Lu Senituli tells his story in the second session of Faith Stories. Lu is a minister with the Uniting Church in Australia but twenty years ago talking about faith was the last thing on his mind. An encounter with a taxi driver with a story to tell changed Lu’s direction in life.
Lu grew up in Brisbane, part of a family involved in what was then a Tongan Methodist congregation. When he left school, at the end of Year 12, Lu also left home and left the church. He started a life of wandering with a diploma in business in Townsville before exploring a possible career in law. His experimentation with alcohol and recreational drugs, however, made it difficult to stick with anything. He headed around Australia, picking up seasonal work, welding and truck driving.
By the time Lu arrived back in Brisbane, his addictions were affecting his capacity to face every day responsibilities and relationships. Like many addicts, he used alcohol and drugs to numb the sense and escape the scary world associated with mundane reality. At times he lost hope in life, feeling that there was no point in continuing.
The turning point for Lu was a conversation with a cab driver. He’d just finished work as a bouncer in a Fortitude Valley night club and was heading off to a drinking hole in Springwood. The taxi driver was playing gospel music and opened up a conversation about faith. At first Lu was not interested and told the guy to just drive. However Lu found himself strangely warmed by the atmosphere inside the cab. As the driver prayed for him Lu found his body warmed from head to toe. Stepping out of the cab he saw his surroundings with a new sense of hope and meaning.
Lu’s first step was to find a Christian church. The next morning he found himself in an Anglican church listening to a sermon on the parable of the prodigal son. With help from the priest he was able to talk and pray through his newly found relationship with God, focusing on his Spirit-given desire to share hope with his friends.
Lu devoured the Scriptures as he rebuilt his life in God. He found a Uniting Church congregation who provided an incredibly warm experience of love and acceptance. Over time, of course, as he took on responsibilities for youth ministry, Lu realised that the people in the church were human like anyone else, doing their best to serve God and their world.
Lu enrolled at Trinity College to study theology as a private student, supporting his family as a welder by day. He was accepted as a candidate for ordained ministry, going on to serve as a minister in Coopers Plains and Park Rd Tongan.
Years later, Lu shares about his conversion experience in the setting of ‘club ministry’,. With his friends he’s going back to connect with the clubs and pubs to share a message of hope for people who are in danger of giving up on life.
Cool story! a real life story. People, especially younger generation need to hear from him. I remember when I was a teenager, I was encouraged and challenged by someone just like Lu. It was during a youth retreat.
God can actually change people through people of faith.
dk