EVANELIA TAHITI MINISTRY NEWSLETTERS

Dear Praying Friends,

The Tuamotu Archipelago has captured the imagination of sailors and landlubbers alike for centuries. It is a place of fear and adventure, incredible beauty, and vast stretches of open sea sprinkled by atolls and islets. Although the ocean area is the size of Europe, there are only 330 square miles of land, an area the size of Austin, Texas, or San Diego, California. And on it live 16,000 hardy islanders. Religiously, it is dominated by Mormonism and its offshoot sect, the Community of Christ. It is as forbidding religiously as it is geographically.

Last year we visited and began our study of Galatians, which the group later finished on their own. This year’s task was Romans 1-8, a study from Disciple Makers Multiplied. This group is eager and diligent, asking good questions and adding their own commentary. Most of all, they were humble to the authority of God’s Word. They wanted to know what the Bible said so that they could better glorify God. More than this, the group (which we now call Rangi Go) has their sights set north and east to the vast Tuamotus. They have connections on Mataiva, Tikehau, Fakarava, and beyond. Their ambition in the Lord is to start small groups throughout the archipelago. But how? Many of these small islands do not have airports and are only accessible by boat. That’s where the Greilach family comes in.

Two and a half years ago I received an email from an American family, Steve and Chelsea Greilach, who were coming to Tahiti on vacation and wanted to see our ministry. They loved what we were doing and came again a year later to see and talk more about working here and how their 48-foot catamaran might be able to assist in ministry. We decided to introduce them to Andy, the group’s leader, and Rangi Go, and they joined us last weekend. They loved our study and had in-depth conversations on sailing and ministry.