Honouring Semi Ratulele

Semi Ratulele was born on the Fijian island of Ovalau in the historic old capital town of Levuka. He spent his childhood in the family village of Vatukalo and was raised by his maternal grandparents, Kameli Vutoa and Sainimili Adiama. 

Despite being raised in a Methodist Christian home, Semi's powerful conversion to Christ occurred at Christmas 1991. A radio jingle came on air and seemed to penetrate his heart. The announcer challenged the listeners to consider a question: in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of shopping and giving and getting at Christmas time, "What would YOU give Jesus?"  Semi’s heart was racing, and he was unable to shake the question - what did he have or what had he ever done worth giving to Jesus?  What could he afford to buy and give? He raced to see his uncle, the pastor, who helped him pray. Semi understood that Jesus wanted more this Christmas than a village boy could ever afford!  Jesus was after Semi's heart!  It was a powerful moment that marked him with a call to pursue his Savior for life.  

Within just a few weeks of that profound life-altering decision, Semi was enrolled in a Youth with A Mission Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Vuniyasi, on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu. It was the first of many missionary journeys that he would set out on with Jesus.  

Although a tough childhood and addictive behaviors were obstacles for Semi, he never gave up his call. He began to hear God calling him with a recurring life verse from the story of Joshua, encouragement to continue through the impossible. Whether it was discipleship, character development, spiritual maturity, or faith in God to meet financial needs, Semi repeatedly heard, "Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9). Semi has continued his training and service with YWAM as staff and in leadership roles for 29 years. 

He has participated in Schools of Biblical Studies, DTS and Crossroads DTS. Basic Carpentry School and Biblical Counseling School. 

Semi came to University of the Nations, Kona, Hawaii in August 2003 and met his wife Laura there in 2004. They were married in Northwest Arkansas on December 8, 2006.  Semi and Laura have two daughters Noela (10), Talei (7), while their eldest, Sereana, was born into heaven on September 9, 2009. 

Semi is a remarkable, amiable, endearing outreach leader and has taken or led scores of outreach teams for both long- and short-term mission assignments in more than 20 countries including:

Polynesia: Fiji, New Zealand 

Micronesia: Guam, Saipan, Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, Chuk

Asia: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the  Philippines.  

He has also worked in Greece, India, USA, and with the First Nations people in Canada. 

Semi is passionate about seeing groups of people of various cultures and languages coming to an understanding of who God is to them within their own culture and helping them to know Biblical truth about God's character. He wants to enable them to understand and articulate counselling, the Bible and discipleship through the lens of their own culture. Rather than just bringing in new external ideas around healing and binding the brokenhearted in each culture, he wants them to understand it in their own cultural context, acknowledging and affirming that God has intentionally designed their culture.

Right now Semi is still working with counseling schools which he started in 2003. In January 2021, he will pioneer a new Foundations in Biblical Counseling School focussed on trauma and healing through the Scriptures. 

He is also currently studying in a master’s program at the University of the Nations on oral Bible translation. The focus is to use these tools to bring the gospel to illiterate people groups who do not yet have the Bible in their language.