Update from Christians for Israel Fiji
Greetings from the ‘ends of the earth’. If your feet are in Jerusalem, the most distant piece of land from Israel is Fiji. Each month, a group of Bible-believing supporters for Israel gather to pray for Israel, using the material in the Christians for Israel International prayer calendar. During the March-May Coronavirus lockdown, we met fortnightly from our own homes.
Christians for Israel Fiji began the year 2020 with a blast. On 8 January, we were blessed to meet our Prime Minister, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. In our discussions, we gave a brief outline of ‘Who we were?’ ‘What do we do?’ and ‘Why we do the things we do?’ We presented him with a written plea, signed by a good number of Bible-believing Christians, urging our government to support Israel at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and to openly declare Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State.
Our visit culminated with a further presentation of a very special gift – a Magen David carved out of Fijian hardwood ‘Vesi’ and engraved on its base were two Bible verses: Genesis 12:3 (front) and Isaiah 40:1 (back).
In February, we were invited to make presentations in Suva, Nadi and Lautoka, to educate the Church and the leaders of our country, of God’s separate biblical plans for Israel through the Holy Bible.
Before President Rivlin’s arrival, we had liaised with churches of different Christian denominations regarding his visit to Nadi and Lautoka City (Western urban centers), bearing in mind that this was a first for the west and also for Fiji to show support for Israel. The support Christians for Israel Fiji received was overwhelming, especially from surrounding villages of Narewa, Namotomoto, Saunaka and Sabeto.
Upon President Rivlin’s arrival at Nadi International Airport and as his motorcade drove onto the tarmac, his entourage was greeted with a sea of Israeli flags held by supporters of Israel, who stood, for some, on the roadside as early as 3am, waving their flags and cheering. This reception continued along the designated route from the airport to Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa Fiji, where our visitors were accommodated.
The Christians for Israel Fiji team was also blessed to be invited to meet Israel’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Fiji, Tibor Shalev Schlosser and Pacific Islands Advisor (PIA), Sara Sofer at the Resort after the state dinner.
Sara Sofer later told us that the words buzzing amongst our Jewish visitors, from President Rivlin, to the last member of their team was – “unbelievable” and an “awesome surprise”. Most of them were first-time visitors to Fiji and didn’t know what to expect. President Rivlin, in his official remarks, reminded Fiji and Pacific Island leaders to support Israel at the United Nations (UN), because of the UN’s grossly biased attacks on the Jewish State. He expressed Israel’s appreciation for the Pacific Island states support at the UN and expressed that it was not enough to abstain from voting on anti-Israel resolutions but should be opposed by Israel’s friends.
This was the first-ever gathering by Christian-Fijian- Israeli supporters to show support and love to such a high-level delegate from the Holy Land at his arrival and also on his departure for Australia the following day.
We are emerging from this global pandemic with full blessings from the Lord himself. Wherever you are… stay blessed and may God continue to part our global pandemic, as he parted the Red Sea.
