Jesus commissioned his followers to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19) and to be his ‘witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). There are many ways we can express our commitment to take the gospel to the nations. We can pray, we can give, and we can intentionally reach people from other nations here in Aotearoa. However, not many students ever take up the opportunity to be part spreading the gospel outside of their home country by physically going.

Would you ever consider joining the few that take up the challenge and go?

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING THAT WENT

• “I really loved the cross-cultural experience of evangelising in Fiji. I miss how friendly and open people are there”. – Cosette Havelaar
• “Throughout this Mission project God showed Himself so clearly to me.” - Tapuakiloua Stewardship Ioane
• “This trip showed me how I am often hesitant to give my whole self to God for the sake of his work. I feel selfish with my resources, my money, my time, and my energy, and I wonder, “Don’t I already give you enough, God? Would you really ask me to give more? I don’t feel like I have much left.” But then I remember that Christ gave his whole self for us, and he did it willingly, joyfully, and humbly.” - Abbey Johnson

WHY FIJI?
Fiji is great place to go on a mission trip. It is close to New Zealand (and not too expensive to travel to) and English is spoken by most locals, even if it is not their first language. This provides a fantastic cross-cultural experience. Fiji is a country of nearly 1 million people, and it’s known for being a Christian nation. But did you know that 1/3 of the population of Fiji is Hindu and the fastest growing religion there is Islam? We want to be part of taking the gospel to all of Fiji.

HOW DO WE DO THIS?
We will join with other Navigators in Fiji from the main island Viti Levu and Vanua Levu in the North. We will connect with people in the community along with university students.

Activities will include building relationships with students on campuses, engaging in conversations about the Bible and the gospel. Additionally, you will dedicate time to serving the Hindi-speaking and Muslim community, working side by side on an organic farm, addressing everyday needs to demonstrate the love of Christ. Our hope is that you will be eager to be a part of the work the Lord is already undertaking and will continue to do in Fiji.

We will trust God to use us to encourage our Fijian brothers & sisters, encounter different beliefs, grow in our handle on the Bible, learn to share the gospel boldly with others, and spend some fun time on the beaches of Fiji as well.

Will you prayerfully consider joining us as we take the gospel to Fiji during winter break in 2026?

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Support Goal: $2700 total. This includes airfare, travel insurance, and all expenses in Fiji. (You can choose to pay the trip out of pocket, but fundraising is available. We will provide training and coaching to help you reach your funding goals if you choose to fundraise)
Dates: July 1-11 2026
Application Deadline: 14 November 2025, 11:59pm, limited to 8 students for the trip.

Questions? Email to Brian Wachter at [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Who else will be going?
    Along with our tertiary aged students, we always have at least two Navigators staff members attend the mission trip who have experience in leading these types of events. The Navigators carry a duty of care for all team members as soon as they depart on the trip from the airport until the time they return, but team members need to get themselves to and from the airport.

2. Who we do we work with in Fiji?
   The Navigators of Fiji enables our trips. They work out an itinerary of where we will be each day, who we will meet and what we will do. This is available before departure. They also assist with our accommodation, meals and transportation on the ground.

3. What is the application process?
   We review applications as they come in, up until the closing date. Each applicant will be contacted for an interview—typically conducted via phone or video call—to help us better understand your background, assess your suitability, and determine how we can best support and train you for the role. You will know if you are confirmed on the team by the 7^th of December 2026.

4. What does the team preparation look like and what are the expectations?
    The team going will be well prepared through a series of training sessions leading up to going overseas.  These are always tailored to each team going based on their experience and ministry background. The training schedule is created in early December and communicated to confirmed applicants soon afterwards.  There are regular training sessions from December 2025 until departure in June 2025.
   
   Working together and being part of the team is very important. The team will also travel together to and from Fiji from New Zealand, although sometimes in an Auckland departure group and a Christchurch departure group depending on where students are located.

5. How do the airline tickets work?
   We aim to book our airline tickets as early as possible to get the best deals we can. Typically, we purchase these in January in the year that we go.   We also choose the airline that provides the best for our trip which is typically either Fiji Air or Air NZ.  At this point, once airline tickets are purchased all team members must be committed to go.

6. How does the fundraising work?
    We will work with you so others can partner with you in prayer, encouragement and financially to enable you to go. The Navigators is a registered charity, and we issue tax receipts for all donations given for the Fiji Mission trip.  This is often a huge faith step but a really rewarding journey as you see Gods provision in this. It also encourages so many friends, family and faith communities to partner with you and hear your stories when you come back. 
   
   Please be aware that gifts cannot be refunded by us as a registered NZ charity. Personal gifts made by team members going cannot be receipted as tax rebate-able, but any gifts given to other team members or the ministry of Fiji in general (that the team may be involved in such as giving books that have been purchased) can be receipted.

7. When do the funds need to be paid?
    We have two key funding milestones for the trip.
   
   First, each participant needs to have raised enough to cover their airfare by 6 February 2026.
   Second, the remaining balance of the trip cost is due three weeks before departure.
   
   Please note that the total cost can vary depending on airline prices and local expenses, but currently we estimate it to be between $2,200 and $2,500.
   
   Our initial goal is for each team member to raise $1,200 to cover their flight. The second stage involves raising the remaining balance to cover the full cost of the trip. Any surplus fundraising by a team member will be put towards other teams’ members who are short on their fundraising efforts, or if a trip becomes fully covered, funds are utilised for future Navigator trips carried out by students.

8. What happens if I have funding shortfall?
    We have a few options for you here. You can pay the balance yourself personally, or you can apply for a scholarship to help top up your fundraising. These are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Such applications can be made by team members to the Peter Burch Mission Fund to assist with covering some of the costs of a team members going. Applications will be considered by the National Director, Missions Director (and others as deemed appropriate) to provide financial support up to a certain level to assist team members in going.

9. What does the funding cover?
    In addition to airline tickets, the funds are used for all on the ground costs with accommodation, food and local travel plus team leisure activities. It also includes an office administration fee of 10% so we can carry out of charitable obligations in NZ for receipting and accounting. This funding also provides comprehensive travel insurance.

10. How does the travel insurance work?
    The Navigators of NZ carry a broad business travel insurance policy for all its staff and volunteers carrying out mission’s work. The details of this policy are available on request. We require that every team member is covered under this comprehensive policy to ensure our health and safety obligations are met along with our duty of care to everyone that goes on the trip.  This policy covers sickness, lost items, booking cancellations, emergency evacuations and several other situations.