Fiji 08 - The Epilogue - Part 2.....Forget a thousand words, or an essay - the faces tell it all...!

Hi again,

Yes we are back again after a nearly 2 week hiatus..

Life has been busy. But through it all, the focus of why we are here in this life. Who we are. Who we were. What has changed. And now who we have become. Has been at the core of my thoughts...and with it I find myself drifting back to contemplating the life-changing experience many have experienced and are still experiencing as a result of the mission trip to Fiji in June-July 2008 of this year. There is so much happening in ministry back here. So much prep work going on etc - but I will post more details on a later post.

Right now I am still dumb-struck with the greatness of God demonstrated so tangibly in the lives of so many people in Fiji...

There were 272 people in Navoua who accepted Jesus as their Saviour + conservatively 60 people in Sabeto (the final numbers had not been fully confirmed by the time we left). In Navoua, the local church that hosted the rally - Garden of Joy Christian Church has had a 40% increase in the number of people attending church :)! The Senior Pastor, Ps Sevuloni Cakau sent an email with details about the harvest that hasn't stopped coming in! Every week there are baptism services. New believer classes are swelling beyond capacity in numbers. What an absolutely great "problem" to be having:)! It is sure keeping 'all hands on deck' - but they are loving it!

You know words cannot describe knowing that the relatively short time we were there, has been the greatest life-changing experience so many individual lives have experienced...and I am not God...so imagine what He is feeling (as impossible as it is to try to imagine what the INFINITE God is thinking with our FINITE minds). No wonder the bible says that all the hosts of heaven rejoice when one sinner gets saved...no doubt the party is still going on up there :)!

But in all honesty words cannot describe the expressive joy on the moslem man's face when he accepted Jesus as his Saviour...every single nite of the Sabeto rally! He just "want more and more and more of Jesus - so I must accept Him again...!"
Words do not do justice to the happiness that was shining through the tears of the mom whose son was healed of blindness.
Words are not adequate to describe the deep sincere smile that spread across the man with leprosy when he received healing from all the pains that raked his body...to the extent he couldn't stop dancing (Islander style!) and singing out praise to Jesus.
It is wrong to use words to describe the young hindu mother who was disfigured from being burnt from her chin down to her chest by her husband and lived a life of constant fear to the extent she carried a large sharp butcher's knife with her for protection of her and her infant son - and the complete transformation in her life so clearly evident in her face when she received Jesus and He set her free from this debilitating evil spirit of fear that her Hindu deities couldn't help her with.
Words are not suitable to use when describing the 28 children aged 8-14 who with tears streaming down their faces, eyes tightly shut, praying to Jesus to save them. To come into their hearts. To make them "good & clean". Asking Him to be their God.

Words are not able to correctly describe the complete state of joy and amazement in the young 15 year old boy who was deaf. Or the little 11 year old girl who was deaf in her left ear from birth. And their expression on their faces when they could hear a whisper from 6-7 meters away. Completely healed. But more than that physical healing - their faces were faces that epitomized HOPE. It read something to the lines of, "WOW! I can hear?! Me? I can hear?! WOW! Jesus you healed me! You have opened my ear up! I can hear! I can hear! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You God! I can hear!!!"
It is impossible to describe the absolute faces of sheer joy at the receival of the "red bags" filled with food and clothing that we dropped at the homes.

...and for me I will never forget the old granfather of 12 children and 36 grandchildren who had tears well up in his eyes when I gave him my packet of Oreo cookies. He had never tasted a 'chocolate biscuit' before - it was completely out of his affordability. But here was whole packet just for him which he so quickly opened and shared with his children and grandchildren.

...or the precious children that we met at the Dilkusha Orphanage in Nausori will be forever engrained in my memory. The joy. The happiness. On their little faces at chocolates, lollies, toys, school supplies, sport equipment...even nail polish that the team brought for them.

Of course the physical items were "a hit" with these kids. But it was more than that. Their happiness was from the tangible touch that they were being "drowned" in - for that short time we were there. No doubt the kids are taken care of well - they are clean, clean clothes, clean facilities, and well fed - but like all people they really desired and wanted affection. Which the staff give out as best they can on the 40 orphans. But it is unfortunate that there are more children than carers to go around. One little 9 year old girl Milli captured us - so cute. so precious. but stuck in a tiny cot due to a boil on her back. She held our hands through the bars so hard. No wanting to let go.

People are all the same anywhere in the world. Everyone needs compassion. A Hope that is never failing...Everyone needs forgiveness. The kindness of a Saviour. (Words adapted from Mighty to Save by Reuben Morgan).

Every individual regardless of culture or faith want to be recognized that they exist. Want to be treated with respect. With kindness. With integrity. To be treated with worth. To be treated as an equal.

Which is only right. Because we are all equal. Regardless of our culture, family history, background, financial situation, we are all at the end of this life going to die. Death. The inevitable end to this life as we know it. We are not in control of the next phase.

So what next? Where to next? After we die...? Rich or poor. Free or slave. From a mainline developed country or from a humble rural remote village in a developing community. Regardless of colour, age or gender. Whether we have a PhD or are completely illiterate. A world leader or a chimney sweeper...

After death is the inevitable. A one-on-one meeting with the Creator of the world. God Alone.

All alone with The Supreme God Alone.

Scarey.

Have I done enough? Everything I was capable of doing did I do it? Did I forget anything?

Am I listed on His roll-call?

Regardless of what have done, at the end of the day we are all equal as "all of our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight" according to the infallible Word of God.

At the end of this life we are all in need of a Saviour. A Mediator between us and God. An Advocate to speak on our behalf.

Only found in the Son of God -Jesus Christ.

And when He puts joy, real joy - not artificial hype - into a person's life, the expressions are priceless - indescribeable.

He is Indescribable. Uncontainable. He placed the stars in the sky and He knows them by name. He is an Amazing God. All powerful. Unchangeable. Untameable. Incomparable. He sees the depths of our hearts and loves us all the same. He is an Amazing God (words adapted from Indescribeable by Laura Story & Jesse Reeves).

Being in awe of God is the best position I think we can be. To be totally dumb-struck of Him in recognition of His greatness. His might. His power. His awesomeness.
A real reality check of how small we are in the greater scheme of His things...

Keeping Jesus as the centre. Keeping everything and everyone in their rightful position.

Keeping it real.

:) anneline

FIJI 08 - the Epilogue...Part 1...Keeping it Simple...

Well it has been 2 weeks back from Fiji 08 mission...an absolutely amazing experience...a life changing experience for me and my family. An experience never to be forgotten...yet I come to understand and except that it has been an experience never to be re-visited either...for His mercies are new every morning.
There are so many things I want share...more of the miracles and healings and salvations that took place. More of the lives that were changed by the strong hand of Almighty God.But right now I will share a bit of how my life has been changed as I cannot speak for anyone else...

I recall a comment made by Tyler, a member of Team USA about what this trip to Fiji has taught him...and I quote "they (i.e. the Fijians) are simply REAL with God. And He in turn is simply REAL with them. There is no theological mumbo-jumbo, just REAL sincerity". REAL people.Facing REAL problems.Knowing that there is a REAL God. Able to meet their REAL needs. Simply put, I have experienced the attitude of "simply being REAL with God, and He in turn is REAL with them."And that is so true...

I know I mentioned it in an earlier post that we were on the receiving side of things as well. Even though we went to give them the gospel and also clothing and food, for me personally I think I received something more priceless than the physical gifts. Something that cannot be bought. Something that so easily is forgotten in the comforts, intellect, and theological debates of this life - something that I would easily give up my "life" here to go back to Fiji...

And that something is the simple rawness of a genuinely greatful heart. So precious. To me...and I am not even God...How much more to Him...?

I saw this demonstrated in the lives of people over and over and over again - Fijian natives, Indo-Fijians, the old, the young, the men, the women, the children, the young people, those who just got saved, and those who have been saved for some time...a real genuineness.

I recall this meeting we were at in Sabeto, 3pm June 22 2008. There was a small group of believers who had gathered together on the veranda of a particular family. A small veranda. With themselves, their Hindi bible, Hindi songbook and that was all. Nothing else. No musicians. No elaborate pulpit. Nothing fancy.
I do not know Hindi. I do not know the content of their prayers. But I know what it means to be feeling that you are standing on Holy Ground...Their prayers were SINCERE. GENUINE. A RAW EXPRESSION of a heart that is still in awe of a God who gave His only Son to die the most barbaric, inhumane, shameful, humiliating, painful, blood-leaking way possible. For our sins. My sins. That nailed Him to the cross. They have still not gotten "used to" this. Their salvation still has the same meaning as it did on day 1. You didn't have to understand Hindi to know they were really thanking God for who He is and what He alone can do. You could feel it. You could see it. The tears was not for show. But genuince sincerity. Tangible expression of their gratitude. Being REAL with a REAL God in a REAL way. And did God answer? Yes He did - in ways completely beyond our understanding...in addition to the 60+ souls that gave their lives to Jesus in 4 nites, there were healings and deliverances from a lady being set from Shiva, through to witchcraft curses being broken, through to chronic eyesight deterioration being restored, through to severe hearing deficiencies being healed, through to scabies rashes completely disappearing amongst so many other things...

There is something about being REAL with God. Many people did not have much material possession, if anything in some circumstances. There were some people who were financially secure - like the old man in Sabeto that owns the power station and properties in Nadi. Although being a King-pin in the community in Hinduism, this man came to the realisation that He was indeed a sinner in need of a Saviour. A Saviour that can only be Alive. A Saviour only found in Jesus Christ. But both the rich and the poor I noticed did not have all the theological understandings that are so easily accessible here in Australia. Nothing really. But they have what really matters....
GENUINESS. SINCERITY. BEING REAL with a REAL GOD.
...Complacency has not set in. Superficiality is unheard off.

An attitude of "If that is what God says, then let's do it!" Why? Why this state of complete beliefe? I think it stems for a heart of complete gratitude.

A heart that has not forgotten the cross. A heart that is still in awe of God's goodness and love demostrated on the cross. Love never expressed before. Love never expressed afterwards. A heart that although accepts the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation, still feels contrite to know that it was me who put Jesus there. A deep sense of gratitude.

And then with the dawning that death could not keep its hold over Jesus. That He is alive. That the tomb, with its big rock, Pontius Pilate's seal and the Roman soldiers could not keep Jesus in the grave. But He is Alive! ALIVE! This gives way to exuberant thankfulness. And combined with a sincerely greatful heart of gratitude, together this produces FAITH. REAL FAITH. EXPECTANT FAITH. The REAL stuff. The stuff that matters. The stuff that God is looking for. Not for show. Not because they were coerced into it. Not because it is the "right" thing to say or do. Not because someone tells them to do it. Not because it is the "Christian" thing to say or do. None of that. Simply because they REALLY believed.

As I said earlier - No superficiality. Jus the real deal. With a REAL God. Who REALLY wants to meet our REAL needs...

If Jesus Christ -THE Son of God. THE Messiah. THE Name above all Names. The Blessed Redeemer. Immanuel. THE Rescue for Sinners. THE Ransom from Heaven. THE Lord of All. (words adapted from Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin & Daniel Carson). Could take my place on a dirty, rough, splinter-producing cross. With large rough metal triangular shaped spikes hammered through His wrists and feet. With His face completely ripped off His face. If He Jesus Christ with His sharp thorny crown and back completely bare from the whipping. With spine exposed. With kidneys lacerated. Who would have had His inner organs ripped apart from the sword that plunged into the sac around His heart gushing out blood and water. If He Jesus Christ could go through the most blood-leaking death possible. And still arise up from the dead and have this huge boulder roll away for Him, then shouldn't I give Him credit where it is due...?
That regardless of the situation, and what seems like happening, and who seems to be happening...if He is in my boat, isn't He all I need? I know this concept is nothing new to many of us, yet I have fully come to understand how this concept as "a way of life" really works.

All that I have is from Him.
And all of my succession are because of Him.
So is there any real reason to worry in times of need? No...

I am full of expectant sincere faith. Nothing superficial. Nothing artificial. No fake fur. But the real deal.

I hope you feel inspired too.

:)anneline