Teachers of the LDS Primary School and LDS church college were privileged to participate in a two days retreat aimed at building unity and team work within the teaching fraternity.
The 2015 Retreat was held at the Pearl Resort, Pacific Harbour on the 2nd week of the first term school Holidays.
This year's retreat was extra special as it was the first time the two schools came together along with their spouses to enjoy two days of training and activities. It was also an an opportunity to learn a bit more about each other as couples.
One of the spouses who attended said that he was blessed to have attended the retreat and really enjoyed the outdoors activity on the first day when he got to display his sailing skills to his wife when they went kayaking.
In reflecting on what they learnt from the retreat, a teacher said “We all learned, laughed, and ate together as a team. We were reminded of the importance of working together and about our divine calling as educators and fellow teachers”
More than 50 Young Single Adults from the Suva Fiji Stake gathered at the Suva Fiji Stake center for their 15 in 15 training organized by the Stake. Sis Sefeti and Sis Solanki conducted the training showing the young single adults how to register for an LDS account and to begin compiling their family history.
The second part of the activity was led by Sis Solanki. The YSA’s had an open discussion on ways to help reactivate inactive Young Single Adults. Sis Seru, a recently Returned Missionary suggested that in most instances, inactive members simply needed a buddy or a friend, to help them come back to church.
President Ratuvukivuki, 2nd counselor in the stake presidency, gave the concluding remarks reiterating the strength that comes in gatherings such as this. "We all have our own personal weaknesses and challenges, but when we come together like this, we are strengthened," Pres Ratuvukivuki also thanked the FM team for providing the necessary technologies and resources that assisted greatly in the running of the activity.
LDS Church College participated in a special fund raising Mufti-Day to assist a Government initiated Hurricane Appeal project to raise much needed funds for the victims of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu. Students came in bright and vibrant colors as the dress code was Rasta Colors. Each donated coins in aid.
The LDS Under 19 Soccer team has created history by Qualifying for the National Secondary Schools IDC tournament. What has come as a surprise to many is that this is the first time in more than a decade that LDS has fielded an under 19 soccer team.
In pool play they triumphed over their closes rivals, Nabua Secondary school, and Suva Muslim school. Having qualified for the Suva Zone Semi finals, they encountered the might of Defending Zone champions Gospel High school. They defeated Gospel in the semis and went on to beat Nabua in the Suva Zone finals, placing them as the number one seed from Suva.
Shalveen Lal, one of the coaches stated in an interview that the strength he finds in this team is that they never quit. Despite being down during a few games, they would always come back to close the game triumphant. The school acknowledges this great Under 19 soccer team and the coaches, Rajneel Prasad, Shalveen Lal, and Viliame Levaci, who's guidance has brought about this Cinderella story. The IDC draws will be declared next week while the tournament will kick off in Nausori on the first week of Term 2 holidays.
The College celebrated Library week in June of this year by challenging the school to bring out the creativity in them. The week-long activities culminated with the celebration of the school's 39th birthday on the Friday. Each homeroom produced works of art of their favorite animation characters which dazzled the Gymnasium during the costume parade.
Another highlight of the Library week was the character/costume parade which everyone, especially the teachers, thoroughly enjoyed. Students feedback on the Library week was that it was most fun, creative, and exciting Library week in recent years, as majority of students got to participate.
Staff of the Fiji Service Centre were last week priviledged to hear from the New Zealand High Commissioner in Fiji , His Excellency Mr Mark Ramsden, who was the chief guest at their annual seminar held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.
Mr Ramsden explained to the staff the role of his office in Fiji and the Pacific islands in building and managing relationships between the governments of New Zealand and Fiji.
On the trade opportunities available between the two countries he said that Fiji dalo exported to NZ has only met 50% of the needs of the New Zealand market. ‘Fiji is a key partner for New Zealand in the Pacific region”, he said. 40 staff and volunteers attended this seminar.
72 year old President Jackson Yee has just been called as the new President of the Fiji Suva Temple when it reopens in February 2016. His wife, Sister Mele Yee will serve alongside him as the Temple Matron.
President Yee had just been recently released as the first Counsellor in the Stake Presidency of the Suva North Stake and had also served as a Bishop for Samabula 2nd ward for over 7 years. He is currently the Welfare Manager for the Fiji Service Centre, a voluntary position he has been holding for 5 years.
Sis Yee has been the Human Resources Supervisor for the service Centre where she had worked for the past 24 years.
President and Sister Yee have four children and 6 grandchildren.
Vanuatu Port Vila Stake Presidencey; Yvon
Jacques Basil, Presidnet (center), Thidjinelia Kalmet Kalpoi First
Counsellor (right), and Paul Arongon Kaun, Second Counsellor (left).
The New Stake was created 24, June 2015. Image credit: Tessa Dewsbury.
Approximately 2,000 members and guests of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered at the Fenea Pacifik Convention Centre in Port Vila on Sunday 21 June to witness the creation of Vanuatu’s first Latter-day Saint stake.
A stake is a Latter-day Saint term for a group of congregations in a geographical area, similar to a diocese in other Christian churches. The Port Vila Vanuatu Stake will comprise over 2,000 members who worship in eight chapels.
Elder Kevin W. Pearson, president of the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presided over last weekend’s conference. Elder Adolf Johansson, a Pacific Area Seventy in the Church, accompanied Elder Pearson.
Danstan Hilton, Minister of Justice and Religion, was accompanied by his wife Rosina as special guests at the historical event and were among the first to congratulate the newly called stake presidency: Yvon Jacques Basil as Stake President, Thidjinelia Kalmet Kalpoi as First Counsellor and Paul Arongon Kaun as Second Counsellor.
Preparations for this historical event began many months ahead of the original date in April of this year, but the event was postponed when Cyclone Pam affected 22 of the 83 islands that make up the country of Vanuatu. The category five storm struck with devastating force on Friday 13th March, many homes were damaged or destroyed, valuable export crops were decimated, and tragically 11 people lost their lives.
The people of Vanuatu still smile easily, in spite of their losses. They have grown even closer as a people by going to work immediately after the cyclone disaster. They have shown the world their resilience as they rebuilt their homes and villages.
Three months post-Cyclone Pam, much to the delight of Latter-day Saints in Vanuatu, the stake has now been created.
During his conference address, Elder Pearson highlighted the benefits and spiritual strength that will come from having a stake in Vanuatu. Elder Pearson thanked the Hon. Minister and his wife for taking time to attend the conference; and he spoke about the importance of religious freedom in Vanuatu.
He also pledged the Church’s support to the people of Vanuatu should they be misfortunate and experience another natural disaster. In his final blessing to the Vanuatu Saints, Elder Pearson promised them the Lord will protect them as they obey His commandments.
The first Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in Vanuatu in 1974 and by October 1996 the first district of Ni Vanuatu members was organized with a membership of over 600.
Dr Jiko Fatafehi Luveni, Hon. Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji, spoke to students and faculty of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Fiji Church College this morning.
The visit was an initiative of the Civic Education & Media Unit to educate the youth of the country on the role of the Speaker in Parliament, the function of Parliament, its composition and how communities could be involved in the process.
In her presentation Dr Luveni explained that the Parliament makes laws for the country. It was also responsible for overseeing the government budget by approving it and checking how it is spent.
She explained that her role as Speaker is like that of a referee in a game of rugby and that is to ensure that the rules are followed. In Parliament she has to ensure that all Members follow the rules of the House as per the Parliament Standing Orders.
Dr Luveni created history in Fiji being the first woman Speaker on her first election into Parliament. 16% of the Members of the House are women.
