PDF Pirini Ponders - June 2018

Greetings to you all from the Solomon Islands with our Winter Pirini Ponderings.

So winter for us, pretty much the same as summer just less rain and hotter temperature, try figure that out!

We have been very busy with visiting teams on the base for most of May and June. It was lovely having some return visitors to Solomon Islands who are working on a secondary school building project out at Samasudo, an outer island of Isobel. We were also able to visit the hospital and hospital school where we were able to interact with some of the students and get an idea of resource needs which are being fundraised through a CRCA program cadets and GEMs.

We continually give thanks for our new administrator and builder who are working out very well and able to take some of the workload from us.

The boys on the base have been busy out at Bethesda, the Disability Centre, working on a laundry project which needs to be completed in the next few weeks before the next intake of students arrive. It has been a great opportunity to work alongside Bethesda and bless them with some practical help.

Other than clearing a container of donated goods and distributing them in the community, Ron has been busy with car repairs and has enjoyed importing a vehicle from Japan, this was not without its challenges and has been a great learning experience.

The end of May we were able to take a couple of weeks leave and have a break in Australia visiting Tasmania and Terrigal, a small town up the coast Nth of Sydney. It was a privilege to speak at the Kingston Church in Tasmania and personally thank them for their contribution to SWIM last year in the building our house and the support they give to our Prison Ministry. While we were there we were able to support the ladies of Bethesda in the selling of their Sol Dolls, locally handmade Solomon Island looking dolls, in which funds raised are reimbursed back into the community of Bethesda for projects to help upgrade their base facilities.

We were also blessed to spend time with our family in Terrigal, our little granddaughter Lily has changed so much in just 6 months, at 18 months old now a real toddler and into everything.

This last couple of months has not been without its heartache in many areas, and we struggled to make sense as to what we are doing so far from home at times.

A very good friend of ours from the base was involved in a motorbike accident and suffered serious injuries which meant he and his family were immediately air evacuated back to Australia where he is still undergoing treatment and rehabilitation for a few more months.

Within our own family there is concern over Elises physical health and with both our fathers mental state of health.

We thank you for your support for us in whatever capacity it maybe and would value your thoughts and prayers for us over the next few weeks as measures are taken to deal with situations and for us as we are not able to be on hand to help out and offer advice or assistance readily.

All our love and Gods blessings to you

Ron and Tanya

Prayer support

We are constantly in need of your prayers and practical support back home. Thankfully with social media and technology we are able to maintain good contact with our family and friends but feel at a loss when we can’t be there in person to help out when needed. Some items of continual prayer for us would be.

1. For our families back in NZ for Elise particularly, for her health.

2. For our Dads and the decisions family members need to make concerning their future housing arrangements.

3. For the CRCA and SIW board we report to as they evaluate and review decisions made at the last SYNOD meeting, for clarity of the direction of the SWIM base.

4. We give praise for the great break away and time with our family and the memories we made and can hold onto.