Uttermost Witness on a two-year mission to deliver the gospel

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Get used to seeing the MV Uttermost Witness anchored at the yacht basin in Malaloa for the next two years. And, when you see it, remember you are looking at a dream come true for the late American missionary, Pastor Kelly Duininck, who passed away before he and his wife, Pastor Pattie, could even begin their work.

The MV Uttermost’s two-year mission in the Territory is part of Pr. Duinincks vision to plant 30 Bible training centers in 30 Pacific island-nations with the vessel traveling to each center every 2 or 3 years.

His widow told Samoa News, “The Uttermost will be in American Samoa for two years, while the crew starts the school, teaches at the school, maintains the ship and at the same time the school will continue to be at the GHC Reid building in Malaloa, and we’d be going to the next island for two to three years to start another school.”

“We’ll be going to the Cook Islands, Rarotonga next,” she said.

The MV Uttermost Witness mission has 26 Islands to go.

It’s a mission that almost did not happen.

They started the Rhema Bible School in Samoa in 1992, and from there, the late Pr. Duininck saw a need for a vessel that could be a mobile Bible School, take humanitarian aid, but mostly just carry the message of the Gospel.

 First, Pastor Kelly died in 2008, two years after being diagnosed “with a disease that paralyzed his body and left him speechless at a later stage,” she said.

Second, they had no money to purchase a vessel, but “the Lord really spoke to his heart about sharing this vision with this one Pastor, and that Pastor said, I would like to pledge an offering for that ship. In four weeks, over half a million — $510,000 came in.” 

Memories of her late husband hit Pr Kelly Ah Kui, and she said with teary eyes, “It was the last project my late husband and I worked on.”

“It was such a big dream, it got to the point that it (the vessel) was seaworthy and ready to go to Samoa, when he passed away on April 22, 2008. “We worked on it for two years.”

She recalled him being carried onto the ship during maintenance to get her ready for Samoa. 

“For someone in that poor condition to fight to do what God has asked him to do. “That changed me forever.”

“Kelly did it completely paralyzed, he could not speak, he would mewl the letters of the alphabet, and give instruction to the crew and staff, it was just amazing”

“He said when I die I'm going to stand before the Lord and look at him in the eye and tell him, I didn’t quit.”

When he died, “It was a transition”, she said, “but I knew we had to get the ship to Samoa right away and that’s what we did.

“The support for the ship dried up at that point when Kelly passed and I completely understood, but I was sure that we’re supposed to bring the ship to Samoa. All I had was his life insurance of $250,000.

"I told the Lord I’m willing to spend that just to bring the ship to Samoa."

The journey was difficult, and despite hiccups — the carrier bringing the vessel to Samoa partially sank in Tahiti necessitating the extra expense of hiring a team “to sail her to Samoa which took two weeks.”

By this time in August 2009, she sailed into the Apia marina, right before the tsunami hit the following month.  

While in harbor she had to go through refitting of the engine room and the salon area floor was falling apart, as it was an old boat, which took two months.

She holds three bedrooms down, three bathrooms, engine room, control room, Captain’s quarter with another bathroom, control room upstairs. and upper deck, all ready for the Mission.

In December 2009, she took her first Voyage to Savaii, and invited the pastors to a seminar on the Upper deck, which was refitted to hold meetings and used as a Bible Training Center.

The vessel is upholding her mission: When she sails into an island, she is to stay for a year or two, with a crew that is able to train, not just pastors but lay people that want access to go to school but never had a chance to do so.

The MV Uttermost Witness has achieved its missions in Fiji and Vanuatu, where they ‘planted’ a Rhema Bible School in each of their main cities following the main one for the Pacific, in Samoa.

In Tokelau they held a mobile training center aboard the ship.

“Our biggest mission was in Vanuatu, and we planted a Rhema Bible center there, a full time school. It's still open and operating, as they were able to buy their own building last year.”

So far, three schools have been started with the ship — Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu — and now a 4th school here in American Samoa.

In the meantime, Rhema Bible School in Upolu is where students are able take a 3-year program diploma, which is recognized in the Pacific.

 “This miraculous 100-foot ship is serving in the South Pacific … Instead of the people having to get to us we are going to the nations. 

“She is a trademark of God's Goodness throughout the South Pacific!”