Kiribati Camp
Sunday night Jimmy took me to a friends for dinner. Kenneth is an AOG pastor working in the Kiribati camp area of Honiara. this is home to over 20,000 people (out of 60,000) who basically squat on government land. Because they have no title they are unable to have water, except where they run illegal hoses off the main water pipe, and even power is not very accesible. And because this is not an official area the council takes no responsibility for roading, so the roads are in places like goat tracks. I was amazed that anything but 4 wheel drives even attempted them.
We had been invited to Kenneth's mothers 95th birthday. She has 160 grand and great children and counting. Only some were there. They are an AOG family, and it was great to be part of their singing and praying. The mother then prayed over and for her grandchildren while we sang which was beautiful. I was asked to speak some words of encouragement, so i talked about Francis and his love for God, and seeing in everyone he met the crucified and risen Christ. We too are to be filled with that love and to treat all we meet as the risen Christ. At the end i was asked to pray a final prayer, and then the mother wanted Jimmy and I to pray for her.
I returned to this camp the next night for dinner at Walter and Demetria's. The last time i was here Helene, Sarah and I went to his house for dinner in his church house above Agnes House. He has finished working for the church, and now lives with family in the camp. Every Sunday a group gather in their house for fellowship and prayer, and they were all keen to come again to meet me, which was humbling. We prayed the evening office and daily obedience, I talked about Francis and the leper, we ate a beautiful meal, which Demetria served for me, and after a time of toktok and final prayer I was accompanied by Walter, Demetria and Alsoisoi back to Agnes House.
As you drive up the hill to this camp you pass a police station called "Borderline". Here the road seal ends, and you enter into a place of hardship. I passed a number of churches, and on Sunday night heard the loud music of another. I wondered with all these churches what they did to create employment, what they did to provide hope in the day to day, rather than just in the sweet by and by. It the churches worked to create work, they could change the lives of so many people.
Even so, in the place of deprivation I experienced such humbling hospitality and generosity. these people live out what Susan Pitchford talks about, giving till it hurt, for what they have is ultimately God's and must be shared with those who have less.
We had been invited to Kenneth's mothers 95th birthday. She has 160 grand and great children and counting. Only some were there. They are an AOG family, and it was great to be part of their singing and praying. The mother then prayed over and for her grandchildren while we sang which was beautiful. I was asked to speak some words of encouragement, so i talked about Francis and his love for God, and seeing in everyone he met the crucified and risen Christ. We too are to be filled with that love and to treat all we meet as the risen Christ. At the end i was asked to pray a final prayer, and then the mother wanted Jimmy and I to pray for her.
I returned to this camp the next night for dinner at Walter and Demetria's. The last time i was here Helene, Sarah and I went to his house for dinner in his church house above Agnes House. He has finished working for the church, and now lives with family in the camp. Every Sunday a group gather in their house for fellowship and prayer, and they were all keen to come again to meet me, which was humbling. We prayed the evening office and daily obedience, I talked about Francis and the leper, we ate a beautiful meal, which Demetria served for me, and after a time of toktok and final prayer I was accompanied by Walter, Demetria and Alsoisoi back to Agnes House.
As you drive up the hill to this camp you pass a police station called "Borderline". Here the road seal ends, and you enter into a place of hardship. I passed a number of churches, and on Sunday night heard the loud music of another. I wondered with all these churches what they did to create employment, what they did to provide hope in the day to day, rather than just in the sweet by and by. It the churches worked to create work, they could change the lives of so many people.
Even so, in the place of deprivation I experienced such humbling hospitality and generosity. these people live out what Susan Pitchford talks about, giving till it hurt, for what they have is ultimately God's and must be shared with those who have less.
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