Visiting saints from Australia with outreach team

Revival is showing no sign of slowing in the Solomon Islands. After successful outreaches in Malaita province in 2016, saints spent a busy month preparing for official openings in Gwaunaru’u and Ngaliwawao in July 2017. Hall openings for the 2 new sub-centres in Malaita province were accompanied by 24 baptisms and many miracles.

Over 50 saints from Honiara spent weeks away from home to support the outreach. For some, it was their first trip to Malaita. Transport is challenging, and the mission fund supported travel costs for the outreach team. Ngaliwawao is 6 hours by boat to Auki, followed by 100km on unsealed road. The ride by truck, the main form of transport, can take 6 hours.

The sub-centre at Ngaliwawao has been named Futafalu, meaning ‘new birth’. More than 20 saints are now in regular fellowship following the 2016 outreach. Area Leader Timothy Billy, previously based in Honiara, stayed in his home village to look after the new church. After seeing many lives changed over the past year, a local village leader addressed the crowd at the hall opening to give his support for revival. A church leader who came to observe said he was ‘convinced’ of the message. After the first Sunday meeting, 3 people were baptised and a house meeting has started in nearby Tauba.

Over 40 saints have been gathering in Gwaunaru’u and the new sub-centre has been named Ngaliuru— ‘take the breeze’, referring to the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. From Brother Steven, who was healed and now walks unaided, to Sister Felicita, who was delivered from serious illness, the Holy Spirit refreshing is spreading through families in the village.

Observers at the opening on 8 July again included church leaders, and one commented, ‘People are tired of being preached to without seeing any power … we have not been preaching the full gospel’. Another 3 people were baptised immediately after the Sunday meeting. Pastor Job Kabinawedi (from PNG) is based here, and more leaders have been appointed to care of the work in Malaita.

Back in Guadalcanal, the Lord is adding to the church daily. After the Australian saints went home, Pastor Godfrey Wippon officially opened the Pongu sub-centre east of Honiara, where a fellowship sprang up in 2015. Land has been purchased in Honiara and plans to build the main centre are well underway. The people have a mind to work together as ‘one Solomon’, with a great love for each other (Nehemiah 4.6; John 13:35)—and the signs follow (Acts 2.42-44).

Report from Michelle & Jacob Riggs, July 2017