Click on image for article page
“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come”.
(Mathew 24:4-8)
With the great famine in mind, Grace Road Group (GRG) was established in Fiji because, according to Pastor Ok-Joo Shin, Fiji provides the best fertile land to prepare for the famine.
Established in 2014, Grace Road Food Company started with a capital investment of $US150,000 ($F320,300) and according to the GRG ever since then it has invested $US10m ($F21.3m) in Fiji.
In April of 2014 the company was granted a 50-year lease on an 83-acre land in Deuba outside Navua and in the same year harvested rice on land that has not been farmed for more than 20 years.
According to the GRG, Fiji is blessed with clean water, fresh air, and unpolluted land.
“Grace Road Company does not use pesticides or chemical fertiliser so that the beautiful and clean land of this country does not become polluted,” read a statement from Grace Road Food Company.
“We are implementing organic natural farming methods that are safe to humans and nature. Grace Road Food Company is carrying out the ambitious plan of self-sufficiency through rice production by 2020.”
So why Fiji? Why Did Grace Road come to Fiji? And why does all the prophecies turn to Fiji?
For seven years since 1998 Ms Ok-Joo, senior pastor of Grace Road, has been ministering in South Korea before leaving for China for a further three years.
It was here that she realised that a lot of her sermons was of her own understanding and was not spiritually motivated.
After realising this truth, Ms Ok-Joo returned to Korea and in the first week of May 2008 started prophesying before re-establishing the church, Grace Road Church.
Speaking through a translator she said the problem with a lot of church in Korea is they have misinterpreted the Bible.
“Most pastors do not spread the message in spiritual ways, they interpret the Bible incorrectly,” said Ms Ok-Joo.
“Most are interpreting the Bible humanly when you have to be interpreting it from the Bible.
“The leaders, especially, should redeliver the gospel by returning to the truth, if they have delivered it differently from the Bible.”
According to GRG most have been preaching this way in Korea in the past 130 years since Christianity was proclaimed in Korea.
In her book The Interpretation of Tongues and Speaking in Tongues, Lies Differing from the Bible, The Sorcerer in the Church, Biblical Judgment on Heretical Liars, she claims she received wide criticism from Christian organisations in Korea, which resulted in them (GRG) being branded as a cult organisation.
“Even the pharisees and priests criticised Jesus. So everything that everyone is saying that we are a cult is a lie,” she said.
“What is more pitiful is that even in Fiji, GRG is being falsely accused of absolute lies that are far from the truth by Christians of the same Korean church.
“Reported by the Korean Missionary Fellowship is an especially wicked and vicious accusation that opposes Grace Road Church and the work of God that we are trying to do in Fiji.”
A few years ago Ms Ok-Joo informed Daniel Kim (GRG President) to look for a land and to prepare for the great famine and disaster as biblically prophesied.
He was informed to look for a country with no winter and an annual temperature between 20-30 degrees. Travelling to 60 countries on a one way ticket he came to a stop in Fiji.
When Mr Kim was about to leave for his next destination in Nepal with his companions he met while travelling, he found himself in a situation in which everyone had one-way tickets, but he was the only one who could not leave Fiji.
“He took this as a sign of God and settled in Fiji,” said Ms Ok-Joo.
“In light of the Bible, we now have clear evidence that all of Fiji’s environments and conditions prove that this is the land God has prepared,” GRG said in a statement.
The first company established in Fiji was a non-profit organisation called Grace Retirement village, this was the beginning of Grace Road Property Development.
Its mission in Fiji:
- To prepare for the coming great famine;
- To develop Fiji into a wealthier and stronger country, and yet to maintain its clean nature;
- To give relief to the Christian refugees according to the Bible, who are persecuted and killed by ISIS; and
- To accomplish “The World where God is the only God”, through the Christian nation of Fiji.
“Sharing the same goal as the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2020 policy agenda, we are executing the self-sufficiency plan through close co-operation with them. Also, the largest and state-of-the-art rice processing complex is scheduled to be completed in February 2016,” read a statement from GRG.
“This does not mean that Grace Road Mission is an apocalyptic doomsayer. It is clearly recorded in the Bible that the end of the earth will not come until everything recorded in the Bible is accomplished.”
In the short time that it has been in Fiji, the GRG proudly stated they had gained the trust and recognition of many Fijians and in the near future it hopes to establish an Agriculture Training Institute.
“We signed the memorandum of understanding for agricultural development not only in Navua but also in Nausori, Vanua Levu, and Tailevu.
“We have leased more than 1500 acres of land in only one year and six months.
“Grace Road Food Company is hiring locals and contributing to the creation of jobs.
“Many Fijians possess land but cannot produce agricultural products. To solve this issue, we plan to establish an Agriculture Training Institute in Navua to teach agricultural skills,” read the statement.
The Grace Road Food Company guaranteed that it would not only produce agricultural products but also high value-added products.
“By doing this, we want to contribute towards opening new export markets and vitalising the national economy.
“Fiji has huge potential to be the hub of the South Pacific’s politics and economic activity.
“We are confident that Fiji will greatly contribute to the overall development of the island nations in the South Pacific.”
Its property development arm is looking also at improving housing issues of locals by providing proper houses at more reasonable prices.
In addition to this, it plans to improve dietary problems which it claims has been the cause for “short average life expectancy” for many Fijians.
“The restaurants run by Grace Road Group use the rice and vegetables we organically grow as ingredients.
“Intake of high-fibre and low-calorie foods will greatly improve the diet of Fijians who are suffering from metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis.”
Furthermore the GRG has great interest in waste disposal and contaminant purification facilities.
“We are also planning to make a substantial investment in developing new renewable energy for the country’s energy shortage in order to revive the economy of Fiji.”
GRG boasts to have 200 members from Korea, USA, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, Vietnam and New Zealand.
“They volunteered to come and they are working day and night to develop the Fiji nation and to establish the world where God is the only God.
“Let’s make Fiji shine” is the motto for GRG in Fiji.