Unexpected blessings in the Solomons

September 22

On Friday, July 3, I arrived in Honiara and was told that my site where I would be preaching had changed. Little did I know, this would become an orchestrated blessing from God. 

Georgette Newsome (head elder of Nelson church in New Zealand) joined me as a volunteer to help with photos, testimonies and worships.We were now going to be based at the Sovera site which was a partnership of two villages; Soso and Veramatanga, located approximately 45 minutes outside of Honiara.  This also meant that we would not be staying in Honiara and commuting every day. Instead we would be staying in the village full-time. 

Upon arrival to Soso (The base for the combined site), we were greeted with a traditional welcome which had us both in tears, as it spoke to our hearts of “home”. We had no idea of the humble hospitality we were going to experience in the coming weeks. Every day came with a new adventure, new relationships were formed, new fruit and creatures were experienced, and new prayers were answered.

Numbers for the meetings grew each night with over 300 attending by the end of the series. They just kept emerging from the bush, as if out of nowhere, responding to the call of Jesus. Young people prayed for their parents to return to church. Parents prayed for their children to return to church.  Daily people were seeking healing, restoration, peace and freedom from whatever held them captive. Whatever they had, the people shared, and if they didn’t have it they went and harvested from the field so they could sell it to get money so they could provide. 

The two leaders, Minister Lency (based in Veramatanga) and Elder Panda (based in Soso), were faithful in working with their people to pull the community together. Every night numbers were added to the baptismal list. I was excited when I was told that we had 31 candidates. Then the next morning, it was 39! Then the next night it was 45 and we dared to believe that maybe we would reach 50—how amazing would that be!  The final number I was given on Friday was 66 and we were in awe of how God was working, only to baptise 73 people on Sabbath morning . . . 73!

With no other pastors available, Georgette supported by standing in the river and holding the waistband of my skirt to steady me.  One after the other, we claimed each precious soul, young and old, male and female, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I have never experienced anything like it in my life, let alone my ministry! As we stood on the shores about to finish, we were quickly reminded that God wasn’t done yet, as over 20 more people stepped forward in response to the call to prepare for a future baptism.

I could list so many challenges from this experience whether it be dodging frogs at night, squealing whenever I saw “Stuart Little” our mouse in residence, being stung by a bee, the heat, the stairs to our room that needed to be reinforced to reduce shaking, the long days and little sleep . . . but the blessings far outweigh these. The community, love, sacrifice, acceptance, deep sense of connection, prayer-filled days, betel nut smiles of deliverance, and deeper awareness of God at work—all of these are now part of my own testimony.

Outside of my home church back in New Zealand, I have never felt so empowered and respected as a female pastor. Any apprehension that previous experiences had taught me quickly faded upon arriving. For the first time, in a long time, the noise of possible rejection was replaced with affirmation and an acute awareness of God’s presence. I will never forget some of the final words shared by the leaders there: “You are my mentor now.” For all the assumptions made as to why it might not be appropriate for women to serve as pastors in the South Pacific, this is one example more of how they can. Embraced by a village, empowered in ministry!—Pastor Sarah-Jane Riley is associate ministerial secretary for Women in Ministry, South Pacific Division