Marla and Brian’s Place

Made it to the Dunn’s place, on the campus of the Pacific Theological College (PTC), where Brian is teaching history and religion courses.
So nice to see familiar faces from Thunder Bay and to stay in their beautiful home! Chatted a lot about what they’re both up to and Fiji in general. Brian is teaching and doing research as a professor here, currently working on publishing a research framework for academics working with indigenous communities in Pasifika. Marla’s completing a Masters in Indigenous Theology, through an online school.
The PTC is interesting as it has students from all over Pasifika (Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, etc.) and so is multi denominational (Methodist, Presbyterian, Protestant, etc.) as each country has its dominant denomination depending on which missionaries arrived first.
The missionaries arrived in this area before the colonial powers did, and so Pacific Islanders think of the two very differently, and apparently the major sentiment is that they are glad the missionaries brought over Christianity and converted Pasifika.
Very interesting dynamics. Brian says it’s also so different than working with the indigenous communities in Thunder Bay or Canada, because about 60% of the population is indigenous here, and they have the political power, and so they’re starting from a different angle

Very lovely house and so happy to call this home for the next week or so!
They also have a little cat that hangs around!Read more