First Fijian chaplain
THE near miss life situations that Esava Koro faced earlier in his life made him realise that there was a greater calling out there for him.
Today being the first Fijian Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Seventh Day Adventist chaplain, Mr Koro owes everything to God.
Born and raised in Qauia Settlement, on the outskirts of Lami Town, Mr Koro shares how his journey as a young man changed course to something completely disparate from what he had expected.
He was born on the same day the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Qauia was established. This wasn't only a coincidence but an indication of how Mr Koro's life would be entwined with the SDA Church in the future.
With the guidance of his late father and mother, Jonacani Koro and Alesi Naroko Koro, he overcame one of the barriers that often crippled youth within society – peer influence.
Mr Koro also acknowledges how his late uncle, Master Meli Tokalau, helped raised him as a young boy while living at his uncle's home in Toga, Rewa.
His uncle taught him values like loyalty, integrity and being honest with one's self and others– values he holds dear to his heart today as a senior pastor.
He said being a pastor was something that he didn't expect in life. He had pursued a career as a technician in the telecommunication sector in the 1980s.
"I had joined Telecom Fiji Ltd as a cadet technician," he said.
"After completing my Diploma in Telecommunication from the Telecom Training Centre in Vatuwaqa I was offered a scholarship by the Fijian Affairs Board to do a Degree in Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane.
"I completed it in 1997 and returned to Fiji as an engineer for radio transmission, based at the Ganilau House in Suva. I worked for Telecom for five years before I migrated to Australia in 2002."
Mr Koro didn't realise in the early stages of his life that God had a different destiny outlined for him "I didn't realise that God had already appointed and anointed me to be a pastor," he said.
"I was like Jonah in the Bible, who ran away from his calling. Before I was offered to go and study engineering in QUT I was given an opportunity to study theology at the Fulton College in Tailevu.
"I did not take up the offer because I thought going to Australia was an attractive offer at the time.
"Along the way, God never left me especially after many successions of events in my life. It was evident that he wanted me to do pastoral ministry."
Having near misses due to revelry, Mr Koro was certain that it was the hands of God that saved him from the choices he was making.
He shared how God spoke to him at one point of his life that completely changed his faith.
"We had migrated to Australia and I went into studying theology at Avondale University," he said.
"The moment that stood out for me was during my first theology lecture at Avondale University in 2005."
He said God had spoken to him strongly through Dr Ray Roennfeldt saying "This is where you're supposed to be. You have arrived home".
"I could feel goose bumps over my body when I heard that. I was convinced and had a religious conviction because tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes that Monday morning," he said.
"I believe God has a plan for each one of us. We won't be satisfied or content until we are in God's plan.
"I did a lot of things in my life, but I was not satisfied until I entered the ministry.
"This is what motivates me now– knowing that this is where God wants me to be and it drives me to do more for Him."
From studying he went into ministry at Mirriwinni Aboriginal Academy in Kempsey and later worked in two states and a territory in Australia.
"I have worked cross-culture in my years of service and I'm currently in Darwin serving five churches," he said.
Now as a senior pastor with 17 years of pastoral ministry experience, Mr Koro welcomes his new role is chaplaincy with the Royal Australia Navy – offering spiritual guidance to navy personnel in the defence force.
Even though he hails from Nasukamai Village in the interior of Ra, Mr Koro has a soft spot for the sea.
"I'm always up for a challenge," he said.
"My love for the sea and to serve people that are serving our nation can both be accomplished in this role as a navy chaplain in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
"I was inspired by one of our pastoral team member, Pastor Ragoso Tagaloa and my daughter Vika Koro Navurai who are in the Australian Navy to expand my ministry circle to the people who have sacrificed so much to serve our nation.
"Being in the navy, particularly the defence force is not new in the family. My two daughters are serving in the Australian Navy and my late dad was an ex-serviceman for the Fiji Military Force.
"This role brings in new challenges for me especially being in a different environment with a different belief system.
"However, it is exciting because Jesus came to seek and to save everyone in the world."
In order to take up a chaplaincy role with the RAN or to don its uniform, Mr Koro had to go through three sets of interviews with panelists from different areas of defence.
"Physical training was part of the selection process, once you are selected you go through further intense and specialised training – physical, mental, spiritual and social fitness are required for the task involved in the ADF," he said.
Today he encourages young individuals who would want to take up a similar role in the future.
"God is real and he has much greater plans for you," he said.
"Sometimes it might not come in the way you would expect them to but they do come in God's own time. His will always supersede our expectations and imagination.
"Just be faithful in whatever you do and God will pave your way forward."
Mr Koro became a chaplain this year after being a reservists with the navy.