Marata Village leaders and LDS Charities, an outreach organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joined together recently to improve the Marata Community Hall in Wailoku Fiji.
LDS Charities provided a 10,000 litre water tank and upgrades for the community hall including carpeting, a stove and refrigerator, materials to build separate men’s and women’s toilet rooms, and improvements to the frontage steps and planters.
The Marata Community Hall is used by five surrounding villages in the Wailoku valley, comprised of approximately 3,000 villagers, mostly Solomon Islanders.
A growing local group of Latter-day Saint Church members also use the hall for their Sunday meeting services.
Elder Adolf Johansson, Pacific Area Seventy for the Church and Fiji LDS Service Centre Manager, presided at the Handover Ceremony on Tuesday, 29 December.
Also in attendance were President Vito Qaqa of the Suva North LDS Stake, Bishop Peniama Dulaki of the LDS Wailoku Ward, Frank Stanford, LDS Country Welfare Manager over Fiji and Tuvalu, as well as Viliame Liai, Liuliu ni Matagali (tribal chief), and other village dignitaries.
Senior representatives for all five villages attended, and there were over 60 people in attendance.
Elder Johansson spoke of living like the Saviour did. He said, “Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints try to live as the Saviour lived. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and comforted those that stood in need of comforting.
“In a sense, LDS Charities is being like the Saviour in that we seek to bless the lives of others and ease their burdens. This community centre will bless the lives of everyone in this valley for many years to come.”
He then left a blessing upon the villages of the Marata area. He said, “I bless this village of Marata in this valley, that if you would protect the religious freedom of all people, you shall have peace here for generations to come. You will be looked upon as an example of peace, your children will grow up in peace and will not want to leave this place because of the peace they feel in Marata.”
The daughter of the Liuliu ni Matagali, speaking in behalf of her father, said, “The upgrades to the community hall were an answer to prayers – blessings from heaven that were long needed.”
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