Whanau means family in Maori. I have experienced family so much since arriving in New Zealand but even more since arriving here in Mangere, Auckland. I am staying at Te Ao Marama, which is a YWAM base here. Last Monday we had a Powhiri here at the base. This is a ceremony where the people of the land (base) welcome the visitors and they become one tribe/family. It is such a beautiful Maori tradition. I was so blessed by it. Men make speeches about who they are, why they are here and what God is calling us together for. It is a beautiful ceremony about the acceptance into a family. Rahiri explained parts of the ceremony as also being symbols of our relationship with God. At the beginning, there are warriors from the home tribe that come out to challenge the visitors, to see what their intentions are, for good or for bad. The put down a symbol of peace and step back and then the vistors send a warrior to pick up the symbol of peace. It's all about our decision to pick up the challenge from God, to pick up the peace from Him. We are people from all walks of life, and from all over the world but God has made us a family and I have so experienced that sense of family here. I have grown to absolutely love my whanau here at Te Ao Marama. I have gotten such a vivid picture as to what the church is supposed to be and what it's supposed to look like. Someone from the base experienced the death of a loved one and then one of our team members has lost her grandpa in the past week, to see the support from the people here, to see the love and concern from people you barely know. We (my team) were able to be there for Ron when his mom passed away, and now they stand with us in the grieving of this grandpa. It doesn't matter who we are, where we come from, what we sound like or look like, we are the church, we are the body, we are the bride. We need to put aside small differences and focus on what it means to be the body! We are to be there for each other whenever something happens, rejoice when others rejoice, mourn with those in mourning. These people, this whanau, I will never forget them. I also don't think this will be my last time here with these people.
I have fallen in love with the Maori and Pacific culture. I have fallen in love with these people. I have fallen in love with what the church is supposed to look like and be. I have fallen more in love with my God and what He is calling us to be.
