By Cosette Havelaar
During our recent mission trip to Fiji, we spent time doing walk-up evangelism in the towns of Nadi and Lautoka. I’ve tried this a few times in New Zealand, and to be honest, it always feels a bit awkward. In our culture, it’s not common to approach strangers and start a conversation, so you almost feel like you have to justify yourself: “Hi, I’m part of a Christian group doing a short survey on people’s spiritual beliefs—would you mind helping us out?”
At first, I thought we’d use the same approach in Fiji. So, I began by saying, “Hey, we’re just sharing a picture about Jesus—would you mind if I show you for a few minutes?” But I quickly realised you don’t need that kind of explanation there. You can simply sit down at a picnic table in the park, ask someone how their day is going, and it feels completely natural.
In New Zealand, everyone always seems to be in a rush—headphones on, focused on where they’re going. But in Fiji, there’s no such thing as hurry. People are relaxed, sitting around, watching the world go by, and so open to chatting. After spending time getting to know people, it was easier to turn conversations to spiritual things and share how Jesus has been part of our lives.
One girl we met, Maria,* was sitting in the park when we approached her. When we asked what she was up to, she said, “Just reflecting. My mind is so busy at the moment.” We soon discovered she’d been fired that very morning for dropping a plate at work. Distracted by family worries, she let the plate slip, and her boss told her, “Come at five for your wages, and then I don’t want to see you again.” We were able to listen, empathise, remind her that God sees her pain, and pray with her.
We also spoke with two young women, La and Nani, who shared about their struggles with poverty and raising children as single mothers—sadly, both common challenges in Fiji. We were able to talk with them about the brokenness of the world and the hope God offers.
Of course, evangelism in Fiji wasn’t always easy. One of the biggest challenges we faced was the language barrier. People didn’t always understand our questions, and it was hard to know what they were really thinking. Sometimes when we asked, “Is there anything you see that’s wrong in the world, or anything hard in your life?” the answer was simply, “No.” We couldn’t always tell if they were serious, didn’t understand, or just weren’t keen to share.
Once, we asked a woman if she was Muslim, and she replied, “No, Fijian.” Only after a longer chat did we realise she was actually a devout Christian. At times, we simply had to trust that God was working in people’s hearts, even when we couldn’t fully understand each other.
I really loved the cross-cultural experience of evangelising in Fiji. I miss how friendly and open people are there. But just because talking to strangers isn’t the norm in New Zealand doesn’t mean we can’t do it! I’m keen to challenge myself to keep having those meaningful interactions—even when it feels hard.
*Name changed for privacy.