Moce Fiji!

Well, I can't believe this is my last week here in Fiji. I am honestly filled with so much emotion. This has been the most amazing experience of my life and I just feel so blessed to have been able to come spend so much time here. I have loved every second of if. Even when things were hard, it didn't matter because I knew that what I was doing here made it all worth it. I'm going to miss so much about Fiji. I'm going to miss the people first of all. They have the most caring, giving, hearts here and are so much fun! I'm going to miss the work we have been able to do here, but I'm super fired up to continue this humanitarian stuff back home in the states! I will miss the other 20 volunteers I have lived/worked with the past month and half. They are so amazing! I love every single one of them! Haha, of course there were times when we all got on each others' nerves, but then we would walk to the store, eat a blitz bar, and feel happy all over again! I will miss Maya and her Indian food...ok, I'll miss some of it. :) I will miss trying to get her son to stop smoking, and all the funny talks we had out on the porch! I'll miss the ward, the music class, the mini bus's, the pink brick house, cream buns, and so much more that I don't even have room to write! But one thing is for sure, coming to Fiji has been one of the best decisions I've ever made!

I would suggest to anyone who is thinking about doing some sort of service, to really look into HELP International's program. There are so many places to choose from, and even if it's not Fiji, I know you will love it! You will feel like a new person by the time you leave. I know I do! I'm so thankful for this experience and for everyone who helped me get here. I hope to come back here eventually, but for now I will say Moce and Vinaka to Fiji!!! 

Staying Busy with work in Fiji!

This past Thursday, me and 2 other volunteers went to a primary (elementary) school in our area to plant gardens! We didn't really know what to expect when we got there, but it was such an eye-opening experience. The head master of the school is an Indian man in his late thirties, and there are 3 others that are the teachers. There are 68 students total, and this school is said to be one of the poorest schools in this area. We were told that the students are so poor, that they don't have any food to eat in their villages, so the teachers, out of their own pocket sometimes, will bring food and make them lunch every single day. They also will go and pick up the children if they aren't at school. They said a big reason they don't come regularly is because they don't have any clothes to wear. It broke my heart to hear all of this, and then when we finally met the children, I just wanted to hug every single one of them!

There was a pretty even mix of Fijian and Indo-Fijian students. They took turns in their age groups, coming out to help us plant a tomato garden for their school. They were all so happy! While we were digging and planting, they were singing and laughing. It was so cute. When we were all done planting the garden and having lunch, we went outside, sat in a circle on the grass, and sang songs together! They taught us some new Fijian songs, and I think they were impressed when they heard us sing one of their songs to them. We have learned a few Fijian songs in different villages. It was such a great day! It was bittersweet though because I was so happy to be with them and help them, but it killed me to know their circumstances. I have a good idea for a project I can do when I get home to help this school, and I'm really excited to continue this journey back in the states.

Free Fallin

I can now check off one of the biggest things on my bucket list....SKYDIVING! That feels so weird to say because I can't actually believe that I did it! Since it was a pretty huge moment in my life, and since I love all of you that follow this blog, I figured I would share the whole experience with you! This past Saturday, me and 6 others from our HELP Fiji group took a trip to Nadi to go skydiving! We met our instructors that morning at 8:30. (I had butterflies in my stomach the entire day) They picked us up and drove us to the office in Nadi where you need to check in, and basically sign your life away! My hand was shaking as I filled out the paperwork and I kept asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” Since I knew that the longer I waited the more nervous I would get, I volunteered to go up in the first plane! The planes they take you in are tiny. There is room for a pilot, 2 jumpers, and 2 instructors. So, me and Sarah from my group were the first ones to go. The rest of the group would be waiting down on Wai Loa Loa beach, where we would be landing. Thankfully, Sarah is the calmest person ever and took the risk of going up in the plane with me, the girl who can't control how nervous she is, so she talks a million miles a minute and screams at random moments. I love her for that! We get to the airport, were briefed on what to do when we get up in the sky, and got settled in the plane. We were basically right on top of each other in the plane..it was quite cozy in there. We took off and I was seriously trying to keep a smile on my face, but I was scared out of my mind! My instructor, Kobi, was a lifesaver. He was hilarious first of all, and also knew how scared I was, so he kept me as calm as he could. When we got to 4,000 feet, I was ready to jump, but oh no, we still had another 4,000 feet to go! I was actually still smiling at this point and kind of excited! The minute I saw the plane door open, and heard the crazy wind, I sort of wanted to die. Luckily, Sarah was closest to the door, so she jumped first. 3 minutes before my jump, Kobi strapped himself to me, and reminded me of all the things to do once I was in the air. I think I went into shock a little bit, because I really don't remember much after we were strapped together. (But, once I watched the video, it all became very clear to me!) It was our turn, and I couldn't really breathe. We scooted over to the door, and I had to put my legs out so they were dangling. He was behind me on my back. Once my legs were out, we jumped!! It was insane! We free fell for a really long time because Kobi couldn't get the parachute to open. But, whatevs. I got more bang for my buck I guess! Once it opened, it was really quiet because we were falling slower. It was one of the most peaceful moments of my entire life. We were falling over the ocean, so I could see all of the water, the beaches, the clouds, and trees. It was gorgeous! I still was in shock a little bit, but I tried to just go with the moment. When we were about to land, Kobi told me to keep my legs up, because it would break some bones if they were drug on the beach. So, before we landed though, he let me guide our parachute. It was so cool! Landing went very well! We swooped down through some palm trees, and glided on the sand on our bums. When we stopped, I laid back and smiled! I was so happy! That really was one of the most amazing things I have ever done!

As cheesy as this may sound, there were a few seconds in the air, that I couldn't help but relate what I was doing right then to the gospel and to my life. I was thinking that sometimes in life we are given extremely hard things. We are given trials to make us stronger, and to help us realize that WE CAN DO HARD THINGS. Now, obviously I chose to do this really scary thing on Saturday, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever made myself do. In our lives, we will go through hard times and have to overcome hard things, but I realized that maybe one reason we go through these hard things is simply just to realize that we can conquer them. I really am so proud of myself for making the jump, and I'm also very grateful for that experience. It helped me realize just how strong I can be. So, if you're looking for something to do this weekend.... ;)