Treasured Pearl
Pearl Maeva knows that she wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for Jesus. Loss, grief, addiction, violence and finally a prison sentence that resulted in separation from her family seemed like the end of the road. But God wasn’t finished with Pearl—far from it.
While it was once believed that a pearl forms when a grain of sand becomes trapped within an oyster, science now reveals that pearls are formed as a response to a parasitic intruder. This triggers the oyster to secrete a barrier called nacre around the interloper to protect itself from harm. Layer on layer of nacre wrap around it, eventually forming what we recognise as a beautiful, valuable pearl—a gem, a prize, a treasure.
Unwelcome, uninvited interlopers disrupted Pearl Maeva’s early life. Yet, just as nacre slowly layers around a parasite to form a pearl, God was at work—healing and softening Pearl’s life into something beautiful. God’s constant love has been a protective factor in her life since he cracked open the hardened shell of her wounded heart. Pearl’s life is a testimony to God’s relentless love for her—a love she now fully embraces and shares with others.
God’s gentle and gracious work
Born in Naenae, Wellington, Pearl (Ngāti Kuri/Te Rarawa/Ngāti Porou) was raised by Christian parents in Papatoetoe, South Auckland. But life took an unexpected turn when at just 10 years of age her mother died. Pearl’s dad slipped into depression for a time but then rallied, working hard to support his children. But the grief from the loss of her mother and the gap her absence left in daily life meant that Pearl and her siblings began to flounder.
‘Not having Mum there, and with Dad always working, we started to get into trouble,’ says Pearl. ‘There was drinking, drugs, sniffing glue—everything under the sun. I numbed the pain however I could.’
By the time she was a teenager, Pearl was regularly running away from home, and she eventually found herself living on the streets. Pearl’s substance abuse grew with her. When she met John, who would later become her husband, they fed each other’s addictions. Family life was far from ideal.
‘I just continued with that same lifestyle,’ says Pearl. ‘I thought I could raise my kids and still keep my drug habit, but obviously I was wrong, and it all caught up with me.’
Domestic violence and gang associations meant that Pearl’s drug habit was deeply embedded when she was arrested on drug-related charges and incarcerated in 2003. Pearl was 33 years old. Pearl’s aunties cared for her children for the next three years, moving them out to West Auckland—for which Pearl is forever grateful.
Losing her children was the hardest thing she had ever endured, but she knew they were safe. And prison was the catalyst for change—not just for Pearl, but for the generations to come.
Setting the captives free
While Pearl had been introduced to Jesus as a child, her fragile faith fell away. But Jesus was waiting for
her in an unlikely place.
‘In prison, that’s where I found my faith again,’ testifies Pearl.
Initially invitations from the prison chaplain to attend services were rejected by Pearl.
‘There were always people coming in and talking about Jesus,’ laughs Pearl. ‘But I was still living a volatile life in prison. I played guitar though, and one day this pastor lady asked if I would come and play in a service because she’d heard me playing. She gave me some chords. So I went down and started playing guitar for them. Something in me started to worship.’
Before she died, Pearl’s mother had taught her piano and guitar. ‘When she died, that was it—no more music,’ explains Pearl.
And yet Pearl discovered that when she played music in prison something shifted, and not just within her.
‘There would be fighting and scrapping, and I would start playing waiata (songs) and it was like a mist would move through the place and peace would come. It was … holy,’ explains Pearl.
But Pearl was still in active addiction with connections on the outside supplying her with drugs. One day she got into a fight and was sent to prison rehab.
‘That’s where I really hit rock bottom. I was told I needed to write out my story and to forgive everyone.
I didn’t respond well to that suggestion, so I got locked down. During that time, I started writing songs and poems. One of the poems said, “Sorry, Father, for leaving you and finding my own way. Looking for love I began to stray, but I ask you to come back.” So this conversation with God began in prison! I was writing it all down and dialoguing with the Father!’
When Pearl was released from prison, she knew God had gifted her a new beginning.
‘I knew this was a chance for me—for my children and my family waiting for me. I had made the decision to change my life, so I said, “Yes, Lord! I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but yes, Lord! I say yes!”’
The prison guards and chaplains that Pearl had come to know told her they didn’t want to see her back in prison, but Pearl had other ideas.
‘I said, I am coming back here—but only to help my people. I didn’t realise that I was prophesying! To this day I do prison ministry and share my testimony. Some women ask: “Why should we believe her?” But other women tell them, “We believe her because she used to be in here with us!”’
Stepping forward
Pearl was determined to make the most of the fresh start she’d been given. A chance encounter brought some Christian women to her door. They asked, ‘What do you really want, Pearl?’ And they prayed for her.
‘I said that I want my children and my family back. Not long after that—boom! The housing door opened for me so I could get the kids back. There were lots of twists and turns in the situation and questions about whether I was mentally stable and fit to care for my kids, but I fought for them. I grabbed my Bible and I prayed, “God, if you are real, please help me. I don’t know what to do. You’re the only one I have!” I sat down and cried because I’d made such a mess of my life.’
Another divine appointment followed, and Pearl was invited to church. She got involved with the music team and began worship leading. Then one Sunday, as she sang the words, ‘Lord, abide in me, I pray’, she watched from the stage as her children walked through the door.
‘My faith just grew to another level. And God said to me, “Pearl, when you delight yourself in me, I will give you the desires of your heart.” And God knew what I desired most—my family!’
Pearl’s faith grew stronger, and not only were her children restored to her, but God renewed her relationship with John, and the couple were married—in church! In time, their daughter Crystal began attending youth group at The Salvation Army. After a youth camp, Pearl and John were invited to come to church by the leaders who dropped Crystal home. It wasn’t long after that before John was invited to share his testimony.
‘We’d been asking God to show us where to go, and now we had confirmation! We saw the hands and feet of Jesus through so many people at The Salvation Army. They just loved on us, and now we are able to help others in return. God’s grace is beautiful, and I give him all the glory for where we are today. I have seen him change lives. I’ve seen many salvations, deliverances and healing. He’s the reason I do what I do. Jesus called me as a minister and a witness. He said, “You are going to tell other people about me”. I continue to obey his voice. It’s not like 100 instructions at a time but God says, “Step forward and say yes and see what
I will do with your life”. And what has he done? God has restored what the enemy tried to steal.
‘If it wasn’t for Jesus, I wouldn’t be here. I know that because so many of my old friends have passed away from years of drug and alcohol abuse. But I look at our whānau now—my 10 tamariki (children), 20 mokopuna (grandchildren) and three moko nui (great-grandchildren), and I know that it’s all God’s work. There was so much trauma, but I see more and more of Jesus in my life and family with every year that goes by. Now I speak more about Jesus than any of the trauma. He has turned my sadness into joy, and that’s the truth from the bottom of my heart. God’s been so gentle and gracious. I couldn’t have done it without him,’ testifies the 55-year-old.
Both Pearl and John are now soldiers of The Salvation Army and have been part of Waitākere Central Corps (Faith Factory) in West Auckland since 2013. They both serve on the leadership team, and Pearl is also on the pastoral care team and leads worship. John has worked faithfully for 10 years with the homeless as part of the Community Ministries team. For many years Pearl worked in mental health, delivering Kaupapa Māori programmes, and completed a mental health and addiction qualification before taking up her current role with Te Whānau Waiparara (Waiparara Trust), where she does wraparound work with families.
Life hasn’t been easy for Pearl, but she testifies to God’s abiding, loving presence through it all.
‘There have been struggles, really hard days, but I have my little space at home where I get away from everyone to be alone with God. I keep getting down on my knees and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I just sit there and let him refresh me—I bask in his presence.’
