April 2, 2019 Fiji Update of the Bible Institute at Raiwaqa
The 2019 1st Term of the Bible Institute at Raiwaqa is about over. We are down to the final two weeks of our long courses. We have 12 students in the program this term. Semi and Lency went through the graduation line in November of last year, but both have a few classes left to finish up their studies. We had 4 returning students and 5 new students.
We have been privileged to host Bear Valley’s first study abroad student, Kaleb Cutter. Kaleb is a 2nd Year student at Bear Valley Bible Institute, Denver from California. He is taking the last term of his program here in Fiji and will return at the close of our short courses to graduate in Denver. He is a real joy to have in our program.
Our new students have been taking English Comp 1. Emosi, our new teacher, has just about completed teaching his first course on the Life of Christ and is doing a superb job. Jason completed a class on Preparation and delivery of sermons and is now teaching a class on the Backgrounds of Early Christianity. I am currently teaching a class on the Christian Home after having finished a class on the Pentateuch.
One thing that is different is that we have four female students in the program this year. Most are wives of students who graduated last year. It is difficult for some of the wives to attend at the same time as their husbands because of the need for one to look after the children. Tupou, the wife of Semi, is attending the program so that she can be better equipped to teach children’s classes at the Naila Church of Christ. Her husband, Semi, graduated last year and has been charged with overseeing the Bible school program at Naila. He teaches the older youth and she the younger. Nancy is the wife of Emosi, who was our top student last year and now teaches in the school. Nancy also teaches a regular children’s class at the Raiwaqa Church of Christ. Moira is the wife of Peter, who also graduated last year. She is one of the teachers in the Bible school program at Raiwaqa. Peter currently is in charge of the Bible school program at Raiwaqa and serves as the financial officer for the school. The last woman in our program is Jacinta who is married to Lesio. Lesio is currently being considered for an elder at the Raiwaqa congregation. He has taken a two year sabbatical from his work in order to go through the program so that he can be a better elder. His wife teaches one of the children’s classes at Raiwaqa.
We will highlight some of the men in the next update.
Rocco Pierce
Director, BVBI-F