As a member of the New Caledonia football team the Flying Foxes, Loka Manuopuava had been living his dream of playing football when he realized he was missing something in his life.
According to Mormon Newsroom, Manuopuava had found success as an athlete and often celebrated with his teammates by drinking and smoking. But Manuopuava recognized that his decisions were distancing him from his family and he knew that he wanted to change his behavior.
In his search for peace, Manuopuava noticed that a few of his teammates stood out from the others. Although they celebrated with the team, they never drank or smoked. And before games, they would pray with the team for their success and safety.
“It was during this time that I decided to look for God,” Loka told Mormon Newsroom. “I attended different churches and tried to incorporate the good things that they taught.”
Although the Flying Foxes had broken up, Manuopuava formed a new team, the Tamatoas. Some of his teammates had also played with him on the Flying Foxes, and when he discovered that several were members of the Church, Manuopuava began attending services with the Mormon players.
Manuopuava and his family were taught by the missionaries and were eventually baptized at the end of 2017.
For more of Manuopuava’s conversion story, click here.
