Meet Samuela Kaloulia. At 22 years of age, Sam is the president of the Adventist Students Association (ASA) in Fiji. Each university campus has an ASA president and Sam and his team oversee all of the campuses.
I met Sam at University of South Pacific’s main campus in Suva, where he is in the third year of a Bachelor of Commerce degree, studying land management and official statistics. Last year he was ASA vice-president; this year he stepped up to the top position.
University of South Pacific is a cultural melting pot, with attendees from all over the South Pacific travelling to Fiji to study.
“Our mission this year is [to focus on] returning Adventist students and reaching new students,” he tells me.
ASA Fiji aims to keep Adventist students engaged with the Church by keeping them connected while they are at university. At the recent orientation, Sam shares that they had about 150 Adventist students sign up to be part of the ASA and around the same number of non-Adventists. He tells me they like the fellowship and activities.
The year is already planned. They have discipleship training this month and they are planning a baptism as part of a Pacific-wide “Harvest” program in July. Sam expects there to be 100 souls saved.
Each week there are prayer meetings at the various campuses. Sam and his executive team travel around to the different meetings to encourage and support the groups. They also run “classes” called Bible Study 100, free for anyone to join.
“There is a good opportunity for us to make an impact through these Bible studies,” says Sam. [pullquote]
ASA’s theme for this year is Revolutionising 4, taken from Luke 2:52, where the Bible describes a young Jesus growing in wisdom and stature before God and men. Sam says the four things that will be revolutionised are four ways young people can grow: social, physical, mental and spiritual.
Sam grew up in a single parent family. While he didn’t have a great deal growing up, after reading the story of Mary, standing at the cross in front of Jesus, he asked himself, What can I do for Jesus?
His first test was to run a Bible study for his peers. “I loved it,” he says. “To dive deep with students in their spiritual life. I love to show them what I know through Jesus’ guidance.”
Since that first Bible study, he has never looked back.
“Now I live like a rich man,” Sam shares. “I have everything I need . . . He has been amazing to me.
“My main vision is for more souls to be converted and that no-one should fall back. I like to give back what I can. My main goal is to seek and save like Jesus and to pass on to others to do the same. Seek and save!”
