It has been 30 hours since I returned. I can't get to sleep tonight so I thought I'd write this prayer letter.
We had a wonderful successful trip. Revelation Kalia, our newly elected NYI President and I left by ship on Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. Sea was really calm and with the exception of one rain burst it was a good ride. We arrived at Nukukaisi Village at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. As you see that is roughly 21 hours. Nancy packed me supper for Tuesday evening and Wednesday is my normal day to fast so that was great. On the ship a man set down beside me. He told me that he was from a village where the Jesus Film team had visited and he being the land owner wanted to confirm to me that they had a plans to build their church. I had mixed feelings at the news because it was obvious the man was drunk. He was definitely not the stereotypical church planter. Then I asked for his name. He told me he was Alan, a drunkard man. I visited with him as best I could and questioned him about the church and his reasons for wanting our church. He told me that when he was a boy a European missionary working in his village introduced him to alcohol and he became addicted. Pray for Alan that the Lord will deliver him from this addiction.
When I arrived at Nukukaisi I told Moffat, our Jesus Film leader that I met Alan on the ship. He was surprised that he was drunk, for I guess he had never seen him in this condition. Moffat is working diligently in this place, having held services the last 3 Sundays there in his village of Macedonia (This is on Makira Island as we have now two Macedonia Churches.) There is going to be a group from the Nukukaisi church visit on Easter weekend and hold services in Macedonia.
When I left the ship captain told me they would return they very next day on Thursday. I bought the ticket but really felt I needed at least two days. Well my prayer were answered and the ship was delayed and we departed on Friday at around 10:30 p.m.
We held Service on Wednesday night and then reconciliation time on Thursday. I met with many people individually and then with the group. The went around and apologized with each other, and hugged, and prayed together. It was a beautiful time. Then on Thursday evening service there was a wonderful time of prayer around the altar. Friday, I had time to visit people in the village and it was a well needed time. I'm so thankful for the satellite phone so I was able to make contact with Nancy and the shipping company so I know what was happening. During previous visits I had no way to contact anyone from most places I visited.
It only took us 19 hours or so to get home because the ship filled up before we arrived at the final two ports and so we just skipped those ports and headed back to Honiara. We arrived at Honiara Saturday Evening around 5 p.m. and we were really hungry. The Nukukaisi people really fed us well and as their custom is the last night you stay up and visit all night or until the ship comes. I was really full when we boarded the ship with all the cassava pudding, rice, fish, donuts, and everything they fixed, but by the time we reached home the food was gone.
I do not get sea sick, which is a blessing, but after I arrived at the house I still felt like I was rocking. It was so weird I thought I was going to get motion sick sitting in my office. I wanted to write you after my arrival home but just did what had to be down and then went to sleep. The return trip was relatively calm, except we went through rain three times on the return trip. One time for about 2 hours it really poured down and the wind really blew hard. The sea became rough, but not dangerously so. The canvas on the starboard side was blowing straight in and on the port side (the side where I was setting straight out) and had to be secured better. The rain just blew through the ship saturating the people on deck. Of course everyone moved to my side of the ship to get out of the worst of the rain, which made the ship lean a little. Fortunately we were really loaded with copra and cocoa, so we were quite stable. I had a poncho that I let a lady use and it covered her and our luggage. I just prayed thanking the Lord for the rain with the high winds, because quite frankly I was about sick from breathing cigarette smoke and this rain and wind extinguished all cigarettes and completely exchanged the stale air with fresh air. I needed a shower anyway by this time.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for Nancy and I as we will be going to Malaita on Friday 21st. I have a wedding on Saturday. We'll celebrate Easter with the Mage Church. Monday Nancy will return to Honiara and I will go to NE Malaita to the village of Alisisiu where I want to place a pastor. Pray for this church. There has been a lack of cooperation between the community and the church. I plan to return to Auki, Malaita on Wednesday or Thursday and then will go to Kwailatutu, in South Malaita as they have some pastoral issues and need the DS to come.
Pray for Jimmy Kwaisui, as he left this morning to go to Western Province and follow-up on the work there. I didn't have time to go there so I sent Jimmy, Our Jesus Film Coordinator. I need him to deliver some information to them about upcoming events, esp. a trip we have planned to visit there in May. He will check on pastoral needs etc. etc.
Our crate we shipped to the SI has arrived. Nancy lodged the paperwork Friday and we should be able to retrieve it this morning. Pray that we will get it in without too much duty, and that we can find a truck available to deliver it. Praise the Lord our road was fixed at just the right time.
Continue to pray for the upcoming visitors that I mentioned in previous letters.
Prayer is requested for Dickson Manongi. Dickson is a District Advisory Board member and District Sunday School President. He is currently in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, taking further studies for his job with the health dept. Dickson has been suffering terribly with his back and has been unable to even attend classes.
Your Partner in HIS Ministry,
George Miller
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