A Week of Work and Friendships

16 October, 2013

Bula Vinaka

Another week of interesting challenges! After meeting with the people involved in vocational education at the Ministry of Education – TVET, and those from FNU. We have received some of what they were preparing. However, the more we get, the more confused the situation becomes. We have received modules (units of a curriculum) that are identified as, for example, Module II, but the title will not show up as a unit on the outline. We have a lot of work to do to be ready for next year!

Last week was conference weekend for you. But because we would receive the Saturday sessions at 4:00AM, 8:00AM and 12:00 noon on Sunday and the Sunday sessions on Monday, this past weekend was our “conference weekend”. We watched Saturday’s session at home – hooking up the computer to the TV. l went to the priesthood session at the Stake Center. Sunday we attended the sessions at the ward house.

The weather here is crazy! Some nights you almost need to turn on the AC. This weekend I had to close the windows – we were cold! From all I read and hear, there are only two seasons – summer and winter. From June through October we get the southeast trade winds. They say this is the best time to visit! February and March the winds come out of the east and brings the rain, with the southeast coast (where we are) getting 118”, and 197” inland – in the rain forest! This old desert rat might drown in that much rain! Summer is December – February. School is out during the summer! I don’t know what season you classify the other months to be part of.

No trips or excursions to report. Saturday we were going to hike into a water falls with some of the other couples, but it fell through.

The temple has been open a week and a half, and we’ve gone four times. Going to the temple is getting interesting. We have two temple missionary couples, a Perpetual Education Fund couple, CES couple that teach at the institute, an audit couple, an office couple, an ITEP couple, and us, that live here in Suva area. We explore, share meals, go out to eat, and socialize together. So when you go to the temple, most of the people working in the temple, and some of those going through, are people you’ve been with, and have become friends with. I didn’t mention the Mission President and the Temple President, whom we have also gotten to know well.

This past week 14 of us went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch – it was really good! Sunday evening eight couples had dinner at the CES couple’s house.  Pulled BBQ Beef sandwiches on great bread!  One thing about being down here is that they have super bakeries!  We all contributed a side dish: salad, fruit, and the like.














Monday night we had dinner with the Whiteheads, sort of a “farewell” meal for them, with two member Families from our ward.  Elder and Sister Whitehead leave for home on November 4th.  We will miss them!

Thursday 17 Oct., we received our own car!!! A brand new Hyundai Tucson (4-wheel drive). Needless to say, this will be nice; we will be much more effective in meeting the needs of our missionary duties here in Fiji.  Sweeeeet ride :)


As of this week, we have been in Fiji for one month!