Pastors celebrate 40 years of love

ANNIVERSARY

“Life had always been tough, there were times in ministry we would go without food or money but I had a wife who understood the challenges we faced in life and in ministry and we stood together.” – Ps Peter Solomon

By HELEN TARAWA
MARRIAGE is a life time commitment that Pastors Peter, 62 and Carol, 57 Solomon have discovered and the beautify of being in love together after 40 years (1982 to 2022).
On Sunday evening May 29, 2022 the couple celebrated their wedding anniversary witnessed by their daughters Priscilla and Abigail, grandson Israel, family members and congregation from their local Debeni’s Living Water Church and invited guests.
Pastor Peter, the founding Chairman of the Debeini’s Living Water Church in Gerehu said marriage is not easy.
But with the help of God, they have continued their marriage and love relationship for the last 40 years.
They met at the Assemblies of God (AOG) convention in Banak village and their love blossomed and 40 years later, they are still married and very much in love.
Pastor Peter told the story of how they met at the evening of the anniversary celebrations at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
“We were attending the AOG conference and the first General Superintend of AOG, Pastor Jacob Ganba was the guest speaker and it was during that time I gave my heart to the lord.
“We (Carol and I) sat next to each other during the conference and that’s where it all started. I felt so good after the convention and I wrote a letter to Carol.
“Unlike today where we have mobile phones, those days, we wrote letters. I squeezed the first letter and threw it away then I wrote another one.
“I told my cousin brother Gabriel Wamei, the driver of the vehicle we were travelling in to Lowon to stop by at Urip on our way home.
“I gave the letter to Carol’s cousin sister. Some months passed and I still didn’t hear from her.
“Another convention was held at our village and this time the guest speaker was Evangelist Peter Debessa and his worship leader was Carol.
“I took the courage to ask her if she received my letter. She told me to pray about it.
“We were already in a relationship and the friendship blossomed and eventually family from both sides agreed for their marriage.
“I feel honoured and blessed because through the first General Superintendent Ganba’s ministry I committed my life to God and the second General Secretary late Joseph Maru who took over from Ganba officiated our weeding in my village at the AOG church in Lowon,” he said.
Pastors Peter and Carol started their ministry in East Sepik then moved to Port Moresby where they founded and started the School of the Holy Spirit Bible College under the Debeini’s Living Water Church.
The first school of the Holy Spirit intake was in 1998. This year was the 22nd graduation of the school on May 29, 2022 which was also the 40th anniversary of their marriage.
“This is because of the perseverance and stamina that God has given Pastors Peter and carol for the harvest field.
“Their passion is to win souls for the kingdom of God and train men and women who will go out to the harvest field.

“The school is fulfilling its great vision in God’s calling,” said Ben Mick, a leader and family member who was also the master of ceremony at the occasion.
“When we started the ministry together it was very difficult. At times we felt like it was impossible to face the next day but we saw the hand of God.
“There were a lot of struggles that we faced, we literally didn’t have money or food.
“Life had always been tough, there were times in ministry and we would go without food or money but I had a wife who understood the challenges we faced in life and in ministry and we both stood together.
“I made the right decision to marry Carol. It took me a while to pray about three years for God to give me a partner who will share my life and the ministry and God brought me closer to Carol and that is how I met her through the ministry.
“I married someone who is unique in her own special ways. She spent a lot of time praying, she knew how to protect me, and carry me through her prayers.
“After a long day of work and being tired, I got to bed while she is up praying for me and I thank God for giving me the right on.
“Carol is a woman of prayer and that’s the reason why we have come this far, if it wasn’t for her standing in the gap we wouldn’t have reached this far.
I want to thank my wife Carol, another 40 years we will still be alive when Jesus comes,” Pastor Peter said.
Pastor Carol is the perfect example of the saying that goes, “behind every great man is a woman.
From her early days of being a worship leader in church, she has maintained her passion for prayer and worship currently leading the worship team in the local church.
“I want to thank God of how he had been good to us, we are celebrating our 40 years’ marriage anniversary because of God.
“I’m blessed to have Pastor Peter in my life, despite so many challenges over the years, God has sustained us.
“God has been good to us, he joined our hearts together to love and be committed to each other for this long.
“As young as we were, we met and married and we loved each and remained faithful and we are now celebrating our 40 years of marriage life,” Pastor Carol said.
She is of mixed parents from Urip in Dagua East Sepik and Lumi in West Sepik while Pastor Peter is from Lowon also in Dagua and Efuifa in Eastern Highlands.
“I want to thank my daughters Priscilla and Abigail together with the other member so the organising team who put together this special event for Carol and I.
“We are now celebrating 40 years, we have come a long way and its simply because of the goodness of God.
“The person we are celebrating is God, he kept us together and he has brought us this far and we want to give glory to him.
“It takes two people to build or break a marriage. We knew God when we were younger and when we got married we were able to ride on the goodness of God.
“He kept us together, we didn’t have our parents around us, her parents were in Kimbe, West New Britain, while mine were in Goroka but God was able to hold us together.
“We grew in our marriage in our love for God. If it wasn’t for God, we wouldn’t be here tonight.
“Tonight we made a promise that we will still be alive and together for the next 40 years.
“The work of God has just started, we have a long way to God in ministry and I just feel like I’m 20 years old.
“I will still be alive married to Pastor Carol when Jesus comes back,” Pastor Peter said.
In a quiet but moving ceremony in Port Moresby, grandson Israel and ring bearer Israel took the rings to his grandparents who renewed their vows and exchanged their rings.
The occasion ended with a prayer for the couple led by Senior Pastor Walter Kaumi of the Tabernacle of Praise Church and other pastors.