Pacific Seventh-day Adventist health leaders completed a Journey to Wholeness program organized by the Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) and the South Pacific Division of the Adventist Church. The health training program was held at the Coral Coast Christian Camp in Deuba, Fiji, March 14-22.

Sponsored by the 10,000 Toes campaign, an initiative to fight diabetes, the program aimed to equip health leaders from around the TPUM with the skills necessary to become effective lifestyle coaches and addiction recovery specialists.

The program included two workshops: the Addiction Recovery Program and the Lifestyle Coaching Skills program, facilitated by Katia Reinert, General Conference Health Ministries associate director and Adventist Recovery Ministries Global coordinator. The Addiction Recovery Program focused on addiction and interventions as well as the spiritual concepts of recovery and healing. Meanwhile, the Lifestyle Coaching Skills program emphasized the importance of lifestyle coaching and how to approach it effectively.

In total, 40 participants from around the TPUM — which includes Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, and Fiji — received certificates at the end of each workshop.

Afamasaga Ben Tofilau, one of the participants, said the training reminded him that “we are only able to direct those who are sick and in need of healing to the God who heals. He is the Healer; our work is to direct patients to Him.”

Teera Tarataake, from Kiribati, learned that to be a good coach, she needed to be a good listener, and that it all begins with her family. Julie Elisala, from Tuvalu, emphasized the importance of integrating the health message with the True Healer and Life-Giver, Jesus Christ.

Flora Lutui, from Tonga, added, “I learned that addictions are not only the really bad things that we normally talk about, like drugs and alcohol, but even small things, like [indulging] in sugary foods, long hours on social media, and sports can all be an addiction [that] we need to be careful of.”

TPUM health coordinator and 10,000 Toes regional ambassador George Kwong described the program as very successful, adding that “our health leaders from around the Pacific region can be informed, inspired, and equipped to take this knowledge and skills back to their countries and missions.”

Reinert highlighted the importance of being connected to Jesus while extending the healing ministry to others. “We are Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth, so in order to extend the healing ministry to others, we ourselves need to be connected to Him who is the source of all true and lasting healing,” she said.

The original version of this story was posted on Adventist Record.