Fiji is one of most amazing places you’ll ever visit. A country of many islands and surrounded by some of the most pristine oceans and beaches in the world. Fiji is a country where tribal life is still in existence. You will also see Hindu temples set beside Muslim mosques. Though it is culturally diverse, you’ll find the people open and warm to receive anyone that steps on its shores. It is a beautiful country with a beautiful people.
SI is excited to say that we have found a home in Fiji and started to make our imprint in the town of Lautoka. During the last two weeks in Fiji we were able to rent a large two-story house for the new SI Base. This house is sufficient to house a team of at least thirty people. We have three permanent staff on our team working daily: Oscar and Aralia Ratu, a very warm couple that have a lot of ministry experience, and Aunti Mila, a woman with the biggest smile you have ever encountered. When you arrive in Fiji you will be welcomed in such a way that your life will never be the same again. Their warm hearts and huge smiles will capture your heart within minutes after arriving.
We are also excited to announce that we will have four permanent sites that will be staffed by our own full time staff. The first is a social work site for men, a ministry site that works out of a local prison. We have found favor with the warden and he’s invited us to come and minister daily. The young man that we plan to hire for this site has spent some time in this prison and has been discipled by the local church. He has an amazing testimony of how he was rescued and set free, and he thanks God for his time spent there. The second site is a pre-school that is run by a local church. Aralia Ratu will staff this site. Our third site is another social work site and will be lead by Aunti Mila. This site is going to be working in a home for the elderly. Our fourth site will be a special education site working with children with special needs, especially the deaf. We have two more temporary sites including a construction site where we’re building a home, and a site for ecclesiastical service where the local church would like for us to help with picking up trash in the local community while doing evangelism. We have some very powerful ministry to involve students. Please continue to pray for Students International in Lautoka, Fiji.
The Thompsons have done an incredible job working and setting the stage in Fiji over the past year. If anyone is interested in giving in any way to the work of SI Fiji please contact Dave Hansen in the SI Service Center in Visalia, CA. Please pray about visiting us soon in Fiji. You will never be the same.
