60 year celebration

On the 19th of May 2010 Londua is having a 60th anniversary celebration and all past students and staff are invited to be part of this celebration. For further details please call Londua on 38482 or the Church of Christ office on 37942.

Londua 60 year Anniversary

We had a Londua council meeting in Santo on Saturday. Most reps were there and it was an 8 till 6-30 sesion. There was excitment in the discussion about the Annual Conference being held at Londua this year from the 16th till the 22nd of May and the Londua 60 year celebration day being held on Wednesday the 19th. Every one who has had an involvment with Londua have been invited to come and bring a gift for Londua. For anybody overseas thinking of going to this very auspicious occasion you will need to get organised for flights and accomodation. There are potentially 4 work teams heading to Londua this year and some space for a few people if you want to come along. Londua is in need of corrugated iron for some rooves if anyone has some laying around.

Rain, Rain, Rain!!

Rain, rain,rain!!! After some delays for a cyclone we made it to Londua and it was very good to see 133 students on campus. The singing from the students is awesome and Chaplain Valarie asked Joanne, who accompanied us to Londua this trip to take most of the devotions with the students and also the CWF meeting down the road. Because of the rain some of the students had malaria but otherwise the general health at Londua was fine. Praise God that there are 3 paid Government teachers at Londua this year. This helps with the running of the college and the new staff are well qualified. There was a need for some new bread tins and a project was created for the Mechanics students. After a theory class and a bit of demonstrating you can see the new bread tins being out to good use. Orders have come in from the community and we are waiting for new flat iron. The oven is being put to good use as you can see. The First Aid kit was restocked and the medical incidents are being kept up to date. The ground water tank near the chapel was full to the top with clean water and also the tank at the Gap house. The Construction workshop and class room rooves leak in the rain so this is a priority to get replaced to free up some class rooms. 133 students, 58 vocational and 75 academic year 9 and 10.

Start of a new year

There have been 175 student applications to attend Londua this year with a few stragglers applying late. Not all the applicants will come but it is a good sign that Londua Technical College is regaining the recognition as one of Vanuatu’s leading rural training centres. We have on the books at the moment 3 work teams going to Londua to assist this year. One from Sydney, one from SE Queensland and one from central Queensland. They are going around June, July and September. The Vanuatu Churches of Christ Annual Conference is being held at Londua this year. During that week there is a day set aside for praising and thanking God for 60 years of service that Londua has been ministering to the youth of firstly the New Hebrides and later of Vanuatu. To get more information of this event please contact GMP office. http://www.inpartnership.org.au/ There is still a lot of maintenance work to be done at Londua including water storage, student vocational resources, teaching materials, building repairs and new staff houses and repairs. GMP has an Overseas Aid program called COCOA(Churches of Christ Overseas Aid). Donations to Londua Technical College are tax deductible. In the second half of each year Londua has little or no rain which impacts on the health and comfort of the students and staff. All students regularly wash in the ocean for months at a time. We are praying this year that Londua will have 2 wells drilled to secure fresh water for their future. God has blessed many young people through Londua for 60 years and is continuing His work through His people. Praise be to God.

What a great trip.

The staff and students from Wongutha Vocational College Esperance, in Western Australia put the finishing touches to what has been an amazing transformation. All Wongutha staff and students had time to share their story with the Londua students. And Harrold is "THE MAN".

Thanks to the Wongutha work team.

We had a great time of fellowship with the group of students from Wongutha Vocation school. They left Esperance in Western Australia early on Thursday morning to drive to Perth ariving early in the evening. A quick shop, shower and onto the red eye special to Brisbane arriving at 5-30am Friday morning. Met up with us at 7am at Brissy airport for the flight to Santo. They were very subdued and quiet for the rest of Friday. Sunday we all flew to Walaha and transport to Londua. The students put in a great effort to get a heap of painting done in the new dinning room and kitchen. Also they emptied, cleaned and sealed the Gap house water tank. A big thank you to all the students and teachers. Please come again soon.

You can click on the pictures below to enlarge them.

New slow combustion oven in the kitchen
We need to have a tray for baking pig.

Secure installation of satelite dish

Some of the new stainless steel benches in the new kitchen

Our dinner. We were flying through the work the next day!

The team is BACK

New tank roof

Starting to seal the tank before the new roof

Opening the new dining hall

Cheif Charlie Barney opening the new dining hall

Well the team is back and all survived without too much discomfort. Millions of stories and a personal connection with Vanuatu that will never be broken. A lifetime of experiences squeezed into 2 weeks. It was extremely dry and we had to travel for water from different churches every 3 days. The men bathed in the ocean after climbing down the cliff and needed another swim after climbing back up to the top. Thank God there were no bad accidents and all enjoyed the local hospitality. 14 sermons in various churches, 19 devotions with the students, 11 team devotions and a delightful amount of singing made for a great trip. I am sure that God has a job for YOU at Londua?? If you know anyone who has been to Londua, ask them if YOU might be a usefull volunteer?? God was exceedingly good to the team and has taught each of us many valuable lessons.

September Team

Replacing the chapel roof

Chapel roof finished

Inside year 11 class room

Outside year 11 class room after rebuild from blocks up.

Mid September there is a team of 24 going to Londua to assist with maintenance work. The team will be at Londua for 2 weeks to help the college with it’s 2010 preparations. All the materials will arrive this week ready for a big effort needed by the team to accomplish our objectives. Please pray for rain at Londua over the next few weeks as the water tanks are almost empty.

LONDUA....., the college we love...

LONDUA COLLEGE SONG

HOLD FAST TO THINGS ETERNAL

AND KEEP THEM IN YOUR HEART

FOR THEY SHALL NEVER PASS AWAY

THOUGH EARTH BE RIVEN APART

THIS WORLD MAY TEMPT US GREATLY

WITH THINGS THAT SEEMS SO SMART

BUT ONLY THEY HAVE PEACE AT LAST

WHO HAVE KNOWN HOW GREAT THOU ART

OH LONDUA, THE COLLEGE WE LOVE

MAY OUR HEARTS BE TRUE TO YOUR TEACHING,

MAY THOSE WHOSE FEET THIS WAY HAVE TROD

ALWAYS SEEK FOR HEIGHTS TO BE REACHING,

HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH

HOLD FAST TO THE FAITH

HOLD FAST …… HOLD FAST

OUR GOD WILL GUIDE OUR FOOT STEPS

WHERE'ER OUR PATHS SHALL LEAD

HIS PROMISES HAVE NEVER FAILED

HE SEES OUR EVERY NEED

TO HIM WE MUST BE LOYAL

FOR IN HIM OUR SOULS ARE FREED

HIS STRENGTH WILL BE OURS TILL THE JOURNEY'S END

FOR CHIRST IS ALL OUR NEED.

New Beds

The carpentry boys have been busy making some new beds for the visitors accomodation. Materials were supplied for them and it was a good practical excercise.

Mowers

Thanks to the Tasmanian team for their generous gift of 2 lawn mowers and string lawn mower. When we arrived at Londua this time it was amazing to see the lawns all mowed and cleared.

Students using laptops

I walked through the chapel one afternoon and these students were busy typing away on one of the laptops available to them. It was really good to see that the computers were being put to use and that the teachers were intergrating them into the normal class subjects. At night both teachers and students are on the learning path. Great to see.

Londua Dental Week

Last week was Londua Dental week. Every student had a checkup, clean and attended a lecture on Dental Health for Life. In total 97 students had a check and clean. 19 staff and family had checkups and a few teeth pulled. Nduindui hospital had an influx of patients on Wdnesday and Thursday with some teeth removed that had been causing trouble for years. Under the careful hands of our experienced dentist many teeth have left home never to return again! Our solar charged battery with inverter lasted the distance with the untrasonic cleaner, battery powered water pump for cooling, 12 volt airbed pump sucking through a dried milk tin with a 6mm plastic tube connected to throw away spit suckers worked a treat. For all of the students who may read this on the new internet connection " sugar + bacteria = acid = decay " and remember to brush every day after breakfast and before bed. The new VSAT dish went up last week and Londua now has 24 hour internet connection. A few minor adjustments on the next trip will get the speed up and look out world! The 10 Eee Pc's are being put to good use most nights with both staff and students on a steep learning curve. Our good friends from Sydney are sending more computer equipment for our next trip in July and there will soon be wireless connection for the community and staff. The gardens are looking great and the first fruits are being picked. Water is short and in the next 6 months we hope to have this yearly problem solved forever.

Beyond North Side

Are you up to the challenge?
Read about the experiences of the Northside Community Church team.

Click on this link below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyondnorthside/sets/72157617506896326/

Work Teams

Have you thought about a short term work team to Londua Technical College? Why not??

We have just arrived back from Londua with a group of young adults from North Sydney Community Church. It was a great time of work and ministry and we will see what the team says now that they are home. The new principal is doing a good job and the staff are all engaged in their respective duties. There are 90 odd students and they were all studying hard for their end of term exams. The Sydney team took 10 laptop computers and spent many hours in classes for both students and staff. That was in between the multiple classes of english, math, science, business studies and hygiene that were taught by the team. The students friendship was won over early through music. The team could not sing as well as the students but they were very gracious with us. There are 3 large gardens under way at Londua and the first fruits should be harvested in September. 2 brand new lawn mowers turned up the week before we arrived donated by last years Tasmanian team. The chaplain thanked God for the provision of these and all of the blessings that the Sydney team had brought to the Londua students and staff. There is a building program to get the dinning hall and kitchen rebuilt for next year, the concrete tanks sealed and roofed, 2 bush houses for staff and the possibility of 2 water bores to secure the year round supply of water. We thank God for the safe travel of the Sydney team and the ministry they brought to Londua. Please pray for the continued growth of Londua Technical College and for the ministry to all of the students.