Traditionally, Network (and formerly Women's Work) has supported Mission Partners (Missionaries) in their work, wherever the Methodist Church has placed them.

Richard and Kathryn are members at the Withington Church. Richard was Deputy Head teacher at Adswood Primary School in Stockport, and Kathryn was a District Nurse in Manchester. Richard was also a member of the District Formal Education Committee (where I met him originally). Richard and Kathryn asked me to be their District Link - this is a challenge and opportunity for me to encourage, support, as well to learn about, the Solomon Islands - also, most importantly, it is a way of letting Richard and Kathryn know that there is a host of people in their Home District supporting, praying for, greeting them and learning about their work there (since March 2005).

Where are the Solomon Islands? About 7,000 miles away - find Australia and keep going east! There are six large islands and 992 smaller ones! The runway on their island of Munda also serves as a main road with the Church, Hospital, School and their house, at one end, and the shops and market at the other!

Kathryn and Richard are nine hours ahead of us - when we're getting up, their day is nearly over.

Kathryn is using her nursing skills at the Helena Golda Hospital, which was established in 1903 by Australian Methodists. There are 56 beds for a population of about 50,000. Kathryn is involved in the Health Education Department, visiting villages and schools to run clinics for diabetes, giving injections, giving talks and role-plays on such topics as puberty and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDS). She has been on two-hour canoe journeys to the provincial capital, Honiara - 2 hours sitting on a towel on a lump of wood…. guess which part of her anatomy was sore! She has to speak to her patients and students in pidgin - asking mothers, "PIKININI BLONG YU HAO?"

Richard is using his teaching skills in the Community High School where he teaches Science to forms 1, 4 and 5; recently he gained year 3 too. There are about 260 High School students, plus another 260 Primary School children. During heavy rain, school is cancelled!! There is no toilet at the school - Richard tells me you either hang on or dash home!! A bike would make things easier! Wonder what the students do!! He tells me there are very few science resources there and he has borrowed equipment so students can do assessments; otherwise they would just lose 20% of their marks.

Church services are very different for them. Services start with choruses, many with actions. All, who go to Church, are put into Fellowship groups; these groups are assigned Sundays when they have to lead choruses, tidy the church, arrange the flowers and welcome people (seems like a good idea!). During the service there is a "unity prayer" when everyone prays out loud at the same time in their own dialect.

Services are generally about two and a half hours long, though special anniversary services can be as long as four hours (this was the case at the service celebrating the landing of the first missionaries on the island). Following the services, the congregation files out row by row, shakes the preacher's hand and goes home - no hanging around for coffee and chat - the islanders see each other every day and many are from the same very extended family.

There's so much to share with you!! The vital point for now is to ensure that as many people as possible know that Kathryn and Richard are from our District. They are ours to remember, pray for and hopefully support - we wait for ideas for practical help.