Jason Browning Fiji Ministry Trip Report

My first speaking engagement: Lautoka Central High School, a Hindu school of 610 students. There is a shrine at the entrance.

Hi! This is Jason Browning. Thanks for supporting the work in Fiji through your prayers and donations! To date, $2,510 has been donated through gofundme and directly, and at least $1,415 will be used to print additional books. Thank you!

From October 22-29 I spoke 10 times:

▪ At six high schools: three Hindu, one Muslim and three public/Christian. I was the first person of this project to teach at a Muslim school. My team-mate, Dr. , told me to be careful what I said so that our future engagements, with about 20 more Muslim schools, would not be affected! But everything seemed to go well! ▪ Three evening seminars as part of conferences in two different cities (Lautoka and Nadi). I spoke on Noah’s Flood as real history and the top evidences for God and creation. ▪ A Baptist church Sunday School class. I spoke on Noah’s Flood as real history.

My school talk was on and the Bible. However, for the non-public/Christian schools, I created an alternate version entitled Dinosaurs in Recent History where references to the Bible were removed. When speaking I used the words “the Holy Books” instead. However, all the Hindu/Muslim students received the science devotional which contains the Gospel message. The Hindu school students also received my Dinosaurs and the Bible pamphlet which also gives the Gospel message. Actually, at my first talk (the picture above) we didn’t know it was a Hindu school ahead of time so I gave the Dinosaurs and the Bible presentation. Afterwards, one of the teachers thanked me for including scripture references!

The students got a kick out of this “secret picture” I took of a T-Rex visiting Suva (the capital) looking for the government buildings. He heard there is an election coming up (November 14) and wants to know which candidate will give him the most chickens to eat!

I brought along a Coprolite to show them. POOP! It’s None of the students knew what it is – do you? A few days after one of our school talks, the vice-principal noticed Dr. Baugh in the restaurant and told him that our school visit and the science devotional books “were the best thing that has ever happened at his school!”

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We had two teams. I was on a team with Dr. Carl Baugh, who is the founder and director of the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, . He also started the first Baptist church in Fiji 41 years ago. There are now about 20. The man in the middle is Pastor Ben Berwick the great-great- great grandson of the first and only King of Fiji (before British rule). He commands great respect and gave the closing Gospel invitation in the public/Christian schools. The young lady is his grand-daughter Sophie, who is studying to be a lawyer. Her hands are on the cover of the book. The other team consisted of Bruce Malone and Julie Von Vett, co-authors of the Pearls in Paradise book. After this trip, the teams will have taught and distributed the books at 55 of the 180 High Schools in Fiji. The plan is to reach all the schools over the next two years. In total we expect to give out about 120,000 books! If you consider that each student has a father, mother and a couple of siblings or relatives who will see and look though the book, it is conceivable that over half of the close to one million Fiji residents will be influenced by this book and the Gospel message! It could literally change the direction of the entire nation.

Also distributed on this trip were about 5,000 copies of my Dinosaurs and the Bible pamphlet which was inserted into each book given out. Interestingly, at Newark airport they did not charge me the expected $118 for my second suitcase which contained about 3,000 of the pamphlets (the rest went in other team members luggage). Also, I was taken aside at Fiji customs, where they noticed the pamphlets. The boxes were opened and they studied a pamphlet (what an odd thing to find, right?). At first they wanted to collect duty but a supervisor was called over and let it pass after I explained that they were not being sold but were for free distribution in their high schools. Thank you Lord for getting these to Fiji for free!

The next trip is planned for March 2019. If the needed logistics for two teams can be worked out with the local churches, I will be returning for two weeks. I am now an inaugural member of the newly founded “Creation Science Association of Fiji”.

At one of the evening conferences I was advertised as “Dr. Josh Browning”! That must be an alternate Fiji spelling of “Jason”.

A young boy making good use of one of my pamphlets!

Our support team, who transported the books and set up the equipment, enjoying lunch at McDonalds.

Pray that the door of opportunity for the Gospel message remains open in Fiji. It is not clear what the election will bring.

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