Bula Fiji!

Bula everyone!

So as most of you know, I have spent the last couple of weeks in Fiji. It was amazing. Holy cow. It is so hard to fully express how much I enjoyed it and how much I have learned. Helping the people of Taci Village was one of the most rewarding things ever! Twenty-four others took this amazing journey with me--including my best friend--two leaders, two parents, fourteen girls, and six boys. In no time we were family.

First things first, we got to Fiji on Thursday morning and took an hour boat ride to Wayalailai Island which is a little resort. The leaders told us this was the fun part of the trip but all of us joked that is was really initiation because it ended up raining so much and we were left with no clothes that were dry and everything else smelled like butt after that. Thursday we got to go on a hike to the tippy top of the island. Imagine rain, humidity, and a whole lot of sweat and we were practically bathing we were so drenched. But man, the view at the top was so worth it. We were literally in the clouds. 

The view from the top

Up in the clouds!

On Friday we got to go snorkeling with sharks. It was pretty much the most terrifying and awesomest experience ever. The guides fed the sharks while we followed behind and watched. They swam right under us! Then we headed over to the other side of the island to visit the school. The children sang us a ton of songs and did a dance for us and then they split up and three of them showed each of us around the school. They learn English as well as Fijian so they could communicate with us pretty good. Adi, Lili, and Loata were the names of the girls that showed me around. I learned a new game called hoop ball which is just like basketball but the ball can't touch the ground and there is no backboard. As if I had a hard enough time playing basketball... After the school visit we decided to go cliff jumping! The tide still wasn't as high as we wanted it to be but we just waited for a wave and jumped in anyway!

Singing us songs

cliff jumping!

We ended the night playing volleyball and the people had a ceremony and danced and sang. On Saturday morning we got up and learned how to make bracelets out of coconut tree leaves and then I tried coconut! 

That's the bracelet I made!

Anddddd then we got back on that darn boat and traveled for 2 hours this time because the ocean was so choppy. It was so bad and everyone was feeling seasick by the end. We then hopped on a bus and traveled 4 hours to the other side of the island called Suva!!! We found the place we were staying and it was a house. A house. It was more than a little sketch. HEFY had never used the place before so we were in a little bit of trouble. Our leader told us to pray that night that we could find a more suitable place to stay.

Sunday we got up and went to an English speaking ward and it was amazing! The church is true no matter where you are! It was just a big confirmation to me! 

We found a new hotel to stay at that was way nice. My roommates were Brooke, Lydia, and Jessie. I love them all. We walked around town for a bit and got pictures with the president's guard. We tried so hard to crack him but he stood completely still with no emotion on his face. He didn't even acknowledge us! Crazy!!

 On Monday the real fun began. We had to be out to the bus by 8:15. We usually didn't physically get out of bed until 8. The Taci Village is about an hour away. When we showed up we went straight to the community hall where all the foremen and the chief were. They did a welcoming ceremony so we could officially be allowed into the village. A guy translated for us, and he said that while the people do not have a lot, what they have is ours - so feel welcome to anything. He also said that we should not feel homesick because this was our home now. He also mentioned--now get this--that it had been raining in their village every day for a month (it's winter there). And so the village had been praying for it to be sunny so that we could work. "Well," he said, "You brought the sun." :) It ended up being sunny every day we had to go to work. Over the weekend it rained a lot, but on Monday it was sunny again. 
It was such a testimony builder that God loves all his children no matter what religion and that he will answer heartfelt prayers.

So, we split up into 6 groups and each group made a bathroom. Lydia, Britton and I were in a group and the family we were building the bathroom for was a grandmother who had just lost her husband and had her 5 grandkids living with her.  I was proud to work side by side with them, they worked so hard and I can tell we all came away from it with the satisfaction that we gave it our all. Our foreman's name was Dan and you could tell that he was NOT happy there were only three of us (some groups had 4, others had 3). Dan had to walk 2 miles every day because he lived in another village. He is the one that gets paid to come help us. So he shows us where the work site is, and lo and behold, there are already 5 other Fijians just waiting to go to work. They were neighbors and people that knew the family we were building the bathroom for. And they just showed up to help. They were willing to help even if they didn't get paid (Which none of them did) but to see how hard they worked too... oh man... you definitely gotta step up your game and prove to them that you belong there. They see us (especially the girls) doing hard manual labor and they just jump at the chance to help you, and it doesn't help when other villagers are yelling at them to "Help push that wheelbarrow!" or "give those blocks to the men." I had to not back down and say "No, I can do this. LET me do this." But I really did appreciate their help. They stayed the whole time and the work ethic of these men were amazing. They started to work before we got there and stayed after we had already left.
 So yes, it was a lot of hard work. Lifting, mixing cement, pouring cement, and everything else. Mama Hicks (one of the parents that came) ended up helping our group and that was a lot of fun :)

The grandma we built the bathroom for

Our homies

The villagers swarm to you. EVERYONE. Men, women, but especially the children. They love to come up and talk to you or even just watch you. They love to learn about Americans and it was exciting to learn about them as well. I think that's one of the things I enjoyed most about this trip, was getting to know everyone and their stories.
Joe, one of the workers who showed up in my group, was 19 years old and going to school at night in Suva. Lee, 22, was in the army and he was leaving next month to Iran. Jim was 20 and he worked to help support himself. Frank was one of the dads (Eloi was his daughter) and he was a neighbor, he had a way nice house and a working bathroom. Luke was another dad with 6 kids, Moses and Mesa were his. He also lived nearby, and he fished and sold crabs. Their wives along with a couple others are the ones that served us during tea time. They were the most happy people to be around. 

Being attacked by love

Kalara and Sarah

Eloi and Sarah

Noah and Junior

We worked Monday-Friday from 9 until about 4:30. The first day consisted of us bringing the supplies to the work site and us digging the first hole of the bathroom and laying down the foundation for it. When it was time for us to leave we were sore and ready to be done. 

First day- foundation for the bathroom

Everyday, on the way to the bus going home, the kids just follow you and blow kisses and wave until you are out of sight, this is one of my favorite parts of the day. I die a little. The bus ride usually consisted of people sleeping or singing and dancing to the music or talking about our experiences for the day. Although we had just worked our butts off, we were some of the happiest people I have seen.

Tuesday, we did more of the same. Lifting, carrying, and digging. The Fijian name they gave me was Ahlena or Eelee (That's how you would pronounce them). Sometimes they also liked to tease I was Alehwah Cocoah (Strong girl). Brit was Benito (friend in Fijian) and Lydia was Tallytaka (favorite). We told them we wanted to learn Fijian so they taught us a ton of words. I also learned how to count to ten. Keep in mind I'm spelling how you would pronounce them. Dua, Rrua, Tarru, Va, Lima, Ono, Veetu, Walu, Leewah, and Tiene. Every time they would add a scoop of dirt they made me count so that I finally got it down.

digging septic tank--four feet deep

Sifting dirt for plaster

The start of the septic tank

We have our lunch break at 12:30 and after that we usually get to hang out for a little bit playing with the kids or playing some volleyball. Usually around 4 each day was tea time. Tuesday was the first day we got to experience that. They make lots of pastries and tea out of lemon leaves. The guests get to go first (like with lunch) and we get to eat inside the house and take a little break.

Tea Time

So after tea time we went back to work. Babies and kids will just sit and watch us for hours and be entertained. They don't need an ipad, they don't need attention every 2 minutes. It was amazing to me to see what things they did for fun. One little boy climbed in the wheelbarrow and started watching us from there. One time little baby Moses was crying and the boys my age just went over to comfort him. One ended up holding him for a little bit, and the other one sang to him. It's precious to watch.

Mesa and Moses

So, after that we got.... MCDONALD'S. We were all in heaven. American food!! After that we went to the church where the bishop's mom attempted to show us how to basket weave. It was bad. She is so good at it, I just stared at her doing it and I was lost.

Wednesday was just like any other work day - more stacking and filling in holes with cement.  We also worked on the septic tank and the base for the bathroom.  Once that was done, we just had to stack it 10 blocks high.

Taking turns mixing cement

Dan and I working on the septic tank

 

Eloi, one of the best helpers

Thursday, our bus broke down, so while we were waiting for it, we were saying how blessed we were that it broke down BEFORE it came to pick us up, because imagine being broke down in the middle of nowhere. Little tender mercies. They're everywhere. We ended up being out of supplies so it was a really slow day with not much to do. Luke, one of the dads, showed us his crab traps. And then Joe and some other villagers showed us a mongoose they had caught in a trap. We played a lot of volleyball, and I got to hold a shark (which I later ate). The men in our group always got coconuts for us. I think we had a least one a day. They just climbed up a tree and kicked them down and then used a machete and cut them so we could drink. 

When we got back to the hotel we showered (us girls learned how to shower and be ready in 10 minutes flat). We went to the supermarket again, but this time a lot of the things we bought ended up being for people in the village. Mama Hicks and I bought candy for the workers because the kids get a lot of the candy. 

Friday morning we got to go to the SUVA TEMPLE!! It's crazy and perfect timing because in October it is closing down for a year so that it can be renovated. Everything is coming down because the walls are leaking and it just wasn't designed for all the rain and humidity so they have to start over. 

So anyway, the temple was awesome, the worker informed us that the steps were very slippery, so I did NOT fall into the font this time. Heaven knows once is enough... 

Boys in their sulus!

Room mates!

After the temple, we headed to our work sites.  Supplies came and so there was work once again! We are getting there! 

 We had lunch and then we went on this crazy boat ride through the jungle and this river leads straight to the ocean, so that was pretty neat! 

Once we came back from that we went to a dance at the church and we all just went crazy! It was a lot of fun and definitely a night to remember. :)

Saturday--our day off! We started off by going zip lining. I got brave and went upside down! 

Then we headed over to Magoon's Lagoon which is just a member's house and they live right on the ocean. The village used to be out further but the water level has risen so you can see graves sticking up out of the ground when the tide is out. It's kinda creepy. But we went net fishing which was a new experience and they came back and cooked the fish for us. 

Then we got hooked up with some sweet tickets to a rugby game! Now, I know nothing about rugby but it was still fun to watch. It was Fiji versus Somoa, and sadly, Fiji lost. But not really because I'm not even Fijian. 

That night we actually had some free time so we played some games in our room. 

Sunday. I gave a talk in church! I was so nervous and you could tell, but I hope I got the message across. I had to talk about ways that I live the gospel and how important it is to have a strong testimony. 

After church we got to email home and then we practiced a song that we were singing for the fireside later that night. We ended up singing Child's Prayer and it was really good! The fireside was with us and the ward. There were a couple of speakers and then it opened up into a discussion which I really enjoyed. They got to ask us questions and we got to ask them questions. 

Monday, the work began again. We were making progress! Once the foundation on the toilet was done we had to build it 10 layers high. The septic tank has two holes, one for the waste, and then it pours over into the other side which, by then, should be clean enough that it can go back out. There's a hole we dug behind the septic tank that we put coral in so that the leftovers can come out and the coral absorbs it up! Fijians are amazing. They just improvise things when we need things that we don't have, they just go off and make something that will do. 

Luke!

leaving our mark on the septic tank lids

After coming back for the night we all split up and went to FHE where we had a lesson and then each group worked on what they were going to do in front of the ward on Wednesday night. We did dancing. Hahaha, they key is that it is all in your hips and legs. 

Tuesday, we worked on the door part and after throwing plaster at the bathroom and then covering it (like stucco) we got to put primer on it and then paint it! 

Filling holes with cement

plaster!

Eloi helping with the plaster

Primer!

Frank and Dan

Coral soaks up the waste that is left

Lids are ON!

My bathroom ended up being BRIGHT red with a cute little green door. All the workers added their hand print on the side as well. We stayed a little later to finish everything up and we played more volleyball. We got to go to the supermarket one last time, and most of us ended up buying things for the people in the village. Food, kitchen supplies and clothes.

Painting the bathroom

Dan chilling after putting the roof on

Some buddies!

Wednesday, THE FINAL DAY! We did the "first flush" and saw that everything was working with our bathroom! This trip was the first trip to make the bathrooms 100% out of cement. So we were the guinea pigs. It ended up being really nice!

 Then we got to bring all of our stuff we donated, and a couple moms and their kids were in the house, and we just passed it all out. I feel like it still wasn't enough. You realize how much you have, and you just want to share all of it with them. 

Then we had the celebration, and the grand daughter got up and told my group how thankful she was for us and what we have done and she started crying so I started crying (pretty much didn't stop after that). We had cake and they gave us sarongs and put them on us with these necklaces they made out of flowers, and the grandma made Lydia and I fans out of coconut leaves. 

FINISHED!

We then left our bathrooms for the last time and got a picture of my group in front of it. I am so thankful for these people who gave so selflessly for others and that they worked so hard to make this happen. It was amazing to see the end results. OUR money paid for these, OUR hard work made these. Because of us, we got to make a difference in someone's life. That is the most rewarding thing EVER. 
While working on the bathroom, I realized how much I love hard work. I love the satisfaction and the fact that I can say, "I can do this" and "I can do hard things". Doing hard things is such a confidence booster and it made me so... happy.

We ended with the closing ceremony at the community hall.

At the closing ceremony, the chief presented us with a whale's tooth. Now, usually missionaries have to present a whale's tooth to the village in order to be welcomed and before they can start proselyting there. So for THEM to present that to US is a huge honor. Our group leader said it has never happened to him before. We planted little seeds in their hearts and have led the way so that hopefully one day missionaries will be able to come in and they will be ready for the gospel. 

They sang us some songs and we danced and they drank Kava (we didn't, that's a big no-no) and then they sang the goodbye song to us and they wave as they sing it. After that they asked us to sing a song so we decided on a Child's Prayer which is what we sang at the fireside we went to on Sunday and one of the workers in my group (22 and in the army) was crying at the end. It was so touching to see and the spirit was definitely in the room. Then we had to say our goodbyes which was probably one of the hardest things of my life. There were lots and lots of tears everywhere and we went around and got to shake all their hands and the women kissed us on the cheek and everyone from the village followed us out to our bus. We were all sad to leave and I know that I am going to truly miss those people.

After that we all got ready to go to the church so the ward members could say goodbye and we all put on what we had been practicing at FHE. There was dancing, and singing, and skits. 

They also sang the goodbye song to us. And then we were off. In the morning we traveled back to Nadi and got back on that darn airplane.

It was so nice to be away from everything and not have to worry about back home. Fiji had my attention 100%. It was so nice to not have my phone or any technology. 
I have learned so much and grown so much as a person. The little lessons I learned while there will stay with me forever. Although we built something physical for these people, I left with a greater gift, and that was knowledge, understanding, and friendship that I could not get anywhere else. In the end, it's about the people, not the things.

Saying Goodbye

I am forever changed.

                                                              Sincerely,

                                                                   Me

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." 

Mahatma Gandhi

"Forget yourself and go to work."

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

VIDEO: Coming soon