Hi

I’ve just come back from an intense 9 days in Fiji. And I’ve got to thank you guys for praying for me that Sunday before I left for the tropical island paradise that is Fiji, your blessing helped me bless others, thanks. It only really sunk in that I was going on a mission trip when Sara Peary told me I was a missionary. I just thought I was painting a house for some orphans. And on one level I was, with a team of 8 guys from different churches mainly Urban Vineyard we painted top to bottom a rather crap looking house in fresh new paint. A job that took us two and a half days that should have taken us a week. It didn’t seem like much at the time and just like hard work with high-gloss turps-based enamel in 30 degree heat and no sleep. I’ve never worked so hard in my life. No one has.

We stayed at the Orphanage where the children were about to be relocated to and even that was pretty mind blowing. Happy Home was five minutes from Suva city. The largest city in Fiji and it was rough. Yeah,I grew up in Ranui, but I was not prepared for this kind of lifestyle. Under the happy smiles and tourist Bulas there is a deep sense of oppression and poverty is everywhere. Every Fijian will tell you they’re a Christian and their eyes light up when you tell them you’re from a church in New Zealand and have come to do some volunteer work, a point I’ll get to later. And any Fijian can quote you almost every word in the bible however the way they life outside of Sundays is very telling of their view of faith. I’ve never talk so much about Jesus to strangers before in my life. I’ve decided that God is down with tattoos because they started so many conversations with random people on the street about him. Particularly because to a Fijian I don’t look like a missionary or someone who even follows Jesus which was totally cool and I feel like it gave me street cred, if only in Fiji.

Yes the lord works in mysterious ways but some times he works in really obvious ways too. Like opening our eyes while hanging out with Sujit Kumar at the Happy Home and being around Elizabeth Clayton who literally rescued him. Go to this website for full details of this amazing story www.happyhometrust.org. Then the children turn up after school and are so excited about these strangers from New Zealand who are getting their new home ready. They look like normal kids who play and shout and run around but as they were doing that Elizabeth was telling us each of their horrific stories and your heart sinks and painting their room doesn’t seem anywhere near enough.

A short practical mission trip is an amazing thing. You don’t pace yourself and your don’t sensor your open sharing of Jesus because there is no time to waste. I was thrown in the deep end and was thoroughly unprepared for what God had planned for us upon arrival but I’m so glad to have done it. I feel far more changed than I deserve from my experience with the people and places in Fiji. My faith was completely challenged and my problems back home seemed very small and inconsequential.

As a result of my experience I am starting a Non-Profit Organization called One Week, which will give people financial assistance to go on short term missions to other places and help other people, but watch this space for more details and instructions of how to apply for assistance. It’s currently self funded but I’m working on it.

Awesome quote stolen from Happy Homes site:
Marian Wright Edelman: “If you don’t stand up for children then you don’t stand up for much”

Elliot Collins