Thursday, September 30, 2010

Solomon Islands SALT - September 2010

During the Solomon Islands Pisin SALT course we had 24 participants from 5 different language groups attending. The Solomon Islands consist of 992 little islands, all scattered throughout a bright blue ocean. People live in small hamlets; and eighty-five percent of the inhabitants are living in villages with no more than 50 persons. The Solomon Islands has about 75 different languages. The New Testament is translated in 17 languages right now; and Bible translators are working to get the NT translated in the local language in another 17 languages. Two languages have the whole Bible translated in their own language.



The SALT course was conducted in Honiara, which is the main city of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. One of the participants, before he became a believer, had served in prison. Behind bars he had composed a song entitled: Cry for mercy. It was so impressive to hear his life story: in and out of jail for many years because of robbing people, threatening people and other crimes he had committed. However, God spoke to him in jail. God changed his heart; and now he was one of our SALT course participants, eager to learn how to communicate the gospel to others because he longed to show others God’s love and mercy. So, that’s what he did: during the outreach practicum at the end of the course he shared his testimony to 150 young men and women, all gathered from four different denominations. It was completely silent in the church, especially when he started singing his own song. After the service everybody was still impressed and reflecting on the words they just had heard and asking themselves: “What is my goal in life? What am I doing and how do I act in my daily life? How much time do I spend with God, daily? Do I really think I can live without Him?” It was a powerful testimony and a challenging time of ministry!

After the SALT course, we conducted a SALT Instructors’ Training course in Honiara for 18 pastors and church leaders from 5 language groups. These leaders are now certified to teach the SALT course in their own language group.



It was wonderful to see Gods Word, the Truth that brings you Life, being spread throughout the Pacific in this way. SALT starts with a couple of chosen men and women and empowers them to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2), and these reliable men and women continue to share the gospel, each in their own place. Satan is not able to stop the powerful work of building God’s Kingdom. As it is written in Revelation 12,11: “They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

• Please pray for the wonderful people of the Solomon Islands.
• Please pray that these people will be set free from all sorts of witchcraft, sorcery, black magic and ancestors’ spirit worship and that all demons will be cast out of their lives.
• Please ask God in your prayers to help these participants apply all the SALT lessons in their lives, by the power of the Holy Spirit; and that they will be empowered to continue to teach others as well.