Everything is Eternal

Once again, welcome to our second session of discussion on the subject ‘Eternity.’ Last week I bring to your attention the thought that we live in a world where all things are temporary and passing away. The second thought that I want to bring to your attention this week is that we are all moving…

Celebrating our Sporting Culture

Like most Australians, I love sport.  In the small town where I grew up, sport was at the centre of community life.  As a child, I played sport all year round: Australian Rules football, cricket, tennis, basketball, golf.  And when I wasn’t playing sport, my friends I were watching it, talking about it, going for…

A Glimmer of Hope for West Papua?

Jayapura, Jubi – It is frustrating that serious human rights abuses in Indonesian-controlled West Papua continue to fly below the radar. This year there has been some good news but it is also going largely unremarked. This is equally frustrating, especially as the positive developments all stem from initiatives taken by courageous Papuans themselves or…

Building a Solomons savings culture

HONIARA, (ANZ) – In the Solomon Islands women have always played an instrumental role in their communities. In the small island nation of just over half a million people some 70 vernacular languages are spoken and a subsistence economy prevails. Now the central role  of women is further evolving as they play an even greater…

God Gives A Perfect Heart

This week under the theme ‘The secret of God’s presence,’ we will look at another two passages from the Bible and they are 1 Chronicles 29:19 and Psalms 119:80. First, the author of first Chronicles writes these words by King David, “Give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandment, thy testimonies,…

Solomon pijin sotkats

While English is the official language of the Solomon Islands, Pijin is clearly the ‘unofficial’ national language. It is the common language of  the Solomons, spoken and understood by almost everyone in the country. It is the language of gossip, jokes, the market, the bus stop, the bar. Until recently Pijin has almost entirely been…