Aug 17, 202310 min read

Outreach Leading: Vanuatu

Between May and June I led the Medical Compassion (MedCom) team to one of the Pacific Islands, Vanuatu, and got to serve the locals and longterm missionaries there.

An archipelago of 83 islands and six provinces, the nation of Vanuatu is one of the most hardest hit areas for natural disasters. The country sits along the 'Ring of Fire' located in the South Pacific. From seismic and volcanic activity, droughts, floods, extreme temperatures, tsunamis and tropical cyclones Vanuatu proves to be a resilient people. In the beginning of March Vanuatu was hit with twin category four cyclones and a 6.5M earthquake. The devastation that occurred was astronomical with 80 percent of the population being affected.

I packed my bag with nervous excitement on the eve of May 6th. I was going on an adventure filled with growth and new things...

I found myself again on a returning journey, this time back to Vanuatu after nine years and this time leading a team. This was the beginning of MedCom outreach, I was going to lead a team of eight students with my assist leader Jack. First we traveled at midnight to Auckland before making our way to Vanuatu. My head was filled with thoughts of excitement but I also wondered how I was put in such a position by God. On one hand it was so overwhelming and filled with 'what ifs' but on the other hand it was an incredible honour.

Let me explain what each week looked like:

Week 1: Introduction

When our team first arrived in Vanuatu we landed on the main Island, Efate and were driven to the Family Care Centre (FCC) which is a ministry founded by David and Linda Cowie (who also founded Marine Reach). The FCC is a place that is meant to serve and better the local community in many ways. One way that the FCC does this through their established primary healthcare clinic.

The climate while we were in Vanuatu was unusually cold but due to the previous cyclones the whole environment was still recovering from the damage that had taken place. I was pleasantly surprised at the resilience of the land. Already so many things were regrowing and healing, even the people. How do I capture their bright smiles, their open hearts and their generosity in just words?

If you asked me how similar Vanuatu is to PNG I would say the same in so many ways but also different in many ways. I was a little taken back that I felt homesick for PNG when I first arrived in Vanuatu. The land is so similar and the culture is similar in the way that relationship comes first- it is very much a warm climate culture.

In the first week our team was introduced to the language, Bislama, and a bit of the culture and traditions. At the end of the week we were able to go to Manalilu village and make a local dish called simboro and practice speaking in Bislama with the locals. We also were able to swim in the ocean in Manalilu and saw giant clams!

Week 2: Green Hill School

During our second week in Vanuatu our team went to Green Hill School about a forty-five minute drive away, potholes included. We were able to lead a VBS (vacation bible school) over one of their school break weeks.

The theme was WILD! We were given some teaching materials from the FCC to use with the children and my students also made up some activities and games. At first there were just a few children but by the end of the week we had around 45 children, teens and mamas joining us for the activities. We ran VBS in the mornings then in the afternoons my team put together different health teachings and a couple wound care clinics. Different health teachings we did were: ways to take care of your teeth from eating healthy to brushing effectively, washing your hands- how and why, and healthy boundaries (KeepSafe).

The KeepSafe short teaching is meant to speak towards the topic of domestic violence and sexual abuse which is hidden but common within families. By teaching and opening this topic up at a kid friendly level our hope was and is to help children know what to do if this happens to them and even the warning signs before it may happen.

By the end of this week we were exhausted but in a satisfied way. Over the span of the week we saw the kids go from shy and quiet to opened up and singing loudly with us. What a gift to be there. I also saw God moving in myself as I stepped into the leadership role more this week. I learnt to trust Him more and to hand over my team into His will instead of my own. I think that was the only way I was able to keep leading because the alternative would've been too much responsibility and too daunting.

Week 3: Port Vila

This next week the MedCom team got up to different things throughout the main town, Port Vila and around the FCC community. We went into town and did some street ministry. It ended up in some of us finding the mama's clothing market and being welcomed into their daily worship and prayer time which they've been doing since the start of the pandemic. It was one of many experiences where we went to try to bless others and share God with others but we got blessed more in return.

The team also got to take turns in the FCC clinic throughout each week when the clinic ran. One afternoon the team went out and did some neighbourhood prayer/evangelism. We got to teach basic wound care at Teuoma Christian Academy from Kindergarden to year 7. We went to the women's prison and were able to sing and connect with the women there. We helped out around the FCC painting and washing their trucks one afternoon. On the weekend MedCom helped set up a game for the youth group one morning throughout town and later played ultamate frisbee together with another local group. The team also went to the hospital and got to pray with some of the patients.

This week our team saw God's provision in many ways from having just enough supplies to giving us a loving heart posutre during different ministries that were new to us. For context while we were in Vanuatu we mainly atteneded a church called ICC (International Christian Church- I think). The congregation was filled with long term missionaries, short term missionaries and locals. They ran a youth group out of that church and that is the one we spent some time with. Then there was another ministry called Impact Ministries (IM) which was led by a couple who attended ICC. The vision of IM is to help young men develop practical skills and learn how to live on their own. A lot of the young men they were helping came from broken backgrounds wether it was education or family related.

(One of my students sharing a testimony at the mama's clothing market)

Week 4: Port Vila

This week looked very similar to our previous week. We went back to the mama's clothing market this time with the whole team. While we were there one of the mama's named Rosie asked us to pray for her knee because it had been injured and in pain for months. After we finished praying she got up and went to give us some of her necklaces she'd made and we were so confused until she said that the pain in her knee was gone, she was healed and she wanted to thank us!

One of the special days this week was when we were able to go to Pele island off of Efate and run a big clinic which means we were able to go with the nurses from the FCC clinic and run a full primary health care clinic.

(The team loaded up in the truck with medical supplies for our big clinic day)

On this day my team learned how to run triage, take vital signs, test blood sugars, do more wound care, more health education and sit in on patient consultations with the nurses.

Later in the week we were able to go to a different school called Life Changers and teach on basic wound care and healthy boundaries. We split into groups and taught year 1/2, 5/6, and 7. By the end of the week we were packing up our thing and preparing to go on a week long stay in another village.

Week 5: Rango Rango Village

Our time in Rango Rango was so sweet and special. The MedCom team was able to go with Steven who was a more senior member of IM. We went and got connected with Pastor/Principle Joshua and his family who had moved from a more southern island of Vanuatu, Tanna, five years ago. They had set up a beautiful community within the heart of Efate in the mountains.

Here we got to go on many prayer walks, meet families in the village, hike down a mountain in the jungle (bush) to a river- and back up, meet with the teachers and give them materials to teach on different health topics we'd been doing, help lead a church service, take a little trip to another church's youth group and run another big clinic!

Going to a place for a morning or afternoon to do a ministry is so different from going to a village and living 24/7 with the community. It was such an incredible time to, yes, do some intentional serving but to also just sit in the down moments and talk with Pastor Joshua or his family and even play with his grandchildren. Here the team grew a lot in seeing God in each small moment and that no moment even unplanned is wasted on our creator.

Week 6: Last in Vanuatu

For our final week in Vanuatu we went back to the FCC. We did some prayer walks in the neighbourhood, went back to Life Changers school and handed out preventative medication with the school nurse, did some beach worship, went back to Teouma Christian Academy to teach on healthy boundaries, and other things. One day we got to help IM clear their newly purchased land with the GO team which included machetes, fire and lots of sweat!

It was a bittersweet week serving in the community and having to say goodbyes to everyone but we were so much richer for our time in Vanuatu. I certainly grew as a person and as a leader here. God showed up in ways that I'd never seen before and as always He was faithful to each one of us on MedCom.

As we travelled back to New Zealand for our final week of outreach little did we know that one of our most challenging weeks were ahead of us!

(MedCom at our goodbye dinner from FCC)

Week 7: Back in Tauranga

A day in Sydney then we landed in Auckland. We made it through security out to our ride back to Tauranga then one of my students fainted and had to go the the Auckland hospital. Most of the team was able to drive back except for two students and I. It ended up being 48 hours until we made it back to Marine Reach to sleep but thankfully the condition of my one student had stabilized. After a night's rest our team was put to the test the rest of the week helping other students from different teams. One student ended up being septic, another severely constipated and another who was fainting and siezing. With many hospital trips, pharmacy trips and some family trips, something amazing happened. The student who was septic got prayer and instantly started to feel better. They went from being almost unresponsive in the waiting room to getting up and walking out of the hospital after seeing the doctor. The next day they were bright-eyed and full of energy. The others have since recovered as well and are doing a lot better.

Despite all the medical needs our team met to debrief and pray with each other. For me (and other staff) this week was exhausting but it was another week where God showed up and gave me the strength I needed. I also saw God through my team, my students stepped up and helped each other and me to get through the week. I can say confidently that I am so proud of them for living out what they learnt over lecture phase and their time in Vanuatu.

Re-entry Week and the end of DTS

In our final week together as a school the students sat together and debriefed, shared, and learnt about the challenges of re-entry. We were able to get up to some fun things as well like a bonfire at the beach and hikes to waterfalls. Then came graduation!

As the DTS finished, I have had time to reflect on this past school, leading and all that I learnt. I've realized that nothing is better than choosing to partner with God. I could've led MedCom relying a lot less on God and it would've been way more stressful, worrisome and I would've seen a lot less growth in myself and my students. However, consciously choosing, each day, to hand over the things that were out of my control to God especially my students made a world of a difference. It allowed me to be more open to opportunities, respond with more grace, and hand over control to God and even my team. I think I've really begung to learn that a good leader is willing to do what needs to be done but needs to step back and let the students figure out how to do things first (within reason). Then if it isn't working the leader steps in to make some suggestions but still doesn't take control unless necessary. This way is not so the leader slacks off or gets a break but it is a method that allows growth among students all the while the leader is continually assessing the situation ready to step in if needed.

The next few months (after June) are less intensive. I am still at Marine Reach just in a different role, at a different pace. I will update soonish on what this season has been like. A few of my current roles are assisting with the intake of new students, organizing medical supplies and helping around the base. There is also time to rest, break and of course update the blog. Looking forward to September I will be helping with staff training for the next DTS begining in October-February. I will then be taking on a co-leadership role for the DTS!

I think that is all for now, as always please feel free to reach out to me and ask me any questions you have. I am more avaliable at this point then I will be once the new school begins in October. Prayer requests would be for physical health, to continue growing closer to God and for God to prepare me for the next school. Financial needs are still for my rent in this season ($150NZD/week). Thank you for following along on my journey and sticking through this rather long post.

Much love,

Lianna