Having recently re-engaged with PNG, the islands of the Pacific have been on our radar and on our heart. Pacific Islanders have an amazing legacy in missions with a rich history full of stories of those laying down their lives to see the spread of the gospel. Our prayer is that this same passion for Jesus and heart for the lost would again be ignited in the hearts of many in the Pacific.
With this in mind we took a small step of faith in April to visit some friends and connections in Fiji. Looking at stories of the gospel coming to the islands, we learned Tongans were the ones who first bought the gospel to Fiji. Winding our way through a spectacular valley driving to a village to connect with a potential disciple maker, we were surprised by a ‘ding’ on our phones. It was a text message from our service provider saying ‘Welcome to Tonga’. Welcome to Tonga seemed a strange message since we were definitely in Fiji!
Arriving at the village, we briefly shared about disciple making with the group of young Fijian believers who were gathered there. The person sharing with the group before we arrived was very interested in what we had shared about disciple making and wanted to know more. He and his wife had lots of questions. As we talked we heard some of his deep frustration. He is a Tongan pastors who has 7 households of unbelievers that he could connect and even pray with, but he was unable to convince them to come to his church. After he heard about the process of the Discovery Bible Study, especially how it required no expert teachers, his jaw literary dropped. We were amazed! God had connected us with a catalyst amongst Fijian Tongans! He couldn’t wait to return to his network to share the DBS process.
Could this be an answer to our prayers and the “welcome” we were praying for so that disciple making can take place not only amongst Tongans in Fiji but also further back into Tonga itself?