Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to say hello, and good-bye to some very close friends here.  Kevin and Machi Rietvelt came to live in the Solomon Islands almost at the same time we did.  They built up a ministry here, essentially from scratch, that involved a wide variety of things; spiritual teaching, leading retreats, organizing the construction of school classrooms and local clinic buildings, organizing Bible studies in the prison, training local pastors in preaching, starting a disability center, starting a small school in the local hospital for children under long-term care, and on, and on, and on…..

Kevin and Machi were also very special friends to us over the years.  We enjoyed many hours of wonderful fellowship with them.  And received a lot of strength, encouragement and good advice from them. Now they are heading back to their home country of Australia to supposedly retire.  And while I know their schedules will slow down, I also know that they will never really quit ministering to others.

They have had an incredible impact here in the Solomon Islands, in the way they have strengthened churches and other organizations and through the hundreds of lives they have touched.

Kevin and Machi, we will miss you greatly.  Thanks for your years here.  And may you Fare Well in God’s hands.