Well friends, it’s been a long time between posts. And now all of a sudden, Alexandra and I will be on a plane tomorrow, headed for home! Time has indeed flown by.
We’ve had an amazing time here. I ended up preaching three times in two different churches. New Life in Suva and then last Sunday in New Life Nadi. In every case I think I did pretty good, and by all accounts my words were the Lord’s word for each congregation. God has been so faithful!
I’ve madly rushed around today buying last-minute presents for people. Example: I gave Wate (friend from over here) FJ$14- to go and buy some trinkety things. He came back with three such items, which would have been sold to me for no less than FJ$10- a piece! Pays to go with a local in tow.
Had a debriefing session last night at YWAM in outer Nadi, and that went well. In my time here I identified a couple of key “strongholds” over the country: a spirit of religion (Methodism over here is ubiquitous and all but dead, leaving a bit of a spiritual “stench” about the place), and tradition. Tradition means something inside the church and another outside it, and sometimes the same thing wherever you are. It means, for example, that the place is basically patriarchal, but not in a Biblical way, resulting in men getting all the respect and women getting all the domestic work. It was good to hear that my observations were on the mark and that YWAM had all the same information to corroborate what I was feeling.
I’d love to bring Kaz and the kids back here someday… I know I’d be welcome everywhere I’ve been, these past 7 weeks. It’s been just great!
Stay tuned for a HUGE photo album I’ll be putting up once I’m home and settled in.
