This month we introduce National Executive member Suresa Tufuga, Vice President and Chaplain of the NZMWF Executive Team.

I believe that God chose women to do most of the work for their families, homes, communities and more as women always want the best and keep on going, regardless of what they go through. Women work from a very young age until the time their bodies no longer feel the strength to carry on. They have love in their hearts for their families, children, church families, people in need and mostly in doing God’s work.

I arrived in New Zealand when I was 19-years-old and attended the Ponsonby Methodist Church where Rev Keightley was the minister in 1970. I married Fatuatia Tufuga in 1983 and my family were called to ministry in 1990. We moved to St John’s/Trinity in 1991 and Frank Hanson was the principal at the time. After four years there, we were stationed to New Plymouth and looked after two churches, Fitzroy and St Luke’s at Westown. We also attended Whiteley Church in the city centre.

There were no young people in these churches. However, the older women worked so hard to fundraise, run an opportunity shop and to help people, the community and many organisations.

My family attend the Panmure Methodist Samoan Church within Sinoti Samoa. We established the Samoan Church and that’s where we found families who attended church together with their children and grandchildren. The families grew up in the environment of a family unit. They had their own homes but they came together to support the entire parish. My family have served in the ministry for 26 years.

I will do the best I can to work together with the President and the team to serve you. God bless you all.