Solomon Islands Ministries
NEWSLETTER November 2018 Volume 1, Issue 12
Donation of Brass Instruments Majors Robert and Vanessa would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Corps Leader Andy Postlewhite and the Wonthaggi Corps in south east Victoria for their generous donation of 8 brass instruments to Solomon Islands. These instruments, along with three others donated by David Hedges, form the foundation of the first brass band for The Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands. The recent Music Workshops (see Special Report insert) provided initial tuition for 17 enthusiastic Salvationists who expressed a desire to learn a brass instrument. These
learners are now continuing to meet weekly under the music leadership of Major Robert and with the support of RSIPF musicians to build on what they learned during the Music Workshops with David.
Inside this issue:
The group of brass learners is expanding each week with more and more Salvationists wanting to join in and have a go. This means there are far more players than instruments! If you have any unused brass instruments in working order that you are willing to donate to this growing music program, then please contact Major Robert Evans.
Container Arrival
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Container Arrival ...continued
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Universal Children’s Day
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End of Year Celebrations
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Enrolment of Soldiers
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Dedication of Baby
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A Personal Note
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DME Plant Update remote tropical area with complex cultural considerations and local opportunists who have tried to take advantage of The Salvation Army investing in their village has hindered the plan to have the coconut oil plant operational by the end of November.
The establishment of the first DME plant for The Salvation Army in North Malaita has been frustrated by a number of
delays since the construction trip in September. The reality of navigating a new community development project in a
Major Robert has had to exercise “eternal patience” in continuing to work with local village leaders to overcome these delays. Please continue to pray for this project and the revised schedule to be operational by the end of January.
Special points of interest: Delays Donations Celebrations Enrolments Rededication Dedication
Container Arrival
Throughout this year The Salvation Army Solomon Islands has been richly blessed through the support of some very generous donors from Australia and New Zealand. Most of this support is in the form of physical resources to equip this rapidly growing mission and ministry. This includes the donation of a fully equipped Emergency Services Trailer organised by Carolyn Spratling, State Director Salvation Army Emergency Services Victoria; a variety of Salvation Army uniforms donated from Salvationists around Melbourne and
collected by Captain Kevin Lumb; and boxes of bibles donated through an appeal organised by Major Gary Grant. To receive these donations, it has taken a coordinated effort between Major Robert Evans and Rod Begley to include these donations in a shipping container with a load of sporting goods organised by Katie Begley for the Honiara Netball Association. The transportation of this container has been generously supported by Rod through his business networks associated with Swire Shipping. It has taken many months and the efforts of many people, but the container finally arrived in Honiara on Monday, 19th November aboard the Highland Chief container ship. To receive and release this container from the Port upon arrival was not a simple or cheap process either. Thanks to the financial support of the Honiara Rotary Club with port charges and the expertise of local businessman Bevan Vollrath as our Notifying Agent, it took a couple of days to navigate port authorities, customs and quarantine before the container was in the hands of the intended recipients.
The boxes of Bibles are also a great blessing, given the rapid growth of The Salvation Army across Malaita. They will be distributed among these new congregations with the help of Pastor Joseph Eric who has an established ministry of putting the Word of God into the hands of local people in remote villages.
The trailer was received with a great deal of excitement and anticipation by the Honiara Corps Council. They couldn’t wait to unpack the contents to discover the full capacity of this resource. It’s arrival is very timely given that the Solomon Islands has now entered the wet and cyclone season.
Universal Children’s Day Majors Robert and Vanessa were very pleased to be invited by the Youth, Women & Sports Division of the Honiara City Council to attend the Universal Children’s Day Opening Ceremony. The event was held in the Honiara Multipurpose Hall where hundreds of students from Council run schools gathered under the theme of “My Country, Our Identity, We All Belong”. Each school participating in the ceremony wore the national dress for one of the nine Provinces of the Solomon Islands, with the students from HIPS (the
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school featured in last month newsletter) representing the Malaita Province. The ceremony was opened with a moving tribute to children who have died as a result of disease, civil conflicts and domestic violence and was followed by a series of speeches highlighting the role of children in society. After the formalities, each school performed a music item or dance from the Province they were representing. The Salvation Army is developing a growing influence in the well -being and education of Solomon Islands children .
Solomon Islands Ministries
End of Year Celebrations
It is hard to believe the year has almost come to a close! In the Solomon Islands most activities wind down during November as people prepare to return to their home village in other Provinces for the holiday period. This means Honiara becomes very quiet during December and January after the school term ends.
The Honiara Corps Youth Group, under the leadership of Sandra Haipera, decided to have a formal night to celebrate their year of ministry together. The girls put in an amazing effort, with the help of Major Vanessa, to decorate the downstairs area under the Quarters, complete with fairy lights and a Christmas tree. The evening was MC’d by Solomon and a number of the youth performed musical items throughout the evening. The next day the Honiara Corps gathered at Lela Beach for an end of year picnic. In true Melanesian style, each family brought ample food to share for lunch for the 100 people who had gathered. It was wonderful to see not only regular Corps
members but also their neighbours and friends. The children loved the ocean, the youth hijacked Major Robert’s bike and the new soccer ball and the adults really enjoyed learning how to play ‘Bocce.’ It was a very pleasant and fun day enjoyed by everybody!
Enrolment of Soldiers This year has been an amazing year of growth with 21 Senior Soldiers and 43 Junior Soldiers enrolled. On the last Sunday of this month another two Senior Soldiers were added to that number with the enrolment of Jennifer Kinikoroa and Barnabas Bosokuru at Honiara Corps. It was also a delight to see Jennifer’s husband Tony Kinikoroa renew his Soldiers Covenant at the same time. Jennifer shared her journey towards this moment in the Personal Reflection featured in last month’s newsletter. Tony was among the original group of Soldiers
enrolled on the opening weekend of The Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands. Barnabas started attending The Salvation Army a couple of months ago through his friendship with another member of
Honiara Corps. And there are still more recruits waiting for the opportunity to do their Soldiership Classes! Next year, Major Robert and Joshua Henry will be travelling around Malaita to conduct Soldiership Classes with three villages who have requested to join The Salvation Army—Port Adam in South Malaita, Ramah and Aisalinga in West Kwara’ae. The level of enthusiasm in these villages suggests that the number of new soldiers on the Solomon Islands rolls will significantly increase early in the new year.
Dedication of Baby On the same day as the enrolments, Major Vanessa had the pleasure of dedicating baby Annabella Maeatua at Honiara Corps. Her parents Samuel (Rocky) and Olivia are regular attenders at the church and family members of Peter and Joyce who are the grandparents of Annabella and founding members of The Salvation Army in Solomon Islands.
Salvation Army. Annabella now makes four dedications this year between Honiara Corps and Moscom Fellowship.
Major Vanessa invited all the children in the congregation to gather with the family during the ceremony to reinforce their value in the Kingdom of God and The
Volume 1, Issue 12
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The Salvation Army Solomon Islands District Officers - Majors Robert & Vanessa Evans PO Box 323 Honiara, Solomon Islands Phone: (677) 30344
Officially launched on the 4th November 2011, The Salvation Army Solomon Islands Ministries is a District of the Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands Territory. With an established presence in the capital Honiara in Guadalcanal and an expanding presence in Malaita, the Holy Spirit is opening up new ministry opportunities for The Salvation Army throughout the Solomon Islands. Building upon the vision of the pioneering Officers and subsequent leaders, we intend to fully explore these new opportunities and will raise up indigenous leaders to advance the kingdom of God in the Solomon Islands.
Fax: (677) 30344 Mobile: (677) 749 4524 Email: solomon.islands@png.salvationarmy.org Website: www.png.salvationarmy.org
Prayer Points: Completion of DME (Direct Micro Expelling) Plant Still Others Expo—sale of products for Solomon Islands Major Robert & Vanessa—Homeland Furlough God’s protection as Salvationists travel back to home villages over holiday period
A Personal Note... Before my wife and I could decide to start this Neighbourhood Fellowship, we found it was not an easy decision to make; especially when you’ve been raised up from South Seas Evangelical Church background for years and just move out and join another denomination. I always feel like being hit behind my back with stones of gossiping, hatred, rejected and division from our community before we began this fellowship. They look at us with an eye of the flesh and worldliness, not the Spirit of God. But always within my heart pangs with pain as daily I saw lives being held captive, blinded and destroyed by these three enemies (fleshly desires, worldliness and the devil). This caused me to finally start this Neighbourhood Fellowship within the Gilbert Camp community. I know that I am not fighting
against flesh and blood but against the kingdom of darkness. Yet, I had this assurance of God’s Word that ‘He will never leave me nor forsake me.’ As for me, lifting up the name of Jesus in this community through the Neighbourhood Fellowship was my priority. For I know there are many people here who need God’s salvation but yet people with Christian labels could never demonstrate His eternal mercy within the neighbourhood. I believe with my whole heart that God our Saviour Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never stop working miracles in the lives of people who cries out to Him by faith. My desire is to humble myself and daily carrying my cross and obey Him, even though I face these challenges every day here. This fellowship is like God building His Army here, not only
to win souls into God’s Kingdom, but to demonstrate His mercy to the helpless here on earth. That is why we’re so courageous to proclaim God’s Kingdom gospel and demonstrate His love to the needy within our neighbourhood. Hallelujah!!
Daniel Hagi