A group of 24 willing Year 12 and 13 students...

...along with teachers Mr Lālahi, Mrs Bailey, Mrs Bisseker, and 24/7 Youth Worker Jono Jun, made our way across the Pacific Ocean to Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, where we stayed at the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base. 

With the hot weather in mind, we were excited to escape New Zealand for 12 days and experience a new culture! My first impression of Tonga was how friendly the people were; there was always someone smiling and waving everywhere we went. Coconuts were a fruit we ate and drank a lot of. We had a coconut-cracking challenge, and some of us used the shells as bowls for dinner! The nature was beautiful, with palm trees and flowers everywhere. The reefs on the beach were very cool, and we got to see some blue tropical fish swimming around!

Some highlights from the trip were meeting the children at 'Ofa Kindergarten, where they learned Tongan and English. Even though there was a language barrier, we were able to connect with the kids by playing hand games, blowing bubbles, playing in the sandpit, singing songs, and bringing laughter. Their joy and openness to learn were inspiring, as well as their faith in God. Mr Lālahi’s cousin Faneola Sinipata, who was a teacher there, shared a message at the end that was very close to her heart and touched a lot of people in our team. She talked about not being late to know Jesus and encouraged us to keep doing what we were doing, which was very encouraging. By the end, we were all very sad to say goodbye.

Another place we visited was the Mango Tree Centre, which is a place for disabled adults where they care for people and help them grow as individuals but also in their faith with God. We were privileged to perform a Tongan song called "E ‘Otua," a Māori song called "E Minaka Ana," and our school song. We were able to bless others by performing these in many places, such as the Vaiola Hospital Pediatrics ward and the Kolovai Salvation Army Church. We got to speak on the Christian radio station of Tonga and encourage people with our words.

We were given an unexpected opportunity from the Equippers Church, who, at a worship night, asked us to join them to do some outreach at a village called Lapaha. This was quite an eye-opening experience, and I am glad that we could bless these people with food parcels and prayer. God was very much there and in control by opening doors as we just willingly followed Him.

Unfortunately, we did have some sick people in the team, but with prayer and perseverance, we made it through. Everyone in the group had to share their testimonies across the trip, which was a cool bonding time and made our connections deeper. Every day was packed with many exciting things and often ended in a card game of 500. We journaled every night, prayed over people, and hoped that God’s will would be fulfilled on this trip. We all wrote notes to encourage others in the group and also received letters from our family and teachers to read while we were there, which was a wonderful surprise. God has thoroughly blessed us and the people of Tonga through this trip.

Emily Cummins - Year 12