The Passing of Time

Nine months have passed since we sent out our last newsletter!  We have been keeping busy teaching courses for SPNTC and encouraging and supporting the pastors and leaders of the Nazarene churches.  We are excited to share a story in this newsletter about a young man that we’ve been working with for the last 9 years.   

PASTOR JOHN

John being dedicated by David in 2008 at Black Sand Nazarene Church

One of our first memories of John was as a young boy in Sunday School marching around one of the central posts of the church.  John blew on the end of a long branch of a papaya leaf, his imaginary trumpet, together with the other children.  They were reenacting the day the walls of Jericho fell down.

Today he is co-pastoring the Black Sand Church of the Nazarene with no less faith than he exhibited as a small boy.  John is an accomplished guitarist and a district leader for Nazarene Youth International this year influencing the youth of our churches to live wholeheartedly for the Lord.

Pastor John (in red shirt) with leaders from his home village.

We were excited that he was able to join two Nazarene Compassionate Ministry teams for trips to Tanna, an island to the South, on December 2015 and July 2016.  John was not only able to distribute water filters and help build a much needed cement water tank, but also able to visit his dad’s “home” village.  There he discipled a young couple, Seth and his wife, and another villager, Joshua, teaching a Membership class, and accepting them as the first three Nazarene members in that new church plant!

Pastor John has now completed all requirements of the South Pacific Nazarene Theological College to graduate on November 26^th of this year.  He continues to minister at the Black Sand Church of the Nazarene.

THE ISAAC FAMILY RETURNS

Peter and Jenny and their boys arrived back in Vanuatu in time to participate in the District Leadership Retreat (pictured here with Pastor Natja from Aniwa and Pastor Kidhly from Erakor Nazarene Churches).

Peter and Jenny returned from their home assignment in May with their three sons.  We praise the Lord for the financial support they received during their deputation and especially from Peter’s home district in PNG which gave the equivalent of $15,000 to help build a district center on the land in Vanuatu!  Peter is working with the District Advisory Board members to develop plans for the center.  He is also working with the pastors and church leaders to implement our new vision statement: Every Nazarene becoming more like Christ and multiplying outward!

DAVID’S FATHER

David and his father sharing the Word together on July 5.

On August 31^st, one month after returning to Vanuatu following our vacation in the States, we received the news that David’s 95 year old father had passed away.  We made the long flight back to Colorado Springs to be with the family for the funeral.  Dad Potter was a kind, loving, godly influence in the lives of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as countless others who knew him. 

Within a few days after arriving in Colorado Springs on September 4th, David was seen by the “Walmart optometrist” for some strange symptoms he was experiencing in his left eye.  He was seen the following day by a retinal specialist who confirmed that he needed immediate surgery for a detached retina.  The surgery was done just two days after his Dad’s funeral.  We are thankful for David’s sister and brother-in-law who have given us a place to stay while David’s eye recovers.  Because of a gas bubble that was placed in David’s eye during the surgery, he is not able to travel to any other altitude which means no flying until the bubble has been absorbed.  The retinal specialist advised David yesterday that he needs another surgery on October 10^th to fully restore his vision.  We are thankful for medical insurance provided to help us in times like this, and for our Global Mission team that granted us medical leave of absence until it is safe for David to fly home to Vanuatu.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

Please join us in praying for these needs:

1. ·        Every Nazarene in Vanuatu will become more like Jesus and be actively sharing their faith with others.
2. ·        Strength, wisdom, and protection for DS Peter Isaac and his family.  Pray also for Peter’s wife, Pastor Jenny, who is taking university classes as well as her normal missionary responsibilities.  Also pray for their three boys, Bennett (18), Ennrich (14), and Junior (10).
3. ·        Nazarene pastors and leaders will have the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace guiding them into loving, trusting relationships with each other.
4. ·        Prima Nazarene Church where the enemy is working hard to destroy and discourage the members and pastors.  Pray that forgiveness and reconciliation will take place.
5. ·        Pedro and his wife Meriam who have recently opened their home to start a Nazarene church in an area of our island, Efate, where there are no churches.  We held services there for the first time in August.
6. ·        Seth, his wife, and Joshua, who have recently accepted the responsibility of overseeing a new church plant in their village, that they will grow in Christlikeness and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Their village is in the southern part of Tanna Island.
7. ·        The District Advisory Board to work in unity with DS Peter to establish the plans for the construction of the district center and development of the district.
8. ·        Nazarenes will give full authority to God’s Word and be cleansed of all that clings to their lives from their animistic religious past.
9. ·        Complete healing of David’s eye with restoration of his vision.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support of the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Vanuatu and for us personally! 

With our love and gratitude,

David and Sylvia

  

Secure Online Ministry Donation Website: http://web.nazarene.org/goto/David_Sylvia_Potter

Want to support our students and leaders? Here’s a great way:  http://nazarene.org/global-mission-project?project=2555

First - Ever Graduates of SPNTC Vanuatu!

God truly answered our prayers for an inspiring and meaningful inaugural graduation for South Pacific Nazarene Theological College in Vanuatu!  We wanted to share some photos from the day...

Choir of SPNTC students and graduates

Rev. Harmon Schmelzenbach preached a dramatic message

...which was translated by Rev. Peter Isaac.

Churches and families gather around their graduates

Pastor Gideon with his church and family

There was lots of delicious food! 

L to R: Pastor Austin, Pastor Joe, and Pastor Gideon

A tremendous celebration!  Glory to God!

Home Assignment and Continued Relief Efforts

Newly rebuilt Black Sand Nazarene Church

Black Sand Nazarene Church after Cyclone Pam

Disaster relief efforts following Cyclone Pam were still in full swing when we left Vanuatu for our 4 month scheduled home assignment.  Pastor Peter Isaac and his team of district leaders continued to assess needs in communities and purchase and distribute supplies.

One team of national Nazarenes took rice, boxes of canned fish, tarps, and building supplies to the island south of us, Tanna, where the cyclone had done the most damage.  The compassion of Jesus was also shared with the people on Aniwa, just east of Tanna, as Pastor John from Black Sand Nazarene Church took relief supplies and Christ’s love to share with the people there.

The two Port Vila Nazarene church shelters that were destroyed in the cyclone have been rebuilt, as well as the Nazarene church shelters on Aniwa and Tanna.  We are thankful for the financial support of people around the world who generously gave to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministry disaster relief fund and for the generosity of others like Youth With A Misssion in Vanuatu who also partnered with us to provide food, shelter, and clean water for thousands of people! 

Newly rebuilt Prima Nazarene Church including the gutters and
 rain tanks donated by the YWAM -Vanuatu team.

One of the most frightening things about going through a category 5 cyclone was knowing how many people were going through it with no safe shelter.  So, one of the long range recovery goals is to work with our church communities to consider the possibility of constructing “houses of refuge” where people can find safe shelter during a violent storm and can also be used as a church and community gathering/training place.  Please pray for God’s guidance as we work together on this goal.

We had a tremendous home assignment traveling from Alaska to Florida, Michigan to Colorado, and from San Francisco to San Diego, and many places in between!  We were overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of the Nazarenes who welcomed us into their homes and churches.  We met with many people who were eager to be connected with God’s work in Vanuatu.

David's family including his 94 year old father

Sylvia's family gathered around her parents for their 60th anniversary

While we were home in the USA, we were able to be with all of our children and grandchildren, our parents, and our siblings.  David’s family met together for a reunion on Orcas Island, and Sylvia’s family met in northern Michigan to celebrate her parents’ 60^th wedding anniversary.  Along our way, we were delighted to meet up with many of our friends which made the time at home so satisfying!  We also celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary!  We are so incredibly blessed!

So happy to be with our kids and our four grandchildren!

Water Wells, Pumps and Things

We don't have very many pictures to share of the continuing relief efforts, but we wanted to pass along the news that we've heard of how the disaster relief efforts have continued.  Pastor Peter Isaac with the District Advisory Board for the Church of the Nazarene continue to assess the needs and make plans for how best to help.

In mid-April, Youth With a Mission in Vanuatu (YWAM) was contacted and plans were made to dig wells in two of our church communities where clean water was not easily accessible.  YWAM has developed a technique for drilling wells by hand and then attaching a pump to provide clean water for communities.

 Pastor Peter reported in April that 500-600 people will benefit from the new wells and pumps in Black Sand and Prima communities.

Along with the new well, YWAM also provided water filter buckets so that the water can be further purified for drinking.

At the end of April, Peter e-mailed us to say, "On Sunday we were dedicating the water pump at Prima. All the community were witnessing the opening with YWAM members. And some of the elderly people among the YWAM team were convinced to put up our church building again. Yesterday they started working and the project is underway now."

There was lots of work still being done throughout the month of May.  Peter reported that a team of nine people including five YWAM volunteers went by boat to Tanna with tarps, chain saw, roofing irons, lumber, and nails to help with re-building.  They also took many 50 pound bags of rice and cartons of canned fish to help with food relief.  Pastor Gideon remained longer to help build the first Nazarene Church and baptize eight new believers!

Another Nazarene/YWAM team sailed south to the island of Aniwa to distribute food and to witness.

In addition, tarps, bags of rice, and cartons of canned fish have been sent to six different areas.

At the end of May, the Nazarene congregations in Port Vila came together and contributed a generous offering for their brothers and sisters in Nepal who are facing a huge disaster.  

It has now been nearly three months since Cyclone Pam devastated the islands of Vanuatu.  It usually takes about 3-6 months for cassava to be ready for harvest, so we are hopeful that the gardens will begin to provide for the food needs of the people.  We have heard reports from various people in Vanuatu that the food market in Port Vila is beginning to have more fresh garden produce available.

Thank you for your prayers for Pastors Peter and Jenny as they lead the pastos and leaders in the Church of the Nazarene in Vanuatu.

One Month Later...

Celebrating the Resurrection

Dave and Annette Merki with Taku, Sunday School teacher at Vila North Church

Just a few days before we were scheduled to head back to the United States for our 3-month home assignment, we welcomed our friends, Dave and Annette Merki, to Vanuatu.  Dave and Annette are our daughter in law Kristen's parents, and we had been looking forward to their coming for nearly a year.  We were sorry that they didn't see Vanuatu in all its lush beauty.  They arrived eager to do what they could to help with disaster relief.  One of the ways that they helped was by bringing loads of plastic Easter eggs filled with candy to share with the Sunday School children in an activity called Resurrection eggs. We got them out on the road within just an hour or so of the arrival to get the eggs in the hands of the Sunday School teachers in time for Easter Sunday morning.

Prima Nazarene Church's temporary shelter

Pastor Gideon

We took Dave to Prima Nazarene Church on Easter Sunday morning.  There were many new adults and young people and lots of children.  How wonderful to celebrate that Jesus is alive!  And, because Jesus lives, we can have hope and life in the midst of our challenges!

Pastor Kidhly and Rachele with their little daughter Angela shared a special song.

David shared the Good News.

After the service, the children closed their eyes while the parents hid the Easter eggs.

 Most of the mamas had never hidden Easter eggs before, 

so they had almost as much fun hiding the eggs as the kids did in finding them!

Most likely none of the kids had ever hunted Easter eggs before, 

but they needed no instructions about what to do.

As the children opened their eggs and found the 12 pictures, 

we talked about the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

"Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live,

even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?" 

John 11:25-26

Our Final Days

There was plenty of clean up left to do, and to be honest, it felt rather strange to be preparing to leave Vanuatu to head to the United States for home assignment.  We are thankful for our ministry partners and the pastors of the churches who would continue the next phases of disaster relief after we were gone.  Dave and Annette lent a hand to the efforts as well.  David and Dave spent time out in our yard trying to get some of the fallen trees cleared.  It will take a long time before this yard looks as lush as it did before!

Annette helped Sylvia with laundry and getting the house ready for the couple who would housesit while we were away.  

We took one day to visit the beach and found the cyclone had made some changes there too.

April 8th came and we drove to the airport, our friends flying on to Australia, and us toward the USA.

As we were waiting to depart, we noticed that one of the big Hercules planes from the US was on the tarmac - evidence that the country is still in disaster mode with much work still to be done.

The jet we flew away in is more the size of the one to the left of the Hercules plane.  

We praise God for his faithfulness and for the love and compassion expressed by so many people as they have contributed toward the relief work in Vanuatu!  Much has been accomplished in the last four weeks, and Peter and Jenny will continue to guide our churches in reaching out to their communities with the compassion of Christ.