Tragedy & Triumph in Paradise traces the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Vanua Levu and the Lau group of islands from the first visit of the Pitcairn in 1891 to the present, with a focus on the story of Vatuvonu which commenced in April 1933, eighty-six years ago.

This fully-illustrated book of over 380 pages with hundreds of photos of Vatuvonu and its students and staff taken over many decades is soon to be printed and has been written by Pastor Ray Coombe who served as District Director of Vanua Levu for five years from 1973-1977, right in the middle of Vatuvonu’s history. Pastor Coombe has spent the last two years researching the history of the Mission and collecting stories from expatriate missionaries, Fijian pastors and Vatuvonu staff. It is fully referenced with over 600 footnotes, an appendix with timelines, and a comprehensive index of places, people, mission boats, and significant events. This book documents the pioneers, mission boats, cyclones, earthquakes, scandals, miracles and triumphs of the SDA Mission in Buca Bay and covers almost 130 years of Adventist history!

You will laugh and cry as you read the funny and sad experiences of the people who made Vatuvonu what it is today. If you are a past student or staff member, or interested in Adventist history, you will want to learn the fascinating story of Vatuvonu’s colourful past.