[Fiji] Meeting with Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, “We Will Do This Work Together”

Meeting with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands in Fiji

In the afternoon of January 19th, Pastor Ock Soo Park and his company, who arrived at Nadi International Airport in Fiji from Kiribati, quickly left the airport ushered by Foreign Affairs Department personnel and got into a car headed towards Suva. A meeting with the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands was scheduled at 7pm.

During the 4 days in which Pastor Ock Soo Park and his company stayed in Fiji, they met the Prime Minister of another country – Solomon Islands – which seemed like a miracle to us.

However, the heart of God that loves and is happy with the gospel being preached to the many islands in the South Pacific had allowed all such things to be possible. As if someone had planned it in advance, the arrival of Pastor Ock Soo Park from Kiribati to Fiji was precisely in time with the schedule.

When it became 7pm, Prime Minister Sogavare and his wife arrived at the hotel and through John 8, the story of how the woman caught in the act of adultery changed her heart, Pastor Ock Soo Park began to explain how the IYF is working for the youth.

To the request of Pastor Ock Soo Park to work together in the Solomon Islands, the Prime Minister replied, “It is so touching. Although 90% of us are Christians, there are still many youth problems. It is because we have not had the change in our hearts that Pastor has spoken about.”

Like this, he happily promised to actively help the work of the IYF.

Afterwards, using the story of how the President of Ghana received salvation before his passing, Pastor Ock Soo Park began to preach the gospel to Prime Minister Sogavare.

“Romans 3:23, ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,’ However, what did God say. In verse 24, it says that we have been justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Mr. Prime Minister, in your thoughts, you may have sins but what does God say? In 1 Corinthians 6:11, it says ‘but you were sanctified’, ‘but you were justified’! Amen?”

The Prime Minister, who had listened very sincerely to the gospel that was preached by Pastor Ock Soo Park for 40 minutes, expressed his heart coming together with the heart of God by shouting, “Amen!”

“Thank you. I believe completely in the word of God. We will definitely work together. We will invite you to work in the Solomon Islands and we will create an MOU or whatever it takes for you to begin your work. This was a heavenly time. I truly heard the word of God.”

Next was the performance by Sopranos Hye Mi Choi and Jin Young Park of the Gracias Choir. The first song was the national anthem of the Solomon Islands which everyone sang along to, then they sang the hymns ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine’ and ‘When Peace, Like a River, Attendeth my Way’ seemed to be a reflection of the heart of Prime Minister Sogavare.

After the exchange of gifts, they venue was moved to the luncheon and the room was filled with beautiful fellowship. In this manner, the meeting with Prime Minister, which was wonderfully prepared by God, continued into the deep night.

“In the original schedule we had no plan to meet with the Prime Minister nor could we meet the Minister of Education as he was abroad. However, we gained knowledge that the Prime Minister was staying at Suva from the 18th to the 22nd and we were able to come into contact with the office of the Prime Minister in order to organize this meeting.

God has prepared all of these things, and I was able to clearly see how happy God was for us to preach the gospel to the island countries in the South Pacific. I was also able to confirm God’s will through this meeting.” – Missionary Young Hyun Yun (Solomon Islands)

From the morning of the 16th to the evening of the 19th, except for the 18th which was spent in Kiribati, Pastor Ock Soo Park had stayed in Fiji for three days. Throughout those 3 days, there were such inexplicable works of God such as the meetings with the President Mamau of Kiribati, Prime Minister Bainimarama of Fiji and Prime Minister Sogavare of the Solomon Islands.

Just like the testimony of Missionary Young Hyun Yun, it was such a precious time in which we could strongly feel the love of God towards the South Pacific. We are hopeful of the future in which the gospel will be preached powerfully in the island countries of the South Pacific.