VANIMO Town Seventh-day Adventist Church, affectionately known as Tawa Church, mobilised 109 of its members on Sunday, May 3, 2026, for a landmark outreach visit to the Vanimo Correctional Institution Services (CIS), one of the largest single-day church visitations to the facility in recent memory.

The initiative was originally driven by the church’s Youth Department, which had planned the CIS visit as part of its outreach program. When other departments realised they had similar activities on their calendars, the decision was made to combine efforts bringing together Adventurers, Pathfinders, Adventist Community Services and other ministries under one unified mission. The result was a visit of remarkable scale and impact.

PARTIAL TEAM ABSENT DUE TO FLIGHT LIMITATIONS

The training was not without its challenges. Due to unforeseen circumstances, part of the visiting team was unable to join the mission as originally planned, with fully booked flights to Wewak preventing some guests from travelling. The mission acknowledged the inconvenience and expressed its expectation of hosting those guests on a future visit.

Concluding the two days, Sepik Mission urged the two facilitators that the depth of need for governance and finance training across the local mission level far exceeded what two days could address. The mission expressed its willingness to plan for a longer and more comprehensive program in the future, signalling that this training is not a one-off event but the beginning of a sustained investment in leadership development across the Sepik region.

The spiritual momentum did not end at the baptismal site. During the appeal that followed, five students stepped forward and joined the baptismal line, making a public commitment to be baptised at the next Kubalia District program. Their decision extended the week’s harvest well beyond the three who entered the water.

The week concluded with a closing ceremony in the afternoon, featuring the presentation of bilum gifts to Pastor Martin Sungu in recognition of his role as guest speaker throughout the program. It was a fitting close to a week that left the district renewed, equipped, and looking forward to what God will do next.

A significant breakthrough for cross-border mission work has occurred in the remote village of Nyaukono, where a local Lutheran leader has donated land and pledged youth support to build a Seventh-day Adventist church.

Located along the border of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, the village has become a focal point for the “I Will Go” strategic initiative, which sees the South Pacific Division (SPD) collaborating with the South Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) to strengthen mission work in the region.

The land donation comes following a second visit by Minister Lingskey Fimbore, a Volunteer In Action (VIA) missionary currently serving with the Sepik Mission at the Wutung border post.

In a heartwarming display of inter-faith support, the village representative—a dedicated Lutheran—insisted on the establishment of the Adventist presence. He cited the impact of Adventist literature as the primary reason for his generosity.

“I am very happy for the SDA church to come to our village,” the representative said.

“Even though I was born Lutheran, I appreciate the SDA faith because I have read their books, which speak on creating a quality life and the promise of eternal life.

Going beyond just the donation of land, the representative has committed to organising local Lutheran youth to assist with the actual construction of the church building. He also expressed a personal commitment to the spiritual growth of his family through the new church.

“I am in total agreement that the Adventist Church must come to Nyaukono, and I will send my own children to attend,” he said.

For Minister Fimbore, this development is a direct answer to prayer and a testament to the power of unity in fulfilling the Gospel commission.

“As a worker for God, I want to say it is time for the Church to stand up together in unity,” Minister Fimbore said.

“We are embracing the theme ‘I Will Go’ and focusing on the mission of the Church to fulfill the gospel in Matthew 28—reaching, preaching, and preparing people for God’s Kingdom.”

The new plant in Nyaukono is expected to become a strategic hub for mission work, bridging communities across the political border and fostering closer ties between the two Church divisions.