KINGDOM WORK STARTS IN KIRIBATI AND TUVALU

Little did Bill Checksfield, witnessing in Suva, Fiji, realize the implications of his making a return visit on a Tuvaluan man named Foua Tofinga. After studying the Bible for four years, Tofinga was baptized in 1951—the first Tuvaluan to come into the truth. His wife, Selepa, was baptized in 1957. Eventually Tofinga became an elder in the Suva Congregation and is presently a member of the Fiji Branch Committee.

Although Tofinga was not able to return to Tuvalu, it was from his home in Suva that the truth started to spread to Kiribati and Tuvalu. Both Tofinga’s father and father-in-law were pastors in the LMS Church, so when Tofinga and his wife accepted the truth, it caused quite a stir in the Tuvaluan community.

According to island custom nearly every Tuvaluan that has come to Fiji has also visited the family of Brother Tofinga. Naturally, this has led to many opportunities for them to witness to Tuvaluans. Thus, more and more the Kingdom message started to filter back into Kiribati and Tuvalu.

To illustrate how this happened, consider the experience of a Tuvaluan, Saulo Teasi. While working on a ship, Saulo came to Fiji in the late 1940’s and found that he had a week to spare in Suva. He visited Sister Tofinga’s mother, who by now had started to show an interest in the truth. When Brother Checksfield also visited this home, Saulo sat quietly in the background during a Bible discussion. He was impressed with the fact that Brother Checksfield always used the Bible to answer any questions. When Saulo heard that this missionary was going to return in a few days, he made it a point to be there. Saulo left the second discussion with a copy of the book “Let God Be True” and was sure that he had found the true religion.

Meanwhile, others, including Sister Tofinga’s sister, Lise, showed interest in the truth. By this time these interested persons had moved to Tarawa, in Kiribati, and soon a little study group with about ten people was started in Tarawa. Although none of them were baptized, they carried on in spite of constant opposition. Thus they proved to be the basis for the start of the work in Kiribati and Tuvalu.

In the mid-1950’s, after completing a work contract, Saulo arrived in Tarawa, and while awaiting transportation to Tuvalu he stayed at Lise’s home. He and his family had many opportunities to talk to Lise about Bible-related subjects, and he soon decided to stay in Tarawa and work there. Saulo was delighted to find that what he was learning was the same as what he had heard in Fiji from Brother Checksfield. Soon Saulo and his wife, Uto, were meeting with the little group.

PROGRESS IN TUVALU

When Saulo Teasi returned to Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu, in the early 1960’s, he was surprised to find that there was a small group of people that were meeting together to study The Watchtower. This group was being cared for by a former doctor, Uili Opetaia (Willy O’Brien). Uili, who had heard the truth in Suva while at medical college, had been baptized in Samoa and was now spreading what he had learned. Soon this group was joined by Apelu Teagai and his wife, Lumepa. Like Saulo, Apelu had learned the truth while in Suva.

At this time Saulo’s wife, Uto, began to oppose him strongly even though at first she had manifested an interest. Every Sunday there seemed to be an argument when Saulo would not join her in going to the church service. However, an unexpected blessing was about to occur.

This came in May 1962 when Sisters Lydia Pedro and Alisi Dranidalo, both special pioneers from Fiji, were assigned to Tuvalu. Sister Pedro was born in Tuvalu and Sister Dranidalo was a native Fijian. The local government was opposed to these two sisters staying, so in January 1963 they had to leave Tuvalu. During their stay the sisters conducted a number of Bible studies even though they were not allowed to preach from house to house. Especially did the two special pioneers help Uto, Saulo’s wife, to take her stand for the truth. As a result of their work, when the circuit overseer came to Tuvalu in 1964 he found that Saulo and Apelu were ready for baptism. Then the following year Uto was baptized, along with Uili’s wife, Melapa.

CIRCUIT OVERSEERS VISIT TUVALU

From the mid-1960’s to the late 1970’s this little congregation continued on despite much opposition. In time it became easier to get circuit overseers into the country. This provision from Jehovah was something that the brothers greatly appreciated.

It has not been easy for these traveling overseers to settle into the island way of life. One of the brothers that was visiting Funafuti was recovering from a bout of dengue fever when he decided to go swimming in the beautiful lagoon. After a while he noticed a foreign object floating past and then thought to himself, ‘No, it couldn’t be!’ Then later when he saw more of these, he noticed the toilets on stilts over the water! Needless to say, that was the last swim he had in the lagoon!

Another brother and sister, while staying in Kiribati, were sleeping on a gravel floor under a mosquito net when a strange noise startled them. The brother turned on his flashlight and found that they were being invaded by crabs trying to get through the mosquito net! Later, when they arrived in Tuvalu, they found that most of the homes had been destroyed by hurricane Bebe. So they stayed with a brother and his family in a small shack. Here they were kept awake at night by rats playing on top of the temporary ceiling.

These brothers have learned to adjust to many different circumstances. For instance, during a time of water shortage in Kiribati, there came a sudden downpour and one of the circuit overseers was seen taking a shower in his bathing suit under a leaking gutter. He was making good use of that shower of rain!

So, though it was not always easy for the brothers who came to serve the congregations in these islands, their efforts were certainly blessed.

MAINTAINING INTEGRITY AND PURITY

The test of whether or not the truth is really established in any country is that the brothers remain steadfast in the truth despite the strongest opposition. Consider the example of Sister Lumepa, who died in March 1970. She had been suffering from internal bleeding for two years and needed an operation but was told that it could not be performed without a blood transfusion. For two years doctors, the hospital staff, friends and close relatives tried to persuade her to take blood transfusions, but she remained steadfast to Jehovah’s laws and died a faithful Witness. Even on an isolated island Jehovah’s spirit is there to strengthen those who put faith in him.

As has already been mentioned, Christendom’s missions helped to popularize smoking in these islands, so that nearly all the islanders have become enslaved to the tobacco habit. There have been some fine examples of those who, upon learning Jehovah’s requirements, have immediately given up the habit.—2 Cor. 7:1.

BROTHERS FROM OVERSEAS ARRIVE

October 1978 was a turning point in the activities of Jehovah’s people in Tuvalu. Two important things happened. First, an Australian brother, Lon Bowman, who had been serving in Papua New Guinea, obtained secular work in Tuvalu. Second, the Tuvaluan government granted permission for two Australian missionaries to live in Tuvalu for two years, and they are still serving there.

Brother Bowman helped the brothers to get into a better routine with their meetings and Bible study work. When the missionaries, Geoffrey and Jeanette Jackson, arrived a couple of months later, they found that the small congregation was operating in an orderly manner.

Within a short time this small band of brothers and sisters were conducting over 40 Bible studies. By the time Brother Bowman and his family left, there were 12 publishers of the good news. In 1982 the publishers reached a peak of 22.

ATTENDING ASSEMBLIES

Due to their isolation and the high cost of travel, very few of the Tuvaluan brothers have been able to attend a convention of Jehovah’s people. During 1979, however, the brothers and sisters put forth special effort to attend the district convention in Fiji. They worked at everything from making and selling chocolate to carting sand, and with some help from their spiritual brothers overseas, they were pleased to have a delegation of eight brothers and sisters attend the convention. Among these was Sister Uto Teasi who, although she was baptized in 1965, had never been to a convention. Even though she could not speak English or Fijian (the languages in which the program was presented), she was thrilled to be with over 1,300 gathered at that convention. Another of her joys was to meet again with Sister Alisi Dranidalo who had helped her learn the truth back in 1962.

REACHING OTHER ISLANDS

During the past few years, not only has the capital, Funafuti, received a thorough witness but the missionaries, along with others in the congregation, have regularly visited the outer islands in the Tuvalu group. Many interested ones on the outer islands now have Bible studies through correspondence.

There are times when the Funafuti Congregation puts on a 15-minute radio program that can be heard in all the Tuvaluan islands. As the missionaries visit the outer islands, they hear many express appreciation for the Bible truths that they are learning from the radio broadcasts.

The clergy, however, put pressure on the government to stop the programs. At the invitation of the radio station manager, Brother Jackson attended a meeting where he heard one of the pastors angrily exclaim: “The people are asking too many questions after listening to these programs. We can’t have that!” The pastors requested that a church committee review all programs before they are broadcast. But later, a new manager and a new program organizer were appointed, and they were not afraid of the clergy. So the good news still reaches the outer islands by means of the radio programs.

PROGRESS WITH TUVALUAN LITERATURE

Over the years the brothers in Funafuti have been using the Samoan-language literature in their meetings. Some of the older ones understand Samoan, but for most in the congregation this has been difficult. So a concerted effort was put forth to translate some of the publications for local use, and the Governing Body has approved the printing of this literature in the Tuvaluan language.

So, the Witnesses on these islands are continuing to declare the good news, and as they do so they look forward to further increase, especially in view of their 1983 Memorial, with 155 attending, 68 of whom attended on the island of Funafuti. This was about one out of every 34 persons on the entire island of Funafuti, the capital.