Weaving God’s love in Tonga

By Mafi Pole

As I write this reflection on my trip to the UCA President’s Conference in Tonga, my heart is full.

Coming into this trip with the theme “Weaving God’s love across cultures and boundaries”, I arrived with no expectations.

I didn’t know what God was preparing, but throughout every moment, from worship at Si‘atoutai College, the weaving workshops, our leaders speaking truth, and our reflections on justice and mission, I felt God gently weaving something new in me.

This journey reminded me that leadership and discipleship are never about position or status.

They are about how we choose to love. Real leadership is serving from the heart, listening before speaking, and showing up with humility.

Discipleship is following Jesus daily with our actions, not just our words.

One of the key speakers, Penisimani, grounded us with the Tongan values:
ʻOfa ʻOtua: the love of God guiding us
ʻOfa kāinga: the love we share in community
ʻOfa fonua: the love for the land and people we are called to serve.

The weaving workshop was especially meaningful. It reconnected me to my Tongan roots, but it also spoke spiritually. A single strand is weak, but when woven with others, it becomes strong. And sometimes a thread must be unpicked before the pattern can be right. That reminded me that God sometimes unweaves old habits or fears in us, not to break us, but to form a better design.

Seeing our elders and young people weave their wisdom, honesty, courage, and vision together showed me that the church is strongest when generations stand side-by-side.

To our young people: your thread matters in God’s design. Bring your voice, your gifts, your faith. You are not just the future, you are the woven strength of the present.

Keep weaving love, justice, and hope. Even when the pattern is unclear, trust that God sees the beauty you are becoming.

Mālō.