ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Fiji is located on an island chain in the South Pacific. Biblical Ministries Worldwide's first contact with any Fijian was in 1970 at Maranatha Bible College in Whangarei, New Zealand.  

In 1973 a BMW missionary visited Fiji and erected a building for the pastor and his family. That building (16'x24') was also used for the Bible studies which evolved into the Labasa Bible Church. As that church grew over the years, they reached out into other village areas and small Bible study groups formed into other churches. In 1988 BMW's first resident missionaries, Myron and Charlotte Mattocks, entered Fiji.

 AMONG THE FIJIANS
The Islands Bible Institute was opened in March of 1990 in a four-story building which the Lord provided for BMW in Labasa on the island of Vanua Levu. The main purpose of the Bible institute is to train leadership for the churches of Fiji. The Bible institute follows a three-year curriculum of Bible-related subjects with practical application suited to local needs.

 The school is structured so that the students receive personal discipleship training as well as involvement in various ministries to help develop skills in ministering the Word of God to others. Approximately 85% of the school's graduates are currently in full-time ministry in Fiji and surrounding island nations.

The churches of the Fiji fellowship have been started mainly through the work of the national leaders. Therefore, the work of BMW personnel is primarily to train, advise, and assist in church planting efforts.

MISSIONARIES:

	Bob and Martha Ensminger

NATIONAL WORKERS:

• Saiyasi and Elenoa Keresi
• Viliame and Salameke Keresi
• Tui and Josephine Rakabikabi
• Saimone and Sereima Tuiraki
• Esika and Taka Yabakivou

AMONG THE INDIANS
The Lord has recently opened a door of opportunity for us to minister among the Hindi-speaking people of Fiji. They make approximately 45% of the population.

PURPOSE: Our mission in Fiji is to establish churches primarily among the Hindi-speaking people by making disciples and training leaders.

VALUES:

1. Cultural relevance
2. Church based training by mentoring
3. Everyday personal evangelism
4. Relationship driven ministry
5. Apostolic approach in church planting by spontaneous multiplication

VISION: In the next decade, twenty cell churches that are continuing to multiply themselves.

STRATEGY:

1. STAGE ONE (LANGUAGE AQUISITION)
   The team will devote their time entirely to language and learning the culture. The language acquisition will be by involvement with people who become resource people. This is "culture driven language acquisition". The language learning period is designed to build relationships that will eventually lead to evangelism.
2. STAGE TWO (EVANGELISM)
   To conduct chronological Bible Studies in as many locations as possible.
3. STAGE THREE (DISCIPLESHIP)
   To focus on using believers to help with starting and teaching chronological Bible Studies elsewhere. At the same time focus on helping new believers come to maturity through personal discipleship.
4. STAGE FOUR (CONSOLIDATION)
   To group believers and help them begin functioning together as a cell group.
5. STAGE FIVE (LEADERSHIP TRAINING)
   To formalize a training system that is church based and non-formal.

MISSIONARIES:

	Jeff and Cheryl White		Mike and Amanda Ball

NEEDS: We also need two units who would be willing to work in reaching the Hindus. They would need to learn the Hindi language.

For more information, contact Bob Ensminger (Field leader for the Fijian ministry) or Bill Lake (BMW's Area Director for Asia and the Pacific).

RELATED LINKS

The World Factbook