Maori Postal Aotearoa in our Communities!

Wairarapa Balloon Festival 2022 Article by Haydee

Muir

This Easter saw the freedom to have events without the limits of Covid. Finally the hot air balloon festival was returning after a three year hiatus. It’s absence had left a huge void in our community.

I was looking forward to seeing the hot air balloons take flight. The balloons are so majestic as they float through the crisp morning air, as if being held up in the sky by the finger of God. As much as I was looking forward to seeing the hot air balloons, it was not my focus. My eyes were set on the hearts of children.

In the heart of almost every child lies a fascination for balloons. What better way to reach a child than with a balloon? I had party balloons with polka dots and others with big smiley faces.

The Lord says “A gift opens the way for the giver” Proverbs 18:6. That was what I was about to do. Give the gift of life. Nothing worth happening, happens of it’s own accord. It takes effort.

My friend and I rose early on Easter Friday morning, while it was still dark and cold. We arrived in Carterton at 5:45am. The sky was still black. We set up and starting pumping our balloons, with gospel tracts at the ready. The MPA Easter Tamariki A Ihowā were our favourite. The children trickled in at first.

It was still very black and extremely cold. We could barely be seen but as the sun rose, it soon became a steady pace. The hot air balloons were a kaleidoscope of colour, slowly inflating and rising from the earth. It was if they were ‘standing upright’, their baskets still tethered to the ground. As the hot air balloons slowly drifted off into the skies; we were overwhelmed by a long queue of eager children.

Each child greeted us with a beaming smile, delighted not only to get a balloon on a stick, but a Tamariki A Ihowā book as well. By the time we had served the very last child, our feet and hands were frozen cold. More than two hours had ticked by. Our stomachs were empty, but our hearts were full knowing we had placed a book of hope into each precious hand.

On Easter Monday, we went to Solway Show Grounds, to repeat what we had done two days before. One day is never quite like another, despite the best laid plans. This day began in the half dark. We lost 45 minutes waiting for the event to open very late to the public. It started fairly well, then a bit later it went quiet.

In that lull, two of my favourite little people ran out to greet me - Jennifer and Annika. We chatted for a little, then Jennifer said “I’m frozen”, so I placed my woolly hat on her head. Just minutes later she was still very cold so I offered her my balloon pump and told her “You better pump balloons to stay warm.” So she did! Before long, Annika wanted to help, so I charged her with giving out the gospel tracts. She and Jennifer had helped me before, so giving out tracts was nothing new.

Before long, we had a queue I could see no end to. Little did I know, that God had sent me these ‘little miracles’ just when I needed them. I could not have imagined the long line of children queueing for a balloon; nor know that we would desperately need all the help we could get in those last minutes! I was so thankful to God for them! He had planned it all!

The two of us took a couple of days to recover. The balloon festival ended, but our ‘commission’ had not. It was school holidays, so we returned to the local park each day during the school holidays to continue our balloon outreach. We made an effort to spend an hour a day in the playground. By the end of the holidays 500+ gospel tracts had gone out. How was that possible? It blew our minds!

So much more can be accomplished by working two-gether, but three or four is even better! Thank you Lord. Thank you Annika and Jennifer.

In Our Correctional Facilities

Dearest Māori Postal Aotearoa

It has been a blessing having you in my life and there are no words that could ever express how thankful I truly am. My life has changed finding the Lord my Father by my side every day and all of this is from the work that you and all your team do, so once again God bless you all Māori Postal Aotearoa.

Kia Ora and thank you for blessing me with the cards in scripture of Te Reo and in English. Know that you are giving light in the darkness of prison. You are setting captives free.

Your work is so important to the hurt, the neglected, rejected in prisons of unforgiveness. When individuals know they are forgiven for every wrong those inner thoughts and attitudes begin to change.

May your ministry continue to bless others with the greatest hope the loving relationship of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

I didn’t come from a Christian family but one of alcohol, abuse and neglect. A family of Christians kept asking me to go to church - they never gave up, they kept asking. I saw their downcast countenance. It affected me and one day I said “yes” and it was the best decision of my life. My foundation was built on the rock. Jesus knew I would respond. It doesn’t make me perfect, I am unrighteous in a lot of ways, but my stand is on a foundation that will never fail. The love of God through Christ Jesus. There is no other way.

Bless you.

Written from Ngawha Prision, Northland