One word. ‘Blessed’ - With an exclamation mark!
Dr. Greg and Susan Williams’ recent visit to Fiji was the talk of the town. How often do you get a visit from the President of GCI? Truly an awe-inspiring weekend it was for us. One we’ll find hard to forget.
Kicking off with a befitting traditional welcome usually accorded to a Fijian chief, the kava ceremony was breath-taking to witness in all its intricacies. Dr. Williams drank his first bowl of kava. You’ve never really visited Fiji unless you’ve tried kava! The traditional welcome was followed by a lovely spread of morning tea coupled with Fijian classic serenades of the past led by one of our pioneer members, Mrs. Mere Tora and her son, Tukai.
The atmosphere was filled with joy and laughter, and you could tell that everyone felt God’s presence moving in the hall. The congregation then broke out into groups with Mrs. Williams joining the ladies’ group and Dr. Williams sat with the youths and then later spent the afternoon taking them out for some ice cream and fellowshipping.
It was a pleasure to hear Dr. Williams speak on the healthy church and the three avenues of Hope, Faith and Love on Sunday. We were encouraged to have Hope, Faith and Love Avenue teams that worked together in a team-based, pastor-led model through worship, discipleship and witness. A major highlight for the church was the ordination of Mr. Frank Boyd to Elder. What a day to witness God’s amazing work for the Fiji church in play.
The day ended with Dr. Williams sharing with us a glimpse of GCI’s international family and a slideshow of the remarkable team working tirelessly across the continents of the world doing God’s great work. Though we may be operating locally, it was comforting and humbling to know that we were part of a bigger family in Christ. All these were again shared over a beautiful spread of tasty goodness. If there’s one thing that brings Fijians together… it’s good food!
We were fortunate to also have Dennis and Sue Richards accompanying the Williams to Fiji and it was a joy, as always, to have them around.
Though brief, it was truly an unforgettable weekend for us. There’s a sense of excitement for GCI Fiji and everyone’s looking forward, young and old.
May God continue to bless us all!
--Epeli Nakautoga