Good News Party

45 boys and girls came to the party at Ekoftau Family Worship Centre. These children had been faithful in their attendance over the past year, may coming for the past two years since the Good News Outreach started. During this time they have grown in their love for Jesus and their understanding of His love for them.

The children formed small groups and recited memory verses, sang songs, and shared what learning about Jesus meant to them.

These children live in a squatters settlement, so the party was a big event for them. Mumma’s from the church cooked a nourishing meal for them. Each child received either a Children’s bible or a bible story book that was generously donated by a sponsor in Brisbane. It is the generosity of people that allows us to bless so many people.

Little Evangelists

26  Royal Ranger boys and girls of Tanoliu village made salvation bracelets as part of their activities on Sunday afternoon. They used black, red, white, green and yellow beads threaded on leather stapping. This exercise was a fun time with the older children helping the younger children with the threading.  Some of the parents watching joined is as well and made their own bracelet.

They learnt how to explain the salvation story by using the coloured beads.  These children are going to wear their bracelets to the village school on Monday to share the Good News with their friends.

Puppet Making

Robyn’s “Principles of Teaching class” at JBI  stayed behind today to make puppets to use in their Sunday School Classes. They have spent the last week learning about visual aids.

 

They were keen to make their own puppets. As each puppet was completed the student gave it a name and a personality. They had a lot of fun exploring their new class helper. This Sunday there will be many children enjoying the result of their creativity.

 

Fanafo Village

Last weekend we went to Fanafo Village in the interior of Santo Island. Saturday was spent training 8  leaders to run a new Royal Ranger group, which was  launched on the Sunday afternoon with 26 boys and girls participating.

The Sunday school bell rang at 9 am and by 9.50 around 50 children were ready for Sunday School to begin. Robyn ran the program for the teachers, then after lunch ran some basic skills training for the teachers making teaching aids out of materials that could be found in the garden and the bush.

The ladies gave Robyn a new “Mother Hubbard”  Island Dress and the men presented Russell with a new Island Shirt. Then as guests of honour we were served a very delicious lunch of Yam Laplap, with roast chicken in the centre  and coconut cream. Yummy!!!!!!!

A busy Sunday

7.30 am we picked up our  hire vehicle to travel to Tanoliu to run the  morning Sunday School program followed by Russell preaching at the morning service. It was encouraging to see the boys who had made decisions at the Royal Ranger Camp in July using the Bibles we had given them.

After the service we drove further north to Saama Village for the afternoon service. The service was held in the School building as the church was  too small  for the  combined service that Russell had been asked to preach at. The fundraising for Bethany’s new church was launched.  He shared an encouraging  sermon on “The Attitude of Giving that included the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Russell marked out the area of the new church, 22 metres by 11 metres with a rope boundary. Each family stood around the perimeter with the children (the adult  church of the future)  inside. The pastors stood where the new pulpit would be. Each family taking responsibility for their part of the wall.