More than 80 young single adults gathered in Papeete recently for a three-day activity celebrating the French Polynesian culture.
The participants, who ranged in age from 18-30, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The conference, which was held March 10-12, was hosted by local Church congregation leaders from the communities of Papeete, Arue, and Mahina.
The event’s theme, “Rejoice Evermore,” was taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
“The theme was perfect because we focused on rejoicing and being happy,” said Nicolas Raoulx, who is from Arue.
The games and activities included singing traditional Tahitian songs, dancing, group skits, charades, Polynesian basket weaving, and a variety of athletic races.
Saturday’s activities included a traditional Tahitian Tama’ara’a (festive meal) and a Tamure dance marathon. The weekend’s events concluded with a fireside (a special church service) Sunday evening, during which the participants reflected on the weekend’s activities and received encouragement from their leaders.
“It was really fun. Everybody was the same age and we had a lot of fun together,” said Mareva Tinomoe, who is from Mahina.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the term Young Single Adults (YSA) to describe unmarried adults between the ages of 18 and 30. The goal of Church YSA programs is to teach young single adults to be leaders by providing service and leadership opportunities.
