Fiji and Papua New Guinea are some of the most beautiful and primitively remote places on earth, respectively. We have churches in the SPA Region (South Pacific Region) which includes Australia and New Zealand as well. We hope that hearing from our sisters there, who for most of our readers, are far away physically but close in Spirit, edifies us and lifts us wherever we are.

— WTI Editors

Fellowship And Faith In Fiji: A Night To Remember

By Katee Cohen

The Fiji Church of Christ has been fundraising to help achieve our mission goals: spread God’s Word and plant more churches throughout the Fiji Islands.

The women’s ministry decided to throw a “Sip & Shop” Women’s Night. We collected donations of pre-loved clothes, shoes, and accessories. On the evening of our Sip & Shop event, we displayed our donations as if it were our very own little Fiji Church boutique. It was amazing seeing so many women come together to have a fun night. We shopped, we sipped, we snacked, and, of course, we listened to God’s Word together.

Because this women’s night wasn’t your typical religious event, we were able to reach women with all kinds of backgrounds—even those who may not identify with the Christian faith. It was such a refreshing time getting to know each other. We ended up having so many visitors that it was a standing-room-only! We had a lesson that focused on God’s Grace and His presence, reminding us to let go of our self-focus. We were encouraged to fight for quality friendships and remember we don’t need to have it all figured out. It was a wonderful night for our women’s ministry.

Please remember the women in Fiji in your prayers so we can reach as many as possible. We look forward to the next event!

Fiji Women

Fiji Church of Christ Women's Day

By Tia Ricci

My name is Tia Ricci, my husband Matt and I are serving as lead couple for the wonderful Fiji Church in the South Pacific.

On Saturday, 25 March, we had an incredible Women’s Day celebration together. Because of the effects of Covid, it has been 3 years since we were able to meet together in this way.

We have about 50 women who are members of our church, and on the day there were 96 women who came! It’s faith-building to see people reaching out to so many of their friends and family.

Our sister Asilika Celua shared an incredibly moving testimony about her life, how God truly is the God who sees us even when we feel overlooked and perhaps forgotten. God used every situation she found herself in—even the difficult ones—to bring her to a place where she was able to seek Him and find Him. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when she explained how He gently restored her life.

Caron Vassallo from Melbourne, Australia, was our guest speaker for the event! She led us to the scriptures about the Samaritan woman in John 4, a woman who didn’t want to be seen or heard because of the shame she felt about herself — yet God wanted her to be set free from that. Caron inspired us to believe that the same can be true in our lives.

Here is a short video titled "Seen & Heard" that we showed on the day.

Vinaka (thank you) for all you do to serve God and His kingdom! We are so grateful for the opportunity to organise a Women's event in our community to reach out to as many people as possible.

Fiji Women's Day

When God Answers: A Tale of Faith and Family

By Helen Purdy

My earliest memory, at maybe four years of age, was asking God to come to see me. I have always believed in Him. I have always believed in prayer. Although God didn’t come to me in the way that I had imagined, He has certainly answered my prayers.

I left home for Australia at 19, and was baptized a year later. After my graduation from university, I returned home to Papua New Guinea, where I would need to reconnect and repair the years of separation and disconnect from my family.

And 25 years later, God is adding my family to His. My youngest brother, John, was baptized in March, just weeks after his first attendance at Sunday service. He baptized his wife Catharina on the same day.

Three months later, my younger sister Margaret got baptized, and we baptized our mother on the same day.

Two months later, Catharina’s sister, Janet, got baptized. Her two children are now studying the Bible.

God answers prayers. Even the ones that you say with such little faith. God has done so much more than I am capable of dreaming. He is God!

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News from Fiji and Papua New Guinea