North Tanna Mission, July 2005

This was one of the toughest mission ever experienced by members of Youth Arise. Read on to find out why and browse through the photo slide below to see some 'tough' photos...

Two of the five members, Mollie Ierongen and Simone Akua, had been to Tanna a week earlier doing work with the Kids Link at Lenakel. They took the opportunity to impact the young people around Lenakel churches and at Tafea College. God used the duo so powerfully, that the young and the old were weeping at some of their testimonies and skits - the 'Tomorrow' skit was a bomb! Their impact at Lenakel will still be the talk of the town for some weeks, and maybe months, to come.

The three other members, Teacher Educator Ps Jack Matariki, Lawyer Christina Thyna and Accountant Simon Toka, joined the duo, with Ps Tom Ierongen, at Imafen village at North Tanna on Friday the 22nd of July. North Tanna was freezing cold when they arrived. Simone and Mollie and the mothers were already baking 'laplap' and 'sorsor'.when the trio arrived. After unpacking their bags in their temporary house, the church, they waited for dinner at around 6pm.

The crusade started straight after dinner under a temporary shelter outside the church that the community and Ps Tom had erected. It was very very cold, and windy outside. Chief Jimmy of Lounapaiu village (coast) led worship that night very powerfully with some more youth on their acoustic guitars. The team from Youth Arise presented some skits, alternating with testimonies from Christina and Simon. Some items also came from members of the community. Ps Jack shared the message that night from Romans 8:15-17, using the illustration of the "Eagle or Chicken". This was a breakthrough for the team members, as all the messages were done through interpretation by Ps Tom for the villagers. Amazing! After the message an appeal was made for the congregation to make sure of their 'sonship' with God Almighty, in which a majority of the people present responded. After the service, the place went wild as Chief Jimmy and his worship team led the worship with some upbeat songs - the children danced like mad, John-frum style.

Three members from the Bible School, Teacher Sheila, and students Paul and Anna, heard that Youth Arise was at Imafen village and came to join the crusade that night and slept with the team that night.

The night was really really cold. It was also beginning to rain. Ps Tom helped the team a lot to stay warm that night by boiling tea several times. The three girls slept in a two-man tent, while the rest of the team buried themselves in their sleeping bags. 

Morning on Saturday came with heavy fog, wind and rain. The team was programmed to have another crusade down at the nakamal of the main village, but the rain made this impossible. However, the team decided that they had not come this far to stay comfortable. They were going to go down to Ps Jack Pata's village at Lounapaiu, a 3 hour walk in good weather. With bags and some warm clothes strapped to their backs, the team said goodbye to Ps Tom and started off in the rain. This was tough terrain - slippery and muddy trails, wild canes that continually cut into the hands when one tried to hold onto them for support, mountains that went forever, rain and wind that beat hard on faces, and cow and horse dung that ooze through bare feet and sometimes into cuts under feet. This wasn't at all expected, but there was no turning back. Brother Simon was having major problems with his thigh muscles that were giving up on him. At some point, everyone thought he might have given up, and they had to wait for him for about 5 minutes, before they saw his head pop up from the top of a hill. He did give up at one point, but prayers and massages helped him get up and he made it to Lounapaiu. Four hours in all!

At Lounapaiu, Ps Jack Pata and his wife were surprised to see the team. However, the team was there, with his daughter Sheila, and his kind wife made sure they were treated well - she brought out clean towels for the team to dry themselves with. She went quickly to the kitchen to cook rice and local chicken soup. Team members were dying for hot tea, but these Tanna people do not drink tea like Port Vila people do. Before dinner, the whole team went to do a mini service at Ps Jack Pata's AOG church. Christina was MC that night. The youths from Youth Arise presented some skits and some testimonies came from Simon and Mollie. Ps Jack from Youth Arise shared the word from 1 Corinthians 6:20. An appeal was made after the message in which four members of the congregation responded. After the service, Ps Jack Pata's wife presented some baskets and colored feathers to members of the team as gifts. Dinner that night was sooo sweet, with rice and chicken soup and susut. But sleep was also beckoning.  

The sun welcomed Sunday morning. With breakfast of mandarins, the team started back up the trail minus Simon Toka. Simon was to take a boat and meet the team at Lenakel. The team enjoyed their return trip, as the sun had dried up the mud, and the view was just awesome - one would have mistaken the place for South America. It took just under three hours for this return trip.

Back at Imafen village, Ps Tom had already organized for the team to take the morning service. After a quick breakfast/lunch of yam, island cabbage and tin fish soup, service took place inside the small church. Mollie was MC, and once more, the team presented some skits and one testimony came from Christina. Ps Jack shared the message from 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:10,11. And once again, the message was relayed to the congregation though the best interpreter around, Ps Tom Ierongen. Towards the end of the message, one mother started to weep, and then she was joined by some more mothers, and then some of the strong men joined in. God's presence was so awesome, and His Spirit was moving so powerfully among His people. At the conclusion of the message, Ps Jack led the people in the sinners prayer, before making a special prayer for the whole congregation.

After the service, the team, with the help of the men and boys, carried their bags, taro, chickens and one young goat to catch the truck further down the road, for Lenakel. At Lenakel, the team stayed for the night at Ps Philip's Jerusalem church. The Inter Church Youth at Lenakel organized a crusade that Sunday night at Lamenu stadium. Youth Arise joined in with them, and presented four skits.

On Monday morning, after breakfast, the team took about one hour again to hit the Lenakel Market with powerful testimonies and skits. Their pick-up truck was already waiting, to take them to the airport. They checked in at the airport with their bags, taro, yams, chickens and the goat. Was there any excess package? You bet, there was. Thank God for Air Vanuatu Simon.

But on the plane, mission was not over yet. A seriously ill mother on drips was sitting with her husband on the back seat. The team got so angry with the devil, that passengers thought there might have been an hijack - and yes there was! That sick devil from hell was hijacked by Youth Arise warriors, that when the team went to the Vila Central Hospital the following Friday to check out on the mother, they were told that she had checked out on Wednesday. 

North Tanna will never be the same again....and the five members of Youth Arise who went on this mission...