DTS UPDATE...POST 3

From Auckland we flew to Tahiti. We were met by Papa Tu and Mama Anna Glassie, a pastoral couple we knew from Aitutaki, Cook Islands. They are on a four year pastoral term in Tahiti. A few of the prominent people of the village we were about to stay in were there to meet us as well. From the airport we had a 1 ½ hour drive to Teahupoo. It was an interesting hour and a half of trying to communicate with our drivers as they spoke mostly French, and we were all very English.

We arrived in Teahupoo after midnight and we were up by 7 the next morning as there was already a program arranged for us for that morning. We went to the school and met a lot of children and quite a few teachers. It was the last day of school before the summer holidays and so we were privileged to see the Christmas program and be invited to a feast afterward. We rested for part of the afternoon and then a lot of the youth came around and we learned a few Tahitian songs that we were supposed to help them perform on Sunday night, at the opening of the Christmas festival.

During our time in Tahiti we joined in a lot of different youth holiday programs, as well as building relationships with the youth of a few different districts. I went home for Christmas this year, so I spent a week in Tahiti, a week at home (with traveling) and then flew back to Tahiti for our last week of outreach. I really enjoyed my time at home and was able to be home, not only for Christmas, but for my sister Tiffany’s baptism as well. I saw a lot of family, and had a very cold Christmas, but it was very enjoyable.

Flying back to Tahiti took me into 30+ weather, and I got a bit sick because of the drastic change in temperature. God was faithful though, and even through not feeling well, I was able to reconnect with the girls I’d met the week before, and just continue to build solid friendships. We held a youth ministry night one of our last nights there and were able to speak into the youth’s lives through testimonies and skits and songs.

We also connected with YWAM Tahiti when we first arrived in the country and spent quite a bit of time with the team, even though they were on a different side of the island. YWAM Tahiti is in the process of being established, at the moment it’s just a pioneering team; however, we were able to pray with them and learn from them while we were there, and were just super blessed by what God is doing through them...

To Be Continued...