For 18-year-old Opotiki woman, Ngaumu Jones, her feelings about her faith can be expressed in several ways, including through art.
She recently set herself the task of painting a mural, in her family’s home, depicting individuals and themes from the scriptures.
The initiative was one of eight similar projects she has now completed as part of a ‘personal progress’ program she has been engaged in during her teenage years. Hundreds of thousands of young women around the world who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as she is, participate in this program.
Each project that Ngaumu completed was based on one of the values as understood and followed by Latter-day Saint youth worldwide. Some of these are faith, divine nature, individual worth, and knowledge. Ngaumu’s mural was focussed on ‘faith.’
The artwork spans eight side-by-side cupboard doors in the family rumpus room, and depicts stories of faith she has found inspiring from The Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
She says she wanted to challenge herself with the mural, and at one point found that it was almost too much of a challenge.
“After reading through the list of projects we could choose from in the faith value I had an idea to do a mural for the visual arts project,” she says.
“I love to do something that feels a little hard to do, something that I would remember and that I could share with other people. I love art and thought I would enjoy this project the most.”
She continues: “I had started a few months earlier but then left my project right until two weeks before I was supposed to graduate. I don’t recommend anyone doing that!”
“I decided I would set one whole week aside of doing nothing but staying home and painting. The whole week I was on and off painting. I remember coming to a point where I didn’t want to paint anymore, I wanted to go and do other things with my friends instead of staying home painting. I was telling my Mum I was sick of it and I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
“But she told me I’d be so happy when it was done and that it would all be worthwhile,” she said.
Ngaumu says she persevered and finished the mural.
Looking back, she says that her participation in the program enabled her to experience many things. “It opened my eyes to what I was capable of as a young woman,” she said.
Ngaumu received a medallion from leaders at her church, honouring her for her achievements. She was also recognised for assisting another teenager to complete her personal progress award.
Ngaumu placed top in art at her high school and is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree at The University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts.