Crouch, Bind, Set! Lights, Camera, Action!

"And the Fiji Mens' Rugby 7s Team wins the gold medal in Rio!!!" Mark my words, there will be, or certainly should be, a movie made about Fiji's 2016 Olympic Gold Medal. Here's a country whose athletes had not previously won an Olympic medal with a team made up of big, strong men, whose individual stories are fascinating. Picture whole villages cheering on their son, brother, or uncle. One key player has vision in only one eye. Two of their mates played on the opposing Japan team in the quarter finals. Cut to their ginger haired, young British coach shouting encouragement as they train by running up and down the Sigatoka sand dunes along Fiji's Coral Coast. The whole country loves them and sings hymns as they play. Fans in Rio, wearing Fiji team shirts, and blue wigs, waving beautiful sky blue Fiji flags, are recognized on television by our friends here. "Oh look, there's Brother So and So!" Prime Minister Bainamarama declares Monday, August 22nd a national holiday as the team arrives back in Fiji. The team prays when they win the final match and kneels, out of respect, when Princess Anne presents them with their gold medals. The country goes wild with dancing in the streets, flags waving, cars honking, and music everywhere. The movie could be called The Flying Fijians (their official name), Bula Vinaka (thanks for life), or Crouch, Bind, Set! (shouted by the referee as they form a scrum). For the movie you've got beautiful scenery, island music, dancing, strength, overcoming great odds, excitement, and on and on. OK, anyone have a friend working for Disney Studios?

Cuckoo for Coconuts

Before we came to Fiji, one of my friends looked deeply into my eyes and said, "Coconut oil will completely change your life."  I was not so sure at that point that I wanted to completely change my life, but decided to keep an open mind on the subject.

Most of us have read somewhere that coconuts can help you burn more calories, eat less, improve blood pressure, prevent infection, increase brain function and do just about anything short of marching around the room while playing a trumpet.

We would all agree that a coconut massage, scalp treatment, or using coconut body lotion is a heavenly experience.  But I think we've found another very valuable use for coconut oil. It's the best temperature gauge around. Wondering if today is a bit cooler than yesterday. How solid is the bottle of coconut oil?  Is it liquid?  Whew - it's the hot season!

Yes, I guess coconut oil has changed my life. Now if I could just figure out a more graceful way to shimmy up that palm tree...

Fiji Fundamentals

 FIJI FUNDAMENTALS

The Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah provided a great introduction to missionary service, but coming to the South Pacific and the Fiji Suva Mission, I think that there are a few other mini courses that would have been extremely useful.  Here are some that come to mind:

 "Water - The Benefits and Challenges" especially if coming from a very dry cimate, like Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and parts of Texas.

"Identification of Exotic Fruits and Vegetables"

"Defensive Driving and Walking"

"Brow-eese" (communicating with eyebrows) and "Honkology" (communicating by car horn)

"Greetings - Handshakes, Kissing, the Forehead Nose Press etc."

"Currency Recognition" so that you don't feel like a little child, holding out a handful of money while the kind store clerk helps you out.

"Bugs Are Your Friends" because some bugs eat other pesky bugs.

"Natural Disaster Procedures" - What to expect when you don't know what to expect.

"Music Appreciation and Sight Reading" so you will be able to sing from the Fijian hymn book, and know in advance that when Fijians sing in beautiful harmony, you will cry.

"Extemporaneous Speaking - Sometimes on a Specific Topic"

"Unacceptable Phrases" which include "I don't mean to complain, but..." and, "Well, in (insert name of home town), we do it like this."  You ARE complaining and who cares how you did it back home?).  Replace these phrases with something like, "Vinaka vakalevu (thank you very much).

"Rugby Sevens Rules" so that you can cheer along with the rest of the nation for those world class Flying Fijians!

Fiji Dodge Car

When Wilson and I visited the LTA (Land Transport Authority) to see about obtaining a Fiji driver's license, we were asked if we would like to be 'converted'.  As LDS missionaries, we were surprised to be asked that question.  However we agreed and, once we showed them our British driver's licenses, we were able to sidestep the written and/or driving tests and 'convert' - receiving our Fiji driving licenses in a matter of minutes.

We've now been in Fiji for nine months and I think I've come up with an idea for a great video game - Fiji Dodge Car -  but be warned, it's not for the faint of heart, nor those without lightning fast reflexes and the mental agility to make quick decisions. That said, most American drivers would definitely be challenged by this game!

You would start by pulling out of the driveway on a dead end street. Immediately five taxis and two buses would whiz by, within inches of the front bumper. As you slowly pull out onto the narrow, winding, steep road you would be met by dogs sauntering along who seem to look at you with a "What on earth are YOU doing here?" gaze. Beware of some large potholes, trenches on the sides of the road, and be sure to swerve to miss birds enjoying their pothole birdbaths.   This video game would include 8,000 taxis and buses of every shape, size, and colour, each with it's own set of rules. See someone who needs a ride?  Stop in the middle of the road, do a quick U-turn, or suddenly pull across two lanes to pick them up. Also, feel free to let off your passengers anywhere you and they determine best. No problem that you are right next to a car and your departing passenger is almost tempted to open the back seat car door of the vehicle next to you, scoot across the seat, and get out of the other side just so they can reach the sidewalk.  A police vehicle with lights flashing?  Just keep driving.

The game would also come with instructions about using your car horn and flashing your lights. Honking is a conversational art, difficult to decipher at first, and can mean any of the following:
"I'm here, please don't back into me"
"Bula" or "Hi there"
"Although I'm in the wrong lane, I'm coming over so get ready"
"Go ahead"
"Make a turn in front of me"
"Danger ahead"
"Our team won"

Although you are only traveling about 30-40kph (18-24 mph) around town, it feels like break neck speed due to winding roads, the abundance of traffic and our next frightening traffic hazard-

The Pedestrian.

Those playing Fiji Dodge Car need to quickly understand the faith and confidence pedestrians have placed in you.  As they run, wander, or saunter across the road without so much as a glance in your direction, you realize that you are not only responsible for your safety and the safety of all those in your vehicle, but also for every person on every sidewalk and road in the city. An added challenge is when someone crossing the road actually bumps into your car because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, possible traveling too slowly. Add to that the excitement of many people crossing the three lane road, one lane at a time, hesitating on the stripes. Animals and birds often follow suit. Just today, as we were stopped, a bird flew into the side of our car. Interesting...

Any thoughts of driving while listening to the radio, or momentarily day dreaming for that matter, should be avoided while playing Fiji Dodge Car. Your full concentration is required. Better yet, enlist a navigator with an eagle eye to spot side roads, road signs, and shop names to ride with you. Intersections with traffic lights can be quickly transformed, when those lights are out, into roundabouts with a few cones or barricades strategically placed in the center of the road. All other drivers (except you) will recognize this immediately. Here's another honking opportunity - "Oy!  It's a roundabout, palangi!"

Night driving requires another level of expertise.  For those with nerves of steel, give it a go.  Warning - be it day or night, other vehicles very suddenly appear and disappear, defying all laws of physics. Pedestrians walk in the streets in dark clothing and become nearly invisible.

For the country version of Fiji Dodge Car I would definitely add chickens, goats, a few cows and horses wandering the roads in addition to the entire mongoose population of Fiji.  I do have to admit, those little guys are low to the ground and can scamper across a busy road very quickly.  Now, we would also include coconuts dropping from the trees and lots of small fruit/vegetable/food stands along the roadsides in random, traffic congesting locations, encouraging vehicles to make quick stops in the middle of the road, and an increased number of taxis and pedestrians.

Fiji Dodge Car would be extremely challenging but fun, and would include breathtaking scenery around each bend.  Plus the many speed humps as you drive through Fiji villages would force you to slow down and really appreciate the beauty of village life.

The real winners in Fiji Dodge Car will be those who see beauty all around and develop a great love for everything (and everyone) Fijian.

H2Ohhhh

 I thought I knew a fair amount about water - until I came to Fiji.  I remember from school that this   life sustaining compound makes up approximately 60% of my body and that the best water in the world comes from Fiji (sorry folks, but that's an undeniable fact).  After serving here for nine months I've gained an even greater appreciation for H2O, having previously taken it so much for granted. 

We are fortunate to have our water solar heated, and there seems to be plenty of sunshine to do the job on a regular basis. Although our shower is just 30"x30", I look forward to that nice warm water each day. And changing water filters in our kitchen has become second nature to us now. 

The car wash is amazing. Usually two or three energetic people, using a hose, scrub every square inch of the car by hand and vacuum the interior for a very minimal fee. The amazing thing is that the water from the hose does not spot at all.  It just sheets off and the windshield looks like it has disappeared.  

Now, on a much larger scale how much H2O do we see falling from the sky?  Well, if you're in the U.S, here's the average annual precipitation in a few places:

Salt Lake City, Utah - 16 inches per year

Honolulu, Hawaii- 17 inches per year

Seattle, Washington - 36 inches per year

New Orleans, Louisiana - 67 inches per year

Now, are you ready for this?  Drum roll please... Suva, Fiji - 118 inches per year!!!  By the way, Funafuti, Tuvalu which we've travelled to twice, has an average annual precipitation of 136 inches per year. Stop and imagine that for a moment.

Before arriving in Fiji, we thought, "Well, it must rain every day."  Not so. But when it does rain it certainly gets your attention. Here's a demo of a beautiful Suva, Fiji rainstorm. As you walk over to your kitchen faucet, imagine one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Then turn the water on, full force fairly quickly, let it run for a minute or two, then turn it off fairly quickly. Not very scientific, but you get the idea.  It's wonderful because usually when it begins (with very little notice), you can stand in a doorway or bus shelter for the brief duration of the storm, then step out into beautiful golden sunlight with birds singing and plants looking refreshed. 

That is, unless a tropical depression or cyclone comes calling. By the way, I personally like the fact that these huge storms are being named with female AND male names. I'm a strong woman, but why should all of the Katrinas and Patricias in the world feel bad when their namesake storm tears apart communities?

Because Fiji is built on volcanic rock, all of this rain drains off fairly quickly.  However when the cyclone season arrives (November-April), all bets are off.  Rivers that normally provide transportation can come crashing over the banks, destroying homes. When water and winds combine, then you're really in for it with cyclones and tsunamis.  I've learned the difference between a Category 1 cyclone (hurricane or typhoon, depending on where you live) with winds of only 63-88 kph, and a Category 5 cyclone with winds in excess of 200 kph.  That was Winston, three weeks ago - a Category 5. These winds were experienced by many people in various communities in Fiji. Lives were lost and villages destroyed.  The Fiji government, other governments, non-governmental organizations, churches, and communities are working together to clean up, provide housing, food, and water, to replant, and to encourage. The strong Fiji spirit and community love are evident everywhere.

In other places we've visited, because of the rising sea levels, an entire small country might disappear. How do you cope when the highest point in your island nation is just 15 feet, the sea rises and a giant wave approaches?

I think I'm learning my lesson. Water is obviously essential and life-saving, but can also be deadly.

OK Mother Nature - I am in awe of water.  It has definitely gained my respect. 

No Win for Winston - Temple is Dedicated!

The morning after President Henry B. Eyring enjoyed a wonderful traditional Fijian welcome, we awoke to these headlines.

However, on Saturday the cyclone veered north and the Cultural Celebration went on.  1300 youth between the ages of 12 and 18 had been practicing for weeks and weeks and travelled, some from many miles away and some from other islands, to Suva just for this performance.  A condensed version of the Cultural Celebration was a delight to everyone, including President Eyring, Elder & Sister Cook, Elder & Sister Richards, and the Pacific Area Presidency. After the amazing finale, we were able to get everyone out of the Vodafone Arena and the youth safely back to the LDS College before Cyclone Winston hit.  Wilson & I were more fortunate than many. The howling winds, rattling glass windows and doors and flooding into our flat were nothing compared to the serious damage, loss of homes and injuries sustained by others. After this tempest came the dawn and the Suva Fiji Temple was rededicated on Sunday, February 21 - a blessing for the nation of Fiji!

22,483 New Friends

On Monday, August 10, 2015 we were asked to serve as Executive Secretaries to President Vito  Qaqa, Chairman of the Suva Fiji Temple Rededication Local Committee. We were provided with a document to help the local committee organize the Open House, the Cultural Celebration, and the Temple Rededication. Upon opening the document, we were surprised when we read, "Twelve months before ..."  We realized that we had only about five months until these events were scheduled to occur!  President Qaqa called some amazingly talented subcommittee chairmen to oversee different aspects of the Temple activities including Budget, Rededication Tickets, Physical Facilities, Public Affairs, Security, Ushers, Transportation, Member-Missionary Coordination, Historical Records, Cultural Celebration, Technology, and Music. We also called a Food Coordinator and a Cultural Celebration Coordinator.

We set up meeting agendas, provided notebooks, and timelines for each subcommittee chairman so that we all had a good idea of what exactly needed to be accomplished and when for each area. We also created a Master Timeline/Calendar for the last three months, so that everyone on every committee knew exactly what was going on.  This organizing might have been the scaffolding, but the amazing Fijian people have built it.  Through their boundless energy, calm, collaborative attitude, deep testimonies, and strength we have just completed a three week Open House.  The 30 young sister missionaries have been staying in the Service Centre and have done an incredibly good job of greeting visitors, showing the pre-tour temple video, and talking with people in the post-temple tour tent.  The ushers and have been exceptional and the security and first aid team have been the best. The Open House has been publicized on the radio, television, newspapers, through social media, electronic signs, and banners at strategic locations in the Suva area.

When the Prime Minister came with many of the Ministers on the first day, he was presented with his genealogy dating back to 1577 BC.  He was visibly touched, called the President to encourage him to come see the temple and was quoted in the newspaper saying, "Everyone should come and see this!"  22,483 people have had the opportunity to experience the beauty and peace of the Suva Fiji Temple!

Over 3,700 people have completed comment cards and  1,774 individuals have asked for a visit from the missionaries.  The message of the temple is, Jesus Christ is our Saviour, we are all God's children, and our families are forever.  Lives are being affected by this and we can't believe that we are fortunate enough to be serving as missionaries in Fiji right now.

One day we arranged for a bus to pick up 25 of our friends from the Fiji Returned Soldiers and Ex-Servicemen's Association to visit the temple.  Brother Maiwiriwiri was their host and, although we don't speak Fijian, we felt the spirit and the love experienced by all.  It was a profound experience - one neither of us will ever forget.

I've said before that our mission call should not have said, "You have been called to the Fiji Suva Mission as Assistant Area Auditors" but instead, "You have been called to Heaven as Cheerleaders". We spend most of our time telling the people here just how incredibly good and capable they are. There is a new measurement for us. It's called "Fiji Standard" and it really has to be experienced to be believed.

On the final day of the Open House, 25 buses from the West pulled in.  A stake president arranged these buses to start at 3am and stop at villages all along the way to bring chiefs and other village residents to experience this amazing event. Also many buses from the Korovo and Nausori areas brought people to the temple. It's impossible to put into words the impact this Open House is having throughout the country.  With no injuries , heat stroke, or picketers - It's like one big love fest!

Next big event will be the Cultural Event - "A Celebration of Faith" on February 20th, then the actual Temple Rededication on Sunday, February 21st. What a blessing!

Feel the breeze!

When Wilson was a missionary in Northern England one of his landladies, Miss Fletcher, used to recite this Lancashire rhyme:

     The devil sent the wind
     To blow the girl's skirt high,
     But God was just and sent the dust
     To blind the bad man's eye.

I'm sure Wilson never dreamed that nearly 50 years later, he would experience these "wind issues"...

Christmas & New Year Celebrations in Fiji

Celebrating Christmas in the summertime is a very interesting experience.  The sun is shining, people are playing in the water, and Santa and his "little helpers" (big fierce looking warriors) arrive by boat. It's a time of large extended family get togethers and there's  always lots of food. There are presents, but those are more of a sideline, rather than the main event.

Now New Year's Eve celebrations are a whole different thing!  It's normal for a party to begin at 6pm and end at 2, 3, or 4am.  On New Year's Day, the water fights begin.  It's a week-long celebration of people running through the village with buckets or bottles of water and water cannons to soak anyone and everyone. Good time to wash away the old year and start fresh.  It's a great time for the missionaries!  This year we'll not be watching the ball drop in Times Square or thinking, "It must be midnight somewhere, so we're justified in going to bed early,". That 'somewhere' is here, near the International Dateline. Tomorrow for you is today for us.  And I must say - it's a wonderful day!  Best wishes for a great 2016.

A New Language = Brow-ese

I've often bemoaned the fact that I'm unilingual. No matter how many times I study French or Spanish, it just doesn't seem to click. I figured that the foreign language switch in my brain was stuck in the permanent "off" position. That is, until now!

I am happy to report that I can now boast an understanding of a second language - actually, it's a third if you count Pig Latin.  Now that we've been in Fiji for a full six months, I have mastered Conversational Brow-ese!

In America when someone is speaking and you want to show that you're listening or agreeing, you smile, nod your head, and/or say something like, "Yeah" "Right" or "uh-huh". Here however, a slight, quick raising of the eyebrows speaks volumes.

If both brows go up and down once, it's "Yes, go on..." or, "I see your point."  (Go ahead, give it a try. You know you want to.).   If both brows are raised and lowered multiple times, the translation is, "Absolutely!"  or "Without a doubt!"  I must admit that my first conversation, when speaking with a man fluent in this interesting Fijian language, made me wonder what on earth was going on.  However now that I'm quite fluent in Brow-ese, I understand completely.  In fact, once you start doing this, it comes quite naturally.  Don't you agree?  Hey, I saw those eyebrows twitch.  Now you're well on your way to fluency!

Name That Tune

Each Sunday we attend church at a different Ward, Branch, or Unit throughout Fiji. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet good people, hug beautiful children, and share wonderful experiences and thoughts with some of the most Christ-like people I've ever known. Then after the Sacrament Meeting, we work with the bishops and financial clerks to provide them with a few tools to help them in their important responsibilities.

Now, being old and fairly stupid, I've not been able to learn any language besides English. Yup, Beginning French in Junior High, Beginning French in High School, and Beginning French in College. And for all of that, I can count to 10, recognize a few colors, and recite the days of the week...  Oh well, back to today. We were in a Fijian speaking ward, but I was prepared.  Although I did not understand what was being said, and my name was not announced (whew), I had my Sere Ni Lotu (Hymn Book) with me.  In addition, someone provided me months ago with a little cheat sheet so that, for example, when Hymn #40 was posted as the Opening Hymn, I could quickly refer to the sheet and immediately recognize the song to be sung.  Yes, I know that if I just opened the Sere Ni Lotu to #40 and looked at the music, I should be able to identify the hymn, right?  Big emphasis on the "should". Needless to say, my musical education is fairly lacking - but that's another story.  So I confidently looked at my cheat sheet and this is what I saw.

Yes, Hymn #40 is that old, beloved, well known Welch Hymn "Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch". Ummmm, I'm guessing that at this point, rather than diving into the study of Welch (and any other language we've borrowed hymns from) I had better bite the bullet and learn to read music!

Wheelchairs, Walkers, and Canes

Last week we had the opportunity to witness some of the good works happening with LDS Charities working with The Spinal Injury Association of Fiji.  Over 700 wheelchairs, built for a very rugged environment, plus hundreds of walkers and canes have been made available to those in need in Fiji.

At the handover ceremony were the Country Welfare Managers, Frank and Susan Stanford, the Area Seventy, Elder Johansson, the Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services, Dr. Meciusela Tuicakau, the Executive Officer of The Spinal Injury Association of Fiji, Joshko Wakaniyasi, and members of two stake presidencies, President Varea and President Cava.

The humanitarian organization, LDS Charities, focuses on self-reliance and partners with other organizations to serve all races, nationalities, and religions throughout the world.

To see Christ-like love in action is a wonderful thing!

Little Rachael

As Assistant Area Auditors for the Fiji Suva Mission, we travel around to a different church unit each week, working with bishops, branch presidents, and clerks.  We sincerely thank them for all they are doing, and leave them with tools to make their financial record keeping process easier.  It's a positive experience, the meetings are short, and we leave them with a bag of candy. What could be better?

Well, last Sunday as we walked into a church building, a little girl grabbed my hand and introduced herself as Rachael.  She tightly gripped my hand and told me that she was eight years old.  As she lead me into the chapel and sat very close to me, I looked around to try to spot her parents to make sure they didn't mind, however I couldn't tell to whom she might belong.  She told me that she liked school, especially English, and that she had no brothers or sisters, "just some cousins."  We sang the opening song together, pointing to each word and musical note. Then suddenly she looked up at me with her beautiful dark eyes and asked, "Is your mother dead?"  I hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Yes Rachael, she is."  She searched my face for a moment, then said, "I'm cold."  Although the room was warm, I immediately knew that she was asking me to hug her, as a mother would.

So there we sat, through the church meeting, hugging each other tightly - one small girl deeply missing her mother, and one big girl deeply missing her mother, and being grateful for the opportunity to love this little soul. At the end of the meeting, I found a small key fob and gave it to her.  She said, "I will remember you."  Rachael, your mother remembers you.  Your Heavenly Father remembers you.  And little Rachael, I will always remember you.  

Bilibili - HMS No Come Back

A bilibili is a traditional Fijian raft made up of bamboo lashed together and is steered with a long pole.  People use it to transport goods down the river.  As we were walking through a museum the other day we came to an amazing bilibili exhibit, and I immediately thought back to our time in Taveuni, where these little boys were floating down the river on their own bilibilis.

The bilibili has been christened, The HMS No Come Back because, you guessed it, once the goods have reached their destination downstream, it's easier to leave the bamboo there rather than carry it back up for the next journey.

In life, we each lash together whatever we can in the form of abilities, talents, hopes and dreams, to embark on this river ride we call life.  Sometimes it's calm and smooth and we can "go with the flow".  Other times, it seems to be one wild rapid after another.  However, our ride in life could not be called the HMS No Come Back. Ours is not a one-way journey, but a round trip voyage, returning to our heavenly home - with a few bumps and bruises, but with much more knowledge and appreciation for one another and our heavenly parents.  HMS All Come Back is more appropriate.