Short Solomon Islands Report...

22 August 2011 - Solomon Islands Mission Report

For the past three years, Eastward has offered its students the wonderful and unique experience of a mission trip to the Solomon Islands. In July this year, a group of ten, students, staff and friends, returned to the village of Gounasu’u on the island of Malatia, where we lived with the people for three busy weeks.

Before we left Australia, we identified four main areas we wanted to share and work with these people. Steve and Rob were asked to lead out in a nightly evangelism series, based on the book Steps to Christ. Each night they would focus on the theme of one of the chapters in the book and explain it for the people. This was the perfect program for where the church was at the time. Many of the church’s young men were baptized last year and for them to be shown simply and plainly the steps to Jesus was a great blessing.

During the adults program at night, we conducted a kids program, which gave us an opportunity to really share Jesus with the children, as well as help the parents concentrate on the message without distraction. We found that the time and great effort involved with putting the programs together was definitely worth it. Teaching lessons and even just telling stories was very difficult with the language barrier, so instead we just tried to be their friend and show them about Jesus. It was so rewarding at the end of the programs to hear them singing the songs we had taught. We had known that we had won their friendship and confidence when, every time we left our house, they would flock around us.

The houses are all raised on stilts, which provides the village undercover meeting and storage areas. For us the area became the perfect hydrotherapy and natural remedies training centre. Often you would find either Josh or Jonathan giving someone a treatment, such as a fomentation on Moses, a hot foot-bath for one of the kids or a sweet-potato poultice on Chief Lenty. Every treatment provided opportunity for friendships and further work. One of Josh’s first patients was from another village and as a result of his treatment, Josh and Tina were invited to his village, where they spent a day teaching a few natural remedies and hydrotherapy treatments that they could perform on each other.

Betty and Kesia made a conscious effort to befriend the ladies and minister to some of their needs. One of the services they offered was Kesia’s massages. At first the women were shy and self-conscious, but soon Kesia was running around giving massages, one moment at one woman’s house and another the next. Betty and Kesia were also able to assist some of the ladies with meal planning for their families to help them eat a more balanced and nutritious diet.

While in Gounasu’u we were privileged to meet a very special man named Joseph. He was from the village of Foibyeta, four hours walk from Gounasu’u. Joseph is a lay worker giving Bible studies and using his 6 months medical training to minister to the people’s physical needs as well as their spiritual. Joseph is also a father with five young children to provide for. His main struggle at the moment is paying for his children’s school fees, to the point that because he is so far behind with his payments, his children have actually been expelled.

Because he has no income, Joseph has to leave his mission field and spend some time working on his uncle’s boat when situations like this happen. So while we were nearby, Joseph came and told us that he was going off to work. One could tell he was disappointed to leave because he was having Bible studies with quite a group of people.

When he returned, Joseph again set about visiting his Bible study contacts. One Sunday morning, he caught up with one SSEC (South Sea Evangelical Church) man just as he was going off to his garden with his bush knife. “Why are you going to your garden on your Sabbath?” Joseph asked him. The man replied, “I am a Seven Day now. Yesterday was my Sabbath.” This man then brought 20 of his family with him into the church. Praise God!

There is a great work happening in the Solomons and we were blessed to have been part of it. God has given us a marvellous opportunity to be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Gounasu’u, Honiara, Atoifi, Na’au, Abitona, Wyforlonga and the other villages. He gave us this time to grow closer to each other as a team through trials and triumph. But most of all, I think He has drawn each of us closer to Him as the One who is the Ruler of all the Earth and all the ways of men and angels. Glory be to God!

Kate Bailey (Solomon Island Mission Team)