Prayer Letter – September 2026 | Ambassadors for Christ (South Pacific)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in our Precious Lord Jesus,
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
Romans 8:9–11
Before Christians live according to the Spirit, we live only and always according to the flesh. Paul has spent the opening chapters of Romans showing us just how dark and hopeless our condition apart from Jesus really is. We were not simply people who needed a little improvement, a little moral reform, or some spiritual assistance. We were sinners who could not make ourselves right with God, who could not cleanse ourselves from guilt, and who had no power in ourselves to produce the life that God requires. But brothers and sisters in Jesus, Christ is our hope. Paul now tells believers, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” What wonderful words these are. The Spirit of God dwells in those who belong to Jesus, and we belong to Him because of His work and not our own. Our salvation began in grace, continues in grace, and will one day be brought to completion entirely because of the grace and faithfulness of our God.
Paul says that if Christ is in us, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Even Christians will face physical death unless the Lord returns first. The presence of sin in this fallen world means that these bodies still weaken, suffer, grow old, and eventually die. Becoming a Christian does not remove us from the sorrow and brokenness of living in a fallen creation, but death no longer has the final word. For those who are in Christ, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Jesus told the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” and Paul could say that to depart and be with Christ was “far better.” Yet even that glorious reality is not the end of the Christian hope, because Paul points us forward to something greater still: the Resurrection.
The Holy Spirit who dwells within every believer is the very same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Paul says that if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus lives in us, then He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies. One day these very bodies that suffer, weaken, and die will be raised, and incorruptible, no longer bearing the image of the man of dust, but of the Man of Heaven (1 Cor 15). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Our former selves have died with Christ, and we have already begun to experience eternal life because the Spirit of life dwells within us. We are spiritually alive now, and when the Christian dies, he goes to be with Jesus. Then, when our Lord returns, even the grave must surrender what belongs to Him. Paul tells us that the perishable will be raised imperishable and the mortal will put on immortality, while John tells us that when Christ appears, “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as He is.” What an immeasurably wonderful hope we have.
And yet, if I am honest, it can be so easy to doubt news this good. We look at the darkness and brokenness of the world around us. We see suffering, sickness, war, death, and the terrible consequences of sin. We look inward and see the sin and brokenness that still remains within us, and questions begin to rise: Is this really true? Am I really born again? Does Christ really live in me? Will God really bring me safely home? It is then that we must remember how this glorious chapter begins: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our hope cannot finally rest upon the quality of our performance. No, the Christian has not reached perfection. We still confess sin, we still battle the flesh what remains of Adam in us, and we still desperately need the grace of God every day. But our salvation from the penalty of sin, our spiritual life, and our resurrection on that final day do not ultimately rest upon your ability or mine to hold ourselves together. They rest upon Jesus. If Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and if by faith we are united to Him, then His resurrection guarantees ours. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave lives in His people, so whatever this month holds—joy or sorrow, strength or weakness, success or disappointment—we can fix our eyes upon Christ. The tomb is empty. Jesus lives. His Spirit dwells within His people, and He will not abandon those whom He has made His own.
Ministry Update:
We praise the Lord for a wonderful Masters Program during August. Mr. Barry Frew taught our students on Biblical Leadership and Management, while Dr. Arthur Adams taught Old Testament Introduction and Exegesis. We are so thankful for these men and for the time, preparation, and energy they sacrificially gave to minister to our students through the teaching of God’s Word. This year we had the largest enrolment in the history of the Master’s program to date, with 26 students enrolled across the Master of Ministry and Master of Arts in Biblical Studies programs. We praise God for this. Numbers themselves are never our goal, but every student represents a life, a family, a church, and potentially many people whom that individual will one day teach and serve. Many of these students are already involved in pastoral ministry or other forms of Christian service throughout Fiji and the Pacific, so our prayer is not simply that they would receive another qualification, but that the Lord would deepen their knowledge of His Word and shape them increasingly into faithful servants of Christ. Please pray that what was taught during those intensive weeks would remain with the students and move from the classroom into their preaching, leadership, families, churches, and daily lives. May the Lord make us not merely hearers or students of His Word, but people whose lives are increasingly brought under its authority.
We were also thankful for opportunities to serve through the School of Evangelism and the PIEMN Conference. Dr. Nair, Dr. Poasi Nui, our Acting Principal, and Mr. Faga Foarete, our Academic Dean, were able to take teaching sessions during the conference. We praise the Lord whenever He gives opportunities to place biblical teaching into the hands of those who are serving within churches and ministries throughout the Pacific. One of the continuing burdens of AFC(SP) is to help make theological and evangelistic training available to men and women who may never have the opportunity to undertake traditional residential theological education. Our part-time Certificate and Diploma students also continued their intensive studies during this period. Many of them balance work, ministry, family, church responsibilities, and study, and this requires considerable sacrifice and discipline. Please pray that the Lord would strengthen them and use every lecture and every course to create a deeper love for Christ and greater confidence in the sufficiency and authority of His Word.
Classes have now begun for the second half of the semester at Fiji Bible College and the Ambassadors Vocational School. Please especially remember our fourth-year Bible College students as they enter the final stages of their studies and work toward completing their theses. For some of these students, graduation is now very close after years of lectures, assignments, examinations, ministry involvement, and living together as part of our residential college community. We thank God for each of them and for the privilege we have had of walking beside them. Please pray that they would finish well, but more importantly, pray that the Lord would continue to form Christ in them. A theological qualification is of little value if the truth we study does not humble us, sanctify us, and cause us to love Jesus and His people more deeply.
Exciting news for the Rakiraki Bible Church Plant!
Another great encouragement to us has been seeing what the Lord continues to do through the Bible church fellowship in Rakiraki. Several years ago, as the Fellowship of Bible Churches Fiji was praying about establishing a gospel work there, the Lord opened a door through a family connected with us. At that time there was no Bible church in the area, but through the kindness of Samaritan’s Purse we had received Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Some of our church leaders and Bible College students travelled to Rakiraki, where around fifteen to twenty children gathered at a home. The shoeboxes were distributed, but most importantly, the gospel of the Lord Jesus was preached. From that simple beginning, a regular children’s ministry developed, and eventually Sunday services began in the home. One particularly precious part of this story is Ritesh, whose mother’s home became the gathering place. Ritesh was not a Christian at the time, yet he would drive those ministering from Lautoka to Rakiraki—a journey of around two and a half hours—so they could preach there each Sunday. During those long journeys and through the ministry taking place in his family’s home, the gospel was continually shared with him. In the wonderful providence and grace of God, Ritesh eventually came to know the Lord Jesus and continues to grow in Him.
Krishneel, who travelled to Rakiraki as one of our Bible College students during those early days, is now serving there with his wife and young son as the full-time pastor. Only recently, he was ordained to the gospel ministry, and we praise the Lord for bringing the work to this important stage. What began with a small group of children has grown into a fellowship of several families, with more than twenty adults and children regularly gathering for Sunday worship. The original children’s club has also multiplied, and there are now three children’s clubs operating through the ministry. Rakiraki and the surrounding areas present a wonderful gospel opportunity among indigenous Fijian, Hindu and Muslim families. Our desire is to see a mature and autonomous biblical local church established there, centred upon the Word of God and faithfully proclaiming Christ within its community. We are presently praying for the Lord to provide land for a permanent place for the church to gather. Please pray for Krishneel and his family, for the believers there to continue growing in Christ, and for many more homes to be opened to the gospel.
This story has also reminded us of the opportunities the Lord has given through Operation Christmas Child. What began with the distribution of shoeboxes became, in God’s providence, an opportunity for children and families to hear the gospel and ultimately for a local church fellowship to be established. Three members of the AFC(SP) family—Anand Singh, Sidweshwar Kumar and Lorraine Narayan—also serve voluntarily in significant roles with Operation Christmas Child in the South Pacific. Please pray for them as they serve, and that through every opportunity children and their families would hear clearly of the Lord Jesus. We plant and water, but it is God who gives the growth, and to Him alone belongs all the glory.
A Wonderful Day of Baptisms
One of the greatest joys of the past month was a combined baptism service for people who had come to profess faith in Christ through several of our outreach ministries. Eight people were baptised, and for me this was one of the most thrilling things to witness. Several of those baptised had first heard and responded to the gospel through our Christian Helps outreach ministry. During food distributions and other practical outreaches, our teams had opportunities not only to provide for physical needs but also to sit with people, open the Scriptures, explain the gospel, and speak about the Lord Jesus. We have prayed repeatedly that Christian Helps would never simply become a humanitarian organisation that does good things while losing sight of man’s greatest need. We want to care for suffering people because Christ calls us to love our neighbour, but we also know that food eventually runs out, glasses eventually break, and even healed bodies will one day die. Our greatest need is reconciliation with God.
What a joy, therefore, to see some who had heard the gospel through these outreaches publicly identify themselves with Christ through baptism. We praise the Lord for what He has done, but we also ask you to continue praying for these new believers. Baptism is not the end of the Christian life; it is the beginning of a life of following Jesus. Pray that they would become deeply rooted in the Scriptures, joined to healthy local churches, strengthened against temptation, and increasingly transformed into the likeness of Christ. Pray also that the Lord would protect them from discouragement and from the many pressures that often come when someone begins to openly identify with Christ.
Labasa VBS and Bible Church Children’s Day Camp
A local team also travelled to Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island, to serve alongside the local Bible church in Labasa where Pastor Kamal ministers. The team conducted a three-day VBS and children’s day camp, sharing the Scriptures with children through Bible lessons, songs, activities, conversations, and time spent together. We praise God that during those days 13 children professed faith in Christ. What a joy this was to the team. Again, we do not want to merely count decisions. We know that only the Lord can see the heart and only the Holy Spirit can give genuine spiritual life, but we rejoice whenever children hear the gospel clearly and respond by looking to Christ.
Please pray especially for these young children. Pray that the Lord would protect the seed of His Word that has been planted, that the evil one would not snatch it away, and that the cares and temptations of this world would not choke it. Please pray also for the local church in Labasa as they continue to minister to these children and families. We pray that they would faithfully water the seed that has been sown and that, by God’s grace, there would be growth not only in years but in depth, wisdom, maturity, and love for Christ beyond their years. We are thankful as well for the sweet fellowship our team enjoyed with Pastor Kamal and the local believers. These outreaches are not only opportunities to reach those outside the church; they are also wonderful opportunities for believers from different places to labour side by side, encourage one another, and remember that we belong to one family in Christ.
Prayer Points for the Coming Months
Please also pray for our Bible College students as they enter the final leg of this academic year. We are so thankful for the students the Lord has brought to us and for the privilege we have of ministering to them. Please pray that the Lord would protect them from the evil one and lead them away from temptation. Pray that He would make them men and women of God who love Christ more than ministry, reputation, qualifications, or position. And please pray the same for those of us who teach them. May the Lord continue to transform us and, in His loving kindness, purge from us the dross and muck of Adam that remains, increasingly conforming us to the image of His beloved Son. Study Week will run from 28 September to 2 October, examinations from 5–9 October, the Students’ Picnic will be held on 28 October, the College Banquet on 31 October, and Graduation on 7 November. Please especially remember students during Study Week and examinations, that the Lord would give them strength, clear minds, discipline, and the ability to remember what they have learned.
Global Diaspora Network & Lausanne Movement Consultation
Please also pray for the upcoming Global Diaspora Network and Lausanne Movement Consultation, which will be held from 19–23 October in partnership with the Bible College. The Lausanne Movement, founded through the ministries of Dr. Billy Graham and Dr. John Stott, has long sought to encourage Christ’s Church to remain outward-looking and mission-focused. The Global Diaspora Network serves within the Lausanne Movement and seeks to mobilise followers of Jesus to fulfil God’s missional purposes among people on the move. Their vision is summed up well in the Lausanne statement: “Together we seek to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all His teachings, in every part of the world—not only geographically, but in every sphere of society and in the realm of ideas.”
Speakers from across Oceania and beyond will gather in Fiji to discuss both the challenges and opportunities created by the movement of peoples throughout the Pacific region and the world. Migration has changed the mission field in remarkable ways. People groups who may once have lived thousands of kilometres apart now live beside one another, while Pacific Islanders themselves now live and serve across the world. We are grateful that two members of the AFC(SP) team will be presenting papers at the consultation: Dr. Narayan Nair and Mr. Faga Foarete, Academic Dean of the College. Please pray for them as they prepare. Our desire is that this would not simply become another academic discussion about mission, but that everything presented would be grounded in the Scriptures, honour Christ, strengthen His Church, and ultimately help God’s people more faithfully proclaim the gospel to those who have yet to hear.
Men's Conference
Please also remember our upcoming men’s ministry gathering. There is a tremendous need for godly men—men who know Christ, love their families, serve their churches, take responsibility, resist the patterns of this world, and seek to live under the authority of God’s Word. Please pray that the Lord would use this gathering to strengthen and encourage the brothers who attend and that there would be love, honesty, repentance, fellowship, and a renewed desire to follow Christ faithfully within our homes, churches, workplaces, and communities.
John Ridley Memorial Lectures
We are also looking forward to the John Ridley Memorial Lectures, which will take place from 2–6 November. We are privileged to have a dear brother travelling from Australia to minister God’s Word over the course of the week at Wesley Chapel. Please pray for him as he prepares and travels, and pray for all those who will attend. Whenever we gather around the Scriptures, our desire is not merely to hear an interesting speaker or receive more information. We want to hear from God’s Word and be changed by it. Please pray that Christ would be exalted throughout these lectures and that the Lord would use His Word to strengthen pastors, students, church leaders, and believers.
52nd Graduation of the Ambassadors Fiji Bible College (CTEF)
Please also pray for all the preparations underway for our College Graduation on 7 November. Graduation is always one of the most joyful times in the life of the college and for the entire AFC(SP) ministry. After a long and, in many ways, challenging year, we look forward to stopping and remembering the faithfulness of God. It is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with our students and their families after years of hard work, sacrifice, study, exams, ministry, and life together. Yet graduation is not the finish line - but a moment of transition. It really is the beginning of a life of prayer, meditation and study. For many students, it is the beginning of another stage of service. Our prayer is that they would leave the college not merely carrying a certificate but carrying with them a deep love for the Lord Jesus and the beautiful grace and gospel of our Triune God, confidence in His Word, compassion for people, and a desire to faithfully make the gospel known wherever the Lord sends them.
Please pray for a dear friend who will be coming from New Zealand to spend time with us and help us consider the future development of our camping and youth ministries. This is something that has increasingly weighed upon our hearts. So many young people in Fiji are facing tremendous pressures and brokenness. Drug abuse and HIV are causing deep devastation among our youth, alongside family breakdown, hopelessness, violence, and many other struggles. Behind every statistic is a young person made in the image of God, and many are dying without hope. Yet we have good news. There is forgiveness, there is reconciliation with God, and there is eternal life—not merely existence without end, but the life for which humanity was created: knowing God through His Son, Jesus Christ. But this life is found only in Him. Please pray that the Lord would show us how we can reach many more young people throughout Fiji and that He would raise up the right people and build a team who have a genuine passion to see young men and women come to know Christ. We do not simply want activities for young people. We want to see young people saved, discipled, brought into local churches, taught the Scriptures, and helped to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.
FSY Break-Up
Please also continue praying for our First Saturday Youth ministry, which will conclude its programs for the year with the FSY Break-up on the 5th December. We praise God for the many young people who have heard the gospel throughout this year and particularly for those who have professed faith in Christ. It has been a great joy and privilege to witness what we trust is the Lord calling His lost sheep home and bringing them into His family. Please keep this ministry as an urgent matter of prayer. There are so many young people around us who desperately need hope, identity, forgiveness, purpose, and life. The world offers them countless substitutes, but none can satisfy the human heart. Only Christ can reconcile them to their Creator. Please pray that we would continue to faithfully hold out the Word of Life and that the Lord would be pleased to save many more young people throughout Fiji.
As always, thank you for reading these updates and for faithfully bringing us before the throne of grace. There is so much happening across the different areas of ministry that sometimes it can feel difficult even to communicate it all, but behind every program, every class, every outreach, every journey, and every prayer request is the same desire: that Jesus Christ would be known, His people strengthened, His Church built, and sinners reconciled to God through the gospel. We remain very conscious that we can do none of this in our own strength, so please pray that the Lord would keep us faithful, guard us from pride, discouragement, temptation, and distraction, and that we would never become so occupied with the work of Christ that we lose sight of Christ Himself.
And please know that we continue to thank God for you. Your prayers and partnership in the gospel are a tremendous encouragement to us, and we count it a privilege to stand together with you in the work of our Lord even though many of us are separated by great distances. Please let us know how we can be praying for you as well. May the Lord continue to make us faithful in the little things, joyful in His service, confident in His promises, and always fixing our eyes upon Jesus.
On behalf of Dr. Nair, Mrs. Nair, and the whole AFC(SP) Ministry Team,
In Christ’s love,
Nathan Adams
Ambassadors for Christ (South Pacific)
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