Emae Easter Outreach, April 2006

Four members of Youth Arise equip themselves with skits and bible teachings and impact the youth of Emae during the Easter weekend of 2006.  Read on to find out more and browse through the photo slide below to see some 'next level' photos...

This mission was supposed to be a follow-up of what should have happened on Easter 2005. After an year of waiting by Emae youth, God finally brought on this convocation/training at just the right time - when everyone on both sides was ready.

Four  (4) members of the Youth Arise (Inter Church Youth) armed themselves with skits, dances, Bible teachings, and music equipment and left for Emae in the Shepherd Islands on Easter Friday by plane: Simone Akua from Protestant Church, Janet Tatagis from Unakap Presbyterian Church, Fred Kanatoro from Praise and Worship, and Jack Matariki from Upper Room.. Initially there was supposed to have been five members, but one member was not able to make it.

The team arrived on Friday noon at Nofo School where Presbyterian pastor and moderator of Emae/Makira session, Pastor Kaltang, together with his wife, met the them. Members of Emae Combine youth started to arrive with their beddings and cooking tools, as they had planned to camp at Nofo for the whole of the Easter weekend.

After a brief rest, the team, together with the rest of the youth, walked to Sagava village to join the Sagava Sunday School youth for the camp fire program. During the time for items, Youth Arise presented a song and a Drama. The rest of the youth presented some very interesting Easter Dramas as well as some beautiful skits. After the program, there was a great feast of laplap, fish and new yams at the Nakamal. After the feast at about 10pm,  the team walked back to camp at Nofo under a full-moon light.

Early morning Saturday at around 6pm, youth deacon Kaloris rang the chapel bell. Devotion was led by Janet from the Youth Arise. After the devotion, announcements were made, and the youths were divided into two groups - group one were to go with Janet and Fred, and group two were to go with Simone and Jack. .Then there was breakfast of boiled banana and lemon-grass tea :-)) 

After breakfast, the whole team met again in the chapel at  8am. Jack led a 10-minute study on prayer, before the youths divided into their two groups to practice a skit each until 10am. After a break of 10 minutes, the two groups came together again for another 10-miniute study on fasting, let by Fred. Then the young people went into their groups again for another practice on a second skit each, until about 12:30pm. The young people were being put through a lot of stretching.

Lunch was served at about 12:45pm. There was much rice, boiled bananas, mud crabs, and tuna-salad for everyone. Pastor Kaltang and his wife were our cooks for this Easter weekend.

After the heavy lunch, the team gathered in the chapel again at 2pm. There was another 10-minute study on praise and worship, led by Jack, before the two groups went to their respective locations again to practice on yet another new skit. We must say God was answering our morning prayers for acceleration, because the first-timers and the not-so-fast learners were catching up really fast, and the shy ones were becoming more confident. This was truly a miracle in the making! At the end of the day, the Emae Combine youth had learned 6 skits - did I say six skits IN ONE DAY!?

After dinner that night, the team met again to rehearse and prepare for the combine service on Sunday morning. Both groups presented their 3 skits, and prayers and testimonies were allocated to several youths. The master of ceremony was given to Janet from Youth Arise. Jack was given the responsibility to summarise everything and to give the challenge.  After rehearsal, some of the youths were really exhausted and retired to bed while some remained in the kitchen to prepare the laplap for the next day's lunch.

Resurrection Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. The six o'clock devotion was led by Emae youth. Some mothers and children were already starting to arrive from the nearby, as well as distant, villages to avoid the hot 10 o'clock sun. Church service started at around 10:30am, and the chapel was backed to capacity. The overflow took to the verandas and nearby shades. This service was a going to be  different from all other church services - there was a lot of skits and testimonies and dramas. There was evidence of excitement and anticipation in the air as youths get into their black and white uniforms. During the presentation of skits, some of the mothers wept for they didn't believe that their once-shy sons and daughters would one day be up front preaching the gospel through skits. Some wept with joy as they hear their son or daughter share their  real-life testimony with tear-filled eyes. And may we add that the Easter story had truly come to life as the congregation witnessed with their own eyes the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ changing and transforming the lives of young people.

During the challenge, Jack shared on the 'folded napkin' in John 20:7. Then he gave an invitation to the congregation for salvation, repentance or recommitment. When the people moved to the front and stood near the alter, there was  a lot of loud weeping from the mothers, fathers and youths as they begged for mercy and forgiveness from God. God was gracious and merciful and as pastor Kaltang prayed for God to touch, forgive and change everyone, one could witness and sense the burdens being lifted, and yokes being broken from people's lives.

Mothers and fathers kept talking about the service that day into lunch, and youth who had not been in the training expressed their regrets. But this Emae Combine Youth team 2006 was prepared to rock the Epi National Youth Convention in late April, no doubt about that. Still after lunch, the youths went to practice yet again another three (yes 3) skits. Youth President, Philip Meto, was not going to be lacking in any skit or dance, and so  in spite of his body size, he made sure he caught every move from Janet or Simone, making a lot of mistakes in the process, and getting laughed at by the rest. 'Nothing, size or laughter, is going to steal my blessing' was his attitude -and the general attitude and atmosphere of this special Easter weekend.

After devotion on Moday morning (led by youth deacon Kaloris), the youths formed four groups, and the four members of the youth arise divided themselves into these four groups to encourage and pray for the young people. This morning also saw more polishing up of the skits before the team left for the airport at 11am for departure to Vila.

God had truly touched the young people of the Presbyterian church on Emae, as well as the mothers and fathers. Only eternity will reveal the true extend of the impact of this small effort by four willing soldiers of the the cross - Fred, Janet, Simone and Jack. To God be the glory!