Prayer Requests,
Pray for one of our pastors and her husband. Their 22 year old son died Friday night 19th October apparently from suicide. They pastor on the island of Vella la Vella. As I received the call and prayed with the deceased boy’s sister and aunt who live in Honiara. I felt really a strong urge that I should prepare to travel to mourn with and comfort this pastor and family. I am preparing my bag and know that if it is God’s will for me to go there will be space on the plane in the morning.
As I boarded the plane I realized there were a lot of empty seats on the flight to Gizo and so no problem. I and the boy’s sister travelled on the Dash 8 aircraft to Gizo. I thought I heard some funny noise coming from the engine. Anyway the airplane broke down and was grounded in Honiara until it was repaired this morning in time for this return flight. I had word that they were sending someone to pick us up at the airport, but when we arrived no one was there. Another pastor called and asked if I needed him to come pick us up at Gizo. I didn’t want to pay fuel for 2 boats so I told him another person arranged to pick us. He went on to the funeral and when we finally realized we were stranded he was already where there was no phone coverage. We arrived in Gizo around 10 a.m. and waited until 3 p.m. before we found someone with a boat that would take us for the fuel expense. It took us one hour with this 40 hp engine on the fiberglass banana boat to arrive at Lambulambu village.
When we arrived at the shore the father, met me, we embraced and we just cried together. Through the tears he said, “Uncle George, we are so glad you came, we wanted to wait for you but the body was beginning to smell and so we went ahead and buried him.” Then I was thankful, our pastor from Barakoma, who offered to come get me, did not come after us in Gizo, because now he was there for the burial. If he would have come for us, he too would have missed the burial. The Father also told me, “Momma is not doing well at all.” We made our way up the hill to their house, where the mother, our pastor, along with other women were weeping. When she saw me come in the door, through her sobs she said, “Uncle George, Uncle George, I am really hurting, I don’t know what to do. Thank you so much for coming.” Truth was I didn’t know what to do or say. What do you say to bring encouragement and comfort to a father and mother who have just buried their first born who died two days earlier by suicide (as it was assumed at this time)? I just cried with them and assured them of the prayers of Godly people. I was actually relieved that the funeral service was already over. At the time of his death the pastor and another church leader from our nearest church, Valapatu, were on a logging barge slowly making their way to Honiara, hoping to arrive in time for the district assembly to begin October 31.
Sunday evening after the visitors from the village and other churches left to return home we had a service for the family. We had some singing, I shared from the life of Jesus and especially from John’s gospel and the Seven “I AM” statements of Jesus. “I am the Bread of Life, . . . The Light of the World, . . . The Way, the Truth, & the Life, . . . The Resurrection, . . . The Good Shepherd, . . . The Door of the Sheep, . . . The True Vine,” and then the eighth statement, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Then we had the family members share who wished to do so and had prayer together as a family. Now as I write this, it is hard to express on paper the blessing and presence of God that was present, as the Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and others shared.
Then the mother asked me the tough question. “Uncle George, the children were crying around the grave, and they were crying so loudly, because they will not see their brother. Can you tell me Uncle George will our boy be in Heaven or will we never see him again.” I was thankful for your prayers at this time as I gave the following abbreviated answer. “God is there and I am not Him. We have a judge and that’s not me. We do not know how or why it happened, but we can say he is in the hands of Jesus, a merciful judge who will judge righteously.”
I could sense God beginning to touch them in miraculous ways. I had originally booked my return air fare for Tuesday, but felt I would be ready to return on Monday, so I could then return to Gizo as a fare paying passenger [saving money] and so I called Nancy on my Satellite phone so she could change my booking for Monday evening.
The Father left at 6 a.m. Monday to go to the sea to look for a boat to take me to Gizo. He was a long time in returning. Upon his return he was in tears and said, “There is no boat going this morning.” He then told me that there was a wooden ‘canoe’ with a 15 hp engine that will take me if I just purchase the fuel. I sent someone with money for fuel but this gave me a couple extra hours, Divinely appointed time with this family. Then a man came into the house with a present for the church. He had made a communion tray to hold their communion cups and he wanted me to pray over it and dedicate this to the Lord. Communion is not normally a part of our Nazarene funeral liturgy but I sent someone to the small village store to purchase some juice (Cordial) and crackers so we could have communion. While the boy was away to buy the communion elements the parents of the deceased boy asked me to pray for them. When I finished praying Dad was in tears. He said, “DS, your prayer touched me and I need to confess something. When I was away I met someone who told me that our boy’s death was not suicide, but he told me who murdered our son and tied him on the rope making it look like suicide. I came back and told Mom to stay faithful with the church, but as soon as DS leaves I am going to go and kill the one who did this, and then I was prepared to serve life sentence in prison.” There was so much sharing and confessing, but I don’t remember everything, and it is just something you would have had to experience to see how God moved and intervened through this situation. I’m thankful for the prayers with us in that room.
While waiting for the Communion elements we shared many things including how God gave his only son for our sins and on the cross Jesus asked for the forgiveness of those who nailed him there. Then I shared how the power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life is not primarily about doing miracles, but power to live a transformed life, power that will enable you to love your enemies. That is not natural. There was many more things and as I write this it seems so simplistic, but we shared for almost two hours. We ended our time together with communion, sharing and some sick were taken for us to pray for their healing. As our service was ending we heard the engine of the boat and it was not long until the boy arrived with the news our boat was ready. Healing is taking place in their lives. Pray for them as they are now planning to attend the District Assembly to begin in a little over one week. I encouraged them to come as I feel our program is just what they need to complete their healing.
Monday I arrived in Gizo with only SI $150 (US $18) left in my pocket, but that was enough. I needed to save SI $60 to travel from Gizo to the small island where the airport is. Then I had $90 left for food so I went to lunch and met Pastor who conducted the burial service and his wife. The deceased boy’s aunt accompanied me to Gizo. So the four of us went and found a small restaurant where we could set down, talk together, and eat our lunch on the little money I had left. Then after eating with SI $66 left I went to check on the airline and then I learned the Monday flight was cancelled and rescheduled for Tuesday morning (today). The family I sometimes stay with at Gizo was away and anyway I don’t like to stay at their house without contributing to their food, so I went to the Hotel and they accepted my check, so I made it. The flight home was full but otherwise uneventful. I was trusting the delayed flight was going to depart because early Tuesday the ships left and if the Wednesday flight was cancelled I needed to board the ship.
The pastor is planning on returning to check on them on Wednesday, remember him in prayer as he returns to minister to this family. Pray for their continued healing, and that they and their family will fully rely on God and not try to take retribution.
George Miller,
