Pray with the Marshall Islands, February 23, 2025
Lectionary Selection: Luke 6: 27-38
Prayers for the Marshall Islands
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for families that are still not settled, the ones that are lost and still don’t find peace today. I pray for the youth who are lost in this short happiness of life today. Lord, please be in our midst as we come together as your body to lift our country and our leaders. Defend the vulnerable and voiceless, and bring justice to those who have suffered injustice. I pray that you be with me as I grow in my work, especially as I lead the Youth Group today in Uliga United Church of Christ. I pray that You be with the people (elders, children, families) I serve and give them knowledge and especially a healthy life so we can help each other as we live and serve you, Lord. I ask all these things, in your mighty name we pray, Amen.
Mission Moment from the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands is a small nation containing 28 atolls and five islands. Although we are a small land surrounded by the ocean, our belief in God, our Savior, is big. The Uliga Youth for Christ is one of the five Uliga United Church of Christ departments in the Marshall Islands, also called the Jarin Rarik Dron (JRD) in Marshallese. Uliga Church is the mother-church for more than sixty JRD churches throughout the neighbouring islands and the United States, including Hawaii and Guam. It is located in Majuro Atoll, the capital city of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Uliga Youth for Christ has around 60 active youth who usually participate in church activities, including our community service. Last December, Uliga Youth for Christ decided to do something different that benefits not just us but the whole community, especially the kids. The Uliga Youth planning committee decided to do Christmas lighting around the church area for the first time. Our theme was “Recycle Christmas Lighting,” which fits into what the youth today are experiencing.
Our primary focus for this activity was climate change, human rights, health awareness, and the true spirit of Christmas. We started with a community clean up of the whole Uliga Village. We had one group focus on the coastal cleanup, where we cleaned and picked up plastics and other trash behind the church seawalls and other areas near it. Another group focused on the main roads in Majuro, which was challenging because we didn’t have a police escort or help from the government. We collected so much plastic and other trash that usually end up in the ocean.
After our cleanup, we came back to the church, where we built our recycled Christmas tree. We used water bottles, which most Marshallese use everywhere and all the time. We tried to showcase that water bottles can be recycled and reused for something creative and useful. After hours of dedication, our tree was up and shining bright.
Before we did the countdown and lit the recycled Christmas tree, we did a small workshop involving the kids, the next generation. We wanted them to be aware and know what is going on around them especially in the times to come. The Youth were able to demonstrate and explain 3 questions which really opened the mind of the small kids:
- What is the purpose of the Gospel?
- What is Climate Change?
- What is the Nuclear Testing that was done here in the Marshall Islands?
Other activities included a dedication candle dance/action to support those suffering today, including our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the Pacific, including New Caledonia (Kanaky), West Papua, French Polynesia, and especially us Marshallese, as we stand strong and still fight for our Nuclear Justice Legacy.
We also invited a worker from the Wellness Centre to come and do blood sugar, blood pressure, and other related health check-ups for our elders around the church. Finally, to show the true Spirit of Christmas, we invited the whole church and community to join our lighting countdown. We prepared food, drinks, and other snacks, a gift for the Sunday School, and giveaways/candy bags for the children in the community who joined that evening.
The community enjoyed our program and was eager to learn more. Our plans could not been successful without support from the Global Ministries East Asia and the Pacific office.
Written by Sladen Jieta, Uliga Youth for Christ President, United Church of Christ in the Marshall Islands
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