The Colemans are in Fiji!
It is Wednesday morning here in Sigatoka, Fiji and my daughters Leslie and Stephanie and I have been in country for one week. A lot has happened in that week as we are making preparations for what God has brought us here to do. Mama Opal (my mother), Pastor Simeli, and Pastor Gary Ladd have rented a house here in this city which is about an hour’s drive from Nadi because it was expensive and tiring driving back and forth from Nadi for the school here. We are moved in now, conducting classes each night and preparing for the Vacation Bible School we will have in the village where the school is located on the outskirts of Sigatoka. Tonight, I will start a teacher training class for the students in Shiloh Bible Training Center - Sigatoka and I will recruit helpers for the VBS next week. We expect around 40-50 children at this VBS.
It is our plan to hold at least 5 Vacation Bible Schools around the islands. Three of them are on different islands and because of the travel and lodging expenses, we will reduce the number of days from 5 to 3 days so that we can still touch the hearts and lives of children who live in remote and poor villages. Our theme for the school is SonTreasure Island where we will discover the treasures of God’s love using I Corinthians 13 as our text. We will have DVD skits, puppet skits (we have 10 puppets and a theatre), crafts, games and lot of island songs! Pray for children’s lives to be greatly impacted as they learn that God’s love is giving, caring, kind, forgiving and forever!
Shiloh Worship Center in Nadi is growing! Pastor Ladd is preaching a ‘Break-Through’ message to the church. This is a message that teaches us that God helps us break through upon our enemies of sin, sickness, poverty. Starting with a prophetic word from the Lord, we are learning to not accept the lies of our enemy, to give of our resources to God, and with the power of praise, we can access the power of the Holy Spirit to help us break through the problems in our lives.
We have started a music class on Saturday evenings and currently have 6 students learning “Beginning Worship Keyboard”. The addition of the piano and the bass guitar, and a projector with Power Point Worship songs has greatly added to the worship on Sunday mornings.
We are posting pictures of Pastor Joseph’s sister and Meraia Kenewai beside a tapa (a Fijian fabric made from the bark of a tree that is hand blocked painted) that Pastor Joseph’s sister is preparing.
The other picture is of some dancers presenting a tribal dance at a hotel on the beach which we greatly enjoyed!
Finally, here’s Stephanie learning to climb a coconut tree!
July 19th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Hello!! I am so glad to hear all the wonderful news. I have to say the VBS part really touched me. For the last 2 prayer services I have been led of the Lord to pray for the children and that God directs the ministers how to touch them because they are the future. It was so awesome to hear that God has provided a way to minister and touch the children. The theme is great and I believe that the children will be ministered to in an awesome way! Now I know why we haven’t received an e-mail from Pawpaw (Pastor Gary Ladd) because they aren’t at the main house. Well we are in prayer for you all and we know God is moving and this is going to be a total different outpouring of God’s Spirit on Fiji. Just want to let Pawpaw know that last Wednesday night we had over 40 people in service. We had several visitors and a lot of our own members. God is doing great and marvelous things over here. Sweet Pea misses you and looks for you everyday. God Bless you all and We love you.
Jason, April, and Sweet Pea.
July 19th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Hi Mom, Leslie and Stephanie, I wish I was there to help. I know God is certainly pleased with what you guys are doing. I love and miss you all :)
Love Jared
July 20th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Thank you for the news update. I believe God will bless you all, in the various ministries that are being implimented. It’s good to know all age groups are being ministered to. I praise God for each one of you and I know it will bless His heart. Thanks for the pictures,hope to see more.
Love and prayers,
Judy
July 28th, 2007 at 10:22 am
WHAT HAPPENED TO SIMELI, MEREIYA, JOSEFA,VIRI, LOATA AND MANY OTHER LOCAL FIJIANS; ARE THEY ON VACATION.
EVERYTHING IN THE COMMENTS AND RESPONSES ARE TOWARD THE VULAGI MISSIONARIES; LET’S ACKNOWLEDGE, GIVE CREDIT AND GRATITUDE TO THE FIJIAN DEDICATED PASTORS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, WJO LIVE IN POVERTY AND HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO GOD’S WORK FOR MANY YEARS..
July 31st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
They are all here, Brother Ted! It was just a personal post on my part regarding what we plan to do here in Fiji for the next few weeks! Mereiya is a part of our team and you will see pictures of what our team is doing soon. The others are involved in adult ministry and will put up a report soon on what they are doing!
July 31st, 2007 at 5:01 pm
MIRIAM - THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE PICTURES AND WRITE UPS OF THE LOCAL’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOD’S WORK. WILL BE IN FIJI IN AUGUST.
August 20th, 2007 at 6:23 am
Hello precious Miriam, its Amy of Pastor Matt and Amy in Vista. Thank you so much for the updates and wonderful pictures. I want you to know we are praying for you every day and we love you. Please give everyone our love and let them know that all th congregation of The River is praying the Word of God over the work there. Thank you for being there with your precious daughters. What a blessing you are, along with the entire team of course. I look forward to hearing more…..how did the vacation Bible schools go? Pastor Matt and our team of 9 returned from Mozambique. It was a fruitful trip and all glory to God. You are in our thoughts and in our prayers. Phil 4:6 love, Amy
September 3rd, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Hey guys, bring me back a coconut or somethin, will ya? j/k
Hope you all are having a good time. I’m actually heading out to a far distant country in October. My brother and I are going down to Argentina on business. May God protect us all in our journeys.
God bless!
JJ
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:56 am
i am in africa and also a pastor pray for me and my wife iam believing to come there one day and preach.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Bula to every one !!!!! Thank you for Praying for Fiji. And Miriam thank you for helping me out in the TPAF Ministry. And thank Pastor Roxbury for me to ,I miss you and God bless all of you.