Initial Announcement of the Pacific Tour to the Community
(Feast of Kama'l) and Spiritual Assembly of Makawao (29 July, 1996).
The Pacific Tour Report on Accomplishments
of the Maui Baha'i Workshop, June 12th, 1996 to
July 26th, 1996 to Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Majuro Island.
Statistics:
1. Number of youth team members: 15 (10 girls, 5 boys) Age:
15 -22
2. Number of adult coordinators: 2
3. Number of performances: Kiribati (3 weeks) 23,
Tuvalu (1 week) 5, Majuro(2 weeks) 4
4. Largest audiance: 450
5. Smallest audiance: 100
6. Average audiance: 250
7. Estimated total number who have seen performances:
Kiribati: 6,000, Tuvalu: 2,000, Majuro: 500
8. Special guest to see performances: President and Vice
President of Kiribati, their wives and various cabinet members.
High Commissioner of the British Commonwelth on visit to Tuvalu.
9. Unique settings of performances: Moroni High School
(Mormon) Kiribati -whole school and administrative staff.
St. Louis Catholic School in Kiribati, Kiribati Teachers College,
Goverment owned Hotels in both Kiribati and Tuvalu.
10. Number of declarations: 52, all in Kiribati
Achievements:
1. Empowerment of indegenous believers: youth, children,
and adults, through close association, consultation, and collaboration in
performing together and teaching.
2. Advanced the cause of women through providing an example
in performing, leadership in teaching and especially in the example of
daily consultation.
3. Integrated more fully teaching the Faith into the performance. Learned to
invite people into the Faith and enroll them after the program.
4. Learned local dances and songs and added them to the performances.
5. Youth became more self-sufficient as a workshop and performed with
minimal adult supervision. Members roles are stronger in planning,
executing and evaluating perfomrances. This will make it easier to
expand and diminish the previously demanding role of the coordinator.
6. Experienced and suffered through the hardships of life that most of the
peoples of the world live under. Such as: water shortage, substandard
drinking water, excess heat and humidity, limited transportation
(open truck), limited showers and toilet facilities, close and overcrowded
living conditions, insect attacks, (mosquitos, flys, ants), and living in
and among, animals: (pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, and rats).
7. Adjusted to the customs and traditions of Micronesian and Polynesian
life. Some of these traditions are in transition, especially from
the local youths point of view, however they are maintained and promoted
by the adults. Most customs deal with the showing of respect through:
modesty of dress; movement; how to walk in Maniaba, where to walk and
where not to walk; speech: where to talk, how loud to talk; eating: guest
first elders second. Also unique was the role of laughter in Kiribati:
they laugh at everything - it seems to be the only acceptable emotion to
display in society.
Personal Stories:
1. Teaching: Saying prayers till you 'feel on fire with the
love of Baha'u'llah', asking Baha'u'llah to show you the receptive souls.
Going to them and inviting them to be Baha'is. Embrace them, and include
them in your activites.
2. "I was walking through town and I saw this huge oil
truck" said Christy Mathison ". On the back and sides of the truck where
clinging children, but what caught my eye was one with blond hair and light
skin, in the midst of all the rest of the children. Hey, that's my brother!"
3. "Every, every morning" said Jolene Holly, " I would wake
up and staring at me was this kid. I have no idea how long he was there. But
every morning, his eyes would greet me! The grandmother would shoo him away
and scold him. It did absolutely no good. Every morning he was there!"
4. "You had to go to them, literally, " said Ryan Palmer.
"They are very shy my nature. You have to go to them and invite them to join
you. Start the conversation. Before you know it, they are very open and
friendly. But you have to show them that you are friendly and you care for
them."
There where lots of stories besides these. Each one had them. We
found ourselves doing the socially accepted thing to do to. We where
laughing and laughing too!
--- Bob Palmer
Bob Palmer,
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