This week has brought rain and flooding to the Solomon Islands.  There are about 14 confirmed deaths and many more missing people.  Today Tim and I walked through town and took some photos. The Mataniko River has flooded and trees, houses, people, anything in its way was carried away.

It will take a long time for life to return to normal in this country.  Please pray for the Solomon Islands and those affected by this natural disaster.

In the flotsam and jetsam – pieces of people’s lives. I wonder if the owner of this shoe is still alive.

a piece of furniture in the flotsam and jetsam

This ship was driven into the cement wharf

People on the waterfront looking for firewood and anything they can use. On the far shore a body had just been found.

water soaked furniture and household goods

a man pulling himself across the river

the floor fell out of this house

the water ripped the walls of this house

stores along the river falling into the water

This is all that is left of one of the bridges across the Mataniko River. The bailey bridge that was here was built by the US Marines during WWII.

Here’s our latest newsletter.  Thanks for your interest, prayers and support!

Click on the link to open the PDF file.

Matzke Mission – February 2014 pdf1

A couple of weeks ago I flipped on the radio in the car on my way home.  I was surprised to hear an advertisement for a new radio program that would be starting in a few weeks on the topic of “Languages of the Solomon Islands”.

I went down to the radio station the next week to find out about the program and find out if there were ways that we could help provide resource people and information.  My friend Karen and I sat down with Moddie, the host of the radio program.  Moddie explained that it has been on her heart to start a program on languages, but she was happy to have some help on ideas for program topics. Karen has an MA in linguistics and loves to talk about languages – especially from the Solomon Islands.

Moddie asked us to come back to the station today so she could interview Karen for the radio show.  Karen recorded two programs today and they will start airing this Thursday all over the country.

What a wonderful opportunity to be able to share about languages around the Solomons and share about Bible translation work.

One of our translation team members out in the village came down with malaria last week.  She began treatment and soon was feeling better.  But along with the malaria came a case of cellulitis and blisters covered her legs.

The family takes a supply of medicines with them, and after consulting with a doctor by email (sent via their two way radio), she began a course of anti-biotics.  They only had enough drugs to get them through Thursday night, so more drugs were purchased and we began looking for a ship heading in their direction that could carry the package out to them.

A local dive company often takes divers to the beautiful islands where this family lives.  A phone call to the company office confirmed their plans to go to islands and their willingness to take the package. The ship was due to leave Thursday afternoon.

Yesterday I packed the drugs, a few veggies and their mail and took it to the dive office.  Later the woman called to say that the dive shipped planned on getting to the Russells on Sunday afternoon.  I thanked them, but my heart sank as I thought about Joanna’s blisters and the much needed drugs that would keep the healing process going.  What would happen if she didn’t have the antibiotics for two days?

This morning the office manager from the dive company called to say that the ship’s captain had called to say that they had changed plans and were now going to be in the Russell Islands THIS morning (Friday).  The captain said that if the family didn’t get word in time, he would leave the meds in the hands of the village chief and they could pick up the package from him later.

Wow.  The God who calms the seas can also change the direction of a ship full of tourists out on a dive tour. I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised, but oh, my heart is happy this morning.

After spending the morning in the office answering emails, at lunch time we headed to town to buy fresh produce for one of our village teams.  This family has not been getting many fruits and veggies from local sources.

Armed with a wish list that the family had emailed in, we headed into the market.

We stopped in a store for some empty boxes, packing tape and a marking pen.  We packed up the produce in old newspapers and packed them in a box with a block of ice.

We headed to the wharf where we found the ship that was heading out to the village where the Gebauers live.  Ship personnel were on the wharf selling tickets and collecting money for shipping cargo.  There was a big crowd around the table and I wondered how long it was going to take to get to table to pay for the cargo.

Luckily, one of the women pulled me to the table.  Soon some of the other people were insisting that they take care of the boxes we brought.  I was able to pay the fee (about $6 USD) and TIm passed the boxes to me and we were soon on our way.

Sometime tomorrow the boxes should arrive in the village and Gebauers will have their produce.

Our latest newsletter is ready!  You can download the letter here: Matzke Letter – Oct. 13

or read it here online:

Since Sunday I have been in Orlando to attend communication meetings for SIL International.  In a changing world, we are looking at how we need to update the messaging to share about the work we are doing.  As the SIL Pacific Area Communications Coordinator it was really encouraging and energizing to meet with colleagues working in communications.

I started my trip in Dallas where I met with colleagues to discuss how we will integrate pages for the Pacific Area.  After a quick trip to Detroit to see my family, I will return to Dallas for a few days before starting my journey back to the Solomon Islands on Sunday, November 10th.

Besides the planned meetings, there have been a number of unplanned meetings with colleagues that were timely and helpful.

I’m looking forward to heading home, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here in the USA.

Roni, a fourth grade teacher and Amarasi speaker, lives with his family in a small mountain community in West Timor, Indonesia.  After school and in the evenings, Roni works on translating the New Testament into his own language.

One day, the family’s dog, Jaga, was missing. They looked everywhere for the dog, but he could not be found. Jaga had wandered away and they felt sad.

A while later, Jaga wandered into a nearby village and people asked, ‘Whose dog is that?’  Someone in the village recognized the dog and they said, ‘It belongs to Roni, the teacher.’  Others said, ‘No, it belongs to the man who is translating the Bible into our language.’

Jaga moved on to another village community and people started asking the same questions again and received the same answers.  Jaga moved from community to community.

Word reached Roni that Jaga had been seen in nearby villages so he started to look for his dog.  When he reached the first village, the people told him that Jaga had moved on, but they wanted to hear about the Bible being translated into their language. Roni happily told them about the translation work and that the New Testament in Amarasi would soon be completed.  Everyone was excited to hear the news and some even asked if they could pray for him.

Roni continued to look for Jaga in the villages where he had been seen. In each village it was the same – Jaga had moved on, but people wanted to know about the Bible translation.  At last Roni found Jaga. He was very skinny, but happy to go home to the family.

The Amarasi New Testament is nearly completed.  Pray for Roni and the translation team as they finish the translation. And thank God for Jaga and his missionary journey that helped spread the good news about Bible translation.

The United Nations has designated September 8 as International Literacy Day.  In many developed countries, the day passes without much fuss.  Here in the Solomon Islands it is celebrated well.

Each year, the organizations who support literacy programs plan a special event in the capital city of Honiara.  This year the event began with a parade through town and participants marched to the National Art Gallery where a large tent and chairs for guests was set up.

Speeches were read by children who had written essays, the Solomon Islands Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education spoke, and songs were sung.  Listen to one of the songs here: [youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMobu-lIREc’]

My favorite part of the literacy day celebrations is seeing the groups of women from reading classes who come to celebrate.  They often have matching t-shirts and proudly carry a banner with the name of their group.  Stories they have written are on display.  They are members of an exclusive club – women who have overcome many obstacles to learn to read and write. Their pride in the accomplishment of learning to read displaces years of disappointment and shame. What a joy to share in their celebration.

This year the Literacy Association of the Solomon Islands had tables set up with paper and pencils and everyone was invited to write a story.  The stories were compiled into a book for all to see and those who contributed were allowed to choose a free book from the book table.

While wandering around and taking in the displays, this illustrated story caught my eye:
It is a drawing of the Pijin Bible by an inmate at the national prison.  The text says,

“When I was a small child, I didn’t read the Bible and didn’t know what the Bible said about life. But after attending literacy classes, I could read and understand what the Bible says about my life. The Bible teaches me the right way to live.”

What a joy to read that story.  I was pleased to hear that literacy classes were still going on in the prison (I helped start them a number of years ago) and the Pijin Bibles placed in the prison on the day it was launched, are being read today. The teachers who volunteer at the prison asked where they can get more copies of the Bible for the eager inmates who want to read it.  A new delivery of Bibles is due in at the end of month and we can help them out.

This illustration had no text, but perhaps none is needed.

When we first came to the Solomons, we were largely involved in helping to organize International Literacy Day.  It’s wonderful now to see Solomon Islanders from many different sectors and organizations championing literacy for their country.

Our latest newsletter is available here as a download: September 13 Matzke Prayer letter