks to minimize the risk of post-op infection. To ensure she had all the support she needed and to release Robert

to return to work in Honiara, Vanessa flew to Melbourne to be around family during her recovery.

Throughout this three week ordeal, the support and prayers received from all over the world was very humbling and uplifting for Majors Robert and Vanessa.

The local congregation in Honiara surrounded them with love and care and a number of expat friends reached out to support in practical ways as they prepared for the medevac.

While in Australia, this support continued with accommodation and transport provided through networks in Brisbane and family and friends in Melbourne.

Majors Robert and Vanessa are very grateful to everybody for their prayers and support!

Inside this issue: Honiara Learning Space

2

Pride of Our Nation

2

Rotary Club Follow-up

2

Donation of Equipment

3

Management & Mission in Auki

3

RSIPF Graduation

3

A Personal Note

4

Special points of interest:  Language & Literacy  National Pride  Networking  Generous Support  Ministry Opportunities  Personal Achievement

Honiara Learning Space At the beginning of August Major Vanessa launched the first District Learning Space in Honiara to provide English and Literacy classes for women from Honiara Corps.

These classes are aimed to improve communication and increase confidence to empower local women to engage in ministry, leadership and employment opportunities.

The ladies meet weekly in local cafés in Honiara for their lessons. Major Vanessa has developed lesson plans that draw upon her TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) material and the Jolly Phonics literacy program to build on existing language and literacy

skills. Within two weeks of commencing this Learning Space an expat volunteer named Karen Telford was recruited to support the program. Karen has a teaching background and is experienced with the Jolly Phonics program. She has been a great support, especially while Vanessa was recovering from surgery.

The ladies participating in this Learning Space are very enthusiastic about improving their communication skills and actively engage with the material at home. This has led to the neighbours of one participant requesting The Salvation Army to commence this program in their community.

Pride of Our Nation During WW2 the Solomon Islands was the staging area for the first major offensive by the Allied Forces against the Japanese. The Battle of Guadalcanal has gone down in history as a major strategic allied victory and turning point for the war in the Pacific. What few people realize is the significant role the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers played in supporting the Allied Forces with critical intelligence and surveillance. The role of Solomon Islanders in WW2 has been enshrined with a monument named “Pride of Our Nation” in Commonwealth

Avenue near the Port and is remembered each year through a commemorative service on the anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. This year, representatives from The Salvation Army Solomon Islands District attended the commemorative service to honour the memory of the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers and remember the sacrifice made by many Solomon Islanders during the Battle of Guadalcanal. A local presence of The Salvation Army was appreciated and informally acknowledged by other community leaders.

Rotary Club Follow-up About this time last year Major Robert was invited to be the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Honiara to make a presentation about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands. The bold vision that was cast a year ago received strong support from Rotary members who attended the first Red Shield Appeal fundraising dinner.

development of The Salvation Army. Of particular interest was the completion of the DME coconut oil plant, which was funded through the RSA dinner. With this project successfully completed the club President discussed the opportunity to explore the possibility of approaching Rotary Clubs in Australia to fund a second DME plant.

The invitation to return to Rotary and report back on the progress of this vision was a great opportunity to update the Rotarians about the growth and

The Salvation Army is very grateful for community and business support that enables such projects to become a reality to serve the people of this nation.

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Solomon Islands District

Donation of Equipment The Salvation Army Solomon Islands would like to extend its appreciation and gratitude to the Rotary Club of Honiara for the donation of a generator and Solrice for the donation of a 3000 litre water tank to assist with the operation of the newly established DME coconut oil plant in North Malaita.

The donation of such equipment is a major blessing that supports The Salvation Army to fulfill its mission objectives. This DME plant will support coconut farmers, provide jobs in remote villages and generate a sustainable income to fund ongoing mission and ministry initiatives in the Solomon Islands.

Management & Mission in Auki With the generator and water tank on board, Major Robert and Joshua travelled to Auki, Malaita to meet with DME Plant Manager John Iowane and Assistant Manager Phillip Omelenga to discuss the final administrative procedures for the DME Plant to become operational. John and Phillip are Soldiers at Gateway Corps in North Malaita and are eager to see this mission initiative by The Salvation Army get started. Their collective operational knowledge and mission hearts instill confidence that they are the right leaders to launch this project.

Following this meeting God opened the door to two ministry conversations with locals in Auki. Joshua got to pray with a women on the ship and lead her to Christ. Major Robert spoke with a security guard at the Port who wants The Salvation Army to come to his village to support his vision to rehabilitate Malaitan prisoners upon their release.

Both conversations are a further reminder that God has already gone ahead of The Salvation Army in Malaita and is still opening doors for the growing mission and ministry of the District.

RSIPF Graduation In February 2015 Melanie Tolilalo, Soldier of Honiara Corps, travelled to Australia to attend the ‘Salvos Discipleship School’ for a one year residential training program.

Upon her return to Honiara Melanie tried to find where she fit in and how God wanted to use her. This journey of self discovery led Melanie to apply to enter the Police Academy at the RSIPF in February 2019. After six months of training, along with 54 other Police Recruits, Melanie graduated as a Constable with the RSIPF on the 16th

Volume 2, Issue 8

August. Her leadership and ministry involvement with The Salvation Army were noticed by the RSIPF during her training at the Police Academy, which provided her with the opportunity to organize the weekly services for the Police Recruits. As Melanie now awaits her first posting she is eager to not only serve her nation as a Police Officer but to continue to serve God as a Salvation Army Soldier.

The Salvation Army Solomon Islands District congratulates Melanie on her graduation.

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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

 Additional School Fees Loan Funds: You can support by donating funds to distribute to parents applying for a loan to pay School Fees for next term.

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:  First ‘Father & Son’ Weekend for Solomon Islands  Larger venue for Honiara Corps for Sunday worship  Acquisition of land for Honiara Corps  New Mission opportunity in Isabel Province  New Envoys and their Appointments

A Personal Note...

Festus is a Sergeant with the RSIPF whom we met during the SAES catering at Central Police Station after the National General Election (NGE). Since the NGE, Festus and his family have been attending the Honiara Corps and enthusiastically participate in the ministry of The Salvation Army. The following report/reflection was written

by Festus after returning to Honiara from a work trip to the Isabel Province.

While away he eagerly spoke about the mission of The Salvation Army in Malaita, which attracted the attention of the Provincial Premier: “This memorandum is a brief report on my job touring on August 12th to 16th to Isabel where I had an opportunity of meeting with the Premier and his brother to discuss the possibility of a

coconut milling project in the Isabel Province.

After my arrival in Isabel Province, that evening I was able to meet with the Provincial Premier Leslie Kikolo and his brother Andy Mamaloni for a meeting.

Into our conversation we discussed some of the projects that the people of Isabel really need to support them within their community.

With such interest, I highlighted some of the projects and support ministries of The Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands. In particular, I discussed the coconut milling project that was successfully established in North Malaita under the support of The Salvation Army, along with other support ministries in terms of spiritual and physical needs.

Through convincing on the information stated above, the Premier and his brother were in agreement for The Salvation Army to establish a milling project on their land in Isabel Province.”

Festus Ganiomea