Epi Break-Through School of Ministry, December 2005

This is the first Break-Through School of Ministry (BSM) into an outer island within Vanuatu. Port Vila has been blessed with two of these sort of training - Level 1 in 2004, and Level 2 in August of 2005. Read on to find out more and browse through the photo slide below to see some 'break-through'' photos...

Three members from the Youth Arise, Jack Parasumo, Janet Tatangis and Jack Matariki had the honour and privilege to sacrifice their Christmas and New Year holidays to do the training for 20 young people at Mabfilau village on Epi island.

Specific request for the BSM training came from AOG pastor, Ps Michel Sokoliu of Faith Ministry at Mabfilau Village, early in October of 2005. Ps Michel had attended the Level 2 BSM in Port Vila in August of 2005. The plan was to have as wide a publicity as possible of the the BSM in Epi to include as many young people, and as many denominations, as possible.

Janet and Matariki left for Epi on the Friday 23rd of December and were joined by Parasumo who travelled from Lamenu Island the same day.

The official opening took place on Saturday evening, which was also Christmas eve. Friends from the Presbyterian Church couldn't join us as they already had other plans made for that week. After the opening, youth from Faith Ministry presented some lovely carols which went on until about 10pm.

The training began on Monday the 26th of December in one of the classrooms at the village primary school. There were two sessions per day, both taking place in the morning. The afternoons were reserved for practicing new songs and dances/skits. Crusades were held every night, beginning at 6:30pm and ending at about  9pm.

Study topics for the week were as follows:

As you noticed, the teachings were shared between Janet and Jack. For both trainers, this was also a breakthrough for them, as they had to teach in Bishlama and trying to simplify the stuff as best they can, sometimes having to translate words like 'refinement', 'equalization', 'globalization', 'technology', etc, into Bishlama! However, because of God's grace, you could tell by the smiles on the faces of the participants that the Lord was doing a great deal of work in their lives. During interaction times, participants expressed what they were learning, and some even wept as they shared their experience in front.

After the first sessions in the morning, participants would be divided into two groups, to discuss and ask questions about the stuff being taught. Janet would lead one group and Parasumo would lead another group. Then before session two would start, volunteers from each group would come up and share what they had learned from the teaching and group discussions. This was quite an intimidating experience for many at first, but into day 3, participants were gaining more confidence. One young mother shared her own revelation about the relationship between this teachings and the 'growth chart' of her baby. She couldn't hold back her tears as she shared her revelation. 

Graduation on Sunday, New Years Day, was just a bomb. At about 4pm in the afternoon, participants, in their white youth-arise shirts, marched in to the shelter to the beat of bamboo drums. Their sitting area was decorated with Christmas-tree flowers and assorted balloons. A headmaster from a nearby primary school, Mr Johnson, was the guest speaker for this event. His speech was so relevant to the training of the BSM, being himself a teacher of young people.

20 young people graduated and received their certificates in this level 1 BSM from Headmaster Johnson. Much regrets for the other 20 who couldn't make it because of other commitments. But with this first 20, we believe God has began a good work in Mabfilau, and that He alone will continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Glory and praise belong to Him, King Jesus! 

Ps. Below is a song composed by the 2006 Reformers of Mabfilau, Epi, in Bishlama.

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Reformation

    Kindom blong God i wantem stap insaid long yu

    Be sapos tingting blong yu ino wantem jenis...

     Yu no save gro long Christian life

     So yu nidim Reformation long life blong yu

     So yu nidim Diorthosis long life blong yu

1.

  Hemi taem nao blong Church i Reform...

      Hemi Kairos time blong God...

  Katem aot ol wrong activity...

      Mo leftemap will blong God...

2.

  Ol niu fasin ino save kam...

      S'pos olfala wan istap...

  Rod blong hem se yu yu mas Repent...

      Hemi tru Metanoeo...