#75 Tragedy for Fiji Nazarene

August 30, 2008 on 4:34 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

The front page of this weekends FIJI TIMES has the following photo and article:

IT was a scene of carnage. A burning bus, charred remains, injured men, women and children, faces of shock and horror, weeping women, crying children, police cars, speeding ambulances, fire trucks, stunned onlookers and devastated, distraught families.

On Thursday night, 10 members of an extended family on their way to a funeral gathering perished in a tragedy that has been described as Fiji’s worst bus fire disaster.

The dead include a pregnant woman and her two young children and a five-year-old child diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. The other victims include women, children and a grandfather in his 60s…”

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This morning at the New Beginings Church of the Nazarene in Suva, the capital of Fiji, we learned that the tragedy involved a Nazarene family from this church. Please pray for Seveti Naimawi. Last week his brother died and then at his brother’s funeral, his elder brother died. On Thursday night on the way to the funeral of his elder brother, the bus caught fire and he has now lost his wife Hazel, his son Seveti Jr, his son Daniel, as well as his unborn child. He is left with his son Luke. Please pray for them, and please pray for Pastor Tifare and the church during this time.

Harmon Schmelzenbach

#74 - ALONE

August 2, 2008 on 3:48 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Her eye’s have dark rings under them and she refuses to look up. On her lap sits a cute one year old boy who’s huge eyes are glued on me. I repeat my question, “tell me what is wrong.” Finally she speaks; “my husband’s religion allows him to have seven women, but he promised me that I would be the only one. He has broken that promise over and over and I cannot go on. I think it would be better for me to end my life now.”   silence…            slowly I respond, “I do not think it could be better…   what about this one?” I place my hand on the tiny arm of her son.

“I have eaten nothing and drunk only water for many, many days - I was able to buy a little milk for this one.” she motions to her little boy as I strain to hear what she is saying.

“Do you have any family, anyone you know or that you could go to?” I ask. “no…     my family long ago rejected me…       I have no-one.”   her voice is barely audible.

Amazingly God spoke to one of the young men who’s been a part of the JESUSFilm and crewed for me for many years. He came across this women with her little boy, early this morning in the road. Believing she was suicidal, he had brought her to where we were gathering to worship

My request is that you would pray for her please. Her and her son. God knows exactly who they are and they need His Divine intervention right now! They need to be loved and given hope and reason to go on.