Fiji Rain

When I first heard there was a mission trip to Fiji in the works, I was ecstatic. I envisioned myself lying on pristine white beaches, fruit juice in hand. However, my experience in Fiji was nothing like I imagined. I have no doubt God called me to Fiji. The entire journey, from starting point to finish was a total of 40 hours. When we arrived at the Adventist Elementary school we were greeted by the voices of Fijian children raised in song. Sometimes, sitting in a pew at church, we forget that the God that we worship is the same God who accepts praise from those who sing to Him on the other side of the world. The children were excited and, needless to say, a bit shy to see us. For two weeks, our group of 35 would be working on finishing teacher’s quarters, painting and assisting in the tiny clinic, and holding a Week of Prayer. Immediately, we set out to make friends. One of our friends, Joeli* was a worker in the campus bakery. He was a friendly sort of guy, with a huge smile and a playful personality. Joeli was the one who really helped our group adjust to the strange culture. He showed some of the boys in our group how to climb a palm tree and knock down coconuts. He also taught us to play rugby in the rain. I was also privileged to join a group traveling from village to village inviting people to WOP and VBS. We met with the village leaders sitting cross legged under the shade of a large tree, and we were even able to pray with them. Teaching people about the hope and love of Christ is an experience like none other. When you have a precious jewel and are able to share that with people who don’t have it, it can help you grow even more in Christ’s love. In one of the villages, we were able to transport a little girl who was suffering from high fever and malnourishment to the clinic at the school campus. The clinic too, was a place to find God. Along with the many medical check-ups and procedures, prayers were given as well as treatment. Because this tiny clinic was the closest for miles around, people came from many other islands to find cures for their ailments. They were blessed to return home, not only with a cure, but with a glimpse of the love of Christ and hope for the future. God definitely taught my group about His power in that clinic. When a village chief came in with a small tumor, the mission doctors were worried. Without the sanitation and proper tools found in the US, chances of a successful removal of the tumor were not high. Like me, other people in the group were doubtful of a successful result to the surgery. Our Chaplain, Mr. Haley, advised us to meet with the doctors in the church the night before the procedure to pray. The next day, around late afternoon, the news came in; the surgery was a success. And there was minimal risk of infection. When the patient came back before the end of the trip for one last check-up, the doctors had no explanation other than the hand of God for the triumph of the procedure. Of all the days, Sabbath was one of the most special. We were invited to a church on another island. The boat ride was refreshing and uplifting. The church was small and did not have any chairs or benches. Instead, the villagers brought mats and would sit on those. When we arrived, we were invited to share their modest woven mats with them. My experience at church was unique. During the beginning song service, I noticed a beautiful little girl of about 3 years of age staring at me. I began to make funny faces at her and made her laugh. In my pocket, I had some candy I’d brought for this purpose and I offered it to her. To my delight, she crawled over and sat in my lap, trying to unwrap the candy with her baby hands. When the time came to pray, I watched as this tiny angel put her hands together. After the service was over, she gave me a huge hug and a kiss. Sometimes, God shares His kindness and love in the tiniest packages. When we were boarding the boat to return to the school, a man came forward to ask us for help. A young couple, who had not been present that day at church, had a baby a few months old. Their baby had been very sick, running a high fever and unable to eat for some days. They were very worried but too poor to buy a passage to the island where the clinic was. One of the doctors of the group agreed to stay and go check on the baby. That night, we discovered that the baby’s condition was so grave it was imperative they bring him to the clinic and hook him up to an IV. The whole night a single light in the clinic remained lit, while the parents took turns sleeping and the doctor monitored the child’s condition. The next day after breakfast, the sky looked like it would rain. Mr. Haley called us to the flagpole which was at the bottom of a flight of large steps leading up to the school. He said he wanted to tell us something important. As I walked across the deck, I came across one of the adults holding a beautiful baby boy. Immediately, I wanted to hold him. Mr. Haley stood facing our group with the couple from the day before. The gray mood in the air gave a feeling of dread. My stomach plunged. Had their baby died last night? Mr. Haley explained this couple had come from another island looking for medical help. There had been prayer groups formed among the adults last night. Then, Mr. Haley looked straight at me and asked me to join him with the couple. I went down the stairs. He then proceeded to tell us that this bouncing baby boy I held in my hands was the same who had been preserved the night before by a miracle of God. As he said that, the heavens opened and warm rain began to fall. It reminded me of a moment a few days ago on the boat when it had begun raining and one of my friends, Melissa, had begun singing “Grace like rain, falls down on me…”. I realized this rain was a show of God’s grace he was pouring down on, not only my group, but also those He used us to reach out to. Finally, Mr. Haley got the couple and their baby out of the rain and made the biggest announcement of all. Joeli had requested that Mr. Haley would baptize him before our group left to begin the long journey home. We were overjoyed! On the last night of WOP, he had decided to give his life to Jesus. As he was baptized on the beach, I was able to look back on my two weeks in Fiji and really understand what it means when they say, “Let God use you to reach others.” In His using me, I was able to grow even closer to my Lord. By Joanna Foronda