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.... ;)

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.