In the tropical heart of the South Pacific, a powerful spirit of unity and faith pulses across the 15 islands of the Cook Islands — led by the prayers of faithful women from a variety of Christian denominations.
At the helm of this movement is Luduina Williams, a Latter-day Saint and president of the Cook Islands World Day of Prayer committee.
“We come from different denominations, but we all belong to the same God,” Williams said, summarizing the spirit that defines the World Day of Prayer in her island nation.
World Day of Prayer is an international, ecumenical movement driven by women who come together each March — and throughout the year — to pray, worship and serve their communities, reported the Church’s Pacific Newsroom.
This year, the global focus of the prayer movement was the Cook Islands. Women in more than 170 countries offered heartfelt prayers on behalf of Cook Islands women. Williams and her committee returned the blessing by praying for their own people, leaders and land.
As part of the 2025 theme, “I Made You Wonderful,” drawn from Psalm 139:14 — “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” — Williams said she hoped to inspire women across the islands with a message of divine worth and sisterly love.
“What I hope that I, as a president, was able to show to the women of our country is love — to share love and to understand each other,” she said.
For Williams, prayer is not just a ceremonial gesture. In her role as president for the past seven years, she has consistently turned to God to help guide the diverse committee of women she leads.
“There are a lot of things that we don’t agree on, and there’s a lot of differences,” she explained. “I’m always asking the Lord to guide me today. ‘I am stuck with this decision, help me or show me a way how I can solve this problem with the women.’ We have concerns, so I’m always taking my concern to the Lord to help me make the right decision.”
That prayerful leadership has had a tangible impact.
When the women of the Cook Islands gathered to pray for their government this year, the country’s prime minister and his wife personally met with Williams to thank her.
“We prayed for our prime minister to make the right choice in leading our country,” she recalled. “He came and met with me — he and his wife — and he thanked me for praying for him.”
Beyond the events of a single year, Williams also honors the legacy of those who built the foundation she stands on.
Alongside her committee, she recently visited the grave of Akaiti Ama — the woman who first brought the World Day of Prayer to the Cook Islands in 1971.
Flowers were laid, stories were shared, and Ama’s son spoke about her dedication to uniting women through prayer. Her legacy continues in the growing fellowship of Christian women across the islands today.
Workshops, worship services and community visits throughout the year are all expressions of that legacy — and are animated by a shared belief in the power of prayer to bring understanding and peace amid diversity.
“Always trust the Lord, and He will have an answer,” Williams said, showing the same faith that has guided generations of women before her — and which continues to shape a united, prayerful future for the Cook Islands.
