December 2024
Fiji is an archipelago consisting of about
300 islands, only 100 of which are inhabited. Known for its stunning natural beauty, the mountainous islands are a common destination for tourists. Located about 1,300 miles north of
Auckland, New Zealand, the country has a population of 940,000 people. Both culturally and ethnically, Fiji is a fairly diverse country composed mainly of indigenous Fijians and Indians, with other minority groups also represented. Most citizens speak English and the language of their own ethnic community. There is little intermarriage between ethnic communities and many Fijians live in traditional villages. About half of the population lives in urban areas. Close to one third of the population lives below the poverty line.
Fiji’s first settlers seem to have arrived from surrounding islands approximately 3,500 years ago. During this time, Fijian society was hierarchical, with communities forming alliances and attacking other communities. Warfare was a frequent occurrence. Europeans spotted the island as early as 1643; however, commercial interest in the island did not begin until the early 19th century with the discovery of sandalwood. Within a decade, the sandalwood supply was depleted; however, other commercial interests began to form shortly after that time. It is during this time in the early 19th century that Methodist influence really gained a stronghold on the islands. Violence continued as Fiji remained a fractured society with warring chieftains. European attempts at government were met with difficulty until negotiations led to Fiji becoming a British crown colony in 1874.
Under British rule, Fijian land and culture were largely preserved and protected. Indians were introduced as indentured servants and encouraged to settle on the island once their contracts were completed. This policy led to the significant Indian population the country now enjoys.
Fiji was occupied by allied forces during World War 2, and after the war the country returned back to chiefly leadership. The pursuit of Fijian independence was more a response to international pressure than to demand within Fiji. Due to extreme difficulty in forming a government that adequately represented both the Fijians and Indians, tempers flared and a series of military coups were undertaken in the late 1900s and early 2000s. Instability has plagued the Fijian government since their move towards independence in the 1960s. The current constitution was only written in 2013. About 1 in 3 citizens claim to be Christian. Most of these professing Christians are Methodist. Hindu is the second largest religion, claimed by 1 in 4 citizens. Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Assemblies of God also have a minor presence. Walking the streets of Fiji, Christian bumper stickers and signage are frequently seen. It is popular to claim Christianity openly; however, these professions often do not bear fruit. As one missionary put it: “legalism, nominalism and a lack of evangelism characterize most churches.” There is at least one Reformed Baptist church in the country, Ba Bible Church. There is also one Calvinistic Baptist church present in the country. One minister associated with Ba Bible Church expressed that ministry in Fiji is difficult because of: “profound spiritual darkness, high levels of illiteracy, widespread poverty, mass migration overseas, and a predominant reliance on farming.” There is also a difficulty in training up faithful men as many end up leaving town due to scarcity of employment opportunities. It is unknown if there are any other reformed works being undertaken in Fiji.
Ba Bible Church hopes to plant another church in a neighboring community in the coming years. Please pray that God would raise up faithful men for this work and for all of Fiji, as there is great spiritual need on the island. Please also pray that those who currently profess the name of Christ would be sharpened in their doctrine and piety that the lampstands already present would burn brighter. Lastly, please pray that the light of the gospel would reach every end of the geographically and culturally diverse country.
Lord’s Day, December 1st: 1/3rd of the 940,000 inhabitants in the Fiji islands profess to be Christians, but the majority of these appear to be Christian in name only. Pray for the true gospel to spread throughout the 100 inhabited islands, and that false converts would be truly regenerated. Also, pray for Pastor Dafydd Hughes as he is scheduled to preach for a sister church in New Zealand today.
Monday, December 2nd: Pastor Sam Oluoch has had a continuous cough for the past two months. Antibiotics have not helped. Pray that the Lord will restore his health so that he can give his whole heart to fulfilling the calling his Heavenly Father has placed upon his life. Tuesday, December 3rd: Continue praying for Pastor Yosmar Tabares in Matanzas, Cuba. He has recovered from dengue fever, but his liver was adversely affected, and he now has a hiatal hernia which causes him considerable discomfort. Pray for a full recovery for this faithful brother.
Wednesday, December 4th: Praise the Lord that Baby Maria arrived safely in this world this past October, the 4th child born to Pastor Alex & Natalia Figueroa. Natalia suffered some complications during the delivery; pray for a full recovery for her.
Thursday, December 5th: Praise the Lord that as of November 15th Sam Gunnip and Taiuk Seo have received 99% of their total support for 2024! Pray for the Lord to fully provide their support for the 2025 year.
Friday, December 6th: Grace Baptist Church of Nairobi, Kenya has a family conference planned for next week from December 9th-12th. Pastor Sam Oluoch will be one of the speakers. Pray that this conference will be well attended and that the Lord will bless the teaching to the profit of all who are there.
Saturday, December 7th: The young people of Crosspoint Church in NZ (teens and twenties) meet in Pastor Dafydd Hughes’ home once a month for food and fellowship. The final fellowship meeting for this year is scheduled for tomorrow night after evening worship. The young people have an opportunity to voluntarily share something the Lord has taught them during the past year. Pray that this will be a profitable and edifying time.
Lord’s Day, December 8th: 25% of the 940,000 inhabitants of Fiji are Hindu. Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Assemblies of God also have a minor presence on the islands. Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring revival, dismantling the lies of false religions and works-righteousness salvation.
Monday, December 9th: Pray for Birchleigh Baptist Church in Kempton Park, South Africa, as they plan to have an evangelistic carol service during the month of December. Pray that many unbelievers will hear the gospel and be saved.
Tuesday, December 10th: Cuban Pastor Frankis Abad and his wife, Yaneisy, are expecting their second child! Thankfully they have been able to obtain some prenatal vitamins, which is extremely rare in Cuba. Sources of protein are increasingly difficult to find in the island, pray for the Lord to sustain Yaneisy in her pregnancy, and that their child will be born healthy and strong.
Wednesday, December 11th: Praise the Lord of the Nations that Matt & Danielle Jensen were able to obtain their visas and return to Thailand! Pray for two workshops that are scheduled for this month in Thailand, being taught by Matt Jensen and Nico van Zyl. Also pray as the men hope to soon begin a worship service on the Lord’s Day.
Thursday, December 12th: Pray for the financial stability of Noeun Sola Reformed Baptist Church in Daejeon, South Korea. Pastor Park’s van suffered irreparable engine damage, which is his family’s only means of transportation. Pray for our Heavenly Father to provide a new vehicle for them.
Friday, December 13th: Victory Baptist Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has a special meeting planned for tomorrow to strengthen marriages with teaching from God’s Word. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bless the teaching to the profit of souls and homes.
Saturday, December 14th: The saints of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Santiago, Chile, are thankful for the facility God has provided for them. There are some urgent needs that need to be addressed, however, regarding the oxygenation and air conditioning in the building, to bring it up to code. Pray the Lord will provide the means to resolve these problems quickly as the civil magistrate could ban them from the building if these things are not resolved.
Lord’s Day, December 15th: Praise the Lord that there is at least one Reformed Baptist church (Ba Bible Church) and another Calvinistic Baptist church located in Fiji. Pray that these two lampstands will burn bright and clear with the light of God’s truth to the profit of never dying souls.
Monday, December 16th: Pray for the African Pastors’ Conferences that are scheduled to begin early in January 2025 in South Africa. Pray for the Lord’s financial provision and that He will anoint the teaching given.
Tuesday, December 17th: Pray for Pastor Leo Company’s health as it is preventing him from giving himself fully to his calling. Also pray for Ezequiel and Mabel, both members of Victory Baptist Church, who recently got engaged! Pray for God to prepare them to glorify Him with their forthcoming marriage.
Wednesday, December 18th: Pastor Sam Oluoch requests prayer for the evangelistic outreaches the church is involved in, that sinners will experience true conversion. Also, praise God for the unity Grace Baptist Church is presently enjoying, but pray it will continue as Satan can attack at any time.
Thursday, December 19th: Pray for Pastor Ariam Macias who is leading a very small church plant in Ciego de Avila, Cuba. The church recently moved to a better location. Praise the Lord for His kind provision. Also pray for Yoelvis Almaguer who is planting a church in Guantanamo. The initial group is very small, but the potential to constitute as a church is very good. Pray for the Lord Jesus to establish His burning lampstands in both places.
Friday, December 20th: Pray for the Lord to provide the $4,200 that the van Zyls need for their next semester of language training. They need these funds by the end of January. Pray for Nico & Roxanne, Matt & Danielle Jensen, and Sam Gunnip as they continue their Cultural & Language Acquisition (CLA) in both Thailand and South Korea.
Saturday, December 21st: Crosspoint Church in NZ takes advantage of this season every year to focus upon the incarnation of Christ in an evangelistic way. Pray for tomorrow’s Lord’s Day services which will have this emphasis as well as a special service for the elderly. Pray for the Lord to open effectual doors for evangelistic conversations.
Lord’s Day, December 22nd: It is difficult for churches in Fiji to train faithful men for the work of the ministry due to so many leaving the islands in search of gainful employment. Pray for the Ascended Christ to give gifts to the churches that are sound in faith and practice so that the gospel can spread and churches can be planted for the glory of God.
Monday, December 23rd: Matt Jensen requests prayer as he begins teaching English as a second language in Thailand. Pray for him to establish relationships with the lost. Also pray for the Jensens and the van Zyls as they work together in harness on the mission field. Pray for God to preserve their unity and for the gospel to penetrate the hearts of many of the Thai people.
Tuesday, December 24th: This month two new members are to be added to the membership of Noeun Sola Reformed Baptist Church in South Korea, one by baptism! The church has also had several visitors in the past few months. Pray the Lord will continue to build His church and preserve her unity!
Wednesday, December 25th: Pastor Alex Figueroa requests prayer for God’s financial provision so that Pastor Pablo Navarette can be added as a full-time vocational pastor alongside Pastors Alex and Esteban because the work of the ministry is very demanding in Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Chile.
Thursday, December 26th: Pray for the Lord to provide the $2,500 Victory Baptist Church needs to update their computer equipment. Their outdated equipment causes some hindrances in their live-streaming. Pray they will also be able to complete the repairs needed to their building.
Friday, December 27th: Pray that the Lord will provide a permanent meeting location for Grace Baptist Church in Nairobi, Kenya. The facilities they are currently using do not belong to the church, and it is likely that they will outgrow their current space soon, especially in regard to parking.
Saturday, December 28th: Last month NSRBC formalized its translation and publishing ministry to provide solid Reformed literature in South Korea. Pastors Park, Sam, and Taiuk serve on the publication team along with church member Sean Denny. Pray for God’s financial provision for this ministry, and for partnerships with several publishers to be established.
Lord’s Day, December 29th: Ba Bible Church in Fiji desires to send men out to plant a sister church in a neighboring community. Pray for God to raise up two elder qualified men, and the monies to support them, in the coming years who can be sent to establish such a work.
Monday, December 30th: Beginning in February 2025 Missionary Sam Gunnip and his family are scheduled to begin a 3-month tour of the United States, raising awareness and support of the South Korean Mission. They will begin in the southeast as Sam is scheduled to speak at the Southeastern Association of Confessional Baptist Churches’ annual Fraternal. Pray for the planning and organizing of this trip. Pray that many churches will partner with the South Korean Mission Team so that their financial support will be fully provided.
Tuesday, December 31st: Pastor Sam Oluoch reports that the Kenyan Seminary enjoyed a successful last quarter in 2024. Pray for this ministry to bear fruit in the lives of the students and future ministers who will be taking classes in 2025.
HFPG is a monthly publication of Berean Baptist Church of Powder Springs, GA, USA (berean1689church.org). For the security of our international brothers & sisters in Christ, no portion of our Prayer Guide is to be published on any form of social media. Our current missionaries and national pastors are:
Pastor Leo Company, Victory Baptist Church (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Pastor Alex Figueroa, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church (Santiago, Chile)
Missionaries Sam Gunnip & Taiuk Seo, Pastor Daeil Park Noeun Sola Reformed Baptist Church (Daejeon, South Korea)
Pastor Dafydd Hughes, Crosspoint Church (Palmerston North, New Zealand) Missionaries Matt Jensen & Nico van Zyl (Chiang Rai, Thailand)
Pastor Don Lindblad, Trinity Reformed Baptist Church (Kirkland, Washington, USA)
Representing our Cuban brothers
Pastor Thapelo Mpai, Birchleigh Baptist Church
& African Pastors’ Conferences (Kempton Park, South Africa) Pastor Sam Oluoch, Grace Baptist Church (Nairobi, Kenya)