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For 'Afa Vaka, his foundation in faith often meant refusing to give up, even when others could see no way forward.
That came to the fore in the late 1980s when he was Acting Principal of St Andrew's High School (the Anglican College in Tonga). Bishop 'Afa's son the Reverend Sione Lomekina Vaka remembers it well,
"I’ll never forget the day the school faced closure due to financial hardship. A decision was brought forward to hand it over to the government. Everyone agreed—except one man. Our father stood firm and said no. He believed in the calling and mission of the school. To have the courage to stand against the majority wasn’t from man—it was from God. Today, we see the fruits of that decision. The school still stands, because one man followed the voice of God."
'Afa's commitment to the school meant it could stay open, but only if he saved two salaries' worth, which meant losing two of the 13-member staff. So instead of laying off teachers, 'Afa redirected his own salary to them, while his wife Seini moved to the USA to work as a live-in caregiver – and sent a chunk of her wages home.
That went on for five years, as ‘Afa served not only as unpaid principal, but parented the family's five young children without their mother around. Today St Andrew's school is a gem amidst the Anglican schools in Polynesia with a roll of over 400 students.
Bishop ‘Afa Vaka, the first Bishop of the Episcopal Unit in Tonga passed away in Auckland aged 74, came from a family with deep Anglican roots, and a lineage of six ordained clergy.
A teacher and then principal at St Andrew's High School for 32 years, 'Afa Vaka saw every day as the chance to witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ in his life and to bring that power into others' lives. On the way to becoming a bishop he reflected,
"My ministry objective is for God alone to be glorified. Because of this objective, I long to preach the gospel, apply God’s word, and love His people."
This year, as so many came to honour the man they had known, Bishop 'Afa's family heard revealing stories of his love and encouragement to others. Among the mourners were business people and high ranking government officials who looked back with thanks on his contribution to their own lives.
Bishop 'Afa's daughter, Rosa Vaka was surprised to also hear humbler stories of her dad's efforts.
"There were men now in their sixties who first met him when they were suspended from their high schools. They told us how he had taken them in as pupils, when no other school would have them back."
'Afa always pushed young people to stay in education, to give them a chance at something more than heading to work on a plantation.
"And he was firm with them, firm in telling them they needed to go to school, that they needed to go further to better their future."
For some students in turmoil, 'Afa would touch base every day, building strong relationships of support.
"He was humble and had a dry sense of humour that was approachable for the youth. He would sit with them not as a teacher or a principal, but among them as one of them."
'Afa also went to extra effort for the most 'at risk' young people.
"He would help out with a lot of the youth coming out of prison that needed supervision, and he would have some of them at home for visits, because that was the only way the police would release these youths. So our house became a safe place where a family could bring their daughter or son."
Back in 2017, 'Ahongalu Fusimalohi reported that alongside family and education, the most important thing in 'Afa's life was maintaining a personal relationship with Christ. And for 'Afa being Christian always came with its Anglican special character,
"With Fr. ‘Afa, you could not take him out of the Anglican Church, nor could you take the Anglican Church out of him."
In 'Afa Vaka's long and varied career, education always shaped his next step. As a young man he trained in woodworking and hard materials technology at Waikato and Christchurch Technical Colleges (a skill he later used to rebuild a church after Cyclone Isaac), then gained his Bachelor of Education from the University of the South Pacific. Next he gained his Auckland Bachelor of Theology and Master's Degree, before completing formal qualifications with a doctorate from Faith Seminary in Tonga.
In 2003, 'Afa's lifelong call as a Christian saw him ordained deacon at ‘Ofa ki he Laumalie Ma’oni’oni Anglican Church in Otahuhu (Holy Trinity Otahuhu) and he was priested the following year.
On his return to Tonga in 2006 'Afa was appointed Enabler for the Anglican Training Centre, where he oversaw ministry training and formation for clergy and lay leaders.
Archdeacon Kensington Fifita recalls 'Afa Vaka formed Christian leaders well,
"He was blessed in preaching, teaching and guiding priests and other church leaders and was totally committed to serving the church and its members."
During these years, street fighting flared up in Nuku'alofa, so Bishop 'Afa turned a van into a mobile pulpit, complete with rooftop loudspeaker – and drove into the middle of street fights to break them up using the words of the Gospel.
'Afa also knew how to nurture healthy communities by caring for people falling through the cracks.
As well as taking individuals in trouble under his wing, he established an inner-city programme for at-risk youth, led bereavement groups for adults facing grief and loss, and preached the Gospel of love into a multitude of situations.
Rev Sione says that his father's sacrifices made life hard for his family at times, but they never doubted what it was all for.
"We lived on wages as low as $90 -$120 per fortnight, and yet, we never felt poor. We were rich in love, discipline and prayer. Every evening during family prayer, dad would always say one thing that still echoes in my heart.
"Suffer now, happy later."
"He often told me, “The calling of God is the foundation of your life. Stand, accept it, and leave everything behind. Nothing will harm your family when you walk in God’s calling.”
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