For more than 50 years, the Institute for Creation Research has investigated the evidence showing how science supports the Bible’s account of a recent creation. The Lord Jesus Christ created the universe in only six days, and though it’s now cursed with sin and death, He promises eternal life for all who trust in Him as their Savior. While ICR isn’t a global missions-based organization, its employees have ministered in many different countries when the opportunities arose.
Earlier this year, ICR Research Scientist Dr. Brian Thomas had a unique opportunity to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ as Creator and Savior in the island nation of Fiji. We asked him to share about his team’s impactful outreach in this tropical paradise.
Dr. Thomas, what led to your involvement in this mission?
I heard some years ago that Fiji’s Ministry of Education approved the Creation Science Association of Fiji to conduct science assemblies at high schools. Fijian schools have more autonomy than U.S. public schools, so each school could decide if it wanted to host this one-hour assembly, allow students to receive free copies of the creation-affirming book Pearls in Paradise, and/or hear the gospel.
ICR President Dr. Randy Guliuzza wanted to support this outreach by sending an ICR scientist. With ICR’s backing, my wife, Michele, and I agreed to teach and serve. It was the opportunity of a lifetime!
How did God bring the team members to this unique ministry?
The Lord wove together separate life stories into this one wonderful mission. First, a native Fijian whom mission team members call Sister Lagi (pronounced “lawn-gee”) retired from a government administrative role where she knew every high school principal in the country. Sister Lagi then asked the Lord what else He had for her to do. She soon learned about school assemblies that would show how science supports the gospel, and she knew this was “it.” Sister Lagi became the key to unlocking this unique ministry.
Meanwhile, an American missionary nicknamed Fiji Fred had been working to bring a Christian character program to Fijian high schools. His efforts helped in setting up science assemblies, which opens doors for the program. At the same time, longtime mission worker Dr. Carl Baugh recruited Bruce and Robin Malone of Search for the Truth Ministries to join the work. Carl then connected Bruce with Pastor Ben from Fiji and his family.
During our week of ministry, Sister Lagi introduced creation science teams to school principals. Fred led one team of speakers while Bruce led another. Ben’s family and other locals transported hundreds of cases of books each day. Team members, including Michele and me, spoke in the school assemblies, where students learned how science supports biblical creation and the Flood. Most importantly, they heard about Jesus’ offer of everlasting life for everyone who believes in Him as Savior. It’s marvelous to see how the Lord prepared individual lives to weave together like threads in His loom for this purpose.
What surprised you most about Fiji?
Most people, including the high school students, were warm and welcoming despite having little financial means. One student told Bruce that she had waited five years for a copy of Pearls in Paradise. What a blessing!
Where did you stay, and what were your days like?
We shared a rental house. Days were busy with traveling, setting up the screen and props for each assembly, and speaking at usually two schools per day. The schools there don’t have air conditioning, so we sweated the whole time. Team members scrambled for showers and the washing machine in the evenings. We prayed, played, and ate together. Sometimes we loaded more books and then showered again!
Did you face any opposition about speaking in public schools?
Various religious groups own most Fijian school facilities. One Hindu school opted for the science parts of our assembly but not the gospel. Most Muslim schools wanted neither, but many schools were glad for our visit and for the books.
What topics did you cover, and how did students respond to your teaching?
Our assembly covered some science basics. For example, the first law of thermodynamics says that matter and energy never emerge from nothing. So, where did it all come from? Not nothing—a Creator. God’s design is everywhere. Bird flight, for example, is so precise and effective that humans copy it, like the Wright brothers did. Rock layers and their fossils don’t form anywhere today, but they did on every continent in the past—just as we would expect from Noah’s global Flood.
The students were attentive. Some felt challenged, since their evolutionary curriculum omits these basics. Others were thrilled to hear that science really does support Genesis, and still others understood for the first time that the Creator paid our sin debt so we can know and enjoy Him forever.
As an ICR scientist, you’ve spoken in many different places. How did Fiji compare?
I would say that in contrast to American audiences, which are mostly friendly but sometimes treat the creation message lightly, Fijian students and even some teachers were eager to learn what motivated us to make the effort to visit them. The answer? Jesus!
Why is it important that Christians—or really anyone—take Genesis literally?
Genesis creation lays the foundation for the gospel. If there were no actual Adam and no original sin, then the Genesis 3 curse of death never happened either—the very death that the Lord Jesus suffered in our place to pay for our sins.
What encouragement would you give to a Christian student who’s struggling with evolutionary teaching?
When thinking back on how I turned from believing evolution to creation, I would say the most important factors for me were taking my questions to the Lord and learning from people who walked with Him daily. The Lord used those Christian friends to share ICR materials that helped resolve my origins questions. It’s easier to find the truth when we humbly seek Him.
What would you like for people to learn from your time in Fiji?
The Lord loves Fijians just as He loves everyone! Pray that this door for the gospel will stay open. Remember that some believers, like Sister Lagi, can spend most of their lifetimes in preparation for wonderful plans that only the Lord knows will happen. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” We can trust Him to guide our steps.
To learn more about Dr. Thomas’ creation conversion, you can find his story online at ICR.org/article/8233. A more extensive account is given in his book Living in Light of Genesis, available at ICR.org/store.
