CIRCUIT VISITS DESPITE OBSTACLES

When Len Helberg, Fiji’s first circuit overseer, left in 1957 for Gilead School, Paul Evans took over the circuit. At that time it stretched from Tahiti in the east, through the Samoas, Niue, Tonga and Fiji, to New Caledonia in the west. A second circuit was created in 1958 with Don Clare as circuit overseer. In 1960 a third circuit was added. These covered the 12 countries under the Fiji branch. For 13 years Brother Evans, accompanied by his wife, served some of these countries in circuit work. When not traveling, they worked as missionaries in American Samoa.

It was not easy to get into Western Samoa, even for brief circuit visits. Brother Evans recalls: “Twice we served the congregation when passing through on boats. The first trip we had only three nights and two days with the brothers. The next time we fared better. We got passage on a small island freighter from Fiji, arriving in Western Samoa early on a Tuesday morning. Since the ship we were traveling on was chartered to make a seven-day trip for the Western Samoan government to other islands and was not permitted to take us, we had to wait out the seven days on land in Apia. This was just right for us, and we had a spiritually profitable ‘wait’ serving the congregation.” In 1959 Brother Evans had to make three attempts before being granted a permit to enter Western Samoa.

For 13 years Brother Evans, accompanied by his wife, served some of these countries in circuit work. When not traveling, they worked as missionaries in American Samoa.