South Pacific Union Mission 2nd Delegation Session, Youth Conference, Youth and Worker’s Seminars
What a wonderful, yet busy time December 2016 proved to be for members and friends in the South Pacific. It was our very first South Pacific Youth Conference and our first delegation to be held in the Pacific islands, and the Fijian brethren went out of their way to make our stay very pleasant.
The venue was Sabeto, about 20 minutes from Nadi, close to the sleeping giant mountain and surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. It was a wonderful experience for delegates and youth from the seven Pacific countries of our union mission to be able to meet each other and spend time in Christian fellowship and get to know each other. As we came from the east and west to consider our conference theme “Gathered for Heaven” it was a small foretaste of heaven, where every nation tongue and kindred will gather throughout eternity. It was a great blessing to have three General Conference representatives, Br Davi Silva, Br Rolly Dumaguit and Br Radu Ionita, to help with our meetings, reorganisation, planning and seminars.
The youth considered various topics including, commitment to God, courtship, relationships, choices in music, how to study the Bible etc. while at the same time organisation, planning and workers and officers meetings took place where many doctrinal and practical challenges we face in spreading the gospel were covered.
An outing to see the Fiji highlands was planned, but our faith was tested as a tropical depression caused plenty of rain and wind and threatened to turn into a cyclone. Thankfully God heard our prayers, and we were still able to include this outing later in our program. Our outing proved to be an adventure, and teamwork was needed to fill ruts in the road and push out the bus when it got bogged on numerous occasions. This made our trip all the more interesting, and thankfully we made it to our destination, the first point of our trip, Nabutautau village. It was here that we saw the very axe used to kill one of the early missionaries to Fiji, Thomas Baker. We then went on to Takoni village where we enjoyed horse riding, dinner and worship with our brethren there before leaving the mountains and returning to Sabeto.
All too soon the conference came to an end, and tears were shed as new friends parted to go back to their respective islands in the Pacific. We all left with a strong realisation of the great work before us. While we praise God for how the work has grown across the Pacific, we realise there are so many untouched areas.
If as you read these lines, you feel you have missed out on a wonderful and historical event for the Pacific islands you are right, but all is not lost. We hope to see you in Vanautu in December 2019 for the next SPU Mission Conference.
Greetings and a big thank you to all the brethren in the AUC who have reached out and helped build the work in the Pacific and supported it in so many ways now and over the years.
The new officers of the of the South Pacific Union Mission are as follows:
President: Br John Dumambi
1st Vice-President: Br Ben Thiel
2nd Vice-President: Br Thomas Ngunts
Secretary: Br Lerry Van Bastelaere
Treasurer: Br Tevita Batiwale – Assistant: Br Charlie Roberts
Sabbath School Department: Sr Elsa Make
Youth Department: Br Rontexstar Mogerer – Assistant: Br Tony Gai
Missionary Department: Br Thomas Ngunts – Joseph Andrea
Welfare department: Br Terry Kui
Education Department: Br Andie Yaimas
Health Department: Br Charlie Robert
Auditor: Sr Rose Mek
Media: Sr Mere Batiwale, Br J Teel
From your brothers and sisters in the South Pacific Union Mission.
Above photo: South Pacific Union Mission Conference – Newly elected Officers