2nd Update, Fiji August 2018
2nd Fiji Report August 2018:
It has been a very busy and productive day. My meeting with Pastor Vuni was a bit later in the day than originally planned because one of the participants had a conflicting engagement at the time we were to get together. He is a local chief who currently works in the Ministry of Health as acting registrar for the Dental Commission. One of the things he is responsible for is approving all dentists who wish to do mission work in Fiji. He’s a good person to know when you’re doing the kind of medical outreaches TUtP has done all around Fiji over the past many years.
As a chief and member if a chiefly family, he has a lot of intimate practical knowledge regarding how village life works and how to make a positive impact on the lives of villagers using the community development kinds of projects TUtP is engaged in.
The Healing of the Land teams (HTL) under the direction of Pastor Vuni have successfully carried out their program in over 200 villages around the nation. That is about 1/10th of the total villages in Fiji. If you want to understand the full impact of this work, you need to watch “Let the Seas Resound”, a transformation video from the Sentinel Group under George Otis Jr. Though it is an older video, it still provides an excellent picture of the HTL ministry TUtP has worked alongside here in Fiji as opportunity has allowed.
I share with Vuni a desire to see Jesus take these villages to the next level of growth and development. They are resource rich but living in poverty. I arranged for a successful Fijian businessman we both know to meet with us to strategize regarding how we can best establish a pilot project in Vuni’s village to address this issue. Jesus has taken them through the HTL process and they remain faithful to all God has done. Now they want to know what comes next.
Vuni has some great ideas that can now be developed into a strategic business plan that we can help make bankable. We understand that this is a long-term undertaking that will certainly go on beyond our lifetimes. However, if we do not start it now and marshal the necessary resources we will fail in what we know the Lord wants for His people at this particular time and place.
It was exciting for the 4 of us to dream God’s dreams together. We now have put in place the necessary 1st steps in this long, arduous journey. In 4-6 months we should be ready for the next step forward together. More as things unfold. This is Kingdom business that will ultimately impact the entire nation. Among other things, TUtP will help provide some of the training and training materials to help address the Biblical ethics involved in this type of venture. Should it be required we will also assist with aspects of fund raising and seed money to further the business plans.
Shortly after I returned to the hotel, Pastor Reggie Kumar and his family picked me up for dinner. Pator Reggie’s son joined us. I’ve known Jr. since he was in his early teens. He’s now a dentist who served with TUtP during our outreach last year. He is a remarkable industrious young man any father would be proud of. I had let Jr. know of a Christian dentist from Mexico I know who would like to do some volunteer work in Fiji. This man teaches and performs facial maxillary surgeries. Jr. teaches part time at the Dental University here in Fiji and will make contact with Dr. Mario to see what can be worked out.
Pastor Reggie has been working with smaller churches around the country that lost their facilities due to various natural disasters. He also leads a congregation here in Suva. I’ve known him and his family and they’ve worked alongside me in a number of outreaches beginning in the slums of Suva.
It was great to catch up with him and his wife.
My body is telling me it’s 3:48 a.m. where I came from yesterday. So I need to bring this update to a close.
Two meetings tomorrow after Church
Thanks to all of you who have let me know you’re praying. That means more than I can say.
Blessings!