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The
Ocean of Light beckons us from many directions, from many island
entities.
Therefore, when the news arrived that an Ocean
of Light Conference would
be held in Kiribati during a time when we
would be vacationing from work, we were
happy to begin arranging for our trip to that well-known nation
where the Faith has
grown and flourished.
The journey began with the Air Nauru flight from Guam on Monday afternoon,
the 27th of December. The
flight stopped at Ponape, Nauru,
Nandi island
in Fiji and finally in Tarawa.
The frequent stops made the 14-hour trip seem
not so long, yet, on Tuesday morning when we arrived at our
destination, we were happy to meet the Friends and begin our
final plans for the boat trip to Abamama.
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On Tarawa, we gathered at
Leone's house. A long time
pioneer to the Solomons and
Kiribati, Leone fed us
sandwiches and coffee,
advised us about getting our
visas in order, and allowed
us to rest by the beach and
visit with other Baha'is. We
met three New Zealanders,
one a Maori princess
Eva, whose Maori chanting
of the Holy Writings and
Prayers was beautiful. (more
pic)
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Leone's
House with Stefan Brown (New Zealander)
at guitar
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On Tarawa, we gathered at Leone's house. A long time pioneer to the Solomons and
Kiribati, Leone fed us sandwiches and coffee, advised us about
getting our visas in
order, and allowed us to rest by the beach and visit with other
Baha'is. We met three
New Zealanders, one a Maori princess Eva, whose Mouri chanting
of the Holy
Writings and Prayers was beautiful.
Stefan (Brown) and his son, also from New Zealand, were well versed
in
varieties of music, and the singing and guitar playing went
on for hours into the night.
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Captain
John Thurston on the Martha a boat with support funds from the
World Center. This boat and other John has built have support
the Faith
in the Pacific for almost 20 years. (more
pic) |
We also met the man in
whose hands our
destination lay. John
Thurston is a pioneer of
over 20 years in Kiribati.
His great service to the
Cause is his boat
operation, which allows
for travel throughout the
islands by Baha'is and
non-Baha'is alike. His
boat, the Martha, was
about to become our
home for the next day
and night.
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We packed ourselves into the 38-Foot Martha on Wednesday morning
and headed for
Abermama, site of the conference. Besides Brian and I, John and his crew, there
were Stefan and his son, Eva and a Kiribati traveling companion
and ten other Kiribati
friends and their children. Needless
to say, the guitar accompanied singing stopped
only when sleep claimed us at the end of the day.
The boat trip going against the
current as it was, proved slow and difficult.
Engines had to run constantly just to make
a little headway. However, on Thursday, just before noon, we
dropped anchor at
Abamama. |
There was some disagreement
about who would be first to ride the small dinghy to
land. Many did not wish
to
be first on that last small
leg of the journey.
However it was soon sorted out and everyone was safely
on shore.
Here
Stephan Brown, Eva Vaughan and Terira Iererua with our pilot
board the dingy for Tabiang
village.(more pic)
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Tabiang
Village - the Maniaba |
We were first taken to the
Maniaba, the motherhouse of
the village. This would
be our
gathering place for the next
week. For many, it would
also
be there home, for the
Maniaba shelters anyone
coming to a village that needs
a place to stay. The building
is roofed, with open sides. All
who gather there sit on the
woven mats provided for that
purpose.
Taibiang
village's Maniaba (from the village side).
(more pics)
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We took our packs to the home where we would eat and sleep. This
home of Baha'is, just a few short yards from the Maniaba, contained
a cooking
fire, cooking and eating hut, sleeping hut and surrounding areas.
We slept on a
sleeping platform made of wood and woven fibers. It was open to the sky,
open on all sides, and was one of the most comfortable places
in which I have
ever slept. One aspect of this sleeping arrangement was that the ideas of privacy
many of us hold changed. People
in Kiribati respect privacy and understand it.
They respect goods and personal belongings.
People see boundaries not as walls that have been built
but as spaces. A person
could leave their home for weeks (as many non-Baha'is had to
travel to other
villages for New Year's), and no one would consider touching
or moving anything
that had been left behind.
The Baha'is on Abamama told us that most people had left the area
to join
friends to celebrate the New Year.
This was very nice for us, as it meant
that we almost had a Baha'i village.
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Our food, eaten in the hut on mats, was
prepared and served with the greatest
love and care. We shared
fresh fish
and lobster almost every day.
Also included in the meals was chicken,
pumpkin, taro and breadfruit, rice, and
freshly baked breads prepared in an
oven over the fire. Meals were
delicious and always fun.
The ladies of
the house pre-paring our
dinner.(more pic)
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Besides the people
I have already
mentioned, we
were in company
with Baha'i youth
from Australia and a Baha'i youth
from Tarawa.
Left
to Right: Eva
Vaughan(New Zealand),
Kathy, Stephan Brown
(New Zealand), Brian,
Ladan Rahmani and
Chin Ching Soo (non-
Baha'i) (Australia)
,Mathew Mauldin
(Tarawa) and Ryan
Brown (New Zealand).
(more
pic)
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On many occasions Angus, a Baha’i, joined
us originally from Australia who has lived in Kiribati for almost
30 years. He was
helpful in that he did a great deal of
translating for us, also played and sang a
great deal, and urged us to be timely in
making our way to the Maniaba.
Angus Morrison
(Secretary, Kirabati NSA) |
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There seemed to be no such thing as "island time"
in those parts, where events began
a few minutes early each time.
The auxiliary board members were extraordinary in their devotion
to the
success of the conference.
They gave presentations, rallied people and
spoke eloquently of aspects of the Faith.
They were also children's
teacher's and guides through all events.
Conference sessions covered
such topics as: The Four Year Plan, Individual and Community involvement,
The Fast, The Role of Assemblies, Virtues projects.
Brian gave a presentation on the role of assemblies. His presentation described
aspects of working with assemblies, from election time to consultation,
to obedience to
guidance.
One notable aspect of the conference presentations was the continuous
invitation to participate.
Though the Board Members, belonging to the
Institution of the Learned as they did, might have given a two
or three
hour talk, they asked for comments, question and ideas from
the very
beginning. This constant
involvement enlivened gatherings.
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An additional enlivener was the
almost continuous presentation of
music. The Board members
encouraged all to participate.
Communities had prepared much
music, but our group
("imitang" as best as I can
guess at the spelling)
comprised of the Australians,
New Zealanders and Americans,
sounded far less prepared when we
sang. Because of being
from
different communities,
sometimes versions of songs
would vary slightly. This
always led to good- humored
laughter and fun.
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Each night entertainment graced the
Maniaba. Dances, songs, skits,
pantomimes and more were all part of an
evening's program. Sometimes
activities
would be specifically related to the Faith;
other times traditional dances and stories
would be enjoyed. Always it was fun and
enhanced by the warmth of the Friends.
The children in particular were exceptional in their presentations
of
music. Their harmony, their trained
voices, their courteous presence were
a joy to those of us in the audience.
(more pic) |
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One small group who also shared the joy of the event included
travelers from
Europe. Having cruised
the Pacific for several months, they were excited to
find themselves in Kiribati for the New Year.
When they were invited to the
Maniaba by the Australian youth, they gladly accepted, believing
they were
on their way to a party. It
was a party, all right, but not what they expected.
They gladly took part in the singing, sharing a Danish folk
song and some
American folk music. From their comments, it seemed they were happy
to
find themselves in the maniaba with the Baha'is.
One highlight came when we heard the announcement
of the conference on
the local radio station. It sounded just as normal as hearing any other
news item
and we marveled at the extent of the story.
The week after our arrival it was time to pack, say goodbye
to all our new
friends, and again board the Martha for the return to Tarawa. Our hosts
gave us coconuts for drinking on the trip.
Dozens gathered on the beach to
watch our very ungraceful boarding of the little dinghy, which
would take us
across the waves to Martha's deck.
But before that very difficult goodbye, Brian and I presented
a plaque of the
Greatest Name we had had carved here on Guam from effal(sp?)
wood. We
hoped for this presentation to allow, in some small way, the
Faith to grow strong
on the island of Abermama.
The friends
on Guam and in the Marianas to share our experience. Likewise,
we
hoped that it could allow that friends on Kiribati to share
the love of the Friends
of the Marianas.
The trip back should have taken 14 hours. But when a distress call comes at
sea, no one can ignore it.
John had to return the Martha to a location from
which he could look for a lost boat. It took us 29 hours to
get back to Tarawa.
Happily the boat was located and all were safe.
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The day of departure had
come. We couldn't believe
our week was over. Through
the
hours of the return flight and
well into the next week we
could not stop thinking of the
Friends in Kiribati. Having
once made this trip, it is certain that more like it will
be made.
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Finally, the pioneers in Kiribati, surrounded as they are by
loving friends, still pay a huge price and make large sacrifices
to live there. Especially
on islands other than Tarawa, conditions
are often difficult for those with little experience outside
the
Western environment. Running
water and electricity are seldom to be found.
Acquisition of food is dependent upon what can be grown
or found in the ocean.
Medical personnel are few and far between.
Yet it seems that the reward for
such efforts is to live where most people know of the Faith
and many neighbors
are Baha'is. They are
remembered in our prayers and thoughts, as are all of the
loving Friends throughout the Pacific.
-Thanks Baha'u'llah
for the great adventure and a chance to see
your power at work .
Brian and Kathy Millhoff
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WEB
Sites with more Pictures
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