Team Pacifica Update!!

We arrived in Fiji last Monday and were welcomed by the current leaders of YWAM Vunayasi which is about 10 to 15 minutes away from the city of Nadi. We had a warm welcome from the Vunayasi staff, who waited for our arrival dressed in traditional Fijian attire and welcomed us with a traditional song. It was quite a welcome as it continued into our dinner and they performed several mekes (dances) for us.

Our first week staying at YWAM Vunayasi we spent our time getting to know the staff and preparing our teachings for the following week. However we also engaged in the base activities during our preparation times. We attended the weekly bible study, where Catherine (who is from Fiji) spoke the word of the Lord to the staff and several visitors from the Fijian bible college. We also attended the base intercession time, which was fruitful for both our team and the staff and visitors. Later the same day we also joined the base staff in their Kid’s Club where local children from the surrounding farms and houses come to the base to sing songs, learn about the Lord, and play games. Jillian, the team leader led the kids in numerous songs and taught them the story of the Lost sheep using “Inductive Storying.” The following day our team led a time of worship for the base and later joined the staff at Babakula, a piece of land given to Loren Cunningham. The men on our team went along with the staff men and learned how to plant cassava while the women on the team went with the staff women to pray in the building they hope to turn into a prayer house for Fiji. On our first Sunday we attended two church services. The first of which was a small house church where Catherine lead the pre-service bible study. Later we attended an evening service at a large church where we would be teaching the women’s ministry the following week.

                Our first week at YWAM Vunayasi has been very relational. The team has connected with the staff and their visitors in some pretty incredible ways. Cultural barriers were non-existent thanks to God and the kind, generous, and compassionate hearts of those at the Vunayasi base.

                This Monday thru Wednesday the C-SBS team were given the privilege of teaching the women’s ministry at a local church a bible overview. We were able to reveal the Lord’s character to them on a broader scale and also build relationship with them as well. We were truly blessed by their hospitality and love. We were also given an opportunity to share our personal testimonies to a group of AOG Bible College Graduates who are staying on the YWAM base, telling them of how the Lord brought us from our DTSs to SBS to Fiji. We have also been given an opportunity to teach Jonah, James, and Colossians to the staff and another local church. It is a real blessing to teach these Christians as well as learning from them.

                So far Fiji has been ministering to our team indirectly in amazing ways. It has been an encouraging and inspiring thing to see the faith of the natives as well as their joy even in the midst of struggles for provision, which is biblically inspiring as well. In the week to come we will be leaving Vunayasi and going to a church in Suva about three hours away. This is the home church of Catherine Chander, who was born and raised in Fiji and was living in Reiwaqa, Suva prior to her schooling in DTS and C-SBS. We will be teaching Inductive Bible Study Seminars as well as a few books from the Old and New testament. After we have spent a week there we will be heading off to Samoa to teach the word there.

                Thank you all for prayers and support. This has been an amazing experience and we have the faith that the Lord will use this experience to strengthen and disciple us even more than he already has.

Personally- amazed at all God is doing, but homesick for both Kona and Manitoba at the moment...

Thanks for reading guys and God bless you