Fiji Latter-day Saint Leader Passes Away

Sitiveni Weleilakeba Bale of Suva, Fiji passed away on Thursday 3 March and was buried on Saturday 5 March. 

He was a faithful member and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji and had lived a life of service to his family and fellowmen.

Following their service in other leadership positions, Sitiveni and his wife Vasiti (Ratukalou Cava) were called to be the first president and matron of the Suva Fiji Temple of the Church, serving faithfully from 2000 to 2002.

The first temple open house in that year took place amidst great political upheaval and uncertainty following a civilian coup in Fiji on 19 May 2000.

Remembering that occasion, Sitiveni said, “I am thankful to the 15,000 visitors who attended the temple open house. I am grateful that they have taken time out of their busy schedules to walk through the House of the Lord to feel the peace and serenity offered within its walls and to witness the beauty of its structure and its rooms.

“It is indeed a sanctuary for our people from all evils and all problems faced in life. I am grateful that the Lord has seen it fit to bless our people with His house.”

It is fitting that Mr. Bale lived to see the Suva Fiji Temple rededication on 21 February of this year, following its extensive refurbishment and open house.

His daughter, Sulueti Bale Kama, said, "My father who is 84 years old was just too happy and so looking forward to meeting our Maker as he said his body was tired and he's missed my Mum for such a long time."

See additional articles on the life of Sitiveni and Vasiti here: Fiji Sun and Mormon Newsroom.

Church Donates Emergency Medical and Communication Equipment to Fiji Schools

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated walkie talkies and trauma kits to two Suva schools this week.

Fiji Latter-day Saint leader, Vito Mitchell Qaqa Mitchell, presented the kits and eight walkie talkies to the representatives from the LDS Church College and LDS Primary School yesterday (10 March).

The equipment will assist the schools to manage risks when conducting events such as athletics, basketball tournaments and youth camps, and will also be available for use by those seeking refuge during natural disasters.

Next week Mr Qaqa will present medical kits, two walkie talkies and a megaphone to Montfort Boys Town and Nasinu Secondary School.

He will also present a medical kit to the National Youth Band.

Additional medical kits and walkie talkies will be donated by the Church to organisations in Vanuatu and Kiribati to assist people in those countries during emergencies.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over half a million members in the South Pacific—part of a global membership of over 15 million.

Latter-day Saints are actively engaged in helping individuals, families and communties prepare for emergency situations.

Church members also support disaster relief efforts around the world, such as those taking place in Fiji right now, in the wake of last month's Cyclone Winston.

Members Counselled to Strengthen Family Relationships and Honour the Sabbath Day.

‘The home is the centre of learning and parents need to spend more quality time with their children“ , said Kamoe Varea the President of the Fiji Suva Stake of the LDS Church in Suva in their bi-annual conference held over the weekend.

He said that love, patience, selflessness, understanding and forgiving are key attributes to strengthening family relationships and parents need quality time with their children to do this. If the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught consistently in the home, faith and testimonies will be strengthened and youths will make decisions early to go and serve their missions. 

Members of the Fiji Suva Stake were also reminded to honour and respect the Sabbath and keep it holy. Jese Kama the first counsellor in the stake presidency said that promised blessings will come to families as they keep this commandment and that the spirit will dwell in their homes and they will be able to speak softly and counsel their children lovingly. Over 700 people attended the 2 days conference sessions.

Fiji School Children Elated to Receive Personal Hygiene Supplies

LDS Charities, a humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has donated School WASH Kits to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Fiji that will provide personal sanitary supplies for more than 5,100 school children.

Personal items included in the kits consist of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) items. The initiative was also undertaken in partnership with the UNICEF organization.

The kits were given at a critical time when needed hygiene items are in extremely short supply as a result of tropical storm Winston’s ferocity. The category-5 storm, the strongest ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, devastated many communities throughout Fiji.

WASH kits were sent to Bua and Savusavu, two of the hardest hit areas in Fiji.

The kits came boxed in cartons, each of which supplied the needs of 40 children. Items such as water bottles, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and sanitary pads for girls with accompanying hygiene posters were welcome gifts.

Working closely with Ministry of Health and Medical Services, LDS Charities representative, Susan Stanford said, “LDS Charities is grateful to be part of the WASH initiative which helped make a difference in the lives of the school children in the aftermath of TC Winston.”

She added, “We are hoping these badly damaged schools will receive their Box kits from the Ministry of Education as soon as possible—they are in such desperate need.”

Mormon Missionaries Help Rebuild Catholic School After Fiji Cyclone

Cyclone Winston was the strongest storm to hit Fiji in recorded history. Many schools were damaged and destroyed and several remain closed awaiting repair. In Taveuni, young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) volunteered to help rebuild the Navakawau Catholic School.

Missionaries Riley Jones, Luke DeBaltzo, and Micah Amisone of the USA, with Wame Vitiaria of Fiji, and Jim Roberts of Australia are dressed every day in white shirts and ties.

But for the past month they have been seen all around the island of Taveuni Fiji dressed in their "grubbies."  They are spending most of their waking hours assisting the victims of TC Winston.

One of their projects is helping to rebuild a set of classrooms of a Catholic school that had the roof lifted off by the cyclone. 

By gathering the original trusses that were strewn around the area, and under the direction of a local Rotary club volunteer, Mr. Koroca, the missionaries were able to reinstall the roof.

The Navakawau Catholic School administrators were very pleased to have the assistance. They have resumed classes where possible, though they are still working on parts of the school. Kindergarten will not be starting for a while, since that building was severely damaged.

Mormon missionaries are typically some of the first responders when a natural disaster occurs in their locality.

They are young men and women in their late teens and early twenties who have dedicated themselves to serving an 18 to 24 month mission wherever they are assigned by Church leaders.

Their desire is to follow Jesus Christ and to demonstrate it by teaching about Him and serving their fellowmen. They are having ample opportunity to do that on Taveuni Island. 

Photo credits: Karen Vermeeren

Cooking Kits Delivered to Families on Fiji’s Taveuni Island

People in Fiji are putting their lives back in order after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Winston.

Churches, schools and homes were torn apart by the category 5 cyclone that hit the islands the latter part of February.  Personal belongings were scattered or lost completely.

 Some items that we may take for granted but need every day are pots and pans.

“There are many who have lost all their cooking and eating ware. If you ask them, they say, ‘Winston took it,’” said Sister Karen Vermeeren, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

Many have tried to straighten pots damaged by the cyclone, but they are beyond repair.

To assist those in need, LDS Charities has provided items for cooking kits delivered to families in Vuna and Navakawau villages on Taveuni island.  LDS Charities is a humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

These kits include a cooking pot, four bowls, four mugs, and four spoons. Each family will receive one kit and some will receive two kits depending on the size of the family.

Recipients of the cooking kits were very grateful. Exclamations of “God bless you,” and “Vinaka” were sincerely given.

Story credit: Mormon News Room
Photo credits: Karen Vermeeren

LDS Church helps out cyclone victims

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints (LDS) has delivered food items and donated hygiene packs to help victims of Cyclone Winston.

The church has also donated hygiene packs to Ministry of Health and Medical Services to be part of cyclone relief.

Some members of the Nausori stake of the Church went on the road yesterday to deliver much needed food items to near 2000 families whose homes were damaged or completely destroyed by cyclone.

Service Centre Manager of the Church, Elder Adolf Johansson said: “The Church is doing whatever it can to assist the families who had been affected by the cyclone and is assisting the Government in its efforts of relief.”

Recipients of this assistance were the Tailevu villages of Nasautoka, Korovou, Naitutu, Saioko, Nasaibitu, Nataleira and Burewai.

A team was also sent to Naitasiri villages of Lomaivuna, Waisa, Nabukaluka, Naivurevure and Nauluvatu.

These villagers received food and hygiene packs from the Church.

The food packs included basic food items like rice, flour, sugar, noodles, tin fish, and oil. The hygiene packs contained washing soaps, candles, matches and mosquito coils.

Aside from these donations, the humanitarian arm of the Church is working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in preparing hygiene kits, wash kits, water purification tablets and school kits for schools.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

Feedback: shahani.mala@fijisun.com.fj

Latter-day Saints Lend a Hand on Fiji Island of Taveuni

Local members and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Fiji island of Taveuni are delivering emergency supplies, removing debris from properties, helping to rebuild homes and supporting victims of Cyclone Winston in many other ways.

Taveuni island was one of the most severely hit places when Cyclone Winston hit Fiji a week ago.

According to Fiji national director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sulueti Kama, "There are around 9,000 people who live on the island—1,900 of whom are Latter-day Saints."  

"Many houses were flattened so temporary shelter and water are urgently needed.The villagers' church meetinghouse was damaged and needs to be repaired. Food is rotting in plantations." 

Church Assists Cyclone Winston Victims in Fiji

Members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are providing relief efforts to victims of Cyclone Winston on the islands of Fiji. The cyclone, the worst storm recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, hit the region more than a week ago on the weekend of the rededication of the Suva Fiji Temple. 

Thousands of people are living in temporary shelters. More than 1,000 people took refuge in a dozen Latter-day Saint meetinghouses.

Church leaders are working closely with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to provide food, water, tents, hygiene packs and other emergency supplies to communities in need.

On the Fiji island of Taveuni, one of the most severely hit locations, the Church is delivering emergency supplies, removing debris from properties and helping to rebuild homes. Many houses were flattened, and temporary shelter and water are urgently needed. According to Fiji national director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sulueti Kama, "There are around 9,000 people who live on the island — 1,900 of whom are Latter-day Saints."

 

Members from Nausori have delivered food and hygiene items to about 2,000 families whose homes were damaged or destroyed. A relief team was also sent to Naitasiri villages. The food packs included rice, flour, sugar, noodles, tin fish and oil. The hygiene packs had soap, candles, matches and insect repellent.

In addition to donations from local Latter-day Saints, the humanitarian arm of the Church is working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF in preparing more hygiene kits, washing kits, water purification tablets and school kits.

The temple was not damaged and all missionaries are safe. Church properties are being assessed for damage. Twenty-four of the Church’s 38 meetinghouses inspected so far have minor damage. More than 40 people were killed. There have been no reports of member casualties or injuries. 

For more information, visit the Pacific Mormon Newsroom.