News in Brief

Atiu Mayor to stay put
The Ministry of Health confirmed on Tuesday that Atiu Mayor Taoro Strickland has declined to accept the liaison job in Auckland of meeting medical referral patients from Rarotonga. Health Secretary Tupou Faireka said the Atiu Council had refused to accept Strickland’s resignation however, unconfirmed reports are that Strickland declined the remuneration package said to total $30,000. Strickland is in Atiu and he has not responded to messages left with the local Council for him to contact the Times for comment.

Norman George to join Demos?
Unconfirmed reports are that Independent Atiu MP Norman George has made a written application, by which he seeks to join the Democratic Party. The Times understands the letter from George was discussed at a Demo meeting of Executives earlier in the week. It is not known if George will resign, force a by-election and stand under the Demo banner. The Times has heard one unconfirmed report that the Demos are considering George’s request favourably.

Golf tournament to raise funds for Rotary projects
This Saturday 19th November the Rotary Club will hold their annual Ambrose golf tournament at the Rarotonga Golf Club with several teams teeing off aiming to help raise funds for projects within the Cook Islands community.
Rotary Club Cook Islands President Bob Riley, or better known as ‘Solar Bob’, says that the annual golfing event is the club largest fund raiser, with a $150 joining fee for competing golf teams and the sale of raffles tickets last year’s event raised between $12, 00 to $14, 00 that funded the purchase of the much needed wheel chair ambulance for the creative centre to special keyboards for impaired children. Rotary is about sharing and putting something back into your community says President Riley and so this year something that he would like to put into action is “solar power on all the schools” along with increasing their membership numbers and continue to raise funds for community focused projects.
Golfing competitors and raffle ticket holders can look forward to some excellent prizes thanks to the support from some huge sponsors says Riley, with the ‘hole in one’ prize of a brand new motorbike still up for grabs. -Maria Tanner

Trade and night market

On Thursday and Friday the 24th to the 25th of November, the BTIB (Business Trade and Investment Board) and the Takuvaine Tutakimoa Committee will be putting together a Cook Islands Trades Days and Night Market to celebrate the ending of the Vaka Eiva competition.
The event will start at 9am in the morning, across from the Banana Court, to 2pm in the afternoon followed by the Maire Nui market which will be held from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday night at the same venue. The road between the roundabout and ANZ bank will be closed off.
Vendors will be made up of the Takuvaine Tutakimoa community vendors from Aitutaki, Mauke, Atiu, Mitiaro and Mangaia.
The event is a family one where there will be food, crafts and game stalls placed around the edges of the area. There will also be a number of performances by Cook Islands dance teams and a possible appearance and number by Miss South Pacific contestant Uirangi Bishop.
The Mauke vendor is said to be selling on the night,
1. Ei maire @ $12.00
2. Baskets with different sizes and prices
3. Mauke Miracle Oil (Akari Pi) different sizes and prices
4. Kikau brooms
5. Wooden kitchen untensils (made from tamanu )
6. Mauke popular ei katu and kaki
7. Pareu ( Handprinted the Mauke style)
8. Puakanio ta renga with taro
9. Puaka with rukau and taro veo
Mangaia – carved small adze, 6 baskets and a few ei pupus.
The Aitutaki stall will be selling tupa and Atiu will be selling taro. -Tiare Ponini

Census papers heading north
On the 21st of November the Police patrol boat Te Kukupa will travel to Pukapuka, Manihiki and Palrmerston ) to deliver the Population and Agriculture Census papers.
Safeguarding the Population census papers along the trip is Population Census Trainers, Maru Willie and Panapa Henry and carrying the Agriculture Census papers will be Agriculture census trainers William Wigmore and Moe Tutira.
The team will also be training the census teams in the northern group to carry out a census on their own in future.
“There are approximately 800 census papers going for the population census and half of that amount going for the agriculture census,” said Statistics Office Census Officer Kevin Hosking.
The team will be back on 8th of December to file their results.
Also tagging along for the trip to the Northern Islands to check up on their branch offices and equipment are Internal Affairs and MET office staff. -Tiare Ponini

Te Putokotoko
What is acceptable prayer?
God speaks to us through the Bible, and we speak to him through prayer. In prayer we make our thoughts known to the mind of God, no matter how much good we do, how much we study God’s word we still need his care and protection. This is the reason Paul told us to to ‘PRAY’ without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) It is important that we know the answer to some basic questions about prayer.
Who can pray?
Only God’s children have the privilege of prayer (1peter 3:12, James 5:16) the privilege of prayer is for those who are in Christ. Does God hear the prayers of sinners? Yes. He hears them but he does not answer them. However God does help those who are seeking the truth (John 7:17) For example, Cornelius was not a Christian. He was a good man who believed in God, he wanted to be saved, and God sent Peter to teach him what to do to be saved. (Acts 10:1 -1, 18)
Why do we pray?
Prayer is a way for us to enjoy fellowship with God (Acts 2:42) we pray for God’s help when we need it (Hebrew 4:16) we pray because God has commanded us to pray. (1 Timothy 2:8, Luke 18:1) We also pray to thank God for the blessing we receive from him (James 1:17)
Where do we pray?
Can we pray only in the church building during worship? No, we can pray anywhere and everywhere. Two children were late for school, worried one said let’s stop and pray. The other said lets run while we pray. We can pray whenever we need to, it does not matter where we are. While in prison, Paul prayed. (Acts 16:25) While he was in the stomach of the giant fish, Jonah prayed. (Jonah 2:1) In front of an open window in his room Daniel prayed. (“Daniel 6:10) Hannah prayed at the tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:9 – 18) in a garden Jesus prayed. (Luke 22:39 – 41) When the church assembled to worship they prayed and they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine, fellowship and in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. (Acts 2:42) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the Church. (Acts 12:5)
To whom do we pray?
Roman Catholics pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Sometimes they pray to dead Saints, other people pray to the spirits of their dead ancestors. But Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God the Father. (Matthew 6:9) We pray to the Father through (in the name) Jesus Christ our mediator. (1 Timothy 2:5)

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