Introducing our DARE Partner in Mission – Rev. Dr. Jione Havea

Our DARE Partner in Mission

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Rev. Dr. Jione Havea

Jione is a Discernment And Radical Engagement (DARE) Context Reading Resource Facilitator serving in the Pacific region.

I was born to parents who were already working for the church, and I grew up playing with kids for whom being in the church was part of life. So I did not have a "big" or "significant" inspiration experience. It was part of growing up, to be involved in church tasks, services and events - and in our part of the world, church was an integral part of society so one can't do service for or in the church without also being involved in public or social services. They come together, even in the modern time.

Inspiration was not explosive for me, but staying in the service is the big challenge. I will have a better answer to why I am still in the service, when I am close to exiting!

What inspired you to be a PIM?

What do you do as a DARE PIM?

My involvement is with the DARE (discernment and radical engagement) program of CWM. I am part of a team - with Michael Jagessar, Peachy Labayo, Sainimili Kata - who organize and host the eDARE webinars. Before COVID, there were annual DARE Forums at different places: Bangkok in 2017, Mexico in 2018 and Taiwan in 2019.

Because of COVID, the 2020 meeting was held virtually (Zoom webinars); the eDARE team is now in the process of organizing the 2021 meeting, and planning for future ones. Information are available at this link: https://edare.cwmission.org

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Our family lives in a church-linked property, and we have plenty of space and lots of privileges. So our family is coping fine, and learning to do home schooling and go for walks and to the market.

But this is not the case for many people in the church, and outside of the church, who have lost jobs and their support systems. In the Pasifika islands, people are really struggling. Maohinui and Fiji are in the middle of outbreaks, and the Covid cases and deaths are rising.

We have islands currently without Covid cases, and my hope is that the population will be vaccinated before the Covid virus arrives. These islands do not have the health services required to face the disease and the aftermath, and so it will be devastating. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but simply being realistic.

Of course, to be vaccinated requires vaccines. And that is part of the problem, because our islands do not have the funds to be able to access the vaccines.

So while our family is coping, many families are struggling and preparing for things to get worse. Again, I'm being realistic -- it might be ok now, but it will get worse.

How have you been coping in the COVID-19 period?

Goals and Objectives for this mission journey

The eDARE team has been in conversation on how this CWM programme could take advantage of the platforms available in Cyberspace, to continue and expand what we are already doing. But also, to be more relevant and useful for people and communities on the ground -- especially across the CWM regions. So stay tuned!

But be warned: my preference is for the islands, small and big!