Vilisi Verebasoga from Tavualevu Village is mourning the unexpected loss of her husband, Jope Tuivanuavou, who tragically died in a locomotive accident on Wednesday at 12 pm in Lausa, Tavua. Tuivanuavou, aged 55, was transporting sugarcane to the Lautoka Mill when the incident occurred, while his colleague sustained severe injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Aspen Medical Lautoka Hospital. Eyewitnesses reported that the locomotive derailed from the sugarcane bridge.
Ms. Verebasoga described her husband as an obedient man of God, serving as the senior pastor for the Fiji Evangelical Church Tavua branch. She recounted the moment she received the news, stating that a worker called her with the alarming update, which left her deeply affected. Despite her grief, she expressed gratitude to God, revealing that she had been receiving signs throughout the week, prompting her to fast for guidance.
Reflecting on their final moments together, Ms. Verebasoga shared that after a prayer meeting on Tuesday night, her husband invited group members to stay over at their home. On Wednesday morning, she woke him up for prayer due to her intuition that something was amiss. After their prayer, he had breakfast, hugged her, and left for work, marking their last conversation with goodbyes.
Earlier that week, Tuivanuavou reminded their children, who live in New Zealand and Kadavu, to take care of themselves, which makes his unexpected death even more difficult for the family to accept. Ms. Verebasoga praised her late husband’s character, emphasizing his humility, caring nature, and dedication to family.
While she is mourning his loss, she finds comfort in her faith, quoting Proverbs 19:21: “We may have many plans, but God’s will prevails.” She acknowledges this is God’s will and finds peace in knowing he is in the Lord’s hands.
Funeral arrangements will be organized following Mr. Tuivanuavou’s post-mortem, with relatives from New Zealand expected to arrive next week for the ceremony. He is survived by his wife, eight children, and four grandchildren.