After completing a 10-day ministry to four nations in the Pacific Area from March 15 to March 24, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote on his social media accounts, “This has been a magnificent trip — one I will cherish forever.”
The Apostle noted that what he will remember most from time spent in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji is the “wonderful people,” he told the Church’s Pacific Newsroom. “I’ve grown closer to the people.”
In addition to meeting with government officials — including the prime ministers of Samoa and Fiji — and humanitarian partners, Elder Rasband ministered to Latter-day Saint youth, young adults, missionaries, leaders and families throughout the four nations.
Traveling with Elder Rasband were Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Jill Johnson; Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé and his wife, Sister Valérie Caussé; and members of the Pacific Area presidency — area president Elder Peter F. Meurs and his counselors, Elder Taniela Wakolo and Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, all General Authority Seventies — and their wives: Sister Maxine Meurs, Sister Anita Wakolo and Sister Amy Jaggi.
Australia
On March 15, in Brisbane, Australia, Elder Rasband met with Tony Stuart, the CEO of UNICEF Australia, to “reaffirm our mutual partnership in alleviating human suffering and tragedy,” Elder Rasband shared on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
Bishop Caussé told the Church’s Pacific Newsroom, “One of the priorities of the Church’s humanitarian effort is to care for children, their nutrition, their health, their education and their mothers. We believe that as we focus on the children, we are going to bless communities and generations to come.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest contributor to UNICEF in the Pacific region. In 2023, the Church and UNICEF collaborated on implementing nutrition, early childhood development, water, sanitation and hygiene programs in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
“This is a very valued relationship that we have and one which we hope to grow in the future,” Elder Rasband said.
Stuart called UNICEF’s partnership with the Church “phenomenal for us. It creates the fuel, the energy, for us to make a difference for children and the region.”
The next day, Elder Rasband met with stake, temple, mission and district leaders of the Church from Australia and Papua New Guinea where he counseled them on how to bring souls to Jesus Christ in preparation for the Savior’s Second Coming.
Later, the Apostle and other visiting Church leaders gathered with the 260 missionaries serving in the Australia Brisbane Mission, which extends through Queensland, the northeast Australian state. Elder Rasband told the missionaries: “If Jesus Christ was here today, I am confident He would say, ‘I love you.’”
New Zealand
On Monday, March 18, Elder Rasband met with a group of first-time temple patrons in front of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
The group of first- and second-generation Latter-day Saints from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were all recipients of the Church’s Temple Patron Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance to those who otherwise could not afford the travel expenses associated with attending a temple.
In a post on Instagram, Elder Rasband — standing in the foreground of the temple — shared his experience meeting with 11 prospective missionaries who were preparing to serve.
Charlotte and Ronnie Woiwoi were in Hamilton for training to be temple volunteers in their home country of Papua New Guinea.
“The feeling is great and joyful,” Charlotte Woiwoi said. “We are so blessed to meet with the Apostle.”
Said Ronnie Woiwoi, “I’m grateful [to] the Lord for giving me the opportunity with my wife to come here and prepare ourselves [to be] ordinance workers and prepare for our temple back in Papua New Guinea.”
Elder Rasband also took a tour of the Auckland New Zealand Temple, which is under construction, and spoke to more than 500 young adults during a devotional in Auckland.
Elder Rasband urged the young people: “Keep your eyes on Jesus.”
Samoa
More than 2,200 youth gathered to listen to Elder Rasband during a devotional in Apia, Samoa, on Thursday, March 21, with thousands more watching the broadcast from the islands of Savai’i and American Samoa.
Elder Rasband invited listeners to be witnesses of Jesus Christ by preparing now to receive their temple endowment and to serve as missionaries.
The next day, on Friday, March 22, Elder Rasband, Elder and Sister Johnson, Elder Jaggi and Sister Jaggi, and Elder Sapele Faalogo Jr., an Area Seventy, met with Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa in the capitol of Apia.
In addition to reminiscing about her visit to Church headquarters last September, the prime minister discussed her concerns regarding education and vocational opportunities for young adults in Samoa.
“We discussed the opportunity that the Church has of bringing BYU–Pathway [Worldwide] to Samoa, and she was very excited about that prospect,” said Elder Rasband.
The prime minister has a great respect for the Church and its members. “She said they are very good citizens,” Elder Rasband told Pacific Newsroom.
There are close to 88,000 Latter-day Saints in Samoa.
While there, Elder Rasband also visited Sauniatu Primary School, a Church-operated primary school in a village settled by Latter-day Saint pioneers nearly 120 years ago.
More than 200 students, teachers and parents gathered in the school’s chapel for a special program. “My heart melted when I heard them sing,” Elder Rasband said.
Fiji
On Palm Sunday, Elder Rasband and the other visiting leaders met in Nadi, Fiji, with Church leaders from Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands. The meetings focused on helping local leaders to assist Church members to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
On the last day of Elder Rasband’s 10-day ministry, he and Elder Wakolo met with the prime minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, in central Suva. The leaders discussed some of the humanitarian and education initiatives of the Church in Fiji, among other issues and opportunities.
Also in Suva, Bishop and Sister Caussé visited the Pacific Eye Institute, which through the support of the Church helped over 18,000 people with eye care last year, including vision-improving surgeries.
In another part of Suva, Elder Johnson and Elder Wakolo met with leaders from the Sai Prema Heart Foundation Hospital, which has helped 260 children with free heart surgeries. All operations are performed by visiting volunteer cardiac surgeons.
