Bula Vinaka my friends,
Fiji is wonderful, a mix of many emotions, but wonderful! My last time here was in 2005 when I had some challenges within the outreach team I was leading, and I also contracted a bad case of Cika - the Fijian word for Conjunctivitis. Since then the Lord has indeed healed my eyes, my heart and given me a love for the Fijian people and this land. The photos I put up (because I don't have any others uploaded yet) are from one of our first days where we played volleyball with the staff in a completely underwater court, thanks to the rains that came and went before our team did. It was the most fun I've ever had playing volleyball for SURE.
Our team is staying at YWAM Vunayasi - the first YWAM property in Fiji which is about 15 minutes drive from Nadi town in the middle of some Sugar Cane fields... the staff here have such big hearts and have been such a blessing to get to know. The boys in the team are staying in a dorm room with the staff boys and there has been a real bonding among them... going fishing together, planting cassava together, walking to town, playing cards together... and that is just in the free time! The girls in the team are also connecting in with the girls on staff, though they are a bit more shy at first. This morning our team woke up at 4:30 to cook breakfast for the base (over a fire outside, I might add) and I think this really blessed the girls who wake up early every day to bake buns over the fire. My friend, Tiki, showed up one day on the base - a complete surprise to me as she has been serving in Guinea Bassau for the past year... we were able to walk to town for a coffee and it was such a sweet surprise to see her and catch up with her!
Its been a while since I've been in the South Pacific and I am reminded of my love for this relational culture. Our lives have truly been enriched here in Vunayasi. In addition to this mutual ministry here on the YWAM base, we have been given opportunities to teach in Bible Studies, teach Bible Overview for a Women's group at a nearby church, lead worship for the base, and serve with the Kid's Club here on the base every Thursday - where kids from the surrounding homes, both Fijian and Indian, come to hear Bible stories and play games.
On Tuesday we head to Suva to teach in Catherine's church (she's one of our students on the team, an Indian Fijian.) We are excited to serve and bless her church, and also for them to be able to see what she has been learning in SBS. I am also excited to head to Suva because I have friends from my past years in YWAM around Australia and the Pacific that I will be seeing there!
Hope this is an okay update for now... I will try to think more before writing next time... internet time is short! :)
Much loloma from Fiji,
Jillian
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