Three months ago, HCJB partner radio stations in Fiji and Samoa were devastated by Cyclone Evan, a storm that few people in the West ever heard about. Fiji, home to nearly 900,000 people, consists of more than 300 islands 1,300 miles northeast of New Zealand. The storm first appeared on Dec. 9 as a weak tropical depression about 400 miles from Fiji, but quickly gained strength. Within two days it packed enough punch to become a hurricane, and the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center named it Tropical Cyclone Evan.

President of HCJB Global Wayne Pederson says, "Thousands were left homeless there; they were without food, without power, without water. These were category four winds — 170 miles per hour."

The damage was widespread, too, affecting the partner station's work. "The storm destroyed the broadcast towers, computer programming equipment, and transmitters, resulting in more than $30,000 in damage. The station that reaches the large Hindu and Buddhist population is still off the air."

The programming of Radio Naya Jiwan (a Hindi station), covering the greater Suva area, has a stronger evangelistic focus as less that 2% of Fiji's Indian population is Christian. This station is the only source of Christian broadcasting most of the Indian immigrants can access.

HCJB Global is raising funds to put the station back on the air. "We want to come alongside of them and give them the finances to fix the transmitters, repair the towers, replace the computers that were destroyed and get this radio station on the air because right now this whole area is left without any other Christian witness," says Pederson.

"Especially during a time of devastation where people are turning to radio for help," continues Pederson, it's particularly vital "that we get this station back on the air. Our best estimate is that it will take about $30,000."

Your gifts will help restore Radio Naya Jiwan and the others ravaged by this storm. Click here to donate.

"We seek to do more than get a decision for Christ," Schuringa says. "We want to see a life changed for Christ."

Now the ministry is reaching out to a new group of inmates. Using a program developed for the children of prison inmates called "Manga Messiah," CBI is helping highly-illiterate prisoners learn about Christ and become His disciple. Schuringa adds that CBI would like to use Manga Messiah as a sort of "predecessor" for some adults before they enter regular discipleship programming.

"We geared this whole thing for the children of prisoners," explained Schuringa, "but they are experimenting with great success in the South Pacific using this with certain adults."

Since establishing bases in Australia and New Guinea, the prison ministry has expanded into Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and the Solomon islands. Schuringa says island prisoners were especially desperate for spiritual education.

"On some of these island nations, there was no religious programming at all–not even poor religious programming!" he says jokingly.

Island prisons like the one on Tonga do not have any type of Bible study program at all, nor a chaplain. You can help CBI reach lost souls in prisons throughout the world by clicking here to make a donation. You could even disciple a prison inmate by correcting his or her coursework and sending notes of encouragement.

The nationwide curfew lifted
yesterday, but a state of emergency remains in effect for 30 days. Damage estimates from Tomas are expected to exceed
Cyclone Mick's $25 million footprint in
December.

Communications are still out in
many areas. Relief supplies and temporary shelter are being
airlifted in.  Assessment teams are also
carrying out surveys of the damage.

Amidst the recovery, there were
questions about whether or not the Fiji Crossroad Bible Institute team could
continue to work.

Crossroad's David Schuringa says
their Australian team is keeping a close eye on the situation. "It's not only a matter of the cyclone
and the cyclone damage, but the military regime in Fiji uses every
opportunity possible to be able to take
more control, to show force, to show power and to keep that suppression going.
So you have a two-pronged emergency in situations like this."

The outreach is still in the
early stages. Their Australian
distribution center has steadily expanded the inmate Bible study program since
2008. In fact, CBI Bible studies are delivered to nine prisons located in and
around the capital city, Suva.

Within the first couple of weeks,
there were over 200 lessons being completed and processed. That number continues to grow. 

The Crossroad team says they don't
anticipate any disruption to their Bible study and discipleship programs to
inmates. But, says Schuringa, you can
pray. "So far, the Bible study program for the prisoners is under their
radar and continuing on, but we're going to monitor the situation quite
closely."

CBI has guided thousands of
inmates through a faith-based re-entry education and equipped the church to
make disciples and support them. You can help inmates study the Word of God
not only by praying, but by becoming an instructor. For details, click here.

Last year, they launched a new program in the Solomon
Islands. As CBI's reputation grew in the
prison community, it led to the newest project launch. "Just recently, they traveled into
Fiji's capital, Suva, to bring God's Word into the prisons there. In fact, CBI
Bible studies were delivered to nine prisons located in and around
Suva." 

It's an exciting new field for CBI and is being enthusiastically
received by inmates. Fiji is an archipelago
of about 322 islands, of which roughly a third are permanently inhabited. Most of the population lives on the two major
islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.   

According to a 1996 census, Fiji's population is largely
Christian, at 97.2%. Of the remaining
populace, most claim to be Hindu, with the minority Muslim. It's a seemingly friendly place for an
evangelistic ministry, especially to those who have been incarcerated.

However, with the growth come challenges. Among them,
funding and volunteer personnel. 
"Within the first couple of weeks, there were over 200 lessons
being completed and processed. They're always looking for new instructors out
there. So that's something that we can pray for the South Pacific, that more
people become instructors to correct the lessons."

CBI has guided thousands of inmates through a faith-based
re-entry education and equipped the church to make disciples and support them. You can help inmates study the Word of God by
not only praying, but by becoming an instructor. For details, click here.