President Shumway recently returned from a highly successful 16-day goodwill tour to the South Pacific—including New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Kiribati—as part of this year's Jubilee celebration.
President Shumway was accompanied by his wife, Carolyn Shumway, as well as Rowena Reid, Director of Alumni Relations, Arapata Meha, Associate Dean of Admissions, and Andrew Miller, Public and Media Relations Assistant.
The multifaceted delegation was able to accomplish several objectives, including bolstering alumni chapters, promoting the university to potential students, strengthening relationships with local priesthood leaders, negotiating cooperative agreements with governments and educational institutions, and strengthening the youth and general membership of the Church.
In the four countries the delegation visited eight city centers. There they met with seven existing alumni chapters and organized a new chapter in Brisbane, Australia with Kerry Tukukino as chapter chair. They also reorganized the Auckland, New Zealand chapter with new chapter chairs, Warren and Robin Waka.
At each alumni meeting, President Shumway and Reid gave an update of the university's activity. Alumni also updated the university on their lives and successes, in addition to expressing their appreciation for their experiences at BYU-Hawaii.
"The alumni we met in country clearly represented what David O. McKay envisioned would come out of BYU-Hawaii," said Reid. "I was so proud to meet them and express appreciation for what they do to continually support BYU Hawaii."
"They also expressed how BYU-Hawaii prepared them to realize President McKay's vision through the lives they are leading now," added Miller, who recorded personal interviews with selected alumni. "It was very powerful and mutually uplifting."
"Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the many alumni who helped to make this tour memorable," Meha agreed.
The delegation also visited BYU-Hawaii's partners in the Church Education System—The Church College of New Zealand, Moroni High School in Kiribati and the Fiji LDS Church College. At each school, President Shumway held a devotional/assembly where he counseled and encouraged students in both their educational and spiritual endeavors. In Kiribati and Fiji, he also held teacher in-service training for the faculty.
President Shumway and the others were also able to meet with influential government representatives, including President Anote Tong of Kiribati, who was very complimentary of BYU-Hawaii, its graduates and the Church for its contributions to the people and country of Kiribati.
The delegation also met with Peni Naqasima, Director of Training in the Public Service Commission of Fiji, to discuss the returnability of Fijian students and the availability of internships and job opportunities.
Education visits included Deidre Dale, CEO of Whitireia Polytechnic; and Y.S. Hsieh, CEO of the Auckland Institute of Studies in New Zealand; and Dr. Esther Williams, acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. With each institution, President Shumway was able to negotiate several mutually beneficial cooperative agreements with BYU-Hawaii.
President Shumway also took the opportunity to speak as Elder Shumway of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy. He spoke in ten general firesides, two sacrament meetings and one family home evening for young single adults. In each, President Shumway's message was one of love and concern for the saints to keep the standards and principles of the gospel in spite of the prevalent moral decay of today.
Although the delegation did not visit Tonga, President Shumway's reputation and rapport with the Tongan community preceded him in New Zealand and Australia, where he convened three firesides with the diasporic Tongan saints. He also spoke in a Tongan language sacrament meeting and conducted a training meeting for Tongan bishops.
In each country, President Shumway also took time to meet with local priesthood leaders—including bishops, stake presidents and area authorities—to build and strengthen relations, support and friendships for BYU-Hawaii.
"President and Sister Shumway are remarkable," said Meha. "Their testimonies will have a profound influence on the saints who attended the firesides, devotionals and alumni gatherings."
In total, the 16 day trip included 27 formal and informal meetings, with an estimated attendance of over 5,200 people, and was able to make some great strides for the university and its relations with the South Pacific.