Fiji Time!

October 18, 2009

“We’re on Fiji Time.”  These are the words you hear when someone wants to tell you dinner will be a couple hours late.  This was a common phrase over at Rainbow Reef.  However, at the Mission, we are on ‘Anibal’ time.  The Argentinian Doctor that serves here has turned this place in to a very systematic, well run operation.  Morning worship starts promptly at 7:30, Monday thru Friday.  The staff are not required to come, but most of them do.  I have been so blessed by the singing of the Fijian people, and the thoughts they have shared from God’s word.  Anibal has everyone take turns leading the devotion, and it has been a wonderful way to start our days here. On many occasions, patients that show up early join us for this time, as well.

The clinic is open from 8-12 Monday thru Friday.  However, that doesn’t stop people from coming at all hours of the day.  Dr. Anibal is open for emergencies whenever he is here.  In the few weeks that we have been here, we have seen many patients treated during closed hours.  From machete wounds to broken bones, to serious illness, the Mission provides a haven to the hurting.  One of our goals is to lighten Dr. Anibal’s workload outside the clinic, so he can be a Doctor full time, and not worry about all the other details of running the property.

Mike and Jon have been active in learning about the systems operations, from the generator to the trash disposal.  They have to be creative here in disposing of rubbish, because no trash and recycling trucks ever come this way. We are on a ‘burn’, ‘bury’, or ‘compost’ program, which requires a lot of consistency and work.  Most things that we used to push a button for, or write a check to pay for the service are unavailable here.  Thankfully, God is giving us some great experience and connections here.

We have learned to ask a lot of questions, to save us from reinventing the wheel.  The many different workers here have been a wealth of information for us.  We have been able to find local sources for fresh bread (until our container gets hereJ), eggs, homemade fans (a necessity for church), sewing, etc.  It is a huge blessing to invest in the local economy, as well as get the things we need without going to town.

A thrilling discovery this week was the local “Sam’s Club”!  We had heard there was a small warehouse type store called Sunny’s place, down the road, but hadn’t found time to check it out.  Monique and I took a couple of the children for a walk, to see what might be available there.  It turns out that we were greeted by a very friendly Indian young man, named Raju.  His family runs a local ferry and this store.

 The store definitely did not have American curb appeal, with its dusty and dark appearance, but it did carry quite a few things that will serve our families well.  They sell many things by the case, and are willing to take our orders on a weekly basis, and then deliver them straight to our kitchen.  That’s even better than America! Not to mention, a great opportunity to make new friendships with this very friendly family. 

Fiji has two major holidays this week: Fiji Day and the Indian Festival of Lights.  We  just celebrated Fiji’s Independence Day. Jessi and Bailee helped out at a local village on Thursday, and on their way home got invited to do music at another village’s school celebration.  We all piled into the truck to find a tiny school near the end of another off road experience.  We stopped along the way to pick up a bunch of villagers whose children attend the school. Words can’t describe the feeling of getting slammed around the back of the pickup, ducking fast approaching palm branches, and trying not to fall on to someone’s lap (or head).

The Fiji Day Celebration was well worth the trip.  The children sang their national anthem, as the flag was raised.  They had a speech by the guest of honor, who was their retired head teacher.  This man turned and addressed us directly, and recited the pledge allegiance to the flag of America.  He told us he was so thankful for the Mission’s work, because he himself had his sight restored just a couple weeks prior by one of the eye doctors that came down to serve.  His gratitude was heart warming and humbling.

We greatly enjoyed watching the students do their traditional meke dance, and then our girls were asked to sing.  Shouts of “Vinaka”  (thank you!) and “More” were the response.  However, we had to head back to the Mission so they could use the truck for work.  On our way home, we had another surprise.  One of the men we were driving asked us to pull over.  A woman proceed to come out of the house with blankets in her hand.  This was followed by loads of pots, pans, a mattress, and many other household items.  She grinned as she loaded in the last armful, and said, “Drop these off in Vunikera.  I will come later”.  Apparently, helping friends (and strangers) move didn’t end when we left America!

This week has been a lot calmer than last week, even with the latest tsunami warning.  Did you hear that another earthquake hit in between Australia and Fiji?  It surely reminds me of Jesus’ words that in the last days, there will be many signs that precede his second coming.  Earthquakes were one of the signs, and it makes me all the more excited to do God’s work here in preparing the people here for the Lord’s return.  The Fijian children were sent home from school, because of the latest warning.  But by the time, we checked on line, the warning had been cancelled.  PhewJ  No life jacket, and hill climbing this time.

We are attempting to schedule our lives into a routine now with homeschooling for me and the kids and work and house building for Mike.  We have a basic routine in place, but Becka assured me today that we have not actually lived out the planned schedule yet.  She complained that she hadn’t done math in several days!  We have had many things come up that thwart my well laid plans!  We have learned to be flexible and live out the ‘no worries’ or ‘sega na leqa’ motto.

This morning, the clinic was open and particularly busy after the holiday.  It turns out that the receptionist was late getting back, and they were in need of help.  Bailee attempted to man the desk by herself at first, but soon came to find me with a strong plea for help.  With Bailee, Mary Sue, and I all working, we were able to figure out the system, and get people checked in and pull their charts.  Fijians are incredibly patient people.  They would just smile and wait for their turn, or even agree to come back the next day, when we got too many people on the waiting list.  I am sure we humored them, as we tried hard to understand their names, and the names of their villages.  We lost a couple hours of school that morning, but gained a lot more.

Due to lack of time, and too many events to give you details for I will condense some of the latest happenings here in the South Pacific.

*Justin has kept busy playing catch with coconuts, and playing hide and seek with his friend, Mr. Crab. 

*The kids have been busy writing, and directing a movie, which is sure to hit youtube somedayJ

*One of the staff here now has brought his white mare, Snow, with her buckskin filly, Milo to graze near the clinic.  He told us Jessi can ride her anytime, and just watching the baby frolic brings back sweet memories of home.

*Jessi lost some major sleep 2 nights ago, when disturbed by a very large cockroach on her way to the bathroom with her flashlight in hand.  So last night, Mike, Jessi and I took on the nasty animal with a broom, a flashlight, and a sturdy pair of cowboy boots, after many screams, and hysterical laughing, we won the victory.  That cockroach picked the wrong room to hang out in.

*Jessi didn’t have enough excitement with the cockroach, so yesterday on a jog with Sadie, an aggressive goat with some lofty horns decided to come out and charge them.  Jessi tried to hold him off with some subtle, defensive foot action, but Sadie decided to take the goat by the horns (literally), while telling him definitively to ‘stop it, and go away, goat!’  God must have known I needed some good medicine (laughter), cuz I couldn’t stop laughing just visualizing Sadie manhandling the goat.  Thankfully, the goat did have a rope around its neck, and the girls were eventually able to drag it home, where its very sweet owner assured them that the goat had just ‘wanted to play!’

*Our official ground breaking for our home started today with a bang.  We are building a house on poles, and had fun using fishing string, and coconuts to lay out the spots where the holes would be dug.  Mike found someone who said they could recruit some men to dig the holes for us today.  We thought maybe 6 or 7 guys would show up, and we prayed that they would be hard workers.  As the local bus arrived and then pulled away, we saw about 15 strapping, Fijian men heading towards our work site, with machetes, picks and shovels in hand.  Turned out that someone invited a local rugby team to help, and they worked incredibly hard and fast, all day!  What a blessing to be moving forward with such a great first day.

*We have noticed that the Fijian people can work very hard, without complaining.  They sing, joke, smile and whistle while doing the work.  We have noticed that even though they have so little, they seem much happier than Americans who ‘have it all’.  Surely, we have much to learn from them.

*Some of the workers today had their lunches hanging from a mango tree.  Next to a lunch sac were 2 crabs tied together, just staring at each other.  Apparently, that is what ‘take out’ looks like in FijiJ

*We started our Fijian language classes with one of the ladies that helps us in the kitchen, named Ma.  She is patient with us as we try to remember that ‘c’ says ‘th’ and ‘g’ says ‘n’, and ‘q’ says ‘g’.  We are somewhat hindered in being able to speak English to most people. It keeps us from having to learn.  Today, I asked one of the staff here, how to say, “Would you like some?” as I offered him a cookie.  He was struggling to find the words, and said, “I want to tell you the easiest way to say it!”

I responded with a grin, “I guess the easiest way is in English!  Would you like some?”  He agreed with a laugh, as he took a cookie, and my Fiji lesson was overJ We have a bunch of phrases we are learning, and everyone is convinced that soon we will be able to speak Fijian.  I really want to learn, because it is the language of their heart.  Our new friend, Siwa, told us that even though they can speak English, they think and pray and ‘feel’ in Fijian, so it is hard for them to really express what is on the inside in English.  We want to learn the language, so we can know their hearts.

*Currently, we are dealing with some new bugs that we haven’t met before.  We haven’t needed mosquito nets in our room, because there are screens on the windows, and we keep the door shut.  Apparently, the rainy weather that has picked up again, has brought some tiny bugs that fit through the screens.  They buzz all around us, and seem to enjoy swarming on Mike’s ears with a chilling airplane sound. 

*As annoying as those bugs are, we hope they too shall pass.  One of the Thompson girls got lice, the dreaded thing we were warned about.  Miraculously, Monique was able to treat it, and no one else got infected.  Tea tree oil has become a popular item here, as it is known to prevent lice from recognizing you as human!  (Can someone do that for the mosquitos?)

*I will close with a very interesting Fijian fact.  We were all puzzled to notice that the leaves were falling from a few of the trees and covering the ground just like in the states.  The kids enjoyed raking them up, and jumping in them, as is our fall custom.  Mike noticed that the tree that lost all its leaves was quickly growing new buds, and soon blooming again.  I commented on this phenomenon to ‘Uncle Mesaki’.  He said, “Yes, those trees are imported.  They lose their leaves every fall.  They grow them right back because it is Fiji.  They are happy here!” 

How strange for the trees to do this.  It is the spring here, and we are fast approaching the summer and the rainy season. Yet, these trees which were long ago transplanted to Fiji, continue to lose their leaves every October.  I guess that God wired it in to their system, just like when he told the geese to fly south for the winter.  I wonder what habits we will keep here in Fiji, and what things we will let go of.

Pastor Mika, from the local church, came by with about 10 pumpkins for us today.  Did he know it is our season for pumpkin bread, and pumpkin pie?  I don’t think so, but I was grateful, none the less!

It is time for me to go, but I can’t help but tell you that before we turn off the lights here, I will have to help Mike shake all the little bugs off the sheet, which he is hiding under.  They really seem to like him!

Keep us in your prayers, and sweet dreams to you all!

Blessings,

Sara