HUAHINE

HUAHINE 

15th - 21st

During our time on Huahine we stayed at the house of Rose and Marius, spending a lot of time with them as well as Raiti who is a friend of theirs. They poured out blessings on us so generously the entire time we were there. They showed us around the Island, took us to see the islands' infamous blue-eyed eels, took us swimming and boating in the ocean, gave us a tour of the Marae, and took us to church on Sunday. Our time of ministry on the Island was spent fellowshipping with Rose and Marius through many long discussions over meals, worshipping together and praying over their house. 

Casia:

"Our team has maintained the unity which we began to see shift just as we left for Huahine and it's incredible!

Rose mentioned to Ali how she sees that we love each other and that we are unified. It's so incredible and awesome to see how God really does unify us as one loving body and it remains the most powerful testimony of God's love that we can bring. The distinctive roles men and women in the Polynesian culture is much more obvious on the Island of Huahine than the other Islands we've been on. Because of this, Mathieu is really respected here and they are eager to hear what he has to say about the bible and hungry for truth. Mathieu stepped into the role of representing/speaking for our whole team here. It has been exhausting for him especially as he is the only guy but the impact that he is having on their lives is pretty significant. They asked him to do a bible study/teaching one of our evenings here, and he shared about the importance of our thoughts especially related to how we see the people around us with love or judgment. It was really powerful."

Farrah:

"Since our arrival in Huahine, we felt it was spiritually rich and there were many things going on. There are spirits of depression, loneliness and suicide on the island. It was so strong that each one of us felt these spirits strongly. These feelings were confirmed by stories others told us, and by the attitude of the people, and the way we observed them living their daily lives. There is not a lot of work on the island, so many people get bored without future prospects. These are the reasons why the spirit of suicide has such a hold on the people, especially on the youth. Suicide mostly touches people between 18 and 25 years old, but has begun to happen even younger, as young as 13 years old. It is very alarming, and shows us how important intercession is for this group of people."

Kelly:

"During our week in Huahine, our team receive a ridiculous amount of blessings from Rose and Marius! Not only did they freely provide their home for us: but they took us around the island many times, they both dropped and picked us up at the port very early in the morning, they bought our boat tickets, they washed our laundry, Rose sowed together Casia's torn skirt, and they  so kindly would provide 3 meals a day for us. They weren't just meals either… they would always ensure that there was more than enough food for us to eat. They always provided fresh meat, fruit, and salad for our team. Since I am a vegetarian, they would even cook me fresh fish every day! So incredibly thoughtful! Rose and Marius even made a few meals even more special in which one day they bought us a cake from the bakery and then the last evening they bought us serungs, flower necklaces, and a couple wedding presents for Mattieu and Farrah. Every time we thanked them or offered to help, but they would always say with a smile that it was a blessing from God! They always gave so lovingly and freely, they never asked for anything in return. They truly demonstrated God's heart of hospitality, love, and giving.  It really made me reevaluate my hospitality for my guests!"

Beth:

"The Marae are religious and political structures found throughout the islands of French Polynesia. They consist of a large volcanic stone platforms (from the size of a bedroom to the size of a house with several bedrooms). They are outside exposed to the elements and most are near the water, if not in the water. They were used for political meetings as well as for religious rituals and sacrifices which included human sacrifices. Of all the islands, Huahine is known for having the largest number of maraes. One of the largest was next-door to the home of Rose and Marius.  We had an opportunity to visit a group of them, and the associated museum, next to the water, as well as take a hike with a guide to some that were on the mountain. Several of us could feel an ominous presence around and among them."

HUAHINE 

du 15 au 21 janvier

Pendant notre sejour à Huahine nous avons logé chez Rose et Marius. Nous avons passé beaucoup de temps avec eux aussi bien que leur ami Raiti. Ils ont déversé des bénédictions généreuses sur nous tout au long de notre séjour. Ils nous ont montré l'île, nous ont amené à voir les célèbres anguilles aux yeux bleues. Ils nous ont amené à la plage pour nous baigner et sortir en bateau, nous ont donné un tour des Marae et nous ont amené à l'église le dimanche. Notre temps de ministère sur l'île était dans les temps de communion fraternel avec Rose et Marius où nous avons passé beaucoup de temps discuter pendant les repas, louer ensemble et prier sur la maison. 

Farrah:

"Dès notre arrivés a Huahine nous avons ressentis que spirituellement c'était très riche et qu'il se passait beaucoup de choses. Il y'a des esprits de dépression, de solitude et de suicide qui résident sur cette île. Il est vrai que c'est assez puissant puisque chacune de nous l'as ressentis très fortement. De plus cela nous a été confirmer par les histoires que nous racontais les gens ;sis surtout par leur comportement et attitude révélateurs de ce qu'ils vivent au quotidiens.Il n'y a pas vraiment de travail sur l'ile et les gens s'ennuient beaucoup et ils n'ont pas vraiment de respectives d'avenir voila une des raisons pour lesquelles l'esprit de suicide a beaucoup de puissance surtout chez les jeunes. Le suicide touchait les personnes de 18 a 25 ans mais la nouvelle génération est également touché et a présent ce sont des jeunes qui se suicide a partir de 13 ans c'est très alarmant et cela nous montre a quel point l'intercession est important pour cette population."