News from Nauru - March 2025

Things that stand out
When you come to new place it is always good to jot down some of the things which are different and here are a few:

The school system have 4 or 5 Infant Schools across the Island for 5 – 6 year old. There is 1 Lower Primary School for 6-8 year olds and 1 Upper Primary School for 8-11 year olds. There is 1 Lower Secondary School for 11-15 year olds and 1 Secondary School for 15-18 year old.

Places come alive at night after about 7.30pm when it get dark. It is cooler then.

At night people load their truck with family and tour around the island.

We only have two supermarkets and one with not much in. But over 35 small general shops often run by Chinese people.

The only animals I have seen are dogs, cats, mice, chickens and pigs.

The main road is closed when a plane is landing or taking off.

People use their eyes more in communication.

Finding my way around
I have now cycled around the Island 26 times. Sometimes I have gone the long way when the airport road is closed. I have also walked all the way around twice. Yesterday I was talking to two women and they said they are half my age and would die just walking to the sign 200 km down the road.

I have walked and cycled to the Buada Lagoon a few times and walked around and today I walked across some of the centre of the Island which is called Topside. There is another high area at the back of Meneng where they are building a Sports Arena for some Pacific Games next year. The structures are due to be the start of a higher village to escape to as sea levels rise

When does work start?
In the first and second week of my stay I met with Sunday School teachers, Youth, Women and Pastors and that set a plan for the next few weeks.

I am hosting a Pastor’s Team Meeting weekly on a Monday evening.

I started my first Preaching Training session on Wed 12th and repeated that on 19th for those who didn’t get to 12th. I have since done the second of six sessions.

I have now had a couple of training/ mentoring sessions with some young people and have started visiting each Church to try and get a Youth Programme up and running. Some central things have been done but not much local.

I run the first Sunday School Teacher Training Session in March, one of 4 fortnightly session and have put together a trail programme to be used in each Sunday School which I hope I will get some feedback from on session 2. I have now had the chance to see 4 Sunday Schools in action. It is encouraging to see one with over 60 children, half under 11 and half between 11 and 15. One with new leaders has about 15 children and the singing was amazing. Yesterday I was impressed by a teacher leading a new song and splitting the age group with different challenges, and using bits of my plan.

Another part of my role is about encouraging the work in schools. Each school has a 30-45 minute Religious Education slot and the different denominations go in and take those who come to their session. The Congregational Church has not been honouring all the slots and not with enough people. I am trying to increase and support a reliable team. So for the past 3 weeks I have been in the 2 primary and 2 secondary schools leading or encouraging the sessions. Numbers attending have grown and this will present it own challenges

I am trying to find out more about a run-down area on the Island called ‘Location’. I hope to go to the Church there on 30th March - a community of people from different nations. One from the Congregational Church is running some basketball sessions and I have been to watch.

In March we will start a 6 week Lent Bible study. I will lead the first and then the Pastors will do the others. This is a new activity for the church.

I have more training planned for after Easter.

There are parts of my planned role which I have not been given information about yet.

Prayer and Support
I do welcome your prayers for the above. It would be good to identify some safe friends here to chat stuff over with.

The internet seems to be working well and the time difference at present is Nauru being 12 hours ahead of the UK so it is possible to zoom between 7 and 10 some days

If you send anything by post you need to put on the envelope my telephone number as there is not delivery service.

God Bless Guide your Journey in 2025.

Rev Nigel Lindsay
Partner in Mission ‘Enabler’:
Nauru Congregational Church
Mission House Aiwo District
Phone: + 674 556 5104
WhatsApp: + 44 7917 222 304
pastornigel19@yahoo.co.uk