Lean on Me

Well, there is tons to report on from this past week, and I'm really excited about all the work we've been able to do lately! Since there is so much, I'll just share some highlights! Yesterday, was probably the best day I've had in Fiji, as far as projects go. Vive, from Friend Fiji, asked if I would teach a music class to the youth group in the Vakabuli village. Um, hello! I was so excited and told her of course I would do it. So, yesterday was the first class we had. It took about 2 hours from Ba to get to their village, but luckily my bus pulled up right in time! We held the class in their main hut, and about 20 people showed up! I was only expecting 5, so that was a lovely surprise! I wanted them to be really involved in the class, so we started out with introductions. Then, we talked about why we listen to music and how we can use music as an outlet for our emotions. I then had them brainstorm emotions they feel every day, and had them write their own song! I was nervous with how it would go because writing a song isn't an easy thing, but they wrote an entire song, and then performed it for me! They had to translate it for me, since I told them they could write it in Fijian. It was about a couple who separated, and the heartbreak they went through. After that, I taught them “Lean on Me”. I had written the lyrics on a big poster that I put up in the hut for them to practice with. We assigned solos throughout the song, and added different dynamics and elements to make it more interesting. They all have the most beautiful voices! To end the class for that day, I gave them some homework assignments for that next week. I asked them to keep working on “Lean on Me”, and the song they wrote, as well as come prepared next time with more songs to perform for the talent show I want to hold in their village! That is my end goal for this music class. I want them to feel as though they have something special inside of them, and help them feel comfortable sharing those talents with their entire village! I'm hoping to have the talent show the day before I leave to go home. When the class was over, they pulled out their hymn book, sat in a circle, and sang for me! After about 4 songs, they asked me to sing. I asked them what they wanted and they said, “Justin Bieber.” So, I sang “Baby” for them. I felt ridiculous at first, but then they all started clapping and smiling, so I just went with it! I can now say I got to use my love of Justin Bieber for the pleasure of others here in Fij!

Today, was also a super great day! Me, and 2 other girls in my group, have been working with the prison here in Ba, and are starting our lessons on Monday! The prison guards invited us last week to come support them in their Yellow Ribbon March that would be held today. So we did! The yellow ribbon march is basically a huge gathering in the town to create community awareness for the yellow ribbon project that is now starting up in Fiji! I think this program is amazing! They took the idea from a song that was popular back in the 70's called “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree.” Basically, it's the idea that ex-inmates need support and encouragement from their families and their communities, so that they become a productive member of society when they get out of prison. The song was about a prisoner, who wrote a letter to his wife, asking her to tie a yellow ribbon on their tree in their yard so that when he was discharged, he would know if she accepted him. When he showed up, there wasn't just one ribbon, but thousands. So, the march today was really great! Everyone in Ba (and some that came from Suva) got together to take part in this program today. It reminded me of the SummerFest back home, just without the carnival part. It just had a very good feeling of coming together as a community for one main purpose. The chief started it out by welcoming everyone, and then there were some testimonials from ex-inmates who are now leading companies, and being very productive in their every day lives. The police had formed a marching band, and they performed a few times. Towards the end, after about 2 ½ hours, the inmates from the Ba prison (the ones we will be teaching) performed a traditional Fijian dance! It was quite the sight! We were all on the front row of this huge field where they were holding this march. When their performance was over, the band started playing some dance music, and before I know it, I was being pulled onto the field by one of the guys who had just performed! I was like, “okay! I have no idea where I'm going, but alright!” So, he pulls me out, as the WHOLE crowd cheers, and he tells me that we are dancing! We start dancing (and it's definitely unlike any other dancing I've ever seen!) and then more guys come, and we formed this line and did a dance! I had no idea what I was doing, but I do love to dance, so that was all the motivation I needed!  Since I was the only white person (except for a couple other girls from my group who eventually got pulled out onto the field) I was definitely not hard to spot. The audience was cheering me on, laughing, and probably hoping I'd fall in love with my dance partner and take him home to America with me! Haha, it was so much fun though. It's weird to imagine having this sort of experience with the local inmates, because we would never have anything like this back home, but it works for them here. There is such a high level of respect for the guards and mentors from the prisoners, that it's easy for them all to have mutual trust with one another. It's definitely an eye-opening experience for me, and I'm just really excited to go teach on Monday!

This is one of the funniest ladies I've met here so far! This picture was taken in her village, after we were done building square foot gardens. She had a boy in her village climb a coconut tree and get some down so I could try the juice!

Under the Sea!

Our weeks here in Fiji are super great because we work on the projects we have set up from Monday through Friday, 9-5. Then, at nights, usually after we eat dinner at the house, we have planning meetings for the next day. I love how busy we are throughout the week! HELP International has said that for every 3 weeks of work, you can take off 1 day for a mini vacation, if you want. Also, we automatically get Saturdays off.

So, this past weekend, me and 7 others from my group, took a trip to Raki Raki. It's about 2 hours away from Ba, which is where we live. So, Friday night, after our work was done, we got on a bus and made the trip! Once in Raki Raki, we got a taxi to take us to Volvivolvi Beach, which is where our weekend vacation was. So, as a back story, there is an American man named John who served in the Peace Corps in Fiji about 20 years ago. Well, he is retired now and he and his wife came back to Fiji and live in a house right off of the beach in Raki Raki. He has met with HELP volunteers in years past, so when he found out more of us were coming this year, he e-mailed our country directors and offered to take us out on his boat to go snorkeling!

We met him the next morning right on the beach and he took us out to a private cove, where the water was insanely blue and clear, and the sand was white! We all got our snorkeling gear on and went out with John for an adventure that I will never forget! I seriously could not believe my eyes. I saw so much down there on the sea floor! He was trying to find a shark for us to see (which I was completely fine with not seeing) but, they weren't coming out of their trenches. It was beautiful though! I saw sting rays, jellyfish, bright blue star fish, coral reef, and so much more! It really was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my entire life.

I took my underwater camera down there and got some sweet footage! I'm so thankful to John for taking us out there. It was a great weekend, but now I'm ready to get some work done today! I'm going to give lesson plans to the prison in Ba. We will be teaching (me, and 2 other girls) classes every Monday morning to the inmates. It's going to be a great project! Sorry that I haven't been able to post any pictures on here yet. The internet cafe's are super slow, but I'm working on it! Have a great week!

World Family Day!

Today was so fun! Me and my group were invited to go to a celebration for World Family Day! One of our partner's, a non-profit organization called Friend Fiji, held it in the Noviano village, just outside of Laoutoka. They invited our group to come and celebrate with them! We were driven to the village, and were led into the main meeting room, which was really just a hard-tile floor with hand-woven Fijian mats laid out to sit on. This village was very poor, like all villages here in Fiji. The people were so sweet and inviting. When we were waiting for the head chief to come in, all of the villages (we met in Noviano, but there were 3 other villages there) started singing! When they were done, they wanted us to sing! (Us as in me and 5 other volunteers!) It's sad how we couldn't think of a group song we all knew right off the bat, so I suggested “I am a child of God.” We sang and I seriously almost started crying. The spirit was so strong. These people love God so much and worship Him so well. We went back and forth singing different songs, dancing, laughing, and clapping. It was amazing!

The festivities started out with the Head chief giving a spiritual thought and the prayer, and then we had a guest speaker from New Zealand (who works for FRIEND Fiji). He spoke about families and the importance of spending time together. Again, I almost cried. I miss my family so much and have realized even more how important they are to me, so when he was speaking, I really connected with what he was saying. After the talk was given, the games begun! We started with bobbing for apples (which is totally not the same version as it is in the states, by the way!) Then we had a sack race, tug-of-war, and marble race! We had 4 teams, and the 6 of us from HELP were one team, so we all joined in on the friendly competition. It was so fun! The last event of the day was volleyball. Okay, so along with rugby and soccer, Fijian's are insane at volleyball! Yeah, we got schooled all 3 times we played, but we had so much fun! I even had a few older women from one village sitting in the mud next to the white chalked lines which were the court, cheering me on! It was encouraging, since everyone else would just laugh when I would do something stupid! It was such a great day. I got a lot of sun and a lot of new memories!

When we met back together to close the events of the day, the people from FRIEND gave out a 24-case of Fiji water as the prize for winning each event. Well, one village got 2 cases and when it came to the end for everyone to leave, the oldest lady from the village came and placed one of the cases of water in front of our feet, as an offering to us. My first instinct was to say, “Oh, no thank you! You are so sweet, but really, you have it!” I was quickly told by a local that I should accept the gift. Apparently, it was her way of showing her love and respect for us. That really touched me. Again, the tears almost came! Who knew that World Family Day could be such an emotional time for me? :) I just felt awful because I knew that she and her whole village could've used that water so much. The people are just so generous and loving here, it's truly amazing.

The work has begun!

So, the past 2 days, we have split up into 3 groups. Our main focus for these 2 days was to get into the different towns and do “community mapping” which is where we basically get to know the town inside and out. My group was assigned to Ba, which is the main town we live in. Our village is actually called, Namasou, but Ba is the main town. So, me, Brandi, Zac, and Mallory started out and first took a bus into town! We walked up and down every single street, and actually got quite a few potential partners to work with us! We were so excited!

We met with the Red Cross, the ministry of health, the civic town center, eye clinics, doctors clinics, schools, hospitals, etc. It was really exciting! So, at the end of the first day, we came home to plan in our individual groups and then we shared with everyone what we found out!

Yesterday, we did the same thing, except we stayed on “this side of the bridge.” So, we spent about 3 hours walking up and down hills and roads and trying to map the community. One cool experience we had was with the prison. We talked with 2 men who had been running it for 21 years, and were SO nice. They seemed like really great leaders who wanted their prisoners to learn and grow from their mistakes. He got my contact information and said that when the main guy in charge comes back he will call us to have a meeting! It was a really sweet thing and I'm so excited to work with them. We went into town yesterday as well, and the best part about it was lunch! We actually found a pizza place! It was called Ba's Pizza Palace! Oh my goodness, it was seriously the best thing that's ever happened to me. Obviously the pizza isn't the same here as it is in America, but I didn't even care. It tasted heavenly!

When we were walking up one of the streets, a man from church came out, dressed in a police uniform and came out to talk to us. He was so excited to see us and is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. He took us up and down the streets to try and find us good deals on souveniers and stuff, but he was crackin me up. He took us to get ice cream as well. (Yeah, the ice cream is kind of gross here, but hey, at least we got some!) Anyway, he knows EVERYONE in Ba and he would always introduce us as his American friends from his church! It was a great day! It was also a very hot day. Even the Fijian man I was talking to at the bus stop said, “it is very hot day today, yeah?” (By the way, Sam, everyone here says “eh” after their sentences...like CANADA!)

I'm so excited that we have been able to jump right in and get so many contacts for our projects! Today through Friday will be spent going into the villages and evaluating how last years projects went! I can't wait!

Bula!! (Hello in Fijian)

I'm here!!

We made it safely to Fiji! Since the time is a day and 6 hours ahead of U.S. Time, we left on a Thursday and got here on a Saturday at 6 in the morning. The flight was pretty long, but luckily my little friend, Tylenol PM helped me out. :) I walked off the plane and was hit with a wave of heat and humidity! Holy cow! It was insane! I had a little trouble trying to get through customs, but not to worry, I talked my way right through it!

We had to take a 1 hour bus ride to then get on a mini bus (which my long legs didn't even fit in because it was that mini) that bus took us right up to our house in Ba, which is a very small village on the west side of Fiji. We pulled up and beheld our new pad for the summer; a hot pink palace! It is a very cozy place, but we manage to fit 16 of us inside! I sleep on the top bunk currently and have warned my roomies that I sleep walk...so to just be cautious! (That has now become the new joke of the house, well, along with a lot of other things I have accidently said.)

That same day we went 10 minutes into town and got to buy fruit from the market and bread and a pillow! We also were able to use the internet cafe there for a little bit. The internet is super slow there, so that's why you haven't seen a blog post until now! Sorry! One funny thing that happened that day was one of the Fijian taxi drivers pulled me aside, as I was doing my best to speak the 6 words of Fijian I know, and he told me, “You better stop speaking Fijian young lady, or you will end up getting married here!” It was hilarious! Then, another guy I was talking to said as innocently as can be, “You really need to stop speaking such broken Fijian. How are we supposed to understand what you're saying?” So, as hard as I'm trying, my Fijian is still pretty awful, but that's not stopping me from practicing!

Sunday was amazing because we got to walk to church here in Ba! It was about a 15 minute walk and by the time we got there we were all dripping with sweat! It is SO hot here. Anyway, we walked in and there were like 5 members there. The chapel is so small, and it also holds the relief society, young womens, and Priesthood room. We found out that the ward's bishop died last year and they haven't had anyone to replace him yet. So, there is one high councilman who comes from Lautoka (about 40 min away) and runs the Sunday service. I was asked if I could teach the young women because their president didn't show up. So, me and Amanda (another volunteer) went in and taught the class! There were 3 Fijian girls who were so sweet and so giggly! I showed them pictures of my friends and family back home and they immediately had a crush on my little brother, Drew. But, duh, who doesn't, right? They were 15 and 16. We sang, recited the YW theme, and talked about our testimonies and faith. It was really amazing! The Sunday school class then came in, and didn't have a teacher either. So, we were asked to stay again and teach about missionary work. This time it was combined with the boys! We had a good time. Sacrament was the last meeting, and as I went to sit in my seat, the high councilman came and asked if I would bear my testimony during the meeting. So, he introduced me as Sister Lex, and I went and shared my testimony. I felt very grateful for that opportunity and for the whole experience. We will really get to know this ward well because we will be going for 6 more weeks! They were so welcoming and inviting!

Fiji has proven to be an amazing adventure already and i've only technically been here for 2 days! I'm not eating very much though, and I find myself hungry a lot, but that's okay because I'll go stock up on pineapple and bananas at the market today. I always make sure to try everything I'm given, but that doesn't always mean I can finish more than one bite. So, thank heavens for those granola bars my roommate Caitlin packed in my bag! I have literally been living off of those and Fiji water! :)

Well, that's the update for now. I will try and keep this updated as much as I can! Moce! (pronounced “mo-they”, meaning goodbye!)

Leavin on a Jet Plane!

Well, good news! I got a call from the passport office today and they found my application and will be sending it tonight!! This means that I am most DEFINITELY leaving for Fiji in a day and a half! I am SO excited!! I will be updating this blog while I'm down there so you can all see the projects we will be doing.