SOMA

Encouraging stories from the mission field.

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:04:29 +1100

Stories from Mityana Diocese (Uganda)

Stories from the Seychelles Islands

Mission Report from Argentina

From The National Director

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:43:16 +1000

From the National Director of SOMA Australia……..

I believe that a key factor in the renewal of the local churches in Australia is for people obedient to the call to go out on short term ministry anointed with Holy Spirit and to bring back a portion of that anointing to share with the congregations in their churches. SOMA has a very special role to play in this.

I want to ask all who read this to pray about the role they can play and to offer early for future missions, already we are seeing people putting their names down, a number of whom have never been on a SOMA mission. DO NOT DELAY!

Please support SOMA in your prayers—use the prayer diary as a guide!

Please give generously as we are increasing the activity in SOMA Aust. and I want to provide funds to enable persons from some of the emerging nations to join our teams with a view to them gaining experience so that in turn, they can go out in teams from their own country.

Bless you all.

Bruce Moon

Upcoming Missions

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:46:00 +1000

Mission Plans for 2010

Dates & duration	Destination	Team size & est. cost	Description of mission
May 2010 2 weeks + travel	Kashmir (India)	5 $1700 Visa required	To encourage & support the small Anglican church as it ministers to a predominantly non-Christian community
May 2010 2.5 weeks + travel	Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean Province)	2 x teams of 6 pax $2020	One team to teach on God’s plan for marriage and train leaders to run Alpha marriage preparation courses. Second team to minister and teach matters concerning the Holy Spirit and the equipping of the church for its work of ministry.
July (first half) 2 weeks + travel	Solomon Islands Diocese of Malaita	5-6 pax $1240 +	To encourage the local church to grow in renewal particularly through the celebration of the sacraments and understanding of the empowering by the Holy Spirit.
July 2010 2.5 weeks + travel	Mauritius (Indian Ocean Province)	6 pax $1350	To teach about renewal and to encourage the local church particularly in their healing ministry.
August 2010 2 weeks + travel	Nigeria—Diocese of Jos	?? $2800 + conf accomm	Participate in a SOMA International conference and then go out to areas with mission teams drawn from many countries. This area is currently experiencing civil unrest but the church there has grown under persecution. International Conference of SOMA National Directors will be held prior to the conference.
September 2010 2.5 weeks + travel	Uganda—Mityana Diocese	6-10 pax $2500 Visa required	Follow on from the work begun last year in most of the 6 archdeaconries in the Diocese. Bp Stephen welcomes another mission to build on the growth that has occurred since 2009 mission.
October 2010 2.5 weeks + travel	Madagascar—(Indian Ocean Province)	6 pax $1600 Visa required	To teach at the theological college about renewal in the Holy Spirit and the equipping role of the Spirit as a natural part of the students and clergy working in their parishes. Following the teaching segment it is hoped to go with the students on a weeks mission to nearby churches. Other opportunities in other diocese may arise.
November 2010 2 weeks + travel	Macau—China	4-5 pax $900 + Visa required	First time mission to this small Anglican Church and it very much will be a mission of encouragement , teaching in renewal and ministry with the members.

Notes regarding the mission plans for 2010.

Actual dates are still subject to the inviting Bishops finalising their diocesan schedules.

Costs are estimates and dependent upon when air fares are purchased and seasonal influences. Jetset Merrylands continues to serve SOMA so well in advising and finalising ticketing and visas—for their input we thank God so much!

Normally the host diocese supplies accommodation and meals but in some cases depending upon their ability, each team member may have to contribute towards these costs.

Team leaders are not decided yet and is a matter occupying the National Director’s efforts.

The National Director in conjunction the mission team leader is responsible for accepting or rejecting invitations from people who express their desire to go on mission.

Rosemary Davies

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:28:11 +1000

A Christian woman brought her 14 year old daughter for prayer. The girl had recently completed an Alpha course but said she had not been able to make a commitment to the Lord Jesus. As I spoke with her, the clear word ‘occult’ came to me, and the sense that this was the key preventing her giving her life to Jesus. I asked her if she had been involved with any occult, such as séances, reading stars, seeing the witchdoctor etc. She was very emphatic in denying any such activities which are frequently a part of island life and well known. I then asked her mother if she had been taken to the witchdoctor to be dedicated when she was a baby. This was also emphatically denied. We prayed that the Holy Spirit would bring everything into the light. The mother then suddenly remembered taking her to the witchdoctor on an uncle’s persuasion when, as a baby, she had had very bad ear infections that the doctors could not heal. The mother is a mature Christian and had no trouble repenting of this before the Lord and asking for freedom for her daughter. After prayer, the daughter was able to ask Jesus to be her Lord and Saviour, and we were able to pray further with her. Rosemary Davies

Dr Deslee Campbell

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:16:32 +1000

Our SOMA Mission to the Seychelles was a first for me. It was a very challenging time in many ways but I believe we were able to impact a nation. This was in part because the ground had been well prepared and because the local churches as well as we ourselves put so much effort into it but mostly because the Holy Spirit was gracious. By faith we sowed little seeds and He multiplied the harvest, and He is still doing so. Almost daily I receive delightful emails from Seychellois Anglicans demonstrating how congregations are going on in the Lord and how individuals are stepping out in ministry. It is wonderful to think how much can be achieved for the Kingdom in just three weeks !

Dr. Deslee Campbell

Message from the Schelles

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:04:33 +1000

Warm greetings to you!

I am doing great by the wonderful grace of God. I feel so blessed with your visit to the Seychelles with the team, the fire of God was once burning in me but was kind of put off, for what ever reason... but your visit... Oh bless the Lord... it has revive and I am so grateful... Bless the Lord!!! Praise be to His Holy Name!!!

The visit of the SOMA has left us with a challenge to ensure that the fire of God is not put out... I bless the Lord for the wonder He has done and is still doing... please keep us in your prayers.

All the same, this was just a quick note to say hello and to bless the Lord for you all allowing Him to use you to help us revive the fire of His love in the heart of the people of Seychelles...

Please kindly give my regards to the other members of the team.

With every blessing

Peace & Love

The Revd Christine B Benoit

Ross in the Seychelles

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:55:54 +1000

Just a few lines about my experiences in the Seychelles. I have found the people in the Seychelles to be very warm and friendly in their welcome of us. They were expecting from us to help them in their worship of God. In my time of ministering to them I had come across quite a lot who were having trouble getting close to God. They felt that there was a barrier separating them from God and they didn't know what that barrier was. I came to understand the reason for that feeling of separation from God was caused by their association with the occult which is part of their culture. A very lot of people from the Seychelles have been involved in some sort of witchcraft in one way or the other and once that demonic power was broken through repentance and prayer for release then the barrier that was separating them from God was broken and the peace of God was released and any illnesses or curses that came about as a result of that occultic activity was also dealt with and they were set free. Praise the Lord!! The church in the Seychelles is on the brink of coming into renewal. The last night that we were in Praslin the church was overflowing with joy and they were singing full of voice because of what God was doing in their lives. People were being set free by the power of God working through the SOMA ministry team and it was wonderful for me to witness and experience it. This causes me to look forward to my next mission with SOMA.

Ross Holman

Breakthrough in Mahajunga

Tue, 27 May 2008 19:59:04 +1000

Mahajunga is one of the four major ports of Madagascar although the port is shallow and does not handle a high tonnage. It is situated on the North West coast of the island. While there are some scenic parts of the town, mostly it reflects third-world poverty. The Bishop’s house has no running water.

Our visit was different to most SOMA Teams, which are invited by the local Bishop. Ours was arranged by the Province, in accordance with the Archbishop’s vision to bring Renewal to the whole region. However, during the time of the Provincial Conference in Antananarivo it became evident that there had been very little communication with the Diocese, and nothing had been planned for our visit. Our only contact had been through the one Diocesan representative, Rev Hery, a wonderful young man who attended the Conference and has a vision to run Alpha courses.

Our one sure event was that I would be preaching on Pentecost Sunday.

The original team of Rosemary and myself was expanded with the addition of Mary Waiguchu from Kenya, and she was a great blessing. Our journey on the Friday took twelve hours in a small mini-bus down a winding road. We were accompanied by the Bishop and his wife, who travel by public transport, as they cannot afford a car. We arrived in the dark and were taken in two tiny taxis to our accommodation, about 8km out of town, down a horrendously rough road.

We were told there would be a meeting the next morning, where we could talk about SOMA, but nobody turned up! On Sun. morning I preached on the message of Pentecost. Almost everyone raised their hand to indicate they wanted to accept Jesus as “Saviour and Lord,” and everyone stood to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. However, there were no outward manifestations to indicate anything had happened. One young man said later he was “encouraged.”

A meeting was announced for 4pm, in conjunction with Evening Prayer, and we indicated there would be Prayer for Healing. After the sermon by the Cathedral Priest we taught on healing, and about 30 came forward for prayer. All indicated they were fully or partially healed. There was some very significant ministry, and at least one lady received the gift of tongues. The bishop sat at the back of the church, obviously cautious about what was happening. He indicated later that many of the Committee were upset that “Anglican traditions” had been broken.

Another meeting was advertised for Monday Morning (a Public Holiday), but only about 20 came, mainly the bishop’s extended family and a few leaders. We taught on Spiritual Gifts and some more on Healing, and answered questions. The response was enthusiastic, and the bishop joined in! We also sang some Renewal Songs, which were new to most of them.

By mutual agreement we continued in the afternoon with practical work. We demonstrated how to pray for the sick, and most of them were involved, especially the bishop’s wife, who testified that the Holy Spirit had touched her.

We then divided them into groups of about 6 and taught them how to ask God for a word to pass on to their neighbour. Everyone said they were blessed and encouraged by this. We believe that there has been a genuine breakthrough of the Spirit into the lives of at least a dozen people in Mahajunga. They all said that nothing like this had happened before. The bishop’s wife and family, and the head of Mothers’ Union were deeply touched and are, we believe, very significant for the future.

On Tuesday afternoon we were taken to three homes to pray for sick people. Then followed a meeting with the Mother’s Union! Mary and Rosemary spoke and were well received. At the end we were all warmly thanked for our visit. At night our hosts invited their neighbours in for prayer & blessing. There were about 35 children and 25 adults. Many were Roman Catholics (as was our host’s wife) and some knew about the things of the Spirit. Everyone was prayed for individually and blessed.

When we left on Wednesday, the bishop, his wife, and about 8 others took us to the Airport in a bus and farewelled us with an invitation to return! The whole attitude towards SOMA had changed, and we left behind some lovely new friends in the Body of Christ.

John and Rosemary Davies

SOMA AUSTRALIA � JOURNEYING INTO THE FUTURE

Sat, 24 May 2008 16:36:32 +1000

As the recently appointed Executive Officer I strongly believe that SOMA Australia should re-focus on its core reason for being i.e. to be an agent of encouragement and renewal within the Anglican churches overseas (also cross-culturally within Australia).

I believe we all feel that the anointing of God on SOMA is still current and what was birthed by Him should be brought to maturity. This I believe was confirmed in the recent mission to the Indian Ocean Province of the Anglican Church. All other activities should promote this core objective.

I feel that the re-organisation and re-focusing can only succeed with a strong prayer and financial basis and this role belongs to the supporters of SOMA. Most of these supporters will more likely be one time members of mission teams that have gone out under the SOMA banner (over 340 have gone out in the name of SOMA Aust.).

TO ALL THAT RECEIVE THE SHARING MAGAZINE PLEASE JOIN NOW AS A MEMBER AND HAVE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SOMA’S MISSION. There will also be a smaller number of people who wish to support a mission society that advocates renewal within the Anglican Communion. Parish support can only be relied upon if we direct our deputations and communication in an improved way and provide good feedback to them.

I believe we need to take a radical look at creating value for our members through the new Web site and my goal is to rebuild a strong support base that will enable the society to grow and to sustain further mission development. This is going to take a team effort and I am heartened at the recommitment of the new Board of Directors to achieving this goal.

Bruce Moon.

SALT IN TOAMASINA

Sat, 24 May 2008 16:19:34 +1000

Toamasina gets its name from history. When the king of Madagascar came to this place he found that the river water tasted salty. It was named “salty taste” or “Toamasina”. Now the Anglicans of this diocese are learning how to be the salty taste in their community.

Four SOMA members spent a week in the city teaching and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in a core of people in the diocese of Toamasina. Rev Dr David Maurice (a GP), and Mrs Credwyn Hart, from SOMA UK, and Ken and Bev Hargreaves, from SOMA Australia, accompanied Bishop Jean-Paul Solo, and two clergy and two lay persons from the SOMA Conference in Antananrivo to the diocese for teaching in how to be empowered by the Holy Spirit for ministry, church growth and evangelism.

The situation of the church as it stood was one where congregations were regular in worship, loyal to the priest and congregation, but willing to leave the ministry entirely to the parish priest. In line with the Archbishop’s vision, Bishop Jean-Paul wanted lay involvement in each parish’s ministry and evangelism. The lay people, however, felt powerless to progress in this way.

The team started with a core group of about 20. David and Ken led teaching on The Kingdom of God, and the meaning of Jesus’ reconciliation on the cross. They were led into a time of offering themselves once again to God. Bev and Creddie, with their gifts of drama, led these people through acts of forgiveness, reconciliation and openness to God

By the next class, the numbers had increased to about 30. Ken taught on the person and work of the Holy Spirit through history. After Credwyn’s testimony, David led the group into infilling of the Holy Spirit. This was, for them, a precious time.

The final night saw 40-50 come. Bev brought her testimony, and then members of the class were invited to say what the Holy Spirit was doing in their lives. From a quiet, staid people came an outpouring of excited testimony. Numerous times a person would get so excited telling what God had done that the poor translator was left behind, then both would dissolve in laughter.

The final act was to have members of the class pray with and for each other. Everyone participated. The seed had been sown.

Ken Hargreaves - Team Member