2 South Pacific Islanders Replace Fights and Marijuana With God

God’s power is changing lives in New Caledonia.

By Danick Adeline, South Pacific Adventist Record

New Caledonia, a French territory located 750 miles (1,200 kilometers east of Australia in the South Pacific, may be known for palm-lined beaches and for being the location of one of the world’s largest lagoons.

But life was far from idyllic for Stanislas and Kedsia Weneguei, a young couple living in the northern part of the main island.

Both Stanislas and Kedsia were raised Christian. But Kedsia stopped attending church at the age of 9 when her parents separated, and Stanislas forgot about God around the time that he started using illegal drugs as a teen. Stanislas later joined a gang that stole cars for joy rides and then set them afire on public roads. He planted and used marijuana and enjoyed picking fights, even with his neighbors.

At 20, the couple moved in together, but their home was filled with daily conflict. After an argument, Stanislas would break things in the house. The couple struggled to sleep and had near-daily nightmares. Stanislas didn’t want to talk about God. Kedsia had some hope about eternal matters but was unsure what to do.

One day, I had the chance to visit the couple’s home with a church member from the nearby Koumac Seventh-day Adventist Church, where I serve as pastor. We spoke with the couple and their 8-year-old son, Gilem, and 2-year-old daughter, Ginael.

About two weeks later, I told the couple about a Bible conference being conducted by Jean-Noel Adeline, my brother and an evangelist for the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference. Stanislas and Kedsia enthusiastically attended the entire series in the city of Noumea and took Bible studies afterward.

Every truth that Stanislas and Kedsia learned in the Bible, they sought to obey through the power of the Holy Spirit. As they studied, they decided to get married after living together for 10 years. Then they were baptized, joining about 950 church members who worship in 11 congregations across New Caledonia, which has a population of 269,000.

Stanislas and Kedsia have seen drastic changes in their lives as they have shown a willingness to lose all for the sake of obeying God.

Stanislas, for his part, confessed all his weaknesses to God and sought divine help to guide his family. He also prayed that God would give him the courage to seek forgiveness from his neighbors — especially those whom he had wronged. Then he told his neighbors about his new-found love for God. Some of his former enemies are now his friends.

At work, Stanislas shared his faith and, as a result, a male coworker and his wife have been baptized.

Kedsia’s boss, however, expressed anger that she would no longer work on Sabbath. Kedsia told him that she preferred to lose her job than to break God’s fourth commandment. Today Kedsia has the Sabbath off, although with much lower pay. But she is happy because she knows that God is providing and blessing her decision to obey Him.

Kedsia and Stanislas’ home is no longer the same because Jesus is at the center. They no longer suffer from nightmares, and they have become an inspiration to other church members.

Please pray for Kedsia and Stanislas because they are convinced that God is calling them into full-time ministry. They are planning to go to Fulton College in Fiji in 2018 to study theology if it is God’s will.