A two-week health and evangelism program focusing on Indian communities in Nadi (Fiji) has resulted in 18 baptisms.
The program involved health assessments, food demonstrations and lectures focusing on the epidemic of lifestyle diseases presently affecting Pacific communities. The assessments were carried out each evening using health kits provided by the 10,000 Toes campaign.
Health worker George Kwong said the health activities had drawn people into the evangelistic campaigns in numbers never seen before.
“The highlight of the baptism was Harish, a diabetic amputee whom with his wife never missed an evening of health lectures,” Mr Kwong said. “He was jubilant as they lifted him up in a chair into the pond, and two pastors baptising him then manually hoisted him back out of the baptismal pond. His wife also got baptised.
“There are numerous encouraging and incredible stories leading to this baptism. I have always been advocating and preaching to churches about health as an opening wedge but have never seen it so powerfully demonstrated as this.”
Two Muslims and five Hindus were among those baptised.
“The health crisis in Fiji poses a great opportunity for the Church to stand tall and reach out to the community with our health message, offering innovative solutions,” Fiji Mission president Pastor Luke Narabe said.
