PDF Pirini Ponders - November 2018
Greetings to you all
You may recall from our previous newsletter we shared about health concerns for our family and surgery for Elise.
An update on Elise’s surgery. She is doing well after 3 brain operations in a 2-week period and 6 weeks in hospital recovering. She returned home to recuperate at the end of September and I returned to the Solomon Islands early October. Elise is doing well and as she puts it ‘back to normal!’ A follow up appointment with the Neurosurgeon is planned for 16th November where decisions will be made when to operate on the remaining brain and spinal tumors. We really appreciated your prayers and support for us during this time.
So back on the SWIM base, this has not been without its challenges with staff and management moving on. Ron had the privilege of teaching another staff member to drive and pass his license and we have been in the process of recruiting for more staff. Our Word Pastor, Eric Maefonea has left SWIM and will continue to minister to the Solomon Island people through his training programme.
Last month we were busy supporting a team of 18 from Wamberal Church in Sydney who are doing an amazing job building a secondary school out at Samasudo in the Isabel Province. They will return next April to continue work out there. Ron anticipates joining the team on this trip.
We look forward to an exciting time next year with new challenges and opportunity for ministry here at the SWIM base and within our own local communities and programmes we are involved in.We invite you to consider your churches, youth groups, schools and other groups to visit and be part of either an existing project or new initiative and look forward to catching up with those who return on a yearly basis.
We are returning to NZ for the Christmas break and look forward to catching up with many of you then.Have a blessed Christmas and New year.
All our love and Gods blessings to you
Ron and Tanya
Prayer support
1. For Elise and her continuing recovery and our dads and their continuing health issues
2. For our the CRCA review team and our board in Australia as they look at the future direction of SWIM.
PDF Pirini Ponders - August 2018
Greetings to you all from New Zealand this time.
You may recall from our previous newsletter we shared about health concerns for our family.Sadly, these have escalated to the point Tanya needed to return home immediately to be with her daughter Elise who is to undergo surgery to have brain and spinal tumors removed. This has been a very trying and emotional time for the family. Surgery was booked for the 8th August, Elise was admitted to Auckland hospital, prepped and ready to go when they advised the operation was bigger than anticipated and they did not allow enough time to do the surgery. She was sent home with a 2 week wait, surgery now booked for the 22 August. Tanya will remain in NZ until Elise has recovered sufficiently to return home.
Amongst the mix of all this Ron’s dad was diagnosed with dementia and has spiraled downhill rather quickly. Ron returned home 3 weeks later to assist his brother and dad at doctors’ appointments and trying to establish new routines for transport and care now he is no longer able to drive or care for himself in his home. It has been a real learning curve for us too with all the legalities etc dealing with someone who is unwell.And to top it all off Ron has needed dental work on his teeth and will require surgery for a tooth extraction and deep filling next week.
So, this visit has not been without its challenge and frustrations. We knew when we set out for the Solomon Islands to do ministry work and serve the people of the Solomon’s that it would not be easy, and sacrifices were made.We are grateful that we are only a plane ride away and can return home in times of need and be here for our families.
We are thankful for a very understanding board in Australia who have supported, encouraged and prayed for us both during this time.
It is our intention for Ron to return to the base by the end of the month once he has recovered from his dental work and more clarity around decisions for his dad are made.Again, 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 we face real uncertainty with the operations and options for care with Ron’s dad John, and a speedy recovery for Ron’s dental work.
All our love and Gods blessings to you
Ron and Tanya
Prayer support
1. For Elise and her operation in a couple of weeks.
2. For Ron’s Dad, John, and the decisions family members need to make concerning his welfare.
3. For our health as we are facing a stressful time that we remain well and do not get rundown or burnt out from the issues we are dealing with.
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.
PDF Pirini Ponders - April 2018
Warm Greetings to you all from the tropical Solomon Islands.
This morning we woke to the sound of unfamiliar island music along with a language we didn’t understand coming from the transit house next to ours. It made us realized what a transformation life had become from one year ago when we said our farewells to friends and family and headed off on our journey to the Solomon Islands. This week we are hosting a team from the Ola Fou Program, an educational initiative aimed at supporting and empowering young Pacific leaders and youth workers to develop their leadership skills and gain a qualification in making a positive change to youth in their communities. A group of 53 have travelled from around South Pacific countries and Solomon Islands to gain training in this program. What a privilege it is to have them here with us.
At the same time we are saying farewell to a team from Bethlehem College in Tauranga. It was great seeing some familiar faces and getting to know the team and teachers. They came on a mission’s trip to work at Su’u school over on the Island of Malaita. They all came back enriched and blessed from the time they spent living and working alongside students and teachers in a different culture. It was touching to hear the testimonies from the students during a reflection time and the impact the lives of the Solomon Islanders had on them. They were blown away by their love to serve others and the generosity they had to give away what little they have in food or possessions. It was truly a life changing experience for them. We felt blessed to have been part of that journey with them in a logistical and practical capacity in order to accommodate their needs.
Such a diverse and contrasting role we have in the day to day running of the SWIM Base.
Over the last couple of months Ron has been extremely busy with vehicle maintenance. This last month has seen a clutch replacement on the Hilux, an exercise that took a lot of time, patience and help from all the boys to get rusted bolts loosen and a heavy gear box moved. As you can see no hoist or workshop equipment so Solomon Islands style, 2 tree stumps and blocks of wood did the trick.Maori mechanics they call Ron now!
We are excited to have our new administrator Rose and a builder Chris start with us in March. Both bring great talent and skills to the team and we have already been blessed in the work they have achieved in the month they have been here.
The base has undergone some staff housing and office renovations and the relocation of our workshop has completed the last months work along with the usual base grounds maintenance.
Tanya has been mainly working with Rose and handing over some of the administration and continuing with finances and policy work which has come from a review our board has been working hard over the last month to tighten up on. We were thankful for the Pastoral visitation and training we received for a couple of days from members of the CRCA leadership and for their support and encouragement to us as a management team.
We were fortunate to get a few days away over the Easter break which we spent with friends at a lodge an hour drive from Honiara. We did a 2 hour hike through what felt like a jungle and then river bed crossings to some amazing waterfalls, the uphill walk back however was a killer and needless to say couldn’t walk for days after!
Other than that our staff continues to keep us amused with their humor and love for life we so take for granted. Life here really is about not sweating the small stuff as we are constantly reminded when tough times hit. A quote I have on the wall next to my computer reads, “The will of God will not take us where the Grace of God cannot sustain us” This has been a daily reminder that we are here in obedience to the call God gave us and when we felt like giving up we know God knows the bigger picture and will continue to bless and sustain us through those around us outside of SWIM who are caring and supporting us in many different ways of which we are very thankful.
We look forward to a break in a month’s time to catch up with the family in Sydney and some deputation time in Tasmania so will update you on that in the next Pirini Ponderings.
Love and blessings from us to you all.
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 the CRCA triennial Synod which meets the first week of May, for clarity of the direction of the SWIM base.
2. For continued strength as we cope with the heat as the dry session approaches with even warmer temperatures, that we maintain good health and for the busy season with full bookings on the base for the next few months.
3. Continued prayer for our families back in NZ that their needs maybe meet and protection over them and their families.
4. For safety and protection over our travels and our family as we meet together in Australia. Pray that this will also be a refreshing time for us.
