Saving lives
Ronan missionaries bring big changes to war-torn country
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RONAN – “From the beginning we felt God called us to work among the tribal people in West Africa,” missionary Emosi Tatukivei said.
That calling would eventually impact thousands of lives in a small West African country halfway around the world. In 2005 Tatukivei took his wife Silvana and daughters Karalaini and Adriana to Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, to set up Christian schools where the predominant religion is Islam . The country is also one of the poorest in regards to Christian faith, as only one percent claim to follow the religion.
Emosi, a native of the tropical island of Fiji, married Brazilian native Silvana, whom he met in Africa, before moving to Ronan more than 20 years ago. The couple’s shared faith and calling to missionary work brought them together. They prepared for one year, organizing supplies and holding fundraisers prior to setting out on their missionary trip to Guinea Bissau.
Upon arriving, the family began setting up everyday necessities for the students and community, such as clean water, electricity and food, which are considered luxuries in the civil war torn country.
Emosi and Silvana worked closely with the “Youth with a Mission” (YWAM) organization, which is an international movement of Christians from many denominations, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world.
The organization focuses on youth, but also involves people of all ages. YWAM currently operates in more than 1,100 locations in 171 countries, with a full-time staff of more than 16,000.
After five years, the Tatukiveis’ mission has grown to three schools, employing 27 Christian teachers from Guinea-Bissau.
Realizing it would take a lot of help from his community, Emosi reached out to his friends and neighbors in the Mission Valley for their support. Before he knew it, he had contributions from families and businesses throughout Lake County, which would help construct the schools, and fill the buildings with the tools and finances needed.
“Since we started everything has been growing,” Emosi said. “One region had 350 students when we began, and now has 1,100 students.”
“It’s been wonderful to see it continue to grow,” he continued. “ It was all God. Many people really invested in something that they didn’t see, but believed in it.”
According to Emosi, their ministry focuses on three main categories: evangelism, training, and mercy ministry. After five years, Emosi says the schools have opened the doors to the community to grow economically.
“More businesses are coming into small places,” he said. “They even have electronic banks now, all things that weren’t there before coming in.”
According to Emosi, the gospel serves as a foundation for things to grow upon, and that if you pull out the gospel, it will collapse.
“People are holding their commitment (to the mission) in Ronan,” he said. “The community here is very supportive, they see the best in each other.”
He continued, “the Mission Valley might not be known worldwide, but it’s known in the heavens, and that’s important.”
According to Emosi, one goal was to provide healthy living conditions for those they served, as modern healthcare is nearly nonexistent.
“We want them to have a healthy body to help them concentrate on school,” Emosi said.
During their five-year mission trip, Emosi says things haven’t always been easy for his family.
“Many times my family would get sick with Malaria,” he said. “ Having my family sick was very difficult to me. The hospitals were very poor conditions, so we drove 18 hours to Senegal to get health care.”
In a separate incident, Emosi’s daughter Adriana had to be sent to Brazil to receive medical treatment. After discovering Adriana had asthma, she was released and has made a full recovery.
Now back in the Mission Valley, Emosi says the family is planning on taking some time for themselves to settle before embarking on their next mission trip.
“We’re going to wait for the next assignment from God,” he said. “(And) see what God wants us to do.”
He added he has learned to be thankful for running water, electricity, and Internet upon returning home.
“Having a place like this makes you thankful,” Emosi said of his current home. “I couldn’t ask for more.”
Emosi and Silvana will be holding a barn dance fundraising event on July 24 at the Diamond S RV Resort north of Ronan from 1 to 6 p.m. Dinner, dancing, a bake sale, and silent auction are planned. Proceeds raised will help the Tatukivei family get back on their feet in Ronan after five years in the mission field.
For more information on Youth with a Mission, visit www.ywam.org.
