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SWIM NEWS Mid-Year 2022 UPDATE
Supporting Workers in Mission - SWIM NEWS – Mid Year 2022
MINISTRY MOMENTUM
Inside this Newsletter:
- Covid update
- Health Inspection giving the “all-clear”
- Rainy Season
- Pastor Andrew’s Week of Rest
- Preahing and Teaching Opportunities
- YWAM Classes
- Devotions with the Prime Minister
- Refurbishment of the Offices and Infrastructure
- Water Project
- Prayer Points
Introduction and Thanks to Every Supporter
Everyone at SWIM is excited that the ministry is reigniting after a long country lockdown. The Solomon Island Workgroup (SIW) want to thank so many of you who supported SWIM by giving generously to the Compassionate Catalogue. You have enabled SWIM to continue and expand our church's important ministry in the Solomon Islands.
Covid update
Covid cases in the country have fluctuated for the past three months depending on the number of people migrating to and from the provinces back into town. The percentage reduced for about a month and then increased again. The travelling restrictions between the provinces were removed at the end of March increasing the ratio and then dropped again in May. Thank God that the percentages remained stable allowing for the international border to open again on the 1st of July.
Health Inspection
SWIM was given permission to reopen for business (ministry etc) given that an inspection had been conducted and all staff tested negative for covid. We thank God that SWIM is “all-clear” which enables ministry to the community to commence again.
There are already “stay over” bookings in place for our venue and also hiring of other facilities such as the chapel for day groups.
Rainy Season
The second quarter of the year began with extreme weather causing floods and the overflowing of water catchments. This flooding was in and around Honiara and cut off most of the road access into the central business district.
Because SWIM was outside of the central business district we were not able to go into the centre of the city. Banking and access to government departments was restricted but we were thankful that this did not last for long.
Pastor Andrew’s Week of Rest March 23/03/2022
Pastor Andrew Fanasia and wife had a week’s rest as part of his healing process and to speed his recovery from sickness mid-March upon the advice of the Doctor. The resort venue was Ginger Beach Bungalow with a beautiful and restful setting. A big thank you to those who sponsored the week out and for prayers for Pastor and wife. They are now both healthy and strong to serve.
Preaching and Teaching opportunities
We thank God for open doors for SWIM to continue doing ministry through preaching at churches despite the covid situation. Part of SWIM’s mission is to share the word, and both Andrew Fanasia and Dennis McAdams have had some invitations to preach at local churches in and around Honiara during the past months. This has been a blessing to both SWIM and the recipient churches.
YWAM Classes
Dennis McAdams and Andrew Fanasia were invited by the Burns Creek YWAM school to teach as they wound up their DTS. Dennis McAdams completed a week of teaching travelling to YWAM each morning. Pastor Andrew Fanasia also taught for a week on Biblical World view and the Christian view of mission, but in this week the YWAM students travelled to SWIM due to Pastor Andrew Fanasia’s health condition. The classes concluded with a lunch together with the SWIM staff and some volleyball games in the afternoon. This proved a very successful and the YWAM staff all conveyed their appreciation to SWIM for the arrangement.
Devotion with the Prime Minister
SWIM was invited by the Prime Minister to share at a morning devotion with his cabinet.
Pastor Andrew and wife, Unity, took the opportunity and attended on behalf of SWIM. The devotion focused on the narrative of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the broken walls of Jerusalem, one found in Nehemiah chapters 1 - 6.
After the devotional message and closing prayer, The Prime Minister responded saying, “Thank you for coming. This is God’s true message to this office and the Nation. Yes, the whole nation needs to hear this message, and we need to work on this message, but come again and as God continues to speak.” We can be thankful that SWIM is not only impacting communities but is also providing spiritual encouragement and guidance to the nation.
Refurbishment of Offices and Infrastructure
The staff are glad to be using a new office setup, which is more spacious and comfortable for visitors. For a long time, the admin office has had termite issue, and been a smaller space. It was in need of some rearranging and refurbishment. The space has been expanded to allow a sitting space for visitors in a waiting area and also to allow good ventilation and a more workable office area. The refurbishment is still ongoing, but slowly taking shape as work progresses.
Water Project
Many communities in the Solomons lack ready access to a good water supply. Seeing the great need, SWIM liaised with Clean Water for Life to drill bore holes for communities, churches and institutions. The first bore hole was drilled at Agape community next to SWIM base and handed over to the community, the second was at the Trinity Anglican Church Community and the last one was at Emmanuel Church Community. We are thankful to Dennis McAdams who is managing the project on the ground here liaising with community members along with Rick Rupp who is from Clean Water for Life. All glory to God for blessing us to be a blessing to others.
PRAYER POINTS
As you think of SWIM today, please pray with us –
- for continual financial support to sustain the ministries and development plans for SWIM
for a committed and strong Christian Assistant pastor for the SWIM Base.
- for continued good health for SWIM
- for the ministries on base to bless lives and bring souls to
- for our proposed projects such as water for life to impact communities near and
May God continue to reward you for your continued support.
February 2019 Newsletter
Greetings from SWIM,
It has been a calm and quiet holiday period for SWIM and now another new year has begun. We pray that in this new year God would lead us and give us wisdom as we seek to serve our King and his people both in the Solomon Islands and here at home. We ask that you too might be praying this over SWIM this year.
In this newsletter we would like to spotlight a very special mission, the Honiara Hospital School in the Solomon Islands. This school is located at the Honiara Hospital, which is the main referral hospital in the Solomon’s. It is a place for sick children and their siblings to continue, and sometimes just begin, their education whilst in hospital. At times these visits to the hospital can last months, and often families from other islands may need to bring their children for these long periods. In this time away from their villages and homes, these children have no other opportunity to continue in their education, and so the Honiara Hospital School provides this space of learning and enjoyment in the difficult time of sickness.
The Honiara Hospital School was built over 10yrs ago by SWIM, and has been run by local people, including the current school teacher Betty. Many kids of all ages and schooling stages have spent time at the school, and the space has been a wonderful blessing. Yet during a visit of some SWIM member to the school earlier this year, the teacher and head paediatrician identified some much needed improvements to the school. These include ceiling fans and lighting, an access ramp from the kid’s ward to the school, water supply and a toilet.
SWIM has partnered with GEMS and Cadets to raise funds for these additions to the school. The Australian clubs completed their mission badge for the Hospital School in 2018, and the New Zealand clubs are set to begin this year (2019). GEMS and Cadets are Christian organisations for girls and boys (respectively) aged 9-14/15. There has been a wonderfully positive response from clubs around Australia last year, and through this support over $2,000 has been raised for the schools requested improvements with more wonderful support coming this year from our New Zealand clubs. During the badge work the boys and girls have been filling out encouragement cards to give to children who attend the hospital school, and many of these have already been received and are ready to go over soon. Tangio tumas (Thank you very much)!
From here there is much to do. With the wonderful support of the GEMS and Cadets, SWIM has begun the process of planning and building the additions to the hospital.
Thank you for your support and please pray for this process.
Prayer Points
• Continue to pray for the SWIM missionaries and base staff as they begin this new year ahead, may God continue to grant all the team strength, guidance, and wisdom, to God be the glory!
• For the Honiara Hospital School, for the students that attend and their generous teacher. Pray for their care and learning during difficulttimes of sickness, and for the God to use the school to shine His light in the Solomon Islands.
• For the work still to be done in implementing these additions to the school. May the planning go well and the project run smoothly that the school might benefit from this support.
• For SWIM and their governing board SIW as we undertake a review of the future direction of SWIM. Please pray for wisdom for those who are conducting the review, for us as we await its completion, and that God would use this to direct us to be serving Him and his people well in the Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8
September 2018 Newsletter
Greetings from SWIM,
God’s work never stops, and so it is with His work in the Solomon Islands! Work on the base has been continuing on, from preaching God’s word at workshops and open air-rallies to fixing the base cars, cleaning sheets, and mowing lawns. A huge thank you to all of the team who daily support God’s mission through their work at SWIM.
This newsletter will be focusing on Katova High School Project in Samasodu, a Solomon Islands village about 22 hours away by boat from the capital city Honiara. Partnership between Samasodu and Wamberal CRC (in NSW) began over ten years ago. The first project was conducted back in 2006 in which a team of 27 volunteers built a much needed medical clinic in the remote village of Samasodu. Now, 9 trips later and with over 220 people participating in this project, relationships have been built and soon a construction of a High School will begin too.
A mission trip is to take place very soon, from Thursday 18 October to Thursday 1 November, 2018. The team heading over on this mission trip to Samasodu is made up of 18 amazing people and is coordinated by Rod Peet, an elder at Wamberal CRC. The focuses of this mission include a Ministry Program, School Program, Catering (for the team), Water Supply, Earthmoving, Surveying, and Workshop and Timber Mill set up. This is a big list, and the time over in the Solomon will be full and well spent. Please pray for the team as they serve God in these ways, particularly for physical strength and spiritual growth for the team.
Earlier this year, a special collection was held for this project throughout the Australian reformed churches. Prayers have been answered as the team has almost reached their budget. Thank you for your gifts and many prayers. For a short video about the project go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UGfMUGwWkA or search Katova High School Building Project in YouTube. Donations can also be made through the CRCA website here. Another follow up trip is planned for April 2019, so please continue to keep the Katova High School Project and everyone involved in your prayers.
Prayer Points
Continue to pray for the SWIM missionaries and base staff as they come to the end of a long year, may God continue to grant all the team strength, guidance, and wisdom, to God be the glory!
For the team before, during, and after the two week mission trip late October. Pray that they may be a blessing to the community of Samasodu and the Solomon Islands, and that they too might be blessed by the people they serve
For the building of the High School, especially for the work required in these beginning stages such as the earthmoving and surveying. May go as planned and allow the project to continue smoothly
For the relationship built between the people of Samasodu and of Wamberal CRC, may this friendship grow and may they each be an encouragement to the other as Christ is magnified in them