Vanuatu – Vision for Vanuatu

April 18, 2015April 18, 2015

Food Distribution Continues…

A month after Cyclone Pam, food shortages continue to be everyday concerns for many people in Vanuatu.

For urban populations, most food is purchased as few urban dwellers have space for food gardens. The inhabitants of Port Vila and surrounding areas who need cash to purchase food are struggling. Money is being stretched in so many different ways. Houses have been damaged, roofs need to be replaced, clothes and other belongings blown away by the storm. There is not enough money to buy food from the supermarkets and replace everything else. Local neighborhood vegetable stands have not reopened as there isn’t local produce to sell.

The tourist trade stopped abruptly. Hotels and restaurants were closed and employees laid off. Thankfully, some establishments have continued to pay their staff. But taxi drivers and tour operators have felt the loss of income dramatically. A couple of cruise ships have called in to Port Vila in recent days and brought relief supplies as a gesture of goodwill but infrastructure in the southern part of the country is not ready to receive tourists yet.

Rural populations in Vanuatu normally depend on their subsistence farming to feed their families and bring in cash. Rural populations do not have grocery stores in their villages. After the cyclone, families quickly cleaned gardens and replanted with any available seed. Some crops like yams were coming to harvest and they are being consumed. Places with yams have been granted a short reprieve. Then there will be a time of waiting before other crops are ready. A hungry time as it is often called.

We have been blessed to receive two shipments of fresh island food from the food gardens of Sanma Bible Training Center on the northern island of Santo. They were just outside of the path of the cyclone and did not get the damage many other islands experienced. Bryan and Renee Webb and the school staff have made such an effort to dig up root crops and send us 26 big bags of produce on the Vanuatu Ferry this past Thursday.

JBI students washed all the vegetables and repackaged them into family size bags. Today over a 100 bags were taken to needy families in Port Vila.

We are so grateful to those of you who have given funds for food, much of that through Convoy of Hope. As funds comes in, we will continue to give out food both in the urban and rural areas.

April 18, 2015April 18, 2015

Vanuatu AOG Church National Disaster Committee

On Wednesday, April 8th, I (Lori) was asked to become the treasurer of the newly formed Vanuatu AOG Church National Disaster Committee which will serve as the official voice for fundraising and rebuilding.

Our task is to rebuild church facilities damaged or totally destroyed during the passage of Cyclone Pam (March 13-15, 2015) and to continue food distribution in specific areas of need.

We have met five times in the last 10 days in order to open a new bank account and compile information. We are handing all the incoming damage assessment reports and photos of church properties. The information has been put on computer and priority lists are now in place. We have a few Assemblies of God churches in outer islands which have not yet been visited and their buildings may also be damaged.

This level of devastation in so many different places and islands by one cyclone, is unprecedented, I believe, in Vanuatu history. 188,000 people were directly affected by this cyclone, having lost homes, subsistence farms, and/or businesses. Our church members are among them.

Fifty-one Assemblies of God church buildings on four different islands have had damage assessments. 31 of 51 are totally destroyed. The remaining twenty churches suffered damage, mostly iron roofs and timbers blown away.

Pastor Hosea of Karimasanga, South Tanna, (pictured above) is standing in the doorway of their village church. Nothing is left of their building. He also lost his house and many belongings.

Will you please help us rebuild?

Will you please share our need with others who may also be able to help us?

March 17, 2015April 18, 2015

Cyclone Pam Destruction

Joy Bible Institute was heavily damaged by Cyclone Pam. This is a photo of the girl’s dorm lounge and kitchen. The roof blew off and fell inside. Torrential rains poured in and flooded the whole house. The ground floor of this building is the school’s library which was in turn flooded. Water was ankle deep in the library after the storm. We do not know if any of the 3000 library books or furniture will be salvageable.

The roof of the boy’s bathhouse, laundry and workshop was totally blown away.

This is a picture of the girl’s dorm (above) on the left and a pile of rubble on the right. That rubble used to be a very nice storage shed for tools and a carport where the girls hung their laundry. The windows are still boarded up as Cyclone Nathan on the Australian coast was forecast to possibly pass through Vanuatu this week.

At the school’s administrative office and guestroom, two large trees fell on the building. On the front side, the roof is very damaged and a lot of water also went into the rooms. Visiting teacher, Maurice Nicholson and his son Ian, were sheltering here during the storm. We thank the Lord for protecting them.

On the left is a picture of our Dean of Students house which we just finished renovating in December 2014. New electrical wiring and light fixtures were installed. The bathroom was gutted and redone, new kitchen cupboard added, paint and flooring.

Unfortunately, the cyclone took off the front half of the roof and water soaked through the ceiling and it collapsed inward. Furniture was also ruined. Another section of the roof went off in the master bedroom.

Pastor Kiel and his wife had a daughter born just a few days before the cyclone hit. They were in this house with their two children and our female JBI students sheltering from the storm when the roof went off. As the high winds were thrashing things inside the house, they ran out through the night to another building for shelter. That is an extremely dangerous thing to do, as flying objects are what often kill people during cyclones. Again we thank God for his protection over them. We are so thankful that the baby was born just before the cyclone arrived as the maternity ward at the city hospital is now damaged and closed.

The porch roof on the Joy Memorial Chapel was ripped off also. The rest of the roof did not fly away though. Thank you to Michael who came and replaced the steel cables which hold the roof down to the ground a few months ago. Without the new cables, I think the whole roof would have come off.

The three newest concrete buildings to the campus; the classrooms, the married dorm, and the new mission house, all survived the storm. They have some water damage and some buckled roof ridging but all in all they held remarkably well in the face of winds of 320kmph. The students took refuge in one of the classrooms and another teacher and his family camped out in the other.

In the photo to the left, you can see a tree branch which has pierced the siding of the old classroom building.

There is a lot of school equipment and furniture that has been damaged by the flooding. We do not have a list of everything which we will need to be replaced. We are so grateful to Tony for taking pictures of the damage for us. We are still in the USA and due to return to Vanuatu on March 28.

At this point, we estimate needing at least US$150,000 to begin to adequately replace the things we have mentioned in this article. Thank you for considering the needs of Joy Bible Institute.

March 17, 2015April 18, 2015

Devastating Cyclone PAM

Cyclone Pam was called a “monster” even before she began to ravage the islands of Vanuatu. This massive storm travelled down the length of the country bringing devastation from the island of Pentecost to Tanna in the far south.

Port Vila, the capital city, is located on the island of Efate. Port Vila is the most heavily populated place in the whole country of 63 islands. This is where Joy Bible Institute is located. The island of Efate took a direct hit from Pam. The subsequent devastation, with an estimated 85% of all houses severely damaged or totally lost, shows the power of 320kmph winds.

The capital city is a mass of debris: roofing materials scatter the roads, power lines are down, huge trees are uprooted, house floors sit exposed to the wind, and even concrete walls have been pushed over by the fierce winds.

People who already lived on meager resources are now left destitute. The country’s infrastructure has also been crippled: mobile phone towers buckled, satellite dishes broken, schools sit roofless, government buildings battered, and the main hospital eerily broken and empty.

The great efforts to bring basic services and development to the island nation of Vanuatu over the years have been wiped away with one powerful cyclone. The full impact of Pam, the loss of human life, and the scale of the disaster will only come to light in the weeks to come as the ships take to calmer seas, the small planes land on grass runways, the mobile phones begin to ring, and news comes from all the remote villages and islands still silently suffering.

Please pray and give to assist the wonderful people of Vanuatu.

-Lori Ellison

March 31, 2012April 16, 2012

Shefa Church Women Bring In Gifts

On Saturday, March 31, 2012, WM ladies from AG churches around the island of Efate converged on the JBI campus with an abundance of gifts. They brought bundles of garden produce, bananas, greens and avocados, plus new kitchen items like cups, dishes, and knives to replenish our bare cupboards. A time of singing and devotions concluded with a love offering for the school cafeteria. What a shower of blessing the Shefa WM women have been to us again this year! Thank you to all the generous “mamas” and may God bless you as you have blessed us!

January 17, 2012April 16, 2012

The Work Goes On…

We are gaining momentum once again after the Christmas and New Year’s slowdown. Tile is going up on the bathroom walls and floors right now and this is very exciting! Christmas sales were timely, as I was able to purchase all the ceramic tile, toilets and sinks at special sale prices.

There have been some unexpected helpers come our way and we are so grateful to each one of them…Jim and Carol, new friends all the way from Saskatchewan, Canada, for a resort holiday but took 2 days to do construction work! What a personal encouragement that was to me! Thanks so much guys! Then Pastor Peter Avock and friends came by and started plastering and pouring floors! So we are moving along though still needing a few more qualified hands! The whole time Ben has been toiling away every day with or without help! Thanks Ben! More reinforcements should be arriving today!

Looks like we have most of our supplies on hand except the glass for the windows which is out of stock…so pray that it will come in on the next boat!

Still a lot to do in the next month before the students arrive back at JBI! It’s going to be great to be teaching in a regular size classroom with a white board mounted on the wall!

November 25, 2011April 16, 2012

JBI 30th Anniversary & Graduation

2011 is a special anniversary year for Joy Bible Institute. The JBI property was purchased in 1979 and the first building to be built was the chapel which was dedicated in Sept. 1979. The other buildings quickly followed and the school opened its doors to students in March 1981. Twelve students began their studies that year and seven of them graduated in 1983. Missionaries Ron Killingbeck and Wayne and Jean Guge, both served as principal and teachers during the first two years of the school’s existence.

Two months ago, in a faculty meeting, I reminded everyone that this was the 30th anniversary year of the school and it would be nice to plan a special celebration at graduation. The idea caught on and though we had very little finance or time, everyone was excited and got busy planning!

The first major decision was to rent a tent and have the graduation ceremony on campus. We normally have graduation at a local church because our school chapel is much too small for such events. Next, we contacted former missionaries who had served at JBI and asked for old photos. Immediately, letters and photos started arriving and everyone got excited! The end of August is regional church conference time so word was sent to all the island conferences that JBI was inviting alumni back for graduation on Oct. 30, 2011.

Here are some photos of the special day:

In the photo to the right (pictured left to right) are: Pastor & Mrs. Robert Laumai, honored for 30 years of service to the school. Pastor Robert came to JBI in 1979 and helped build all of the first buildings. He remained to serve as a teacher and then later as maintenance and grounds manager. His wife, Edna, served as school cook. They retired from JBI in 2009. Pastor & Mrs. Tom Ierongen, were also honored as they served on the first school faculty when JBI opened in 1981. They went on to pioneer churches in Vila and on the island of Tanna. Pastor & Mrs. Youen Atnelo, were honored for their 23 years of teaching ministry to the school. Pastor Youen is currently the General Supt. of the Assemblies of God Vanuatu and pastors Evangel temple in Port Vila. Pastor Willie Naias served as campus staff and cook when JBI opened in 1981, with his wife Mary (not pictured). Their son Philip Naias was just a toddler then and today he is a pastor and a JBI faculty member. Also pictured are current JBI principal, J. Gary & Lori Ellison.

We would have never been able to host such an event if it had not been for the help of so many friends. Local churches donated food, Women’s Ministries groups from four villages came to cook and served a delicious buffet meal to over 500 people. A big thank you to everyone who helped make the day a most memorable graduation and anniversary celebration. Thank you also to all the former faculty and students who came and celebrated with us!

October 4, 2011April 16, 2012

JBI 2011 Class Photo

We have been so busy this year but today we paused for a school photo. Not everyone was present but we went ahead anyway. Graduation is coming up on Oct. 30, 2011 with 4 students graduating each returning to a different island for ministry. Thank you for your prayer and financial support this year.

September 28, 2011April 16, 2012

Lafayette Team

The Lafayette team has been very busy doing the electrical wiring and ceiling work now that the roof is on! Today they also went to English class and gave the students some practice with conversational English! The students were quite nervous at first but quickly the room was buzzing with friendly conversation! Thanks everyone for your willingness to help out in other areas!

September 27, 2011April 16, 2012

On Your Mark! Get Set! Go!

Pastors Randy Blankenship and Pete Campbell of New Life Church, Kokomo, Indiana (USA) are about to get started on a 400 mile (640 km) bicycle trip to raise money for our new classroom building!

Some of you may remember that Pastor Randy walked 250 miles a year ago to raise money for our project. Well, he is at it again and taking Pastor Pete along for the ride! They plan to start in Angola, Indiana, which is in the northeast corner of the state and ride all the way to Evansville, Indiana, in the southwest corner. Their FB page is called Ride For Joy.

They depart on their bicycle adventure today!!

I know they would really appreciate some pledges for their efforts so if you would like to encourage them and at the same time support our classroom building project, please contact them here.

UPDATE: Pastor Randy and Pastor Pete completed their 371 mile ride from Angola, Indiana to Evansville, Indiana, in just 8 days! They are still happy to take donations for their cycling efforts which in turn go to our new classroom building project.

July 27, 2011April 16, 2012

JBI Teacher Gets Married

On Saturday, July 23, 2011, Pastor Kiel married Faith in the school chapel. Pastor Kiel Maimai is our JBI campus pastor and a teacher. It was so nice to have another campus chapel wedding! It was a beautiful ceremony performed by Pastor Bessie Fong. The bride was radiant and smiling and the groom very pleased. After the ceremony, the groom’s relatives serenaded and marched the bridal party up to the top of the hill where a wedding feast was laid out. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. K. Maimai and a warm JBI welcome to you both!

April 21, 2010March 21, 2013

Volcano on Gaua Erupting

THOUSANDS PREPARE TO FLEE VANUATU VOLCANO
Mass evacuation of Gaua Island planned
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 20, 2010) – Preparations are being made to evacuate nearly 3,000 people from the Vanuatu island of Gaua after further threats from its volcano. [PIR editor’s note: Gaua is among the Banks and Torres Islands in Vanuatu’s far north.] The Gaua volcano in Torba province began erupting seven months ago and there has been renewed activity in recent weeks. Government officials have been discussing the logistics of an evacuation, but no date has been set. A Department of Internal Affairs meeting last Thursday concluded there was no alternative to evacuating the people of Gaua to Sola on Vanualava island. From Sola most would be relocated to Leon Bay for up to a year, on land owned by the Anglican Church of Vanuatu. Others would be dispatched to other islands in Torba. The meeting heard that the evacuation needs to take place as soon as possible because the children on Gaua have been traumatised by the eruption and this may affect their studies. Late last year, about 300 residents on the western side of Gaua, who were suffering from the effects of ash and gas, were relocated to villages on the eastern part of the island. (from www.pireport.org)

Please pray for the people of Gaua, an island in northern Vanuatu. This volcanic eruption has been disturbing everyday life for several months and now the growing intensity of the eruption is forcing the population to be evacuated. This comes at a time when our missionary colleague, Bryan Webb was organizing the construction of a new church building on Gaua.

September 14, 2008March 21, 2013

Rev. Jean Ledru

When my father, Ron Killingbeck, arrived in Noumea, New Caledonia in the summer of 1967, he found a young Assemblies of God couple, Jean (John) and Simone Ledru, and their three young children already there. This young man from northern France had stepped out in faith to come to New Caledonia to reestablish a Pentecostal work which had been started many years previously through the witness of J. Rousseau. But by this time only a handful of people remained from the initial work.

Jean Ledru and my father joined forces. The Ledru family had been holding services in their living room for several years. Upon my father’s arrival, a storefront building was found on the main road in a neighborhood called Faubourg Blanchot to have public church services. Faith Temple, in Seattle, Washington, gave the funds for the down payment and the building was purchased. The store was cleaned up, painted and our family of three moved into the two back storage rooms while services were held in the large store area.

The Ledru family, who had previously lived on the far side of the city of Noumea, moved into a colonial house right down the street from the new storefront church. The church soon became a hub of activity. Early on Sunday morning the French-speaking congregation gathered for their service. My mother played a small electric organ for services and my parents began taking French lessons with a tutor.

The Ledru family lived simply and sacrificed greatly for many years as Rev. Ledru worked a job and pastored the now growing French-speaking congregation.

Shortly after my parents’ arrival in New Caledonia, it was pointed out to them that there were several thousand islanders from the nearby country of the New Hebrides (colonial name for Vanuatu) working in New Caledonia. The majority of these migrant workers spoke some English along with Bislama and were feeling somewhat isolated in a French-speaking country. My parents quickly met some of them and realized they were just getting into trouble on the weekends with no where to go. My parents immediately started services in simple English at the Faubourg Blanchot church. As they began to reach out to these New Hebridean workers, they learned Bislama, the trade language of Vanuatu. Within a short period of time, the English service became a Bislama service and the congregation grew quickly.

This was truly a divine appointment, because as the Vanuatu workers finished their contracts in New Caledonia and returned home to Vanuatu, the Assemblies of God was started in the country of Vanuatu. A national pastor from Fiji moved to Port Vila, Vanuatu and started the first AG church in the capitol city. His translator was Loulou Manwo, a young man converted in Noumea and later the first Bible School graduate. My father began visiting former congregants who had returned to Vanuatu, preaching and teaching on several islands and in many villages.

In 1972, my family moved to Santo in the northern part of Vanuatu to start a church and reach out to the many northern islands. Except for a few short stays in France, the Ledru family remained in New Caledonia, the church grew, preaching points were opened around the island, other missionaries joined them and national ministers were trained and sent out.

Late Friday night, September 12th we were notified that Rev. Jean Ledru had died earlier in the evening of a heart attack and gone to be with the Lord at the age of 80. He leaves a lovely wife, children and grandchildren and also a wonderful legacy of obedience to the Lord and a life spent in leading others to God.