Makira Easter Outreach, 2004

31 young people decided to spend the Easter weekend of 2004 differently - to do an outreach to the island of Makira. This was the first major outreach ever done by the Inter Church Youth. Read more stories below and view the slide show...

This mission was an answer to much prayers offered by the young people every Saturday since November 2003 after the Prayer Assembly here in Port Vila. Young people had been praying for God to once again ignite the fire for mission in the Church of Jesus Christ. After much prayers, God specifically spoke to them: PUT FEET TO YOUR PRAYERS!

The Easter weekend was chosen to be a perfect timing for a mission. Makira island in the Shepherd Group was chosen to be the first mission field. Prayers changed from, "Lord, send out workers to the harvest field.." to "Lord, here am I, send me..." Preparations were underway - teachings about using the Wordless Book (it has now become a common wrist ornament), practice and training in dance and skit and drama, fund-raising and more prayers and fasting. 

During the Interchurch Youth March monthly rally at Onesua Presbyterian College, there was over 100 young people in attendance. An invitation was given to all the young people at that time be part of the Makira Easter mission by giving their names to the executive. When the team boarded MV Christina on the night of the 9th of April for Makira, 31 young people were ready to board. The boat, small as it was, could only legally take 30. 

Funds for this trip was all a miracle - the ship was chattered at 180,000 vatu. The boat was to drop the team, wait, and to transport them back again on Easter Monday. 

On Saturday the 10th, at dawn, the boat arrived on Makira, and many of the villagers were already waiting on the beach to meet the team. Chief Devi Tarimas, village chief as well as leading elder of the Presbyterian Church welcomed the young people, and the young people responded with the song, "Yu we yu God blong Unity!" [You are the God of Unity]. The whole team of 31 were to sleep in one place, the women's club! 

The program was simple. They  was the getting up early in the morning at about 5am and having devotions in our 'home' then moving to the Presbyterian chapel at 6am for another devotion for the whole village. There was the house-to-house visitation during the day to encourage families, and to pray for the needy, especially old people. Then there ware the crusades during the nights in the chapel. And during the night while the village slept, young people would prayer-walk the village. Then there was the youth session on Monday morning. During the youth session, Fred ran a Bible teaching on the life and example of Timothy.

During this trip, eight young people decided to take their step of Water Baptism. The baptism took place on Sunday night. But on Monday morning while the young people were boarding the boat, another woman wanted to be baptized, and so the boat had to wait until this was done.

Many of the morning devotions were like revival meetings, as young people would get on the floor and weep heavily during worship time. One of the village elders said, something good had been planted in the village that would one day bear fruit. We do not know exactly what that good thing was, but this we know - God had visited Makira and this island will never be the same again. Many personal testimonies from our young people revealed that they too had been changed for good. Even though the sea was stormy, and many of them sea-sick, all said the trip was all worth it. 

We look forward to the next one - Nguna island, they say.