Island Missions Support, Inc.
will be a full-time, hands on work among the islands in
the South Pacific. Many of these islands are very isolated due to their remote
locations or poor/inadequate transportation. Due to the shortage
of resources of these countries’ governments, many of these islands
exist without the basics of any kind of medical care and child mortality
rates are often very high. During natural disasters, such
as hurricanes, tsunami, earthquakes and volcanic activity (this is
the Ring of Fire region), they struggle with transporting desperately
needed assistance of food, water, building materials, evacuations to
safety, etc.
IMS will be providing maritime assistance to missionaries, medical
field teams, bible translators, local churches,
etc. The transportation of all manner of small cargo including food,
water (we will have a water maker on board at all times)
disaster relief supplies, building materials, bibles, teaching supplies, and
anything else that is needed or in need of transport!
Sample data on a few
island groups:
Solomon Islands:
A total of 922 islands make up this 27,556 km² archipelago
that is also named the Solomon Islands. It stretches 1,800 kilometres from the
Short lands in the east to Tikopia in the west and nearly 900 kilometres from
Rennell in the south to Ontong Java in the north. Of these 922 islands, there
are 6 large ones (Choiseul, Isabel, Guadalcanal, Makira, Malaita and New
Georgia), about 20 medium-size ones and numerous smaller ones. 347 of the
islands are inhabited.
Vanuatu is usually said to contain 83 islands. 63 are inhabited
Fiji
consists of 332 islands
in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,960 mi (3,152 km) from Sydney,
Australia. About 110 of these islands
are inhabited.
PNG (Papua):
600 outlying Islands, with several large island groups.
Funding:
The need for this kind of mission service and support vessel in this part of the world is huge! Fuel, repairs, maintenance and food will be our largest expenses.Our estimated annual budget to keep the vessel working full time is approx. $30,000 a year.
This amount of funding will ensure proper maintenance/safety and help meet the needs of whoever can utilize our services year round. We will be entrusting our lives and the lives of any who travel with us to this vessel and it needs to be kept in good condition/repair and properly equipped.
In
this part of the world where we are called to operate, maritime
operations are often the only way to access these people. There are no
roads, and most of these islands lack air fields or places to build air fields. The
only way to operate safely in these areas is with suitable maritime
resources. Missionaries all too often are depending on unsafe local
vessels and lives have been lost this way. Also, in terms of
disaster relief, the local governments are often overwhelmed through
a lack of adequate maritime resources.
Many
think
of the South Pacific as a peaceful paradise on earth,
unfortunately this is untrue. There have been civil wars, coups, poor
health care, environmental devastation and even hunger in some areas.
Many still live in the darkness of animism, witchcraft, ancestor
worship and cargo cults. Some areas are considered to be the most
dangerous places on earth for women to live. Wife beating, rape and
human trafficking are serious issues. We
believe it is only through the power of God that these issues can be
successfully addressed in order to give these people hope for the
future. IMS is committed to being
the hands and feet of the Lord to help supply that need by offering maritime
logistics and support to many agencies and organizations already working
in the area.
Island Missions Support,
Inc. is a verified non-profit organization.
IRS Code: Section 501(c)(3)
