Our time traveling to Fiji, door-to-door, was 31 hours. We left for Grand Junction airport, flew to Phonix, flew to LA, flew to Nadi, Fiji, and drove for 2 1/2 hours to get to the Nanuku resort. The islands of Fiji could be clearly seen as we approach the airport.Sunrises at Nanuku Resort were spectacular. Even though we were there in the middle of their summer and monsoon season, we had great weather. The 9 days we were there, the ocean breezes were constant and the lows were in the 70’s and the highs were in the low 80’s. Occasionally a passing rain shower would go through, but it didn’t take away from anything.Our trip included a day trip for the four of us to visit a small island owned by the Nanuku Resort. It included snorkeling and fresh caught fish cooked on an open fire. The color of the water was unlike anything I had ever seen.This is Pam, Jordan, Rachel and me at our place in Nanuku. We could go right into the water from where we were staying, and the reefs were close and accessible.For the last three days and two nights of our trip, Pam and I went to Wakaya Island while Rachel and Jordan went to a different resort. Pam and I flew on this plane to and from Wakaya.When we arrived in Wakaya, they picked us up at the airstrip and drove us down to the resort. Here is the dining room. Pam and I were the only guest there the entire time, and we always sat in the front right corner. It was open air and always comfortable.inside the dining room you could see the authentic Fijian construction that was used. The posts and beams are held together by coconut ropes. You can see the patterns woven into the bindings. Every day we had this room to ourselves…nice!!!The Island was owned until recently by the family that started Fiji Water. Their love for the Wakaya Island was evident by the care and preservation of its natural resources and in its planting of many coconut trees and turmeric. Whenever you wanted fresh coconut water, it was always available upon request. They could easily and quickly climb the trees and open a coconut for you.We knew we wanted to visit the church at Wakaya. This was a beautiful Methodist church where we were welcomed and honored. Pam and I were invited to greet the people during the service. It was wonderful. The adult and the children’s choir both sang so well.This young man was the first one to greet us when we landed at the airstrip and was the first one to greet us here inside the church. We knew he loved Jesus and the Lord had given me a word for him. I hope we can see him again someday.Pam and I celebrated our anniversary while at Wakaya. They set up this beautiful table for us by the beach to commemorate the evening. They made a delicious Fiji barbecue for us and baked us our own special Red Velvet cake. The swing in the foreground was a favorite place to hand out. We started our dinner just as the sun was setting. Several of the staff came and sang us a special anniversary song.Behind us they lit the lanterns hanging in the trees. It was a really cool effect. You can see from the picture that they were actually made from the woven baskets that they would submerge in the water that would trap fish and crabs.They lit a bonfire just for us while we ate dinner. Even though we were the only guests on the island, they still pulled out all the stops for us.Before dinner was over, the evening star showed up. It was unusually bright. I took this picture from the table.Here’s the same picture again of the plane as we were departing. It was time for all good things to come to an end. You can see it was our new friend again who took us back to the airstrip and sent us off.
Obviously, our trip was beautiful and relaxing, but it was also very rewarding. The people of Fiji were kind and godly. Never have we been in a culture where there was such a common love for God. Pam and I had heard and read of the great things that God had done in Fiji, but it was a completely different thing to actually witness His grace upon a people. It’s hard to believe that just 150 years ago, these were islands that warred with each other, killed their sick and elderly, strangled their wives upon their husbands’ death, and infamously cannibalized their enemies. The missionary movement, primarily through the Methodists, began to impact the island in the 1830’s. The first missionaries struggled and labored hard for the sake of the Gospel. One of the first missionaries became a martyr and was cannibalized by one of the island tribes. In 2003, Fiji invited the descendants of this missionary and asked forgiveness for how they had treated their missionary ancestor. These very same descendants accepted their repentance and apology and offered forgiveness.
Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like leaven which a woman inserts into a lump of dough. Eventually the leaven ferments and affects the whole lump. Fiji is a beautiful picture of the effect of the Kingdom of God being inserted into an earthly culture. When you meet these people, you feel as though the whole Fijian culture has been affected by the Gospel and the salvation of the Lord. It was a great example of redemption and restoration.
Another thing that is evident is the proof of Jesus’ words that he who is forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47). The Fijians will surprisingly acknowledge their past, but they don’t carry shame. They carry a strong sense of forgiveness. The people have learned to honor God and to seek Him as a Deliverer whenever there is trouble. Because they know that they’ve been forgiven much, they love God very much.
As you can see in the picture above, we went to the church on Wakaya Island. That morning I had the Scripture, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you” (1 Timothy 4:14) going over and over in my mind. When they asked Pam and I to greet the church, I knew this was the Scripture I was to share with them. I told them that America was once a nation that feared the Lord, but we didn’t treasure the great gift that it was. I told them that now we face many consequences of that apathy. I encouraged them to continue in the zeal and faith that they enjoy right now. I encouraged them to “take pains with these things; be absorbed in them (verse 15). We must fight to keep what God has done and “be absorbed in them.”
Well, there are a lot of stories I could tell, but I just wanted to share a snapshot of our trip.
I pray the same for all of us, that we would “take pains and be absorbed” in holding onto our testimony and onto the things that God has done for us. Paul reminds us to “fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you” (2 Timothy 1:6 NLT). Amen!
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