Guests from Pohnpei Salomon and Davelyn David spoke with Pastor Walton about growing up, coming to Christ, and joining the ministry at Good News Baptist Church.
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Transcript
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is Pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor of Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We have two services at Harvest Baptist Church every week, 08:45 a. m., the first service, second at 10:45 a. m.
We have Japanese and Korean translation during that 10:45 a. m. Service. And that’s also when we live stream at hbcguam.org.
Hbcguam.org. If you join us this week, it’s a great Sunday to do it. Dr. Chopo Mwanza will be our keynote speaker, and he’ll be beginning our missions conference with the theme, Let the Nations Be Glad. We also have those missions conference services Monday through Wednesday evening.
Let’s begin today’s Harvest Time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton. Hi, Pastor.
Gary Walton: Hey, Chris. Hafa adai to everybody. Glad that you’re with us today. I’ve been traveling for a couple of weeks, it’s good to be back at Harvest. Preached on Sunday and to be back doing Harvest Time.
So glad to gather with you here today. You know, missions is at the heart of God’s desire for the world, and we have a clear commission from Jesus to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every nation. And we understand that it’s just an essential, central part of what we’re called to do. Once a year, we try to put a really special emphasis on this mission that we’ve been given. It doesn’t mean that missions isn’t always on the forefront of our mind, but there’s something about kind of setting aside some time and really putting all of our focus together that lights our fires and ignites us a little bit and maybe recalibrates our thoughts and our minds about the things that really matter to God.
And our Missions Week is that week, and so we try to put a lot of emphasis on it. We tell our church this is the highlight of our year, and that week is coming up. That’s what Chris just was talking about. Our Missions Week is coming up, and we have a number of special guests with us, missionaries that Harvest Supports. I’m going to introduce you to one of the couples here in a minute.
And then we’ve asked Dr. Chopo Mwanza to join us. Dr. Mwanza is from Zambia. He’s a part of a sister ministry that we’ve supported for quite a while.
Missionary Phil Hunt is supported by Harvest. He’s been here a number of times and he’s the head of a Bible college in Zambia and actually kind of a group of churches that’s grown up. God’s really using and blessing his ministry. And Dr. Mwanza is the incoming new president of CABU, their Bible college, and we’ve invited him to come.
He’s got a fantastic story of God’s blessing in Zambia, actually a lot of similarities to some of the ministry things that we have going on, and you will be blessed and challenged by his ministry. So I want to second Chris’ invitation to you already. We’d love for you to come on Sunday morning or any of those evening services. If you need more information, can find that on our website. I mentioned that we have, some special missionary pastor, guests with us, and, we’ll be introducing them actually in Harvest Times over the next couple of weeks.
But I’m really glad to have Pastor Salomon David and his wife Davelyn with us today. If you’ve been around Harvest, you’d know that these are not brand new people. They’ve been part of our family for a while. I’ll tell you about that. But really good to have you back, Pastor David.
Thank you for being here.
Salomon David: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the invitations. And it’s an exciting time that we can be back here with you guys and be a blessing to to the HBBC and the other church churches folks here.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Well, we’ve been looking forward to it. We’re just talking before we, started recording. Davelyn, you’ve been here a number of different times, but to kind of stay for a longer period like this, this is your first time doing that here at Harvest.
Davelyn David: That is correct.
Gary Walton: Yeah. So we’re so glad to have you here and looking forward to both of your ministry with us. Pastor Salomon is pastor of Good News Baptist Church in Pohnpei. And he’s been the pastor there for
Salomon David: 10 2016 to now.
Gary Walton: Okay. Ten years? Yes. And been Pastor Salomon is a graduate of HBBC. He was here on campus as a student from 2004 to 2008, Graduated at the time and then God brought him back to Pohnpei, actually a number of different things.
You were teaching in the school, Calvary Christian Academy, and then we’ll talk about this, but became the pastor then a few years later. And our church, Harvest, supports him. We’re partners together in the ministry. We pray and asking God to continue to bless that ministry. And so glad, so happy to have you guys here with us and enjoying the Missions Conference together.
I want to ask you some questions, alright? So you guys are all ready for this. Both of you grew up in Pohnpei. I want to ask you about, what was it like for you back then growing up?
Salomon David: Well, growing growing up as a child, to start with my my family, it’s a tough life because, my dad and my mom, they just stay home and do garden gardening, and that’s how we live our life out of gardens. You know? And lately, I think my dad find a job, and then that’s help us more little bit more about our life going through. And I know it’s really hard for them to, you know, work and provide our needs. And, actually growing up in in a culture that, you know, you have to do this, you have to follow the the way of the culture back then.
I know it’s really hard for me to look back and see these things and compare them this time.
Gary Walton: Do you have other siblings?
Salomon David: I have four sisters and one brother. My brother also graduated from your HBBC.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Well, I’m eager to talk about, you know, God’s plan in your life even from back then, but it’s interesting to tell just a little bit about those childhood memories. What about for you, Davelyn? Tell me about growing up.
Davelyn David: Well, I’ve always been part of the Calvary Baptist Church in Colonia. So to me is we have different cultures from the way we do things from pastor David, from my husband. So it’s whenever he talks about his time, because I’m a little bit older than he is, but when he talks about his time, it’s almost like he is the age of my father because I was comparing my life to his. He has a lot more difficult time than me. But I was always under the preaching of the Word.
Hearing it, it’s almost like, I hear it every day, so it, I don’t, I don’t know, it doesn’t affect me, I guess. Think that’s how I would say it. Yeah. Because I’m listening to it every day. So it’s almost like it’s just voice coming and going, you know?
I’m so comfortable with it that it doesn’t affect me. I wasn’t really thinking about what I hear. And also my parents are also, you know, they were Christians. And my dad, when I was, I think in elementary, he went fishing and didn’t come back.
Gary Walton: So How old were you then?
Davelyn David: I think maybe 10 years old, elementary.
Gary Walton: That was hard.
Davelyn David: But my mom got married again, but that was to my dad’s brother. And so I was glad Mhmm. That she married him because he took care of us Yeah. Like fam because he’s our uncle. So I I kept the last name Wallace because of him.
He decided to take us on and took care of us because we were still young. But anyways, I am glad that that happened because then we were not taken out of the church, you know, because my mom is from the Protestant church. And so I was happy. Now that I look back, it’s a blessing, you know.
Gary Walton: Well, it’s very hard as a young lady to have to lose her parents and her dad for sure who provides and cares for us.
Davelyn David: Yeah. So it was difficult, but then at that same time, to me it was okay. I think I lived a comfortable life. We live in town. And so every time we talk about our past life, I feel like he’s from the time
Gary Walton: A different world.
Davelyn David: Yeah, a different world.
Gary Walton: Yes. So Pastor, you were talking about really hard when you were growing up. Was God a part of your life? Did you think about God?
Salomon David: Thank you for asking that. I grew up in a home that God is not in there. You know, I grew up in a home that only problems there that god is not in there because my both parents my mom is a Catholic. My my dad is Protestant, and only things that come in the house, the home is fighting. My my my dad is a he likes to drink.
That’s what he does every night and come back from drinking and come and scare scare my mom and beat my mom’s up, and we have to sometimes we have to run away from the house and hide hide somewhere that my dad will not find us. So, actually, what I’m gonna say is my house is the home that I grew up in, there’s no God in there.
Gary Walton: Mhmm. So tell me how you started to know about God and his love for you.
Salomon David: Somewhere in 1990s, missionary Mike Shell and the family came down to our village and then started their church there. And, you know, because I grew up in different religions and I they my parents and people are teaching me or, like, teaching me about that the the the religions that I was I’m growing up in I was growing up in. It’s a true religions, so that’s what I believe that time. So but just to, observing these people, the missionary, and their families come down here, and it’s really totally different than what I what I heard from my my parents, my family members about the the religions. So just to make that story short, I do believe that these people are really being being faithfully praying for me.
So they invite me to go to one of the youth summer camp in 2001. I went there, that’s where I got saved. That’s where I first heard about the gospel.
Gary Walton: You were telling me about throwing rocks
Salomon David: Oh, yes.
Gary Walton: Up on the roof. Yes. What was that? So that was before then.
Salomon David: Before then. That’s before I yeah, I think that’s one of the things that the missionary was praying for me really hard.
Gary Walton: Because you’re a little troublemaker.
Salomon David: Yes, a little troublemaker, yes.
Gary Walton: Tell us that story.
Salomon David: Okay, well, because because, as I said, I was growing up and knowing that that’s the true church or religions that I was attending, and these people, when they come, these missionaries, when they come, I I really don’t like like them. You know? They said don’t even invite them. That’s what I, learn of. So what I do is almost every weekend, I will be with my friends and get drunk and then come back and do something to them, like, to to dis disturb their church their services, sorry, their services.
So one one time, the missionary came out and met me on the road because I’m doing that. And then he asked me not to do it because, you know, it’s not good. And other other other way, he said he’s not gonna tell my mom what I what I’m doing. But yet, yes, at that time, then I just walk away from him. And then in the morning, he called my mom, so I have to meet with them.
So when we’re when I was with them and just sit there and talking with them, And I realized that there is diff that’s really big different in their life. I I know that they’re not like the people I used to know. You know? That’s so, that’s where he invited me to go to camp. And just that that week that he invited me to camp, that’s where I find Jesus in my life.
Mhmm. That’s where I found Christ. So I’m so thankful for for them. Right now when I look back, it’s like I hold them a lot. Yeah.
You know, just to compare my life without them that God put them there, maybe I wouldn’t be here today.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. So how old were you about that time?
Salomon David: Probably maybe 13, somewhere in that time.
Gary Walton: Okay. And then did you feel like, you know, were you discipled at that point? Was your spiritual life just steadily growing? Did it have some ups and downs?
Salomon David: Well, yes. Right after I got saved, during the summer camp, I am so happy. I can I I know I I felt different than my life before? So I promise to God that I will be do my best for him. So I went back to the main we we call it our main island, not because we went for the small islands, and then when went back to the main island.
This is, I was living right and excited, always excited to go to church. And somehow, like, few weeks after that, I start falling out. I start falling out. So little by little, and then I was far from the Lord. I was far from the Lord.
And then here’s pastor Clayton Eliam, who just also graduated from here, went back home and straight to to same church in Wone Baptist Church, helping out missionary, Mike Shell that time. And that’s another another good testimony that I see from Mike Shell’s life. And then look at pastor Eliam’s life. That’s another great story of the testimony. He went down there, and I see how different his life, how he grow in the Lord.
And then I just I I start hanging hanging hanging with them, hung around with them with him and getting more advice, getting more discipleship from him. So he started praying for me to come to HBBI that time. So that’s how I ended up coming to HBBI.
Gary Walton: Yeah. That was great. 2004, right? Thousand four. Davelyn, it’s back up to you.
Alright, so you said, grew up in the church, parents are Christians, lost your dad when you were 10 years old. What happened after that?
Davelyn David: So I think I was in high school. I’m sorry, I get emotional.
Gary Walton: It’s okay. It’s okay. Our stories, our testimony should be emotional. It’s alright.
Davelyn David: Excuse me. So I think it was in high school that I, it was a preacher, Tom Farrell, had a school revival. And so that week I went up front because he was preaching on hell. And so there was Mrs. John that helped me and this other girl, you know, showed us from the Bible how we can be saved, how we can, you know, what to choose or so that we don’t go to hell.
Cause at the time I was more afraid of hell than what, that I would have eternal life and I would be serving Christ. It’s more about the hell that I’m afraid of when I went forward. And so it was later in life because even when I got saved that day, I went out, you know, you feel that, like this burden fell off of you. But then, you know, like he said, you kind of fell away when you don’t really stay in the Word. But I thank the Lord for these women in my life, like Mrs.
Vera Cruz and Ruth Ann Arthurs, that they, you know, they stuck with me.
Gary Walton: A pastor’s wife and a missionary’s Yes, wife, a pastor’s
Davelyn David: wife and a missionary’s wife. So they would try to mentor me, you know, counsel me on and advise me on what to do or where to go, what to choose. But then of course there is me always in this comfortable zone looking at the other side. You know, it’s greener out there than it is here. And so I did straighten my life and it was in 2003, I think it was 2003 I was in my closet.
You know, I was at my worst and so I that’s when I surrendered my life. Yes. And I told God that I will serve you in whatever you have for me. But whether I get married or not, I will serve you. And so I did.
I I stayed involved with bible clubs and, you know, tried to be in Sunday school so that I can stay busy, help with the children, Sunday school. And then later, God gave me this man. So I was straight, I straight, I strayed away, but then I thanked the Lord, He was able to make me realize what I need to do. And so, here I am. Later, we got married and we’re serving at Good News.
And I never thought I would do that. I mean, I understand I may be, helping his Sunday school or just be a helper, but not involved as a pastor’s wife.
Gary Walton: Yeah.
Davelyn David: Yes.
Gary Walton: I talk about it a lot, but I love the word redemption in the Bible, that God takes even things that are hard and difficult, in fact even sometimes are failures, and in his goodness and in his love, he redeems them. Not only does he forgive them, that’s amazing enough that he forgives and wipes them away, but he takes those things and actually gives us new life. He takes them and buys them back and uses them for His good and our glory, for our good and His glory. And I love that testimony. Thank you for sharing it.
Pastor, you had said that you went back to Pohnpei from HBBC. HBBI did graduate in 2008, went back to Pohnpei, just started getting involved with the church and teaching in the school. Then tell us about how God called you to good news as a pastor.
Salomon David: Right after I graduated from HBBI in 2008, I went back home and started helping out, helping Pastor Eliam there and as a youth director youth director at that time. But the George Milgrams, he already they already start the the Good News Baptist Church down down to, where they are right now. And and because of there is something in the family sick, The wife really sick, so they have to go to the state and, stay there for a while. Actually, they went to Hawaii and stayed there, and he has to come back and forth to, do the services, and he wants somebody to be down there with him and to interpret, his his messages because most of the people there, they doesn’t know how to speak English, understand English. So and he talked to pastor Eliam that time and asked if I can come down and help out a little bit.
I mean, help him down there. So I was so happy to go down and help about not knowing anything about become becoming a pastor there, but just go down there, just obey and go down there and, you know, start helping there and just God just put pour something into my heart to, you know, love those people there, you know? And I was thinking about them. Then one one time I went up to pastor and I say, you know, maybe I should move my membership down to Good News Baptist Church. And he say because he I do believe that he knew he need help that time.
Because I went there, only him and the wife is, trying to, you know, do the what God wants them to do in that church. So I went there and then out out in some areas and also the youth. The one I asked him if I can go down there is like he just looking at me without saying any word because he need he need somebody there. But I just tell him that, you know, I need to go down there because I know people need people, like, need pastor down there. So that’s when he said, you know what?
I’m not gonna stop you. Whatever God wants and it’s an open door for you, then you go go for it. So that’s when I went down there and working with them for some years, and then I finally find my out meat that I need for that ministry. So right after we got married, and then that’s when I voteed in to be the pastor for that church.
Gary Walton: Thank you both for your faithfulness in serving the Lord there in Good News Baptist Church and in Pohnpei. We’re out of time, so this will have to be quick. But I wanted to finish by asking you this question. You know, we’re praying for you, for your church. You’ve been pastoring there for more than ten years now.
Pastor David, what’s your burdens for the next generation of the church and the Christians in Pohnpei?
Salomon David: Well, the the first thing that it’s my burden is to actually see people got saved. That’s the burden that, it’s always in my heart to pray that, actually, in my village, the church, Good News Baptist Church, to see these people to get saved. And the second burden is to see them grow grow more. And I have lots of burden for the for these people, but I think I just stay with those two, like
Gary Walton: It’s a good place to stay. Yes. I like that.
Salomon David: To see them to see them see them saved and then growing.
Gary Walton: We’ll pray that burden with you. Pray that God’s church would thrive, that he’d supply all your needs, both you as a as a family and then, for the church and would allow your testimony as a church to grow and thrive and reach, you know, many people in that area. That’s our prayer. Thank you guys for being willing to come and be with us for our missions conference. We’re praying that your testimony to us will help us to fulfill the mission that God has for us here too.
Salomon David: So thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, pastor.
Davelyn David: Thank you.
Chris Harper: And thank you for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always personally invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church and, of course, the beginning of our missions conference this week, 08:45 a. M, 10:45 a. M, Sunday morning. We have Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45 a. M. Service.
You can listen to that that service 10:45 a. M. Live here on 88.1 FM and khmg.org.
We hope to see you at our missions conference this week. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.