Our hearts and minds are still in awe that God would choose us for this task. We arrived a month ago today with copies of a 52 page booklet of teaching notes we wrote for each pastor couple. In a nation of only 800,000 residents, we had the privilege of training over 130 pastor-couples, in the four major cities on the two largest islands, the biblical principles of marriage.

Although we knew God had led us, we were unprepared to learn how key these seminars would be. A 78-year-old man called Uncle Mesu, known nation-wide from his years as a radio personality, had been praying and preparing for a ministry to families: Family Life Fiji. He had recently formed a committee sponsored by the Fijian equivalent to the U.S.’s National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). He even had gained the backing of the government’s Department of Social Services, who presented him - at one of our sessions – with a check for $F10,000 (About US$6,500, a large sum in their economy). Uncle Mesu traveled to each of our four locations and told them “this couple is the answer to my years of praying.”

The second seminar was hosted by the main Methodist church in the capital of Suva, population 300,000. There we met another key man, Ratu Osea (sometimes referred to as a chief of chiefs) who had been a part of the Fijian Parliament for years. Over lunch together he told us how God has been bringing together the two factions of the Christians in the country. After he attended all four sessions, “Ratu” closed that seminar by reminding the pastors and wives that “150 years ago missionaries came to Fiji and taught our ancestors about Jesus. They learned to lay down their war clubs and stopped killing and eating one another.” He went on to say he believes that our coming to Fiji is just as important to the nation of Fiji; that we came “to teach us how to live as Christian families.”

We started at each location by reminding them that although Fiji has a beautiful culture, when there’s a conflict between culture and scripture, a choice must be made. For example, their culture forbade any expression of affection between males and females, even between married couples in their own homes, except in the privacy of their bedroom. Since TV was introduced to Fiji in the 90s, they are seeing on their TVs affection - and more - exchanged by non-married people. The result is a huge increase in teen pregnancies. We talked about the need for them to let their children see healthy affection between married couples.

We were told that our ways of interacting together as a couple was a major teaching element for the principles we taught. At each of the four seminars we received affirmations on a level we’ve never received before. Repeatedly we heard the words, “for such a time as this.” Again and again we expressed to one another our awe that God had chosen us to be here and share what God has taught us about marriage and family. We can see now how God has been preparing us for this time of our lives. Because they revere age, our 48 years of marriage and 35 years of experience as pastors gave us extra credibility.

At the end of one session a pastor in the audience was asked to lead the closing prayer. To our amazement, he openly repented to God, to the group, and to his wife, for his failure to practice the Bible’s teachings about husbands. He said he would be repenting to his congregation the next Sunday.

Pastors of the various denominations attended: Methodist (the national church), a range of Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Evangelical Catholics, and others. We encouraged them to continue meeting together as pastors for fellowship and unity.

We’ve received invitations to return to each of these cities, as well as go to some of the outer islands, and a desire for more training in the area of family life. There’s also some talk of Bev teaching writing in the colleges, even from a Christian standpoint. We’re looking forward to seeing what God’s plans are for us in Fiji. We already are scheduled to do a similar teaching in an East African country, and have pending invitations to teach similarly in a number of other countries. If God provides the airfare, we’re eager to go.

Thank you again for your prayer support for us. It was a spiritual battle, but God brought the victory.