We are very thankful for the successful mission trip in October/November and the good progress that could be made on the Katova High School Project.  Time frames are closing quickly as the next project is planned for April 2019.   What can you expect if you join this short term mission project in Solomon Islands?   Here is a report and some pictures of the recent trip.

Day 1 – Thursday – The team left Australia and comprised of members from Wamberal CRC, Trinity Church Tamworth, Gosnells CRC, Panania Anglican Church and Pathway to Life Tasmania. 16 members in all. When we arrived in Honiara we were met by our two additional team members who were Wendy and her 18 year old son Daniel from Honiara. They are originally from Samasodu but joined our team to assist in bridging cultural gaps and learning language and culture. We had sent two team members over a week earlier to help with some planning and organising in Honiara. They unpacked our container and were going to load the landing craft we had arranged. Unfortunately on the evening before we arrived the captain of the landing craft decided to leave Honiara and do a quick trip to another island. This was incredibly frustrating and really dampened our spirits. We prayed and the next morning the captain contacted us to let us know that the other trip had been fallen through and he was ready to load. As a result the landing craft was loaded and ready for departure when the team arrived in Honiara at 3pm. The team boarded the landing craft at Lunga and departed for Samasodu at 6pm.

Day 2 – Friday – The landing craft took 17 hours to travel to Samasodu. We arrived in the village and unloaded a few tonnes of food and supplies. We received a very warm welcome and traditional greeting ceremonies. We then boarded the landing crafted and moved to the beach opposite the school site which is about 2 kms away. We pulled up and tried to unload. It took over an hour just to get the first machine off the landing craft. We tried to access the site by the road from the beach and got bogged within a few metres. We had to unload all our tools, equipment, pipe and machinery straight onto the beach and just leave it there overnight. We had been promised a dozer by a nearby logging camp but this was nowhere to be seen. Some men from the village camped the night with our supplies whilst the team went back to the village and spent the night at the rest house.

Day 3 – Saturday – This was Saturday. It started raining during the night and continued throughout the day. We received no less than 100mm of rain and it kept coming. All our machines, 4wd and equipment got bogged on the road into the school site. We tried digging, winching and everything possible to get them out. They were submerged in mud and we did not stand a chance. We exhausted all options and had turn shut everything down and pray. We prayed as a group beside the bogged machines for help. Rod decided to head back to the village to see what was happening with the dozer. As he got to the beach from the school site a landing craft could be see in the distance. We got a small boat from the village and intercepted the landing craft. We boarded and spoke to the captain and requested that he divert and go to a nearby logging camp. He agreed almost involuntarily and instantly. We headed on the landing craft about an hour to a logging camp. We got off and found someone with a ute to take us 5 kms inland to the main camp where the boss was. When we got to the main camp we spoke broken English, broken Pijin and Broken Malaysian as we requested a Dozer for a week. The camp manager laughed and said if I give you one you can’t get it out of here. Rod said don’t worry, we have a 90 metre landing craft just down the road. The camp manager jumped on the dozer himself and drove it onto landing craft. We then headed back to the school site. We landed at the school site and drove the dozer off. We got to the spot where we had prayed a couple of hours earlier and pulled all the bogged equipment out of the mud with the dozer. The dozer assisted getting all our material to the school site.

Day 4 – This was a Sunday. Pastor Nobin preached in the church. We had communion with our village family. It was still raining. Rod spoke to Emily via the Satphone and was brief. Just pray for good weather was the message. Church in the village started at 6.30am and finished at 9.30am (yes it was long). As we got out of church the Australian churches were going in. We knew they were praying. The rain stopped.

Day 5 – Monday – The site started to dry out. We were able to start work and get our supplies where we needed them. John started work digging 72 holes for piers for the classroom block. The water supply team confirmed the location for the dam that would collect water for the site. This was about 2 kms from the school site in dense and steep jungle. Work started in the primary school with our teaching team and 21 iPads were handed over to the school with learning apps for maths, spelling and literacy. The tools started to get unpacked and the timber mill was assembled. We started to talk to some local men about the use of the timber mill. They assembled it in around 15 minutes and were milling logs shortly after. Some of the men had experience with the mill and caught on very quick.

Day 6 – Tuesday – The gravity of the water supply project hit us. We had to make a dam out of concrete 2 kms into the jungle and get all the sand, gravel, formwork and tools to the location. The jungle took about 3 hours to walk 400 metres it was so dense. It was steep, slippery and we had to lay 2 kms of 50mm poly pipe through this terrain. We had a few men from the village helping us but had very little hope of completing this part of the project. The water supply team spent the day clearing a path….very slowly. It did not rain this day. Rod spoke to the Chief at night and requested help…lots of it.

Day 7 – Wednesday – Around 250 people from the village turned up at the school site with rice bags. They filled up the bags with gravel and then walked 2 kms along the muddy trail to the dam site. About 2 tonnes of gravel, sand and cement was transported by hand to the dam site. The dam was poured much to the surprise of the water supply team. It did not rain on this day. Two days without rain in Katova is virtually unheard of. Pastor Nobin started the ministry workshop. The day before he had met with the District Priest and shared some mutual support and pastoral care. The Priest was exhausted, frustrated and was about to quit the ministry. Nobin supported him and prayed with him. The Priest got on his boat and spent about 20 hours at sea going to every village in the District encouraging them attend Nobin’s training workshop. As a result 38 people got on small boats and attended the 4 day workshop. They learnt about sermon preparation, running bible study groups, counselling, teaching and much more. The District Priest sat through each day. The only notes he had to assist with ministry beyond his bible is the work book Nobin provided.

Day 8 – Thursday – Work continued on the 72 piers which involved about 5 cubic metres of cement being mixed. Pipe began to get dragged into the jungle and 2 kms was laid by the end of the day. The site shed was fitted out with shelves and solar panels. Trees were felled and dragged to the school site ready to be milled. School programs continued. The ministry workshop continued. We only received a light dusting of rain this day. During the evening the village held a feast as it was the end of the 10 day mourning period for the Honourable Cecil who had died 10 days earlier. Our team were guests of honour and got to share this special time with our village family.

Day 9 – Friday – Work continued on all aspects of the project. The water supply team attempted to connect the water. The levels were incorrect and it would not flow. Around 1.5 kms of pipe had to be removed and reset. This was a massive task in the difficult terrain. The men walked out of the jungle on this day with not an ounce of energy left. The water was not flowing at the end of the day. The ministry workshop concluded. Pastor Nobin spent some time with families in need. He discovered the history of witch craft and evil spirits was still present in the village. He came face to face with a demon possessed lady. The demon had control of this lady and did not want to leave. Nobin challenged the demon for several hours of prayer and scripture. In the presence of Nobin and the family the demon left the lady and she was restored to her former self. Someone she had not been for many years. The women’s health nurses from Solomon Islands Health visited the village and conducted Pap smears. 9 women returned positive results and needed to go to Honiara for further testing. We are not sure how many of these women actually followed through and went to Honiara. Probably only 1 or 2. The Katova High School committee also met and toured the site. They were astounded at the amount off work that had taken place. Most impressive was water supply flowing to the site. Katova District has 7 villages. Several of these villages do not have good water supply.

Day 10 – Saturday – The water supply team were back in the jungle. Around 3pm Jamie walked out after making the final pipe connection. Water was flowing! Clean water at around 150 litres per minute. Very impressive. The last pier was poured for the school building. As the trowel was smoothing off the last section of cement on the 72nd pier the sky opened up. We got the rain that had probably stored up over the last 5 days. It came in about 30 minutes. But we had completed everything we needed to.

Day 11 – Sunday – The team went to church, played some sport, slept, went snorkelling, played games with kids and enjoyed the company of our village friends. We tidied up the high school site ready for our departure.

Day 12 – Monday – The team boarded the landing craft to head back to Honiara. We picked up our machines from the school site, took the dozer back to the logging camp and travelled overnight. We had very calm seas.

Day 13 – Tuesday – We arrived in Honiara around 11am. We were greeted by a school of dolphins. Everything was unloaded and we checked into the SWIM base. The team enjoyed a nice meal in Honiara and some cold drinks. We celebrated our last night together as a team as one member returned a day early due to work commitments.

Day 14 – Wednesday – Time for some R and R. Some people went shopping, some to the markets, some for a nice coffee, some for a beer, some for a swim and some for a sleep.

Day 15 – Thursday – The team returned back to Australia.

Praise God for all His blessings. Praise God for his mighty intervention when we had run out of options. I know many people only hear of the Solomon Islands Mission and SWIM a few times a year when we have the biennial collections or a news letter is circulated. Please read and share this synopsis and realise the opportunities that this mission presents. Pray for it. Support it. Join a team. Contribute financially. God is at work here!  MORE INFO