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Tonga Boat Ministry
(Teaching church planters to build and repair boats for
ministry)
 Last
term Randy and Renee Carlson started a program of building
boats to reach new islands. Students are taught to build
the boats at the Bible school workshop. They construct these
22-foot long boats of epoxy/plywood. They are simple, safe
and durable. Randy is an experienced boat builder, which
makes it possible for him to teach and develop the skills
necessary to continue this ministry in the student/pastor.
When a pastor assists in the construction process, it teaches
him the skills needed to repair and maintain the boat. These
boats serve mainly as transportation but also as a means
of livelihood to feed his family..
The Results of this Ministry Program
-
 The
Tongan General Council is behind this vision of church
planting. The Bible school has a vision of planting 30
new churches in the next five years.
-
Last year they began using Bible school third year students,
who took off two terms to go plant seven churches. They
brought 100 new converts to the Tongan General Council,
which created tremendous excitement.
- Two of the new church plants are using the new boat as
it makes a circuit between three of these island churches.
Testimony of a Successful Church Planting Outreach
Some of our students went to Fotuha'a, an island of about
300 people in the Ha'apai group to plant a church. There
was no dock on the island so they anchored off the stern
and leaped to rocks when the waves allowed, and then climbed
152 steps
up a volcanic island to do their internship. Oneof the students
told people that they would be having a meeting and for all
the sick to come and they would pray
f or their
healing. That night the Lord instantly healed a blind lady
and it created great excitement on the island. Two of the
girls went to stay in an empty haunted house where no one
else would stay. One night they confronted an evil spirit,
they rebuked it and it left. They stayed on and planted
the new church. We continue to hear of good reports from
the
new works. God is moving in the islands of the sea.
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