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TERRY and TAMI MORSE
WBF Missionaries to
French Polynesia
March 27, 2008
Hello Friends, from Michigan. Boy, it's cold here! I just returned
from the French Polynesian Islands, where it is the end of summer, and it was
much warmer than here in Michigan at my dad's. Going from 90F and muggy to 0F
and snowy leaves me with cold feet all the time. But I just wanted to
drop a note to update you.
I was able to accomplish my goals there by Monday last
week, thus I came home early. The cost of living is much more expensive than
here, and my plain jane hotel room, which was just a room off from the family
house in Faaa, cost about 110$ for a night. Milk is about $3.50 a litre, but
gasoline is the same as France, only about $8.25 a gallon.
I did find several houses to rent, one on the back side of the big island of
Tahiti, for about $1200 a month. I found another one on Huahine, where I would
like to start for the first 6 months, for only $625 a month, a great price. The
hotels on the island have nearly all closed and there is little work.
There are 5000 people, but most of them do not have a job.
Leaving the airport, I saw first the Jehovah's Witness
Kingdom Hall, then the Assembly of God church, then the Mormon church, then the
Catholic Church; all with in the 2 miles between the airport and the town. I
visited the Protestant Temple on Sunday, on the other side of town. I enjoyed
the singing very much, as they sing without instruments, just voices. There were
four seating groups in the building, and one after another they took turns
singing, with 2 or 3 part harmony. But while there is a foundational belief in
God, unlike France, the people I talked to were not saved. It was a bit unusual,
but the person that I witnessed to the most was from France, a fellow named
Frederick, who was on vacation and spent over 2 hours talking with me. But
unlike the island people I talked with, he did not believe in God. But that fact
that we talked makes it clear to me that he is searching. Only the Lord can take
the seed sown to give a harvest. But I will share more of that in the future.
At this point, the house is supposed to close between
the 31 of March and the 3 of April. Then we can transfer the money here to the
states, and make a bid on a sailboat in Florida. I found about 5 boats in the
island, but they are very, very expensive and not nearly as well equipped as
here. In any regard, I could not afford one there even if we found one that
would work for us. So we need to sail one over there. The timing is difficult to
ascertain at this point, but we need to be in the islands several
weeks before the end of July when our papers terminate. I don't believe at this
point that we will have any problem with them, if I present them as we did in
France. Our cartes de sejours are good over there, thus we will legally just be
moving from France to the Islands. But we still ask for your prayers in this
matter, as one person can stop the process, if they decide that they don't like
us.
Thus, we might fly over there, take up residence on
Huahine, and then I will have to come back to Florida, prepare the boat and find
the help to sail it over there. Just the voyage will take between 6 to 8 weeks.
But once the boat is there, we can plan for the ministry in the Tuamotu Islands.
Or we will sail together by Mid-May if possible. The Lord will have to
direct the timing for us.
During the 3 to 6 months we expect to reside on Huahine,
I plan on doing chalk drawings in the 8 villages there. Well, I am planning on
6, but we will see how much time we have to do so. As well, it seems to me,
unlike on the Continent (France) we will be able to do VBS which would be well
received. But only time and prayer can determine the results of that ministry.
We appreciate you all, your prayers and your concern. But the Lord is blessing
us, my back is much better, and the Lord took away the cyst on my wrist in one
day. Health wise, Tami and Tobijah are well, praise the Lord.
May God bless you and yours. Thank you for your help for our ministry of
reaching the French Polynesian people.
In Christ,
Terry Morse and family
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