February 2022

I was a small boy at camp meeting in Brisbane when I met Kata Ragoso. After so many years, I have never forgotten his face. In my childish imagination, he reminded me of Christ - or at least what I thought God looked like. His name, pronounced Kata Rangaso, meant, “no devil strings.” He was a native of faraway Solomon Islands, and came from the infamous Marovo Lagoon. His people, at least when he was child, were cannibals and headhunters. They were also devil worshippers who kept the skulls of their enemies in the terrifying temple of demons.

His father was a chief who was out fishing on the lagoon the day Kata was born. After three days he and his superstitious crew had caught nothing. The problem, they feared, was because the chief had ignored tribal custom and neglected to place a devil string around the prow of the boat. Then they discovered a school of makasi fish. After arriving back home in his village with a large catch, the chief defiantly named his newly born son, “no devil strings” or KATA RAGOSO.  Maybe, he thought, the devil isn’t as powerful as we have believed. 

When Kata was twelve-years-old, a small white boat dropped anchor in the Marovo Lagoon. The year was 1914. On the boat’s bow was the name, “ADVENT HERALD.” The captain had the courage of a lion and a vision to preach Christ. His mission was to save the lost, even those who loved the taste of human flesh. Captain Jones had come uninvited to the Devil’s playground. He set about evangelizing. He negotiated for a parcel of land and setup a Christian Adventist school. He lived without fear among some of the most uncivilized human beings on the face of the Earth. Any day his severed head could have ended up as a prize exhibit in the temple of demons. But the Spirit of the Lord was moving on the hearts of the people.

In 1918, Kata Ragoso was baptized as a follower of Christ. He felt a call to be a minister of God. The years rolled by, and the man without devil strings studied and prayed. He learned to preach in English and later traveled to America and Australia where large crowds listened to the man with the face of an angel.

When war came to the South Pacific, the missionaries were repatriated home. Pastor Ragoso was appointed director of the Solomon Islands Mission. A cruel vicious army officer with a lust for power and a hatred for holiness bound Kata over a forty-four-gallon drum and beat him without mercy. When he recovered, he beat him again, and again, and again. Our beloved pastor escaped one night into the jungle where he carried on his own private war, saving lost boys a long, long way from home. All told, he and his Adventist team rescued 27 American pilots and 187 Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

I had the great privilege of meeting this saint of God after the war. He spoke a few words to me. I shall never forget him, the man whom God had touched with amazing grace, dignity, and power. Most of all, I shall never forget his smile.

We visited the Solomon Islands a few years ago. We saw great crowds and felt the power of God. We also on occasions sensed the power and presence of evil angels. Satan is still alive and well in the Solomons. But so is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, and the battle for the souls of men and women goes on.

One night before I spoke on the topic of the Occult, I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. It was so strong that immediately I turned, expecting to see a team member like my friend Pastor Harker. But there was no one there, at least no one I could see. I remain firmly convinced to this day that the hand belonged to an unseen heavenly messenger sent from God to assure me of His protection. Today the Solomon Islands are wracked with strife and turmoil. Buildings in the heart of the capitol of Honiara have been torched. Evil spirits are active.

During the great evangelistic campaign in the Solomons, I visited the lonely jungle grave of the man with the face of an angel. What a privilege it will be to meet this saint again. Maybe we will tell him about the boat we dedicated to his memory.

Please write soon. The battle goes on, and soldiers are needed. Victory is assured. 
I am waiting to hear from you.
Thank you in the Name of Christ,

John Carter

Captions for pictures page 1: 
Island headhunter

Sacrificial stone used by a prehistoric tribe  to sacrifice people to the gods.

Devil-worship shrine 

Keeping Alive The Mission of Kata Ragoso

Since the days of Captain Jones, missionaries have continued to proclaim the Gospel in the Solomons. Pastor and Mrs. Wright, now retired in North New South Wales, are representative of those Gospel heroes who worked tirelessly to bring Christ to the inhabitants of these islands of the South Pacific. Errol and Zena have just celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. 

OUR MISSION PROJECT: 
TO PROVIDE A BOAT THAT IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING AN EVANGELIST FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 
 
Your gift will help win souls and honor the memory of Pastor Ragoso.
OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS.

“THE WORK GOES ON, AND THE DREAM WILL NEVER END.”

CROCODILES, BAPTISMS, DEMONS, AND THE POWER OF GOD

When new believers were baptized in the river during The Carter Report campaign in 2011, pastors kept a sharp lookout for saltwater crocodiles. Just a short distance from the baptism site, a woman had been seized by one of these dangerous beasts. Salties, as they are called, are among the most cunning and deadly of all predatory animals. But the baptism of several hundred souls proceeded without a hitch, only punctuated by the sound of branches striking the water to ward off attacks.

Demons are barefaced in some South Pacific islands. The Solomons and New Guinea were once home to cannibals, headhunters, and devil worshippers. The evil spirits would actually appear and speak to the local inhabitants. Such stories are not far-fetched. Missionaries came to these tropical islands at the risk of life and limb. Some actually were speared to death, but others took their place. Glorious was the result of their work. Souls came to Christ and lives were changed. Men like Kata Ragoso took up the mission and were mightily used by God.

During the great campaign of 2011, we too experienced His power. BUT YOU HELPED MAKE IT POSSIBLE. 

Please join us in the great work of evangelism*
Please write today to: John Carter • The Carter Report • PO Box 1900 • Thousand Oaks, CA 91358 USA. 

In Australia write to: Harold Harker • The Carter Report • PO Box 861 • Terrigal, NSW 2260.

* All contributions designated for specific projects will be applied to those projects, and up to 10 percent may be used for administering the gift. Occasionally, if we receive more contributions for a given project than can wisely be applied to that project, we may use those funds to meet a similar need. Contributions are accepted with the understanding that The Carter Report has complete control over the use of all donated funds.