By Wes
BULA!!!! (Hello in Fijian)
After leaving New Zealand we have made our way out of Aukland and into Nadi, Fiji. We posted up at a very nice hostel there and met some pretty cool people. One of them was Nazil, our taxi driver, photographer, all-time best friend and “FBI” agent. He took us to a gorgeous mud pool where almost everyone pushed their limits with their comfort zone and got lathered up in mud from head to toe. After letting it dry we hopped in a few thermal pools for a little bit of relaxation. Two of the guys, Wes and Jamie even got a massage!
We kept on our journey and made our way to the capital of Fiji, the city of Suva. There we spent the day getting ready and preparing for our very long journey to the small town of Savusavu on an island north of Suva. We started this long and exhausting trek by getting up at 3:30 am to catch a bus the would take us to the jetty so we can hop on a ferry. The bus ride to the ferry was about 1 and a 1/2 hours. Once at the jetty we hopped off the bus as it parked on the boat and sat on the upper deck for our 4-hour boat ride to Savusavu. As the boat docked, we got back on the bus and went for another bus ride for about 2 hours into the city of Savusavu.
As we arrived, Katie was in contact with our pal Sully, arranging for him to come pick us up in a truck and take us to his village of Vuadomo. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the majority of the village and were introduced to all the people. They had snacks and drinks waiting for us while they sat patiently to meet us in what they call “The Shed” which is basically their hangout spot and where most of the kava circles take place.
The following day we had a great Fijian breakfast and went for a small walk to an absolutely gorgeous waterfall (pictures to come). The water was cold but I’m pretty sure everyone still had a great time, especially the kids. As we begin getting more comfortable in the village we have started out our project of building a footpath that connects all the houses and other buildings together. One of the house mothers explained why it was so important saying, “with a footpath everyone will be connected not just the houses, everyone will want to go outside more now that they don’t have to worry about having muddy feet and having to walk through the wet grass and water. It’s not just a connection of the houses but a connection to each other as well.”
We have gotten a lot of the footpath finished and ready for the drying stage but there is still much more to do. On Friday we attended the village’s Easter church service and sat down with all of them while the preacher gave thanks to God and welcomed us through Christ into the village. As we continue to work and play with the kids the rain begins to get heavier, the past few days have consisted of sitting around and playing cards or watching movies while the rain comes pouring down. We will be leaving the village on Friday and I know it will be hard to say goodbye but I’m sure most of us will return in the future. After Friday, it’s off to Australia!
Moce! (Bye in Fijian)