In March, five students and two staff travelled to Vanuatu on a Global Reach Journey: an opportunity for students to connect with students from GNYF Vanuatu, another IFES movement and to learn and grow in their understanding of God’s heart for the nations and some of the unique opportunities and challenges there are in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in places quite different from New Zealand.
Our students and staff were blessed to stay with Joel and Tiff Atwood and family, who serve with GNYF and CMS, and then in an in SIL Bible Translator Housing. In the 10-day trip they visited local churches, spent time in a rural village and visited the Bible College. Liam Hunter (Lincoln CU) shares with us some of what they experienced:
“Vanuatu has been a predominately Christian nation for some time now. Still, the church is battling cultural Christianity as people claim to be Christian, but their lives are not a reflection of their Christian identity. However, as the Lord works through pastors, churches, student groups, and missionaries, like the Atwoods, the gospel message continues to be spread through the Vanuatu islands. We heard how many ni-Vanuatu are faithful believers, but many don’t have a strong theological grip on the doctrine of the gospel message. We saw how a strong focus on teaching the core doctrine of the gospel message in both churches and especially on the university campus is bringing transformation.
This experience for me was quite significant a certainly a way I saw God at work in the Vanuatu church. In addition to this, the GNYF student groups at University of the South Pacific (USP) encouraged me as I saw how God is present in the university space. Both the international student group and the main student group were small, but it was encouraging to see the groups committed to meeting together as it seems that most Christian activity in Vanuatu is conducted in churches rather than places like the university campus. The existence of GNYF in itself is a testament to how God is moving in Vanuatu.
Many of the people we met in Vanuatu had little in the way of possessions yet they were so generous and hospitable to our group. They shared their time, resources, and food with us, and even though they didn’t have much they had a heart of generosity. This has impacted the way I think about generosity in my context and also what it means to be hospitable. A big focus for me back at university has been how can I open my flat to others and how can I love others with my time, my money, and my food. I have been living in The Well flat these past two years and my trip to Vanuatu has certainly shaped the way I think about how I can use my time and resources to bless others using The Well.
My fondest memory of this trip was sitting in the Joy Bible Institute chapel after we had attended a theological lecture. During chapel time our group joined the rest of the school for a time of worship and a sermon. The worship session was such a beautiful and moving experience where these men sang their hearts out with nothing but a guitar and their voices. The sound of the congregation echoed around the small wooden chapel as they poured out their joy for the Lord. This moment was a truly special moment for me on the trip.”
“What a privilege it was to be shown around to different churches, Bible studies, groups, communities that all have a passion for our Lord and Saviour”
Emilie Boeke (University of Canterbury CU)
“The kids I met at Nguna Island will always hold a special place in my heart. The genuine joy on their faces, the way they used the vines from the bush on the beach as their skipping rope and their eagerness to hang out with us after I invited them to where we were staying. We went on walks, sang songs, played games, played soccer and talked about Jesus and all the stories in the Bible. Unforgettable memories!”
Natasha Ah-Hing (Veritas, Auckland University)
The journey to Vanuatu gave both staff and students opportunities to learn and serve within the context of what God is already doing though and among His people there, it developed their understanding of mission and influenced their spiritual formation. We look forward to developing friendships and partnerships with students in Vanuatu with an ongoing commitment to encourage and pray for each other as we seek to share the gospel in our own contexts.