A LEGACY OF LETTERS

Back in the late 1950s and early 60s, there was no such thing as the internet and letter writing was the main way to communicate. So it is that a unique collection of letters, photographs and documents from that era is shedding light on a Cook Islands of the past and the lives of a young couple who left their home in England with their 10 month old son to work as missionaries.

John and Rita Sturney, then just 27 and 28 with a 10 month old baby, took two months to reach Rarotonga by boat. Rita recalls their arrival.

"Our welcome here was wonderful....while still on the ship we were presented with our first garland of very strongly scented, highly coloured flowers. When we arrived at the quay..we were led between drawn up ranks of Boys' Brigade and Girl Guides. My! Did we feel important! Quite like royalty"

It's one of the first of hundreds of letters, documents and photographs which their father bound into three volumes. They were discovered years later by their son, Simeon who's now turned them into a book called "Legacy - A Missionary's life - Letters from the Cook Islands". And it provides a fascinating insight.

A home to share!

This is the Mission House on Rarotonga which the family moved into in 1959. But their first home on the capital island was a bungalow which they recall in another letter that they shared with some local wildlife!

"We have lots of cockroaches scuttling about and over the place. Then there are spiders - Tarantulas - quite harmless but good to have around as they eat the mosquitos, but they are the most fearsome looking creatures. The other day we had a great time trying to board up all the rat holes in the kitchen and bathroom. We discovered that our friend "Rastus" the rat was coming in and out of the shower run away in the bathroom..."

"King and Queen" of Mauke

As well as leading many church services and events, there are stories of how the Sturneys started a school, ran camps for the Boys’ Brigade, helped create a new hymn book and joined celebrations at the dedication and opening of Arutanga Village Hall.

They also travelled to many of the outer islands (Pa Enua) as they undertook their missionary work. A trip to the southern group island of Mauke in 1960 was described in one letter as "one of the greatest experiences we shall remember" thanks to local villagers,

"We had a little old Ford truck and they decked it out with paper ‘eis’ and bits of crepe paper all over the place, and flowers; and in the back they put a large mat and two wooden armchairs and we had to sit down on these rather like a King and Queen.”

A very personal story

Extracts and photographs from the many letters have been brought together in a new book by the Sturney's son, Simeon. He first read them when he was a young teenager. And among them was an account of how he nearly died from breathing difficulties just hours after his birth on Aitutaki. His parents said they "surrendered completely" to God as they feared the worst. They wrote:

"At one time, we were almost without any hope left, but Simeon, with his ox-like constitution, just hung on and absolutely refused to give up: and he made us hang on too. And now we just can't stop thanking God for his miraculous recovery"

Simeon Sturney is pictured with the Bible in Rarotongan which his father used in the Islands

And there's a fascinating footnote to the story. Simeon recalls how, back in 2024, at a rugby league world cup match involving the Cook Islands he had a chance meeting with the nephew of the doctor who helped save his life

ABOUT THE BOOK

'Legacy - A Missionary’s Life - Letters from the Cook Islands' is available on Amazon and in some Christian bookshops in the UK. Simeon worked with freelance designer, Faye Porter to create the book which is published by Sarah Grace Publishing (ISBN 978-1-917455-21-3).
Extracts are used here with Simeon's permission

IN SIMEON'S OWN WORDS

Simeon chatted with me about his parent's legacy of letters, explained why he’s decided to share them and reflects on a very different Cooks from the one they wrote about as the nation celebrates 60 years of self-government. That's all in my latest podcast. Click on the links below or search for "Kukicast" wherever you get your podcasts

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