Mission Trip Takes Texas Youth to Tonga

FALELOA, HA’APAI – Eighteen individuals met at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Nov. 20, 2025 to check in for their 13-hour flight to Nadi, Fiji. Their destination was the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific, specifically the village of Faleloa, Ha’apai. This group’s mission was to build a parsonage home for the local church and to spread the word of God in message and song.

After an eight-hour wait in Fiji, the group finally reached Tongatapu via a two-hour flight, where they enjoyed a moment of Sabbath peace before beginning a 15-hour boat ride to Ha’apai after flights were canceled.

Sekope Finau, executive secretary of the Tongan Mission, arranged to greet the weary travelers with a meal featuring a wide variety of foods. He invited the Texas team to minister at the church he pastors in Vain. There, they described their Faleloa mission trip and shared music as well as a message. 

An incredible building team, which had been working tirelessly for weeks, greeted the Texas team upon their arrival at Ha’apai. Makasini Pahulu, the project lead, successfully procured a handful of professional contractors and several local volunteers to drive the building project to completion.

The schedule balanced demanding work—including manual labor, running a health clinic for the government primary school and conducting community medical checkups—with opportunities for a refreshing swim in Houmale’eia’s clear blue waters. 

In the evenings, the Texas youth led out in worship at the local church by sharing Christ-
centered messages in word and song, followed by fellowship or well-
deserved rest from the day’s tasks.

A significant aspect of the mission trip is that every team member took home personal lessons and spiritual edification after experiencing Jesus firsthand. The way God was working in each person was so evident. It is truly amazing to witness how intimately God knows each of us and can speak to us on a personal level while also connecting us, through service, as a unified team. On the final night in Ha’apai, participants shared how they had learned to trust the experiences He allows, confident that His intentions for them are always good. 

By Olga Falakiseni
Youth & Young Adult Ministries Associate Director