Bula friends and families!
We have spent the last week in Rabulu (pronounced "Rambulu") Village living with host families and getting to know everyone in the village. Upon arrival on our first night, we introduced ourselves to everyone and were welcomed into the village with the traditional drinking of kava, a crushed plant saturated in water which produces a tea-like drink. After the drinking of kava, meeting our host families, and getting settled into our new homes, we all ceremoniously ate dinner prepared and served by the women of the village. After a delicious Fijian-style dinner we all enjoyed a very casual kava gathering at which a handful of members of the village and the group sat together and shared stories. After having gotten to know everyone, we prepared for our first day of work. Over the next few days, we got to work on assisting the villagers in creating a concrete sidewalk that ran through one of the muddiest parts of the village. Once that was completed we helped out in renovating the village kindergarten; replacing the floor mats and re-painting the whole building. The week of work was concluded by a visit into the nearby town of Tavua where we enjoyed watching local Rugby and shopping at the local vegetable market. The overwhelming kindness and hospitality of the people in the village got us all thinking about our own families back home and how much we missed everyone. However, this brought the group closer together and to our host families. Now at the end of the week, we all find ourselves stronger than ever and ready to take on the next part of our journey. We hope everyone back home having as much fun as we are and we'll see you in the next update.
Moce (pronounced "mo-they"),
Hongi Group