Dying for others in Jesus name
SAKARAIA and PAULA MATAKA; GREAT FIJIAN
MISSIONARIES,IMMORTALISED IN AFRICA
By
Charles Ouko – Kitale, Kenya.
“My husband was
a man of great faith and he had a heart for people. He loved the people of
Pokot and Turkana. His greatest love however was for the Lord Jesus Christ and
I have been immensely blessed to have had, this incredibly faithful man for a
husband”.
With these
emotional laden words Serafina Mataka 40, mourned her late husband Sakaraia Tamani
Mataka 55,during his funeral service. Pastor Mataka lost his life in the 5 June
Fly SAX plane disaster,in Kenya. The Mataka’s suffered a calamitous loss in the
disaster, being the only family that lost two of its members. Pastor Sakaraia,
who had been a missionary in Kenya for ten years, died alongside his eldest son
Paula Tekei Mataka 16.
While mourning
both before a crowd of thousands at the Kitale showground on Friday 15 June,
Mrs. Mataka said of her departed son “Paula was a fine Christian boy, obedient,
helpful and focused with a great sense of humor”.
The Mataka’s were
almost certainly the most excitable persons on that flight. Why? It was the
first of four that they were scheduled to take over the next 24 hours, on their
way home for a visit to Fiji. Fly SAX is a subsidiary of Fly 540 and had
serviced the Kitale – Nairobi route for ten years, without incident.
In Nairobi they
were due to take an Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight from Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA). Their ET flight was scheduled to depart JKIA at
19:15 hours for the two hour nonstop flight to Addis Ababa. From Addis they
were to take another direct ET flight, this time a 14 hours nonstop long haul
flight to Hong Kong.
Once in Hong
Kong they were to have an overnight stay before taking their fourth and final
flight to Suva, Fiji. This an 11 hour Fiji Airways flight.
Speaking
exclusively to the Nation in her Kitale home, a day before the funeral for her
husband and son, Serafina Mataka, a mother of four recounted both her last
moments with her husband and son and also revealed why the two were travelling
to Fiji.
Missionaries of
twenty years standing with the Fiji founded Christian Mission Fellowship
International (CMFI), Pastor Mataka and Paula were going home to prepare for
his final departure from Kenya, after a decade long tour of service. They came
to Kenya in late 2007 and spent their first two years in Kakamega before
relocating to Kitale. From their Kitale base, their missionary work was
principally to the pastoral and nomadic communities of the Pokot and Turkana.
On this fateful
trip, Mrs. Mataka stated during the interview “ Sakaraia was taking Paula to
finish his last year of High School in Fiji, before he could either join
university or embark on his chosen career path. We had also decided to depart
Kenya this December after ten years service and Sakaraia, was likewise going to
lay the groundwork for that, during his month long visit”
Born to father
Savenaca Tamanilele and mother Aritiea Tinaisili in Qaranivai Village, in the Nothern
Island of Fiji on 9 July 1962, Pastor Sakaraia was the fourth born among ten
siblings. Five sisters and four brothers. After Bible College he embarked on a lifelong
career of Christian service, until that tragic 5 June plane disaster in Kenya.
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Prior to coming
to Kenya he had served as an evangelist in his native Fiji, to many of the
nearly 300 islands that make up that South Pacific Island Nation.He also served
as a missionary to other South Pacific Island nations, among them of Papua New
Guinea.
On that fateful
Tuesday he fielded a long distance call from his London based cousin brother
and fellow Pastor Nemani Raqio. Raqio who flew in for the funeral told this
writer “We spoke for about 23 minutes and only ended our conversation when he
informed me that the vehicle taking him and Paula to the airport had come. His
last words to me were that he would call me, when he arrived in Suva. We
conversed about his plans to establish two more churches to the pastoralist
communities, before the year ended”.
On her last
moments with her son and husband, Mrs.Mataka said “We prayed together in the
foyer of the house with him leading the prayers. We prayed for five minutes.
From the Kitale airport he again called me, telling me they were on board and
his last words to me were, now we are seated and are leaving”.
Before leaving
the house Paula, went into their kitchen, where he found and told his 20 year
old sister Lisi “I will never set foot in this place again and when I get to
Hong Kong I will send you a picture of me in a Macdonald’s, eating a Big Mac
hamburger!!”
Lisi and Paula
were born Fiji while John 5 and Suliana 18 months were born in Kenya.
Pastor Mataka’s
two sisters Unaisi Snow and Sainiana Susu both flew in from Fiji for the
funerals. Others who made the trip were members of British Army from Nanyuki,
Germany, Dubai and the UK, Led by Warrant Officer 2 Dresa, who were mainly of
Fiji descent and did all the logistical work for the funerals; both in Nairobi
and Kitale.
Paula it was
revealed had stated his desire to join the British Army upon completion of his
high school, next year. The burial site in Kitale was purchased by the government
of Fiji, the same week of the burial.
Fiji’s
Ambassador to East Africa based in Addis Ababa Mosese Tikoitoga was accompanied
by his wife Madam Jiu Tikoitoga and First Secretary Sisa Otealagi. Speaking at
the farewell service Ambassador Tikoitoga said “We are a small nation, but it
is the work of the likes of our departed brother Pastor Mataka, that help to
place us on the world’s map”.
Also in
attendance was local Saboti Member of Parliament Hon. Caleb Amisi who told the
gathering that he too was scheduled to fly on that same flight.
Amisi castigated
the Jubilee government for its ineptitude in the recovery mission, stating and
I quote “Plane accidents need not result in fatalities as history has shown
that quick and efficient emergency responses, have and can save lives”.
Hon. Christine
N. Tanguli, Health Minister in the the County Government of Trans-Nzoia (where
Kitale City lies), recalled the relationship that she had with the Mataka’s.
Said Nanguli “ My family and the Mataka’s had a personal relationship. We
received them when they first came to Kitale eight years ago and both of us
have teenage daughters that are friends.
“They have done
an immense work, under very difficult circumstances in reaching the unreached
Pokotos and Turkana’s with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Continued Mrs.
Nanguli “They have left an indelible mark, in our hearts and land and it our
hope that Serafina will remain behind and complete some of Pastor Mataka’s work”. …./3
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Fly SAX was
represented at the farewell by their Regional manager Stellah Kapsoot and Kitale
Station Manager Ernest Koech.
Said Kapsoot “Upon
the completion of the plane accidents investigations, Fly SAX will engage with
the immediate families of the deceased on matters compensation; as is standard
procedure in these tragic and unforeseen situations”.
The global and
high level intervention and representation at the send off for Pastor Sakaraia
and son Paula, are undoubtedly a testament to the high esteem they were both
held in.
The entire
funeral service and burial were Live-Streamed via the World Harvest Broadcast
Network Facebook Page with technical support provided by Gabby Abariga’s Aba
Media Productions of Dubai and Imani TV Ministries of Kitale, Kenya with
financial assistance from the Fijian delegation in Dubai, Ambassador Mosese
Tikoitoga and Pastor Josaia Tokea of CMFI Westfield Church, Lautoka.
Tragic
departures for great lives lived.
END
Story &
Pictures by
Charles Ouko
(Kenya)
Kelepi Abariga
(Aba MediaPro)
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