Rangiroa is the gateway to the Tuamotu Archipelago, a scattering of nearly 80 small islands over an ocean area of 7,700 square miles. It is a vast watery wilderness, with 16,000 hardy individuals living on islands with no sources of fresh water except rain, with harsh limestone soils, and annually under the menace of devastating typhoons. The spiritual conditions are equally harsh, the area being dominated by Mormon churches and their offshoots, the Community of Christ. Last week, we visited Rangiroa, armed with the Gospel and the full-armor of God.
Our team was invited by a local non-profit to share Bible-based activities with a camp for children with difficult family situations. We spent four days sharing the Gospel, God’s Powerful Promises books, and the fruit of the Spirit through fun activities.
Each of our team members has their own stories of connection with these young people who are in dire need of truth, structure, direction, and the love of Christ from adults that they can trust. We heard beautiful singing and joyous laughter and saw intense focus and even tears as the kids responded to the message of Christ.
The president of the non-profit and his camp director both gave us rave reviews and invited us to participate whenever and wherever they are working.
In the more immediate future this means very isolated Makatea and our neighbor island to Tahiti, Moorea.
During the evenings we invited four local adults to study the fruit of the Spirit and the 40 gifts we receive at salvation. Suffice it to say the faithful of the Tuamotus are constantly bombarded by legalism, both with regard to salvation and the spiritual life. It is an incredibly suffocating environment pushing in from family, friends, neighbors, and business associates. It is for this reason that we choose carefully our introductory materials, focusing on grace and verse by verse Bible teaching. The evening studies were marked by lively discussion and newfound biblical understanding of grace. By the fourth night, our four new friends were excited enough to invite us back as soon as we could come, and to begin their mental lists of who they could invite.
